5 Saved

"Mom?" The young Valerie called, resting her little head on her mother's breasts.

The young mother's hands ran through her little girl's hair, brushing it from her face as the night breeze carried it back and forth. She had lost count of how many times she had gazed at her little one under the crescent moon. She only wished things had turned out so differently at the beginning.

She had had Valerie when she was very young and although that had left a scar on her heart, even though she was tagged a teen mother, she remained the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to her.

As she continued to stroke her daughter's hair, she recalled the lullaby she always hummed for her when she went to sleep, and how well it rhymed with the howling wind tonight. She smiled.

Valerie's hair was soft and light between her fingers and her eyes were a shade of starry green like a blade of glass. She looks almost exactly like her mother.

Slowly, her mother hummed softly. She listened to the sound around them as they sat back against the park chair, looking up at the stars.

"Why do wolves howl? " Valerie murmured curiously.

Her mother dwelled on the question herself for a while. She understood what the wolves were saying but there was no way she could explain something so disappointing to a twelve-year-old child.

She heaved a sigh as soon as she thought of a reply, careful not to let out her hesitance to her curious daughter.

"They tell stories to other wolves, " her mother said softly. Her voice was low, if she were to raise it any higher it would wake up non-existent neighbors.

"This one sounds sad, what is it about?" Valerie asked. Her mother blinked at the question and let out a soft breath.

"He's telling you how he feels, Val honey. He lost someone very dear to him and is mourning their loss." Valerie understood the word mourning. She knew that meant someone had died. Her bottom lip pouts up and tears well up in her eyes.

The night had been something different for her.

"It's okay, Val, it's only a story." Her mother said softly, holding her daughter close to her chest. Valerie didn't know why she felt this great urge to burst out crying, and she knew it was because of the sad story, she nods her head in response anyway.

She let soft whimpers out because she felt the howls calling to her as if to comfort him.

Valerie

Just like that night, I felt the howl calling to me again. I turned around as I heard a second moan from behind me. Or I thought I heard it. I looked to the right side of the uncompleted building after the post office, looked to the left side where the waters hit the shore, where the bridge was still under construction.

Then I slowly started to question myself. What the fuck was I doing here all by myself at night?

I tried to fight back the tears that welled up in my eyes by looking up. God, I'm so pathetic. Is there even a God?

I felt my phone ringing from my jean's back pocket again and I cursed under my breath. I should've left my phone in the car; I should have known Blake wouldn't stop calling me.

I wanted to pick up his call and tell him that I was alright, that I went downtown to grab sushi, but I decided that leaving the phone ring to voicemail was better.

Just then, I thought I saw some moving shadow in the background. For the first time tonight, I forgot all my worries and concerns, and I just narrowed my eyes toward the far end of the water. I looked closely, the hair at the back of my neck rising in agitation.

I had a sinking feeling inside me. I was fighting myself on whether to go and check out what I thought I saw from here, or just get to my car and drive home. Not only that, but I didn't even know what I thought I saw.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment after a while of staring into the dimly lit area, opening my eyes to find a body lying supine, the waters hitting his arms. He was unconscious like he'd just been washed offshore.

My first instinct was to run over to him, check if he was still alive or if he was knocked unconscious, and bring him back, but then I suddenly stopped to rethink my situation.

I must be crazy.

I was in the middle of nowhere, he could be some serial killer pretending to be unconscious just to get me for all I know. But the longer I looked at him, the more I felt guilty.

After a few seconds of contemplating my options, I took a fast run toward him, his pale face coming into view as I closed in on him. He was unconscious, and his body was afflicted with lots of wounds. It wasn't just ordinary. Looking at him, I could tell he has lost a lot of blood.

I found myself crouching next to him, my hands instantly going over his wound.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my heartbeat racing faster than a sports car. He wasn't breathing.

I looked back into the water, but it didn't make sense to me where he must've come from. I didn't see anything beyond the water. Looking back at him, I tried to examine his body.

He had several cuts on his chest. Cuts from a blade. Looks like he'd been in a fight. The cuts were pretty deep. Whoever did this to him wanted to kill him for good.

I gasped in horror as I saw the three arrow heads stuck in his chest. But I could still see life in him. How could he survive that? He has lost a lot of blood; it was all over his pale skin.

'What are you doing, Valerie? Help him!' I scolded myself.

I didn't know this man, but I knew, I just knew I needed to help him. I looked around but couldn't find anyone to help me get him to my car. He was obviously taller and bigger than me. And no doubt stronger than me, I couldn't carry him all by myself.

