I was beingfollowed.
The sound offootsteps crunched the frosty ground behind me and quicklymultiplied, telling me there was more than one person and my heartbeat heavily in my chest. My breath, hot and rapid, filled the airaround me and clouded my vision as I glanced over my shoulder at mypursuers. Only thin slivers of moonlight streaming between the buildings caught aglimpse of their moving feet.
“Aye, where yegoin’ so late in the night?” one of them drunkenly cooed.
Footsteps spedup.
Another added,“A fine wee thing like ye shouldn’t be travellin’ down darkalleys.” He laughed a gross, gurgled smoker’s cackle. “Could bedangerous.”
I saw themouth of the alley up ahead and quickened my pace, but it wasn’tenough. The two men pounced forward and grabbed me from behind,yanking me back into the shadows of the alley. I tried to screambut one of their salty hands covered my mouth. I struggled againsttheir hold as my back pressed hard against a stone wall. Knockingthe wind from my lungs. One of the fingers slipped into my mouthand I bit down with all my might, sending a fierce growl into thenight sky.
Unable toreally see my attackers in the pitch-black alley, I took my chanceand ran. But, once again, hands were on my body, pulling me back.More aggressive this time.
“Please!” Ibegged. “I’m pregnant.”
A man movedfrom one side of the narrow space to the other, crossing through ashard of moonlight. His determinedface came into view for a split second, but it was long enough tosee the malice in his eyes.
“Even better,”he replied with a slick tone and closed in as his buddy came frombehind, forcing me between them.
I felt hisraunchy breath on my face and held back the bile that rose from mystomach, my mind scrambling for what to do. Chastising myselfinternally when I realized how unprepared I was. No weapon. No wayto defend myself. Why didn’t I think to take anything?
I brought myknee up, quick and hard, to meet his crotch and sent him reelingback to the ground in a fit of coughing. Before his friend couldreact, my elbow hauled back and met his nose. The sound ofbone-crunching was enoughassurance for me. I took off running back toward the entrance,where I knew the tavern was close by and I could hopefully seekhelp.
But, again, Iwas too slow. My tired and pregnant body betrayed me. Two sets ofhands were on each shoulder, yanking me back into the shadows whereI was thrown to the ground like a sack of vegetables. The skin ofmy bare hands burned as they scraped across the rough stone. Icould hear the sound of metal clanking as one of the men removedhis belt buckle and I let out another scream.
“Help!”
But a bootcame up and smacked my mouth, silencing my cries. Blood rushed tomy head and the world around me fell into a muffled pulse.
“Shut up, youbloody whore!” the man told me and then to his friend, “Harry, keepwatch, would ya?”
His friendbegan to walk away, toward the opening of the alley, but was thenjoined by another set of boots, heavier and clunkier. I heard thewet crunch of a fist meeting faceand a body crumpling to the ground just a few feet to my side.
My attackerscrambled to haul his pants back up. “What the–”
More puncheswere thrown, and the dark alley filled with the sounds two menscrapping. Grunts and groans, painful punches, and then, finally, asecond body on the ground. I retreated against the wall, hardlyable to catch my breath, and feared what awaited me. A biggerpredator had entered the alley and took out my attackers. But whatdid that mean for me?
Shakily, Istrained to see the form in the darkness, only catching a glimpseof the massive man that towered over me. “P-please,” I said. “Letme go. I can pay you whatever you want!”
The figurecrouched down, catching the moonlight on the back of his head that highlighted hisshape like a pale halo. A face hidden in his own shadow. Helaughed, low and raspy.
“What’s thematter? Don’t recognize me, sweetness?”
My heartstopped in my chest, unable to believe the voice that graced myears. It couldn’t be…
“Benjamin?”His massive hands reached out in offer and I took them as I hauledmyself to my feet where I fell into his arms. I squeezed tightly,fending off the adrenaline shakes. “Oh, my God! I can’t believeit’s you!”
I felt hisbody jiggle with a heavy chuckle. “Of course. I promised to findya, didn’t I?”
I erupted intoheavy sobs, awash with relief of being saved from the hands ofthose two men. But, more importantly, the feeling of knowing.Benjamin was there. In front of me and in my arms. Rock solid proofthat my wish had worked. In that moment, all the worries I’d beenkeeping at bay finally released into the wind and I felt as if Icould breathe for the very first time.
“It worked,” Isaid and repeated to myself, erupting into a stream of sobs, “Itworked. It worked.”
“Hey now,”Benjamin pried me off his chest, “Why the tears? What worked?”
I wiped atrembling hand across the skin under my eyes and laughed. “My wish.It worked.”
“Of course itdid, sweetness. Why would you think it didn’t?”
“I just…” Ishook my head, still in awe that my friend was alive and standingbefore me. “It’s not as if the sirens gave me confirmation oranything.”
He stood backand held his hands out as he twirled about. “All the proof you needright here. Now,” he said and leaned in, so I could make out theslight features of his face, “How about we get out of this alleyand go somewhere warm? We’ve got some catching up to do.”
I smiledhappily, still unable to believe he was truly there. “I know justthe place.”
***
I stogged alog inside the tiny fireplace that warmed my captain’s quarters andstood, wiping the dirt from my hands. It felt good to be back in myroom. Safe from the world. I turned toward my little table, whereBenjamin’s large frame sat sprawled out, consuming the small chairbeneath him. My cheeks hurt from smiling, still unable to
