Secrets & Love

Chapter 3: Avalon

TW
BLOOD
ABUSE

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The smell of whiskey filled my nostrils, as his fiery breath breathed down upon my face. My back forced against the wall, with sandpaper like hands tightened against my throat. As the air left my body, second after second, my time slowly ran out. Fighting, kicking, screaming. Just for this stronger wall pinning me in place.

My hands reaching out to the side, grabbing the first hard thing I could carry. My grip lowering every passing second. My vision slowly fading. But going as hard as I could, the cool metal object hit the side of this drunken man's head enough to knock him off.

With a gasp air filling my lungs, a stumble came from the weakened muscles that carried me, for a hand to take hold of mine...

"NO!" my eyes gasped open into a white room. Monitors beeping in my ears, and wires connected to my chest. A tube placed inside my nose, and a needle in my hand into a vein. Looking down to my previously wounded limb, it was wrapped in a white bandage.

"Hey there," a male raspy voice came from beside me. My eyes set on a broad male, black hair, deep forest green eyes, with what seems to be a day old stubble covered a strong jawline. A white t-shirt was drops of maroon red perfectly suiting the tame body. Josh.

"You're awake!" a female voice startled us both. A smaller woman wearing light green scrubs came in, my thoughts were she was a nurse as she went straight to the monitors. "You're a mystery girl aren't you?" I kept my voice shut, as I watched her write down on the clipboard, with the name, Avalon, written on the back.

"Everything looks good?" Josh's voice came from behind, with a hint of worry hiding within the rasps.

"Very," she turns to look at me, "you are quite a fighter." she gave me a bright smile, that I managed to return with until she looked back at Josh.

"She should be able to leave in a few hours, though there are some forms to be filled out," when he nodded she turned out to leave, leaving me alone with a stranger I yet to know.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, within a few minutes of silence.

"Good," my throat felt raw in the words, "what happened?.. Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, in New Orleans, Louisiana," he smiled lightly, kindly. "You know more than I do," he leaned back in the chair he sat in. I admired him as you could see his muscles move beneath his shirt, "All I know is what happened when I found you," I nodded to his words, dreading to say the truth. Right as I went to speak, a woman came from the door once again.

"Joshua Hayes!" She looked very similar to him. Same black hair, same green eyes. The skin tones are just slightly off from each other. Behind her was a tall man, who was almost identical to him. Though his hair had more gray at the roots, along with more of a beard than a stubble.

"Mom? Dad?" he got up and walked towards them, "what are you two doing here? I told you I would be home later tonight."

"What are WE doing here? What are YOU doing here?" her eyes landed on me, then back to him to the specks on his shirt, "and who is she?" his eyes follow hers, back and forth from me to him.

"Her name is Avalon, I found her last night on my way home and she needed help," he paused for a moment, looking back at me, then to his mom, "can we talk about this outside, please?" her head nodded, as she turned around. His father whispered something towards him that I couldn't quite make out. I watched as they walked out, closing the door behind them, keeping me inside the quiet room.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the constant beeping of the monitors that kept the rhythm of my heart. Along with the clicking of a clock. Voices muffled going back and forth through the wooden door. With a flutter from my eyes, the light took a few seconds to focus the lighting of the room. Towards the door, a window on the door allowed me to view the faces of Josh's parents. His mothers face furious, until her eyes met mine. Then back to her son. She pointed up one finger and mouthed the words, one month, then taking a glance back at me once more until walking away, along with his father. I looked away, as he walked over to the front desk. I kept my eyes on the clock, watching the seconds time the minutes, 10:41. It was the next morning. I got away. A sense of relief released off my shoulders, letting off a sigh off my chest.

The sound of the door startled me, shooting my eyes towards it. It was Josh. He held a clipboard in his hands, with a smile on his face.

"You get scared easily, don't you?" he asked with a worried smile. I nodded, letting go of the breath I didn't know I was holding.

"What was all that about?" I asked, my voice still slightly raw.

"Oh, that was nothing," he came closer, sitting in his original chair, "good news is, if you don't have a place to go, you're welcome to stay with me."

"What's that in your hand?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" he laughed, motioning to the clipboard, "these are your admission papers, and discharge papers" I nodded my head as he handed me the board. The paper filled with questions made my eyes wide. I heard as he laughed at my puzzled look.

"How about, I read them, and you just say yes or no, okay?" I nodded, holding back the board. Instead he came over to the bed, sitting beside me, then taking it from my hand. I leaned in, feeling the warmth of his body against my shoulder, and the scent of him filled my nostrils.

"Name?" he asked jokingly for he knew my name, or at least he thinks he does.

"A-V-A-L-O-N" I spelled out, as he wrote it down, "no last name" I told him, as he looked down and nodded.

"Date of birth?" He looked back on the paper.

"April 27th, 2004"

"So you're 16 then?" he asked, I nodded in return.

The questions went on for what seemed a while. Though some were joked about, while others had no concept. The nurses came in and out, one even taking out the needle in my hand, leaving a bruise on top. The hospital gave me a pair of scrubs to wear, since my other ones weren't wearable anymore, Josh walked out as I changed. I eyed the amount of cuts and bruises that lingered on my pale body, that almost seemed more bone than skin, though now more black and blue. I limped into the bathroom, as my foot stung as weight bared it. My long brown hair slightly curled in spots, my face had small cuts, and bruises, though my lip took most of the damage. My small jaw outlined the marks of bruises of fingers along my neck below my ears. My brown eyes lingered of dark circles, with a gloss of tears that struggled to stay inside, as my head fell into my hands.

"Ava?" that raspy voice that I grew to know came from behind me.

"Yeah?" letting out a sob behind the single word, looking back to the mirror.

"You okay?" his eyes showed a worried look, with his smile gone. His eyes followed mine to my neck growing wider. I heard his steps come closer behind me, and felt his hand touch my arm, making me flinch, as he does as well.

"You're safe now, you hear me?" His voice is firm, but soft. How does he manage to do that? I nodded at his words that I longed to hear, falling into a sob once again into his arms. His hands smoothed over my hair, sending a shiver down my spine as I pulled away, wiping the tears with my sleeve. I opened my mouth to speak, though he shut me down.

"You don't have to tell me" he held out his hand for me, I slowly took it in mine, "let's take you home." I nodded, as he calmed me down so easily. I felt something growing inside, though I'm not sure what it is.