By the time I was finally done with a part-time job it was wet and dark out. it was only about 9 PM, but I was exhausted and starving. I was talking to my best friend Joey on the phone as I was walking home hoping that by the time I got there, my father would be either passed out from his drinking or sibling no longer home. I still had homework to do on top of my daily chores and cooking.

Joey asked “how was work tonight?”

“It was alright I suppose” I responded

“Was it bussy again?” He asked, hearing the exhaustion in my.

I would leave the house if I wasn’t for my sister Anna . Anna, it’s the sweetest little thing, but her innocent is the danger. So far my father hasn’t turned his eyes on her, but that doesn’t mean that if I ever disappear he won’t. I can take every beating he has to give if it protects her. Just a few more years I thought.

“You can tell huh? I’m ready for bed.” I told Joey

“Why not call it a night when you get home?”

“I wish I could. I still have homework and I have to make Anna’s lunch.” I explained

I was thinking about wanting to make it on for lunch tomorrow I heard a crushing sound . When I turned my head, I saw a man sitting in a pile of trash. The sun must’ve been him falling. I turned to walk to him asking are you OK? Do you need help, sir?”

“Hey Joey I’ll call you back okay?”

“Is everything okay midna? What was that sound?” Joey asked worried

“Ya everything is fine man just fell so I’m going to help them out. I’ll talk to you after.”

“Okay but be careful” Joey urged

“Of course, bye” and with that hung up

Little did I know that my decision in this moment will change my life forever . Everything about the situation should’ve turned to normal person the other direction for me. I never even thought about that, though my feet were removing before I couldn’t even consider the danger I might be putting myself in the more I made my way down the narrow alley the more I realize that the man was hurt dark hair was dripping with blood, and a shirt was soaked from the rain and staying at the same Red.

To a woman her looks for everything, but this man put a woman to shame even while soaked and covered in blood. I should’ve turned around then but then I asked again. “ Excuse me, arr you okay?”

At this point, I’m only steps away from him. I reach his feet crouched down, extending my hand to move. There is no longer groomed hair back to look at where the blood was coming from. My fingers barely brushed his face when he grabbed my wrist, throwing his weight on top of me as we spawn Before my back landed on the trash bags beneath us his other hand clenched my neck. I had couldn’t keep up with what just happened or that I might die here.

He growled “ What do you want? Who sent you?”

Gas debris I tried to explain “ midna… my.. name.. is Midna Grey.” he listened to hold on me so I could speak coughing I somehow choked out. “ I was on my way home and I heard you fall. I was just trying to see if you were OK, but you didn’t hear me.”

To my surprise, you let me go sitting back up “I’m fine” he says

“ you’re clearly not fine. You’re sitting in a pile of trash in the middle of the night bleeding, I’ll take it to the hospital.”

He looked at me like I said the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard

“ why are you running away yet?” he asked, he almost sounded amused, but it would be amused in this situation.

Without thinking, I blurted out “ why would I run away when someone is hurt in front of me?”

His eyes widened in the narrow does he said “ aren’t you afraid that you think about how or why I got this hurt to begin with?”

“ of course I’m afraid I’m afraid of many things. I’m afraid that you keep bleeding you might die for starters.”

“ you’re an interesting one” he says “ if I’m a bad person?” He scoffed

“ I don’t think” I say “ besides you seem more concerned about me than yourself currently”

He chuckled himself a bit before saying “ I’ll be fine. I have someone coming for me. You better go home”

I stood up and look at him for a moment before running off. I knew that there was a convenience store around the corner so I ran to grab what I could to stop the bleeding. How could I ever become a doctor if I left him bleeding in the street? I returned to the alley entrance. I saw him glance up at where I was standing. I walked to him and went straight to work, trying to patch them up with a few things I had bought. I worked as asylum listening to the rainfall, but I feel his eyes on me the entire time.

Neither of us spoke again until I was done. As in stood up I gave him the bag remaining products and told him to take care of himself better in the future.

“ your wife worry about you if you always get hurt, be more careful” i scolded

Howes was walking out of LA. I saw a few expensive cars parked in front and Man stopped in front of me. Our eyes met for a second before looking past me where the man I was just with. . Glancing back at me he walked by and continued home. I briefly heard him speak with a rough voice of sound panic.

