Erika was jogging for a change. The clouds overhead seemed to press
close to the ground, and looked about ready do let loose all the water
they'd collected. She'd just washed her shirt yesterday, and she really
didn't have the extra $3 to get it cleaned again. It's probably be cheaper
in the long run to just buy a used washing machine and dryer, but she just
didn't have the cash right now, nor whenever she thought of it. Her mind
was on getting home quick, and paying for next weeks food, and getting some
fish for that little black cat that'd been stopping at her window
lately...she'd named him Soli, short for solitude, because his predicidment
reminded her much of hers. Alone, not much of a house, no food...she didn't
notice the figure in the shadows on her stoop, untill she actually triped
over it.
"Ahh!" she yelped, as her right foot caught on the shape, nearly sending her sprawling into the door. She grabed the railing in the nick of time. She jumped back when she saw the thing was actually a person, who hadn't shown any reaction to her tripping. She looked all down the street, but not a soul was in sight. What should she do? She gently tapped the persons shoulder, causing him to shift a bit, but beyond that nothing. If it was some drunken hobo, she was gonna kick him in the gut. Just as she was about to, the figure groaned a little bit and moved his arm, revealing a white, sickly face that was oddly familar. She drew a sharp intake of breath. He looked like he was dead! There was obviously something wrong, and a strange, unfamiliar emotion welled up inside her. Pity. Without knowing why, she bent over to lift the person by the armpits up into a sitting position. The only strugle he put up was a breif shuddered breath, before his head droped to his chest. She groped for her housekey, and dragged him into the foyer. How she was going to get him upstairs, she had no idea. None of her downstairs neighbors seemed to be home (not that she trusted them...the old woman glared at her and her husband leered) so with a grunt Erika began the painful task of getting the person up to her room. A million thoughts of doubt crossed her mind, screaming at her 'why are you helping a stranger???' but it never occured to her to actually leave him. He could be a muderer, a pysco...but there was something very familar about his face, that made her heart wrench. But nothing rang a bell. He weighed hardly nothing, but it was still awkard, dragging something larger than yourself up a flight of stairs, which were in dire need of repair. He sighed once in a while, but for all the world looked like he was asleep! She opened her door and lugged him in, chuckling a little at a passing thought she'd had, how she probablly looked like a murderer dragging a body away. Hopefully no one saw her and called the cops, it would be a little tough to explain. "Oh, yeah officer. I found this guy on my doorstep, and I decided to drag 'em upstairs!"
After she cleared some junk aside and had laid the stranger on the bed, she sat back to have a look at him. He was beyond pale, his face had no color whatsoever. His whole body was thin, like it was streched over a frame. But every second that she looked, that thinness seemed to be disapeering. His clothes were wrinkled and very, very dirty, a black sweater shirt and black dress pants, with a white colar around his neck. He kinda looked...like he'd been dressed formally. Then fallen in the mud. And slept in the mud for a few days. Erika looked around for an old blanket to throw over his sleeping form, then went to her small cabnet to find something to eat. There was something nagging at the back of her mind (besides the fact that a nearly dead stranger was asleep on her cot). Where had she seen him..where...she shrugged. Now what to do with him. She wanted to get the ambulance there before he woke up, in case he really was a pysco murderer who'd kill her at first sight. But the nearest phone was 4 blocks away, and by now the rain had started up again in earnest.
Erika sighed, and made up two peanut butter and cheese sandwiches (her favorite), one for her, and one for the stranger. She ate hers quickly and left the other on the short table next to her table, then got up and locked the door behind her. It wasn't like he was gonna steal anything, there wasn't a hell of a lot to steal, and he wouldn't get out untill she got back with a doctor or something. The door slammed shut in protest as she stepped out into the rain, giving up on her clean shirt to walk the four blocks to the payphone. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*
"Ahh!" she yelped, as her right foot caught on the shape, nearly sending her sprawling into the door. She grabed the railing in the nick of time. She jumped back when she saw the thing was actually a person, who hadn't shown any reaction to her tripping. She looked all down the street, but not a soul was in sight. What should she do? She gently tapped the persons shoulder, causing him to shift a bit, but beyond that nothing. If it was some drunken hobo, she was gonna kick him in the gut. Just as she was about to, the figure groaned a little bit and moved his arm, revealing a white, sickly face that was oddly familar. She drew a sharp intake of breath. He looked like he was dead! There was obviously something wrong, and a strange, unfamiliar emotion welled up inside her. Pity. Without knowing why, she bent over to lift the person by the armpits up into a sitting position. The only strugle he put up was a breif shuddered breath, before his head droped to his chest. She groped for her housekey, and dragged him into the foyer. How she was going to get him upstairs, she had no idea. None of her downstairs neighbors seemed to be home (not that she trusted them...the old woman glared at her and her husband leered) so with a grunt Erika began the painful task of getting the person up to her room. A million thoughts of doubt crossed her mind, screaming at her 'why are you helping a stranger???' but it never occured to her to actually leave him. He could be a muderer, a pysco...but there was something very familar about his face, that made her heart wrench. But nothing rang a bell. He weighed hardly nothing, but it was still awkard, dragging something larger than yourself up a flight of stairs, which were in dire need of repair. He sighed once in a while, but for all the world looked like he was asleep! She opened her door and lugged him in, chuckling a little at a passing thought she'd had, how she probablly looked like a murderer dragging a body away. Hopefully no one saw her and called the cops, it would be a little tough to explain. "Oh, yeah officer. I found this guy on my doorstep, and I decided to drag 'em upstairs!"
After she cleared some junk aside and had laid the stranger on the bed, she sat back to have a look at him. He was beyond pale, his face had no color whatsoever. His whole body was thin, like it was streched over a frame. But every second that she looked, that thinness seemed to be disapeering. His clothes were wrinkled and very, very dirty, a black sweater shirt and black dress pants, with a white colar around his neck. He kinda looked...like he'd been dressed formally. Then fallen in the mud. And slept in the mud for a few days. Erika looked around for an old blanket to throw over his sleeping form, then went to her small cabnet to find something to eat. There was something nagging at the back of her mind (besides the fact that a nearly dead stranger was asleep on her cot). Where had she seen him..where...she shrugged. Now what to do with him. She wanted to get the ambulance there before he woke up, in case he really was a pysco murderer who'd kill her at first sight. But the nearest phone was 4 blocks away, and by now the rain had started up again in earnest.
Erika sighed, and made up two peanut butter and cheese sandwiches (her favorite), one for her, and one for the stranger. She ate hers quickly and left the other on the short table next to her table, then got up and locked the door behind her. It wasn't like he was gonna steal anything, there wasn't a hell of a lot to steal, and he wouldn't get out untill she got back with a doctor or something. The door slammed shut in protest as she stepped out into the rain, giving up on her clean shirt to walk the four blocks to the payphone. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*