Chapter Four: Have Mercy

Please read this blog from the older entries to the most recent, or from the older archives to the most recent.

Sara had had an incredibly long and exhausting day. She was out since 8AM going to various offices looking for a job to help her boyfriend (Chad) pay for things like rent and utilities. She knew it wasn't her fault she was laid off because of downsizing merely months after beginning to go out with him. She kicked off her high heels, which had been causing her pain all day, when suddenly she remembered Chad would be home any minute, and she was so busy running errands she never had time to make dinner or pick something up. She picked up the phone and dialed Pizza Hut to order a medium pizza, hoping that he wouldn't be too angry. She didn't enjoy being around Chad when he was angry, but she knew she depended on his financial support for survival. Chad didn't arrive home until thirty minutes after the pizza was delivered.

"Hi hon", she said.
"Yea, what's up?", Chad said. "What're ya makin' us for dinner? I sure's hell don't smell nothin."
"Chad, I was out all day, and I just didn't have time, so I..."
"Didn't have time? Didn't have fuckin' time? What the fuck are you talkin' about 'didn't have time'? Are you gonna make us somethin or not!"
"I...I ordered pizza, it was getting cold, so I kept it in the oven for y--"
Chad nearly ripped the oven door off its hinges, and glared down at the luke-warm pizza. "You expect me to eat this piece of shit? And what the fuck you got the oven on for? You ain't payin to keep this shit runnin!"
Sara turned around to face away, but thought she could still hear him whispering to himself, "Goddammed dumb bitch." She worked up the courage to face him, and said, "Chad, I'm really sorry. I'll heat it up some more, and tomorrow I'll make your favorite Lasagna, I promi---"

But her promise was never made, for Chad had slapped her square across the face, where a red hand print left its mark. He spread his arms and curled his hand in to a fist and hit her hard on the side of the shoulder with the side of his palm.
Sara began to cry, as he slapped her once more - this time closer to her eye, and grabbed a hold of both her wrists with ruthless tenacity.
"You're right that you're sorry", he said. "And you damn fuckin' right that there'll be something -good- to eat tomorrow!"
She nodded between heavy sets of sobs.
Chad began to laugh. "Just a shame darlin'", he said. Then as he began to walk upstairs, with a sinister grin on his face, he said, "Just a shame you keep fallin' down those stairs."

---

A mixture of sounds greeted the boy early in the morning. Bird chirping, car horns beeping, and his alarm blaring all woke him up at about 7:15AM. He looked through his bedroom door to the kitchen table, where a neatly folded newsletter awaited him.

"Young Woman Killed In Domestic Dispute"
"Sara Morris, 22, was found dead yesterday afternoon at approximately 6:30PM, two miles away in the woods near her apartment. The cause of death was several gunshot wounds discovered in her back, as well as laceration marks found around her neck and wrists. Officials are still investigating the case, but believe the main suspect to be her boyfriend Chad Hoover, who has yet to return to his workplace of ACE Auto Repairs. If you have any information which may lead to the capture or arrest of Mr. Hoover, you are encouraged to call...." but the boy stopped reading.

"Another dangerous mission", he told himself. The truth was, he didn't very much care for putting his life on the line in situations like this. He would protect whoever he was meant to protect, but when it meant he might have to die, he was a hundred times more afraid. From the sound of the article, whoever he was trying to go up against was both armed and dangerous. He himself didn't have a gun, so he didn't know what he was going to do. He also didn't like the idea of using violence against others, even if it was to save a human life. "That's what some call War", he said to himself. "But I call it wrong."

He looked up Morris in the address book, but there were no matches. He looked up Hoover as well, but there were no Chad Hoover listings. His only clue at this point was ACE Auto Repairs - where Chad allegedly worked. Since he had no where else to turn, he figured he would try his luck there.