“Boss are you okay? I’m sorry I failed. Let me get you home and..” pausing couldn’t help look back “boss yours smiling?” my eyes met the man I helped. That’s what I realize. I didn’t even ask his name with her eyes still locked he said “let’s go, my wife will worry if I don’t get patched up properly.”

His awareness to their dumbfounded as the man stood “huh? Your wife sir?”

“We will talk later, let’s go. I need a drink”

By the time I got home, the house was silent, which was exactly what I was hoping for. Finally some peace and quiet. I made myself myself some tea as a star of the rest of my homework like I was able to finish most of it before leaving school didn’t take long for me to finish, but I immediately start cooking food for the next day. I started thinking about the Man again wondering if his friend brought him home or took medical help remembering how much he didn’t want to go to the hospital and him mentioning wanting a drink. I figured he went home not realizing I spoke out loud I said

“Next time I see him I should ask him his name”

That’s why I noticed Anna got up and came into the kitchen, breaking me out of my daydream “sissy, you’re home. Ask who?”

“Anna, what are you doing up?”

“ I just wanted to drink I went to bed early because of dad” Anna replied

“ are you OK? Did something happen?”

“ I’m fine. Dad was drinking with those guys again sorry I didn’t like you said”

What a relief I pulled her into a hug and told her “ I love you so much, Anna I will do whatever to protect you”

And I responded by hugging me back, comforting me with her soft voice “ sissy. I love you too. You don’t have to try so hard. I know you’re tired so I can help you make money.”

Before I could respond, telling her not to worry about anything, we both looked at the door and knowing what was supposed to happen, I pushed her away gently telling her to hide quickly. Just then the door was open, and I could fall fell into the house drunk as a skunk the smell was so strong. It made me feel intoxicated myself, holding my turning stomach back. I tried to help him up and close the door.

“ dad you’re home let’s get to bed” I tried to ease

“You… wah yew here foh.” He complained, hardly l able to speak “ where’s my money?”

“Dad, it’s lates let’s get you to bed first “ I say as gently as I can.

“Yooooou! Don’t tell meee what to do. I am your farter!”

Getting ready up for the night, I muttered “ so you know you’re my father, huh? “

That was a mistake with that he pushes off the arm. I was using to support him and smack me as I fell to the ground. I met with Anna hiding I could see she wanted to come out running to me when I shook my head at her to stay in place.

“ you dumb bitch, you’re just like your mother. Dont no one to keep your mouth shut.”

He was mad now, although that was normal. He was compared me to my mother, but that never made me mad. In fact I enjoyed it. It was almost worth a beating just to hear about her. He hated me because I looked like her with my long blonde hair I even had the same shade of bluish grey eyes. If you ask him, my address is just like hers too. I only remember my mother being sweet and loving. I close my eyes. I imagine her face how she used to cook for us after school and read to us at bedtime. I could hear my father called to me as I dreamed of a time long ago he continued to hit me a couple more times.

When he was finally finished, he had left me on the floor and went to his room and the eyes with Anna, indicating for her to wait I come for her.

If your mum wants what I have, he settled into bed, I got up in a walk to his room, checking to make sure he was passed out after making sure he was walked back to the kitchen to get Anna and bring her to bed once we were in the room and I said “sissy, I’m sos birth! It’s my fault if you weren’t trying to protect me, he wouldn’t have hit you so much. Your lip is bleeding.”

I stopped her “ and it’s not your fault in anyway you don’t control one person does I’m fine so don’t worry it would hurt me more if he hurt you go back to bed and I’ll see you in the morning” Patty, your head still kissing her in case I got blood on her

“Midna…” my sister says stop me my tracks know why my instance sister I always call me. He was about to say something serious.

“ I’ll be 15 next week and when I am, I’ll be able to finally start working I know you want me to focus on school and taking care of myself, but I can’t do that without you so please try to hang on just a little longer and then it will be my turn to take care of you.”

“ good night, Anna” I responded smiling as sweetly as possible back at her

I went downstairs to fix Myself up. The side of my lip was split. I cleaned it and grab some ice to put on it while heading back to my room, laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about how just earlier I was a stranger for getting hurt and then doing nothing about getting hurt Myself wonder if he had a similar situation I can’t fight back and I could get her after all. I fell asleep thinking about the person I love most and the beautiful stranger I meant.