Chapter 3 Rescued by a Stranger

Sofia's POV

10:00

"Ahhh...fuck!' I screamed out in pain as a shot hit me on the upper left side of my chest, close to my shoulder.

I fell down in pain, but I had to pull myself together if I really wanted to keep Iriana safe.

I helped myself up and shifted her weight to my right shoulder, and made for the back door, holding my pistol in my left hand. After carefully looking around the yard to make sure no one was lurking around, I ran across the wide field. Making sure to avoid the light, I made for the fence.

I dropped Iriana gently on the ground and pulled off my jacket. With it, I secured Iriana firmly to my back, and with support from my left hand, I scaled to the other side of the fence, kanding with a loud thud, I had to bite hard into my lower lip to stop myself from screaming. The pain and bleeding from the wound were too much.

I stood up and re-secured Iriana to my back again. Turning to the left, I started running as fast as I could, making sure to stick to dark paths. The vacation house was a bit far from the main town, so it took me almost 30 minutes before I came across the first car. I raised my hand to flap it down and ask for help but stopped myself. It wasn't a safe idea. Instead , I kept going. I couldn't run anymore as I had already lost too much blood.

After what seemed to be an eternity, I came to a fairly lit road. I could hardly make out the area, but it looked like the junction of a street. My legs weakened, and I fell down sideways. My vision became blurry and my whole body weak. Iriana was still unconscious on my back. My eyes were involuntarily shutting. I kept biting into my lips to keep myself conscious.

Not long after, I heard footsteps. They stopped right next to me, but I couldn't make out if it was a woman or a man.

They bent over me.

"Are you okay? Oh my God, you're bleeding..."

From the faint voice I heard, I still couldn't make out who they were, but I needed help. I could hardly keep my eyes open this time, but I managed to whisper for help.

---

Stranger's POV

My thoughts were on Aunt Mia as I rushed back home. I knew she would be worried already. I had been at the library, preparing for my upcoming exam, and didn't even realize it was already this late. To make matters worse, my phone was dead, and I knew she would have tried. to reach me. I hurried along the dark, lonely road. The electricity on that street had been out for a few days. I wondered what was taking them so long to fix it. It was a dark, quiet path, but it was the quickest route to the bus station and my favorite path. I needed to hurry so I could catch the next bus.

I was still lost in my thoughts when someone ahead of me caught my attention. Right at the fairly lit junction ahead, a woman carrying a baby on her back swayed unsteadily, like she was about to fall. Was she drunk? I wondered what was wrong withher as I slowed my pace. Not because I was scared, but because I wanted to be cautious.

Just as I thought, she suddenly collapsed onto her side.

"Fuck, what is wrong with her?" I thought silently. I stood there and watched for a minute or two, but nothing happened, and no one came to her.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath and hurried over to where she was.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I got closer.

Then I saw the blood.

"Oh my God, you're bleeding!" I said, alarmed. Her clothes were soaked. The girl on her back appeared to be either dead or unconscious. Blood was splattered all over her f mace and hair.

I knew they needed to be taken to the hospital, but there was no taxi around, and I'd have to go to the roadside to get one.

I looked around, confused.

"Okay," I said to myself. I decided to run to the road to get help. I dropped my bag beside her and started to go, but she said something. I stopped and looked at her.

"What did you say?" I asked, bending over, but there was no response. She had passed out.

I quickly ran to the road and flagged down a taxi. It took a lot of pleading before the driver agreed to drive through the quiet path. Together, we carried them into the vehicle, and he drove us to the nearest hospital.

They were immediately attended to. The woman was taken to the operating theater, and the girl was moved to the emergency ward. When I was asked for their details, I just explained the situation, so the police were called in.

I sat in the reception hall as the police took my statement, and I explained exactly what had happened. I was visibly shaken, but it wasn't out of fear-my own mother had died right in my arms when I was fifteen. I could still vividly remember that night: her blood stains on my white shirt, the tears in her eyes as life slipped out of her, and her last words to me. That night had been a lifetime nightmare, so this was nothing.

When the police were done, I was about to leave when the doctor came to announce to the police that the little girl was conscious. I stopped in my tracks.

"Can I see her?" I asked. Something inside me wanted to make sure that she was okay. Maybe I was just curious.

"Sure," the doctor said and led us into the ward.

I walked in slowly and looked at her. She stared back at me, fear written all over her face.

"Please, where is my mama?" she asked, her tiny voice trembling with suppressed tears. "And papa and Sofia?" A drop of tear fell from her eyes.

I moved closer to her and tried to hold her hand, but she resisted and started crying silently. I knelt beside her bed.

