Moaning, I rolled over to my side to avoid the light shining down on me. It was so bright I could feel the heat from its rays. Whatever it was, it needed to go away. I wasn’t ready to wake up. In fact, I wanted to sleep forever.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so well. It was a welcoming reprieve to everything I had to do during the previous five years. Mainly, I just wanted to forget, for just a short time, about everything.
“Sir, you can’t sleep here. They will find you,” I could hear a soft voice speaking to me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to sleep. I didn’t know who she was, nor did I care. What I did care about was sleeping, and she was interrupting me.
I was so damn tired.
My body ached.
Where the fuck am I?
“Come on, let me help you inside.”
Grumbling, I didn’t say anything as I felt her try and lift me. I would have laughed if I weren’t so damn tired. Anyone who mattered knew to leave me alone when I slept. I wasn’t easy to move, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to make it easy for her. “Just leave me alone,” I grumbled, trying to shoo her away.
“By this, you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds, for this is not my doing.”
Opening my eyes, I was blinded by her presence. Her silver-white hair cascaded around her like a fucking halo blinding me. Great, I’m hallucinating. Exhaustion was a bitch.
Rubbing my eyes, I opened them again. Yep, she was still there. Trying to focus, I noticed she was small, petite, almost fragile looking. Her milky white complexion only enhanced her angelic features. Her crystal light blue eyes looked ethereal. I swore she had to be wearing contacts because nobody had eyes like that. Her full rosy lips smiled at me, causing me to blink.
Reaching out, I carefully poked her in the shoulder.
She beamed brightly, showing me her perfect brilliant smile. “You are not dreaming.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone who wants to help. Now, please help me a little. You are too big to carry.”
I laughed. Damn straight I was. I wasn’t some city boy with soft baby hands. I was a hardened man, molded in the depths of hell to do Satan’s bidding. Every part of me was constructed for the sole purpose of destruction.
Rolling over, I got to my feet with her help. I said nothing when she moved under my arm, placing hers around my waist. She was a tiny little thing, barely coming up to my chest. As she helped me walk, I tried not to lean too much on her for fear of crushing her.
Up ahead, I saw a small house nestled against the tree line. There wasn’t much to it. It was relatively simple, actually—almost a cookie-cutter home from the 1950’s suburbia.
Where the fuck am I?
Nothing seemed familiar.
“Where am I?”
“Just north of Salem, Oregon.”
“How did I get here?”
“Only you can answer that. I was woken up by the noise of the crash. I found you lying on the ground. I am sorry about your bike.”
“My bike? What’s wrong with my bike?”
“Someone took off with it. I didn’t get a good look at him. When I arrived, he was driving off on it.”
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered as she helped me into her home. As she helped me to her couch, I sighed. My head was splitting. I must have crashed my bike. It was the only thing I could think of. Yet, I’d never done so before. Had some close calls, but I’ve never laid down my bike. Ever.
“Sir, you must be quiet. If the others hear you, they will come.”
“Who?”
“My Uncle and his followers,” She said, getting up to lock her front door and look outside. “He probably already knows you are here. He has eyes everywhere. He won’t be long now. He knows everything. How did you find this place?