Among the Shadows: Part 1, Chapter 7
Shocked that the man was moving and able to speak, I just stared. Some of the skin on his face was gone and he knew it, trying to avoid showing me his 'bad side'. The stranger could have run off with my phone or even been mean enough to drop it in the water, but instead he just stood there. Once he was satisfied that I had heard his request, he offered my phone back, which I carefully took from his hand. His hands and arms seemed to be in the worst condition.
"I just need to rest for a bit," the man said quietly but purposefully. "The water helps." He bent to pick up his shirt and put it back on, even though it wasn't much cover and the material couldn't be a good effect on his wounds. The bitter taste seemed to subside, and I didn't feel the urge to cough.
Illegal immigrants in the area were not uncommon. I reasoned that the man might not have insurance. My conscience wouldn't let me just leave him out here with no care. And the fountain was no place to take a bath. If he stayed in the park, eventually someone would freak out and make the call. Since he didn't seem to want help from professionals, I put my phone away.
I couldn't believe I was considering taking him home. My mind raced through possible scenarios: an accident in the home, a terrible jealousy, some underground deal gone wrong. He could be setting me up to steal my stuff. My laptop was the only thing of value in my room, but since it was the end of the semester, all I needed with it was to write one paper. If I really needed to, I could use the library computers. I could also keep Susie's room locked so that he wouldn't have access to her things. I even briefly wondered if he was a serial killer. But the personality and demeanor I felt from him did not feel dangerous.
I still carried my pepper spray, so I was not unduly concerned. I decided to offer. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing I'd ever done. When I was little, I used to take home stray cats and dogs all the time. I didn't like the idea that they were abandoned. As much as my parents liked and encouraged my giving nature, unfortunately, my mother was allergic to the animals, and we couldn't keep them. Sadly, they ended up at the shelter anyway, though I liked to think they enjoyed a few days in a loving environment. Then I felt guilty for comparing him to a kitten.
"I have visitors coming soon, but you can stay with me for a little while," I said, hoping that I wouldn't regret the offer. I had purposely been vague on the time. If the man turned out to be unpleasant, I could pretend that the nonexistent guests were coming sooner. "I live on campus, if that's alright with you," I said. The man looked older than me, but with regards to proper etiquette, I couldn't just assume he had been to college. "Please follow dorm rules so I don't get in trouble?" As soon as I had offered, the bitterness lessened considerably.
"Thank you so much," he accepted, nodding. He seemed happy and grateful at my words. "No trouble from me. And don't worry, I'm not going to steal anything, or hurt you or your roommate," he added. Something about the way he said it sounded honest. The bitterness was gone now, and I had no idea why. Was it some kind of precursor to this meeting? No, the last time I felt it was the previous night with the candles.
"I'm Luke," he said. "Sorry, I should probably not be shaking anyone's hand right now. May I know the name of my good Samaritan?" He picked up what remained of his shoes and began putting them on. His movements caused him to grimace with pain, but he didn't cry out.
Why did he call me that? "Lena," I said, choosing my nickname for someone I wasn't even sure was a student, nodding in his direction. "Just helping out." I felt stupid for having just said the very definition of the term.
Since my dorm was not that far, we began moving in that direction. The man shuffled along beside me, and I offered an arm, but he shook his head. I wondered how much pain he was in, but he never expressed much more than minor grunts. Trying not to be impolite, I avoided looking at his injuries. I didn't know how to treat a burn victim besides with cool water. But if all he needed was my bathroom, I could provide that. While we walked, I realized he had said 'roommate', as if he somehow knew that I didn't live with alone or with more roommates.
My phone beeped, so I pulled it out of my purse. It was a text message. The school had phone and email alerts that students could sign up for. I read: Fire on Springfield near McIntosh put out. No one was hurt. If you live in the two buildings affected, please see local police. Others safe to return.
"Is this how you were burned?" I asked, showing it to Luke. The fire had been nearby, and I remembered hearing the sirens. "But it says no one was hurt."
Luke squinted at my phone without taking it. Although he couldn't read it while jostled from our steps, he easily guessed what the message said. As I waited for him to respond, I put my phone away again. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I don't want to lie to you, Alena." I could have sworn I had introduced myself as Lena, but maybe he had heard 'Alena', which simply matched my real name. He continued, "But if what I say sounds crazy, how can you know it as truth?"
I stared at him, wondering why he would say such a thing. Luke's dark-almost-black hair hung wet. The back of it reached his shoulders as if he rarely bothered with haircuts. He stared back with dark brown eyes. "I don't want to lie to you," he repeated.
"I'm a philosophy major," I replied. "You can try me." I had always liked to examine all sides of an issue, and I liked to think that I could reason through anything. It was what drew me to the major. What could he be hinting toward?
Luke exhaled slowly before responding. He said quietly, "No human was hurt."
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