---

He arrived at the auto repair shop and asked for the manager. A burly man came out with an "ACE" hat on, and a cup for his chew.
"What can I do ya for kid?", he asked.
"I want to know about Chad Hoover, well, I need to know where he lives, you see I---"
The man gave out a hearty laugh. "Dern kid, you think I can just go out givin' ya stuff like that? Kinda strange though, Chad was s'pose ter come in today but I ain't seen him yet."
"Please", said the boy, "I need to know where it is Chad lives. It's very important."
"Look, kid, I told yer once, I can't go on givin' stuff like that away ter strangers! Hell, you'd have to be some kinder policeman or somethin' to get that kinda info."
The boy looked at the man straight in the eyes. The manager felt a small presence of rage coming from the boy's eyes, but also a sense of desparation.
"Please", the boy pleaded once more, "This is to save someone's life."
The manager looked at him one last time, at those fiery eyes which seemed to burn a hole right through him. "Ahright, Ahright. Tell yer what kid. His files is over there in them cabinets. But you go on and dig through 'em by yoself. I ain't gettin in ter no trouble for releasin' that stuff."
The boy quickly retrieved the information. He checked his watch, to see it was 12:30PM. He didn't have much time left.
"Thank you", he said on his way out.
As he was driving away, the manager turned to one of his co-workers and said, "Dat kid there just ain't right. Somethin' about the eyes if yous ask me. Just ain't right..."

---

The boy arrived at the address (which turned out to be an overly dingy apartment complex) and was sitting in his car, pondering his next move. "Shit", he said to himself. "I've really got myself in to it this time." The boy quickly surveyed his dilemma. He couldn't run in and get the woman because he probably couldn't convince her to come with him, and even if he did he'd have to return her sooner or later. He had no weapons to protect her with, and even if he did he couldn't do anything until her boyfriend acted. His only other alternative was to wait until her boyfriend arrived, which he guessed would be in about one hour, and go from there. This risked watching him kill her right in front of his eyes. Not wanting to think of the gruesome topic any more, he began to pray to God for the safety of the woman.

One hour had passed, and the boy had prayed the entire time. It was 2:00PM and the boy knew Chad would be by any minute. The boy didn't know what was going on with this relationship, or why it had fallen apart. He didn't know what this woman had done to deserve to be killed. He had not one scrap of detail concerning the convictions of his actions. All he knew was that killing is an evil that no human should commit, even against their worst enemies. He saw a car pull up to the apartment complex that he has noticed was Chad's, and a man got out of the car, and rushed in to the house. "That's got to be him", he said to himself. He sat in the car, praying that the man would return to his car with the woman. He would have a better chance of taking him off guard somewhere else, although he still had no idea how. He thought of calling the police right now, but then the man might kill not only the woman but also himself out of desparation. The boy sat in his car, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed. "Please God, let her be okay. Let her be alive. Please let him come back out with her through that front door. Please God let her be alive." Two minutes had passed, when suddenly the man burst out of the front door. Trailing behind him was a young woman, struggling to break free from his grip. She was abused, roughed up, and crying. But she was alive.

"Thank you God. Thank you. Thank you", the boy said over and over. The man pulled his car out of the parking lot, and began to take off down the street. He followed the car on to some back trail paths, which he thought weren't even for vehicles. Finally the man stopped his car, and the boy drove past as he saw the man take the woman out of the passenger side. "I can't just stop here and take him on", the boy thought. "He'd kill me along with her for sure". He kept driving, to make himself appear inconspicuous.

---

"Please, Chad! What are you doing?", Sara managed to weep out in between sobs. "I was only making your dinner, like I promised. I was just at home I swear, I never..."
"WHORE!!!", Chad screamed. "Don't you go on lyin' to me woman. I know you've been sneakin' 'round my back like some kinda whore! You ain't been lookin' fer a new job at all! You've just been gettin' yerself screwed for cash haven't yeh!"
"No!! I would never, no, please. I wouldn't, no, never...", she managed to mumble out.
"Bitch you ain't never been nothin' but a burden to me", Chad continued. "You ain't never helped me pay one goddamn bill!
Hell, you can't even get good food on the table, what else is you good for? 'Cause I don' fuckin' know. Fuck, you can't even fuck me every night like a good fuckin' bitch!"
"Chad, please, I've been spending long days looking for work, but I haven't found any, please, Chad, plea...", but the rest was lost in streams of tears.
"Tell you what bitch. Since you ain't no good to noone, specially not me, I'm gonna do us both a favor, and just put you outta yer misery, 'kay? Turn round and spread them legs apart. Maybe I'll force myself upon yehs one last time 'fore I blow your brains out."
"Please!! Don't!! Chad!!", she screamed. Then silently to herself, she prayed: "God help me...", and was knocked unconscious when Chad hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his handgun.

