When the World Came Crumbling Down

Shane left the tiny forest village a week after the girl, whose name he overheard was Rin, got up and walked around.

She moved slowly and gingerly, as if every step hurt, but she did walk.

 Several people usually followed her around, anxious expressions on their faces, acting as if she would collapse at any moment.

He didn’t blame them – he would probably do the same thing – but apparently Rin did.

Two days after he first saw her walking around, she tripped and fell, sucking in a breath and gritting her teeth even as she tried to get up.

People rushed to her side to help, so many people that Shane couldn’t even see Rin through them all, and she yelled at them –

“I – don’t – need - HELP! Please, just leave me alone! All of you, I really appreciate it, but just leave me be!”

And they did, although he still saw people covertly watching her every time she left the cabin.  

Just yesterday was when he had decided to leave – it had been dumb of him to decide to stay in the first place.

He had never stayed in one place too long, and he wasn’t about to start now, especially for a girl.

Why should he stay?

There was no guarantee he would ever get to speak to her again, or that she would even remember him if he did get that chance.

And anyway, he couldn’t remain unnoticed for long – already Rin suspected something.

Once he could have sworn she looked right at him.

Even with all this in his mind it still felt wrong leaving, but leave he did, following the stream down hill toward the East.

I almost stretched as the sun shone through Sarah’s window, a mistake I would have really regretted – my muscles were still much too sore.

Heck, it was painful to lay down, much less stretch.

The bruises covering my body had faded into mostly yellow blotches, but they were the least of my problems.

I still had broken and fractured bones to deal with.

God damned filthy hobos.

I really wished I had never seen them, or that boy I had rescued.

If it weren’t for him, I would have given them the slip soon enough.

And he stole my bow, too.

And then lurked around the edge of the woods, watching me without even saying hello or asking after me – that was still a curiosity to me.

Why hadn’t he come to the village like I told him to?

Honestly, I had already taken myself for dead – I just wanted him to tell everyone, and let them tend his wounds.

But who can blame me?

He’s the hottest thing I have ever seen.

I shook my head, which gave me a small headache, and assured myself all of that was just the concussion speaking, and I was sure I had one.

Just then Sarah sat down next to my bed – which was a pile of thick blankets on the floor (after I realized I was in Sarah’s bed and she was on the floor, I insisted. I would have gone back to my own bed, but then she would have followed me and it would defeat the purpose), and offered me some breakfast, smiling.

She didn’t even try to help me sit up this time, which I greatly appreciated.

The last thing I needed right now was pity, and she of all people knew that.