Welcome Home

From this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoRkntoHkIE

Welcome Home

 

The area beneath the bridge was muddy, lined with stones that had gathered there over the years. She liked to walk down there when the depression ate at her mind. It was quiet, calming, and there was no one to tell you it would be ok. Just her and her feelings. But today wasn’t like normal. Just up ahead she could see him, a boy, no older than twenty was huddled under the concrete of the bridge.

            He was dirty and his hair was matted over his face. Bruises and scars dotted the pieces of his skin that she could see. He was wrapped in a scraggly blanket that looked like it had been pulled from the trash. The dirt all over his face and hands made his skin look tanned, but the pale white stuck out in small patches.

            She approached him slowly, not wanting to scare him away, and crouched down in front of him. “Are you alright?” she asked softly. He lifted his head and faced her, his eyes a deep brown that gave away the hurt he was feeling. “How long have you been out here?”

            He stared, no answering her questions, instead burying his face in his blanket. She stood up and grasped his hand, carefully pulling him up to his feet. He resisted a moment, scrambling to clutch at the dirt. But he was weak, hunger and exhaustion having taken their toll on his thin body. He stood before her, three inches taller than she was and barely wider than a lamp post.

            “I’m going to take you somewhere to get some food.” She said, not asking him. She wrapped her arm around his waist and led him out of the darkness. When they were on the main sidewalk she found the first diner within site and dragged him that way.

            He didn’t resist, seeming to be eager to eat something. He stumbled and tripped, leaning into her for support. His legs kept tangling into one another, furthering his trouble. When they got to the door of the diner she had to open it while simultaneously propping him up so he didn’t fall. A woman in a booth near the door got up and held the door for the strange pair, smiling before she settled back to her meal.

            She led the man right up to the bar that wrapped around the kitchen, helping him settle onto one of the stools. He turned to look at her as if in a daze, expression blank and unmoving. She gave him a smile, placing a menu down in front of him. “Anything you want okay?” Her voice was sweet, like music to his ears. He looked down at the laminated paper and slowly flipped through it.

            When the waiter stopped to take their order he pointed out four different items off the breakfast menu, all of which contained some sort of meat and a short stack of pancakes. She ordered herself a coffee, along with one for him since he hadn’t asked for anything to drink. “Are you going to be able to eat all that?” she asked him, raising a brow. He frowned slightly and blushed, hanging his head. “You’re going to save it aren’t you, so you don’t go hungry later?”

            He nodded, looking up at her without moving his head. His eyes were like a puppy’s, sweet and innocent. She couldn’t help but giggle at him, this large gangly boy who looked so much younger than he was. He started picking at a hole in his pants, tearing at the fabric. She could see the remains of a deep gash beneath the hole and could tell it hadn’t been treated.

            When the food came he devoured two full meals, the other two left untouched. She watched him eat, sipping at her coffee. When he began to slow she flagged down the waiter, asking for a few boxes and the check. She paid for the meal as he loaded what was left into three separate boxes, tucking them into a bag carefully. “What are you doing feeding the likes of them? You’ll just encourage them.” The waiter sneered at her, handing her back the credit card.

            “Trying to be a decent person, unlike you.” She snapped back, tearing her card from his hand. “It’s not his fault he has to live like that.” She turned on her heels and went back to him, leading him out of the diner. Out on the sidewalk he turned toward the bridge, looking at it for a moment. “You don’t have to go back there, you can come get a good night’s rest at my apartment if you need it. It’s just a few blocks that way.” She offered. He turned and for the first time he smiled, the grin lighting up his face and showing off a set of dimples.

            He was still shaky on his feet, but much better not that he wasn’t starving. She led him to her building and into the elevator, keeping him close to her side in case he tripped. He stared all around him at the sites, placing a hand on the cool elevator wall and staring at like it was alien to him. When it started moving he jumped, pressing against her. She chuckled, stroking his arm, “It’s alright, it’s supposed to do that.” He looked down at her in confusion, shaking slightly. “I won’t let you get hurt I promise.”

            There was no reason why, but he trusted her and calmed under her kind gaze. The elevator jerked to a stop and she led him down the hall to the fourth door on the right. Once it was unlocked she urged him inside, pulling the door shut behind him. “You can use the shower if you want, it might be best if you do.” She said, helping him find the bathroom. He stared at the shower and then looked to her for guidance. “I’ll get it.” She turned it on, grabbing a towel from the cabinet and setting it on the sink. She ran to her room and dug out a pair of grey sweatpants and a black sweatshirt that were too big for her. She brought them in and laid them on the counter with the towel. “There you go, there’s soap in there that you can use okay? I’ll just be out here when you’re done.”

            She went out to sit on the couch, clicking on the TV to watch the news. He was in the bathroom for an hour before he finally emerged. She turned and smiled at him. He was a changed man once he’d been cleaned. His pale skin was dotted with freckles and the matted hair that appeared brown was lovely red that curled on the top of his head. There were two scars on his face, one just above his left eye, and the other through the left side of his lips, creating a line that seemed to divide his mouth in two. The sweats fit him nicely, although the pants were a tad short.

            “Feel better?” she asked, patting the couch to invite him to sit. He came over slowly, sitting down and pulling his knees up against his chest.

            They sat in silence for a while, and she thought he’d dozed off by the shallow sound of his breathing. She began to doze herself before she was startled awake when he spoke. “T…thank you.” He muttered, looking down at her knees. The sweet voice spilled off his lips like honey. “I…I’m..I’m Will.” He turned his eyes to look at her, his body staying locked in placed.

            She gaped at him, swallowing hard before finally able to answer. “I’m Beth. It’s nice to meet you Will.”

            He smiled again, the expression brightening the entire room. “You’re not much older than me are you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

            “I’m twenty-three.” She told him, clicking off the TV and turning to face him. “How old are you?”

            “I think I’m nineteen, but I don’t know for sure. I just know that I was in that place for nineteen years.” He traced over a flower on the couch, his long fingers easily moving in loops. “I don’t ever want to go back there.”

            “You don’t have to.” she placed her hand on his, causing him to look directly at her. “If you like, I can make this your home.” The bright smile returned and she no longer felt the monsters nagging at her brain. She had given him a home.