"Mama is okay. The doctor is taking care of her," I calmly said, not sure if that would calm her down.

She sniffed.

"Papa and Sofia?"

"They're fine too... I guess." I didn't know exactly what to say, but I wanted so badly to make her feel better.

"The woman will be okay too. She is lucky no vital organ was affected, but she lost a lot of blood, so it might take time for her to gain consciousness. You can talk to the girl now," the doctor interrupted, talking to the police.

"Thank you," one of the policemen said, and the doctor nodded and left.

The policeman came over and asked a few questions, but could hardly get much out of her, so they decided to wait until the woman regained consciousness and left.

After the policemen left, I took a seat in the room and sat down beside her bed for about 30 minutes before I stood up to leave, but she held my hand as I made to go.

"Don't go, please. I'm scared," she said, her tiny voice trembling again as if she might cry.

I looked at my wristwatch. It was 4:30 a.m.

"Okay," I said, sitting back down.

"Thank you," she said, not releasing her hold on me.

All went silent for a while. Everything seemed still except for her blue eyes piercing into mine, curiosity written all over them.

"Mama, Papa, and Sofia are okay, right?" she asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes," I answered, not looking at her eyes.

She tightened her grip on my hand.

"You have beautiful eyes," she said, still looking at me.

"Thank you," I responded.

"Will you be my friend too? My name is Iriana."

"You shouldn't ask strangers to be your friend, and don't give out free compliments to people you don't know, too."

"But Mama said it's good and okay to make friends, and it's also good to be nice to people."

"Okay." I wasn't interested in prolonged conversation. She could just continue with her mother's teachings for all I cared. All I wanted at that moment was to reach Aunt Mia and assure her I was fine. But I didn't want to leave the little girl alone-she should sleep at least.

"So can we be friends?" she persisted.

"Okay."

"Thank you," she said cheerfully. "But now that we're friends, don't call me ma'am, okay? Sofia keeps calling me ma'am when we're supposed to be best friends," she added seriously.

I looked at her, amazed. How could she be so free and confident with a total stranger? I was taught not to trust or open up to people I didn't know, so my childhood had been boring. I hardly talked. I took a closer look at her. She was probably in her fifth year, but she was warm and spoke with unwavering confidence.

"Okay..."

"Iriana. My name is Iriana," she helped.

"Okay, Iriana. I won't call you ma'am," I agreed, becoming more interested in her.

"Yeahhh!" She released her grip on my hand. "I can't wait to tell Mama and Papa that I have a new friend."

I looked at my wristwatch. It was past 5 a.m.

I looked at her; she seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Iriana, I have to go now, but I promise I'll be back in four hours, okay?"

Her face turned gloomy almost immediately.

I just wanted to go home, put Aunt Mia's mind at rest, shower, have breakfast, and head to school for my one-hour morning class before coming back to stay with her, at least until her mom woke up.

"Please don't go. Wait till Mama comes," she pleaded, her voice filled with fear.

"Iriana, I promise, I will come back." I took her hands and squeezed them gently. "I promise."

She looked at me with doubting eyes, and a tear fell from her eyes. At this point, I was confused. How do I make her believe that I will come back? And damn, why are kids so clingy?

She barely knows me. I looked at her and felt pity for her again. On impulse, I released her hand and removed my neck bead. It was something very important to me. It was the only thing left of all the gifts from my mom. I wore it around her neck.

"Iriana, this bead is very important to me. I will come back, okay? Give it back to me when I come back."

She sniffed and briefly fumbled with the bead that was already around her neck before nodding slowly. I breathed a sigh of relief... at last!

I smiled at her and turned to go.

"Wait," she said.

I turned to look at her, praying silently that she didn't change her mind.

She sat up and removed the wrist chain on her wrist, stretching it out to me, and I took it.

"When you come back, give this back to me too. Mama will scold me if I don't have it when she comes, so come back before she does, okay?"

I nodded.

"Also, it's my birthday today. I would like my new friend to be at my party. You will be back, right?"

I nodded with a smile. The party... I wasn't sure it would happen, and even if it did, I wouldn't go. But I could sort that out later, so... okay.

"Thank you," she said.

I smiled at her again. I was a stiff person, and I knew it----well, people say so. But the pity and love rushing through me for this little one, maybe because I had suffered living without a mother and wouldn't want anyone else to experience it. I hoped her mother would wake up soon.

I turned and left the room. As I walked out of the hospital that day, I never would have thought that I wouldn't get to see her again or that I would never get my precious bead back again.

I never would have thought...