Page 9 of Wreck and Ruin

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.

Chapter8

AIRLIE

When I returned, I danced around to dry my body quickly, then pulled my dress back on. I’ve been lingering by the window for what feels like an eternity, allowing the wind sweeping through from the storm to dry my hair. Father doesn't like it when it’s wet. I know that he’ll be here soon. He’s hardly ever late. I do hope he brings food. I must be on my best behavior now that I have my stranger. I can’t risk being denied dinner. I never get much to begin with, but now that I have to take care of him, I’ll have to split what little I get.

Distant murmurs echo through the cave, and I immediately stiffen as ice-cold tendrils trickle down my spine.

Something is off.

My body goes rigid as Father’s low, unsettling voice drifts through the air. A warm amber light flickers in the dark, dancing with the shadows cast on the jagged walls as he approaches.

Is he talking to himself?

I sure hope so because my night is about to go horribly south if he’s bringingherwith him.Ursa.She is cruel, venomous, and malevolent. Her only desire is to see me suffer, but not in the same way that Father does. She’s everything my mother wasn’t. Jealous and vindictive. She morphs into a putrid shade of red that almost looks purple whenever Father and I play together, yet she still insists on watching us whenever she’s around. I think she likes the torment almost as much as she likes to hurt me, standing by and watching me suffer as she tells Father to do bad things to me. I don’t know why she likes it. I don’t know why Father listens to her.

I climb down from the rocks and settle into my usual position, on my knees, palms resting upright on my thighs. The jarring clink of keys rattles against the iron bars, the sound discordant as Father unlocks the gate. He visits almost every night recently, though I wish he would at least stay away long enough for my wounds to heal.

He’s whispering something, but the wailing wind outside drowns out his words. It’s all I can do not to take the chance of facing my punishment by pretending to be asleep just to escape the sight of Ursa altogether. But no, I can’t do that. I need every scrap of food I can get, so I’m just going to have to suck it up.

Footsteps thud heavily on the ground as he emerges from the tunnels. I know better than to look up, so I keep my gaze fixed downwards, as I always do. The hollow is much brighter now, and I focus on the silhouettes shifting about in the shadows on the floor. The sound of the gate slamming shut echoes through the stillness around me, followed by more footsteps and male voices drawing closer.

Male voices?

Where’s Ursa?

On second thought, I don’t care where she is.

Father brought a man down here—no, not a man.

Men.

My stomach churns, and a wave of pure apprehension, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before sinks into the pit of my belly. My chest tightens as if there are thousands of tiny insects fluttering around my heart. A pair of black polished dress shoes, not Father’s, appears in my line of sight, but I refuse to look up. I don’t understand. Other than Ursa, he’s never brought anyone down here before. Father was the only other man I had ever seen until today when I found and saved my new friend.

Surely he didn’t see me out there?

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