I thought of calling Blake, but it would be too late before he got here. I walked in between his parted legs and knelt down before him. I placed my hands over his shoulders and tried to lift him, but he was too heavy. Heavier than normal, and it only meant one thing. Life was slowly drawing away from him.

I let go of him and pulled off my long sleeve shirt, leaving my black corset top I was wearing. Mustering all the power in me, I lifted him, almost causing me to fall.

I knew the position wasn't the best for his condition, but I had no choice but to drag him all the way to my car. I mistakenly hit his head on my car window screen while trying to open the door, but I did it anyway, lying him gently and quickly at the same time on my car's back seat. That done, I ran over to the wheel and grabbed my phone. I quickly scrolled till I got to my doctor's number and dialed it.

"Pick up, pick u. . . . . "

"Hello Val." Shelby's voice came on.

"I need you at my house right now, please! Just get there now, I'll explain later!" I screamed into the phone, disconnecting it as soon as I got the words out.

I ignited the car and revved backward, hitting something from behind before making a turn and driving out, back into the streets. I sped through the roads, more than I ever did before. Somehow, I knew I needed to save him, it'd be a score to humanity, right?

As soon as I got to my house, the gates slid open automatically, letting me in. I stopped in front of the house, saw Shelby standing next to her blue Toyota car, her phone in her hands. She turned around as soon as she heard my car drive in. I jumped out of the car, as she started walking towards me.

"I was just about calling you, Val. What's up? You got me so worried, I was still at work when you called-"

"You need to save someone, Shelby," I told her breathlessly, cutting her off. I motioned toward my car and her eyes moved instantly to it, and she knew exactly what I meant.

"What happened?" She asked, calmly as she walked past me to my car, but when she pulled the backseat door open, her eyes shone with shock.

"I. . . I met him at the. . .bridge construction site," I told her, gulping as I spoke "He was badly hurt and. . ."

"Let's get him inside, we don't have enough time," Shelby said after seeing the man's state.

I hurried over to the side and helped her carry him. We both struggled to carry him inside my house, where we laid him on an extra bed in the back room of my house. My house was a 3D window lanced white mansion which I'd recently moved in from my former apartment.

"I need water," Shelby said as she pushed a box forward. I had no idea if she had been carrying the box all along, but I had no time to think. In one instant I was rushing into the bathroom and in the next few seconds, I was rushing back out with a bowl of water.

I watched as Shelby tore off his shirt. I had to shut my eyes when she tried to pull out the arrows in his chest. That instant, I actually doubted if he was gonna live. No one could ever survive that.

"Come help me, Val," Shelly called out.

I glanced up at her, then looked down at the unconscious man before slowly walking towards her. I helped her in the best way I could to get the arrows from his chest.

"Is he gonna live?" I asked as soon as I saw the three arrow heads on the plate. I actually didn't believe he was still alive, but I still asked for the littlest of hope I could get. He didn't look like he was breathing.

"He's strong," She replied as she shook her head, and I looked at her whole she continued, "I'm surprised he made it this far. An average man wouldn't survive all these. He must have had a will to live."

I looked back at this man lying in front of me. I felt myself let out a relieved breath as I watched his eyes.

"Is he gonna wake up?" I asked absentmindedly.

"It'll take time but he will," She assured me as she applied a pressure bandage to the damaged vessel. Thankfully, the arrows weren't as deep as I thought. While Shelbly was working, I just stared at him, wondering if he was at peace or if he was feeling all this pain.

I was actually starting to doubt if he'd wake up or not. Thankfully, Even if he would, how long would it take? Days? Months? I didn't wanna think about it. I just wanted to see him get better.

Shelby dressed him up and rounded it up before calling out my name. I looked at her instantly.

"He's gonna be alright, okay?" She said reassuringly to me again.

I nodded, giving her a lip lined smile.

"He's healing fast, " She continued. "His body is reacting to the morphine and every other thing I gave him real fast. I'm sure he'll be up before you know it"

I sighed in relief, then nodded "Thank you"

"I have to go now, Val. Still need to drop at the hospital first."

"Yes, thank you very much. I'll see you tomorrow"

"Alright. If he gets hot in the night, just put a damp cloth over his forehead and massage it a little. Val, you really need to be careful, this shouldn't happen again."

"What?- oh, it won't." I mumbled when I realised she was talking about the strange man.

Shelby gave me a painkiller to give to him in case he woke up before she got here tomorrow, then I walked her to her car. When we got to her car, she gave me a long look, and I knew she was trying not to ask too much. I was so happy she didn't, because I wouldn't know how to reply.

But I couldn't stop thinking about the man lying inside my house. Who was he? And why was he left to die offshore?

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