Page 7
Chapter 7
AIRLIE
I gaze down at my stranger.
His features are shrouded, but not so much that I fail to notice the blood staining his chiseled jaw. He’s been in and out of consciousness for a little while now, finally losing the battle with sleep after I cleaned and wrapped his injuries.
He needs to rest.
It’s the only way that he will heal.
I’m not an expert at treating injuries by any means, but I’ve been dressing my own since I was little, and they seem to have healed just fine, all things considered. I only had his shirt to work with as a makeshift bandage. I washed it, rinsed as much blood from it as I could, and allowed it to dry before wrapping it carefully around the deep gashes that mar his torso. My chest tightens with guilt. A heavy knot twists inside me, knowing I’m the one who caused those wounds. He was just so heavy, and the only way I could hide him in one of the outside caves was by dragging him there. My only other option was to leave him at the mercy of the ocean and pretend I never saw him. I wouldn’t sleep a wink again if I did that. Not knowing that my mom is in the skies watching over me.
I slowly trace my finger along the bloody trails. His jawline is noticeably different from Father's. Where Father's is heavy and lined with age, my stranger's is angular and sculpted. I gently smooth the pads of my index and middle fingers over his pulse. Counting. His heart is beating fast, but the steady rise and fall of his chest is much more controlled than it was before.
He will be okay.
I reach for the washcloth, gently wiping what I can see of the blood from his face before it dries and clings to his skin. I wish I could ask what kind of darkness led him to this place. If fate had been so cruel, it condemned him to the unforgiving sea, where he would be forced to meet God alone.
Or could it be that he, himself, is the cruel one, and he is simply facing his punishment?
I don't get the same feelings around him as I do with Father. I don’t feel unsafe or like I’m in trouble with this stranger. Yes, I’ve only just met him, and yes, his presence is commanding, even though he is in a state of delirium, but there's an undeniable warmth in his presence that wraps around me, a gentle feeling I’ve only ever felt with my mother.
That warmth has awakened the parts within me that still resemble her, compelling me to create a safe space for him, a home, and to fill it with whatever he might need, whatever I’m able to give. Which isn’t much, really, but I can only hope it won’t disappoint him. He will have to be quiet out here, of course. Father can’t ever know about my stranger.
This cave will just have to do on short notice. He’s far too heavy for me to keep dragging around, and I don’t have time to search for another one. I cast one last look at him, studying the sharp contours of his face and committing them to memory.
He is undeniably captivating.
Excitement swirls within my chest at the thought of seeing him tomorrow. If he’s feeling better, perhaps he could meet my spiders, though I’ll have to figure out a way to show him. They cannot swim, I don’t think. I rise to my feet, and tip-toe out of his cave, and make my way back to my own before Father realizes that I’m gone.