When Sara woke up, Chad was unconscious next to a nearby tree, and bleeding from his head. Next to him was a rock the size of her head, with blood smeared all over it.
"Don't worry", came a voice behind her. "He isn't dead, and the police will be here to arrest him shortly."Sara turned around, and a boy was sitting in the branches of a nearby tree, staring down at her.
"Who....are you?", she asked.
"Y'know, alot of people have been asking me that question, but I can't really say I've got a name anymore. Hell, my boss doesn't even know what to call me, although most the time it's just "Sick Kid".
"But, How, Where, What exactly happened here?", she said, as she was still very confused.
"I was driving by, and I saw that man harassing you. I knew I couldn't take him on, so I drove by and decided to wait. After he knocked you unconscious he was starting to tape your wrists and ankles together with duct tape. As he was doing this, I snuck up behind him, and well...", he pointed to Chad.
"But how did you know, why did you, no, what exactly is going on here?", she asked, still completely puzzled as to the nature of the appearance of this boy.

"Sara", the boy began (she was startled he knew her name, but did not ask him how he knew, for she would soon find out) "There are many evil people in this world, and sometimes those evil people do harmful things to others. But if there is one thing I cannot stand, it is for one person to reach out a hand with the intent to hurt another human being. This is not the way that people live, this is not the way that people grow. It is not the vision our God has for us to continue to harm each other like this. I bet for you, the road has probably been tough. Even tougher when you have someone like this dirtbag pushing you around. Yet despite the hopelessness, and despite how you feel alone without him, it is not okay to allow yourself to submit to him. It is never okay for a person to be stripped of their courage and their voice. These are gifts given to us for simply being human beings, and when another takes them away, we must sometimes fight to get them back. But Sara, we must never, ever, allow such demons to rule us like this man. The next time you feel hopeless and lonely, the next time that you feel the only one you have left is someone who does you harm, I want you to look to the sky. Look to the heavens, where a merciful God sits, watching over you. It is not his Will to see his children suffer, but he cannot help us by a divine intervention. The only miracles that take place Sara, are those within your heart. The decisions that you make, and the path that you now choose, are all up to you. But the courage to go through with this path, and the self-motivation to move beyond this despair, will come to you from up above."

The boy jumped down from the tree, and walked towards Sara. Sara, sprawled on the ground, could only look up at this boy with her mouth half open. There was something about this boy. There was no glowing aura, no halo, no wings, but she for sure thought he was some kind of angel sent by God to protect her.

"A-are you an a-angel?", she said.
The boy laughed. "Nah, I'm just the "Sick Kid".

He spread his arms wide, and Sara cringed. It had become an automatic mechanism of her's now, to cower back in fear at the site of dominance. The boy got closer and closer, and she was nearly crying by the time he was touching her. He put both arms gently around her neck and shoulders, and gave her a hug. The woman hadn't felt the sensation of such an embrace in quite some time. Chad had hardly ever seemed to embrace her like this, atleast not anymore. She wanted that moment to last forever, for she knew in that small window of time, she was both protected and loved, and that was all she wished for in life.

The boy let go after a minute, and bent down again to talk to her.
"The police will be here any minute to pick up him over there", he said as he pointed over to Chad. "I want you to tell them everything he's ever done to you. I've already told them that I knocked the assailant unconscious over the phone. But Sara, I never want you to forget. You are always loved, even if not by other people. No one has the right to touch you in such a way as this man has. No woman should have to physically submit to a man. May God protect you", he finished with a smile. The boy began to walk back down the road to where he had temporarily parked his car.

"Hey!", she shouted. The boy turned back around to look at her.
"Where do I go from here?", she shouted.
"Follow your heart!", he shouted back. "I bet there's something in there that'll help you!"


The boy kept on walking to his car. "She's going to have it really rough", he thought to himself. "She will probably have to live with some friends or go on Welfare for a while. I wish I could help her out more from here, but that is not my place, as I have now learned. Her life now lies in her own decisions and actions. The path she takes from here will be the result of her will to live and love, and the infinite mercy of God.

Chapter Three: Watching Over

Please read this blog from the older entries to the most recent, or from the older archives to the most recent.

It was 3AM in the morning when the boy awoke for no particular reason. Lately he had trouble staying asleep once he managed to go to bed, and he had been waking up in the middle of the night for quite some time now. He didn't know the exact cause of it, but he had a pretty good idea that it had to do with his emotional state as of late. He had been feeling himself slip further and further with the passing of the last few weeks, and tonight he was just about ready to cave. The boy questioned lots of things that night. He wanted to know why it was that he was chosen to act out these saving-grace acts and be some sort of savior. From what he could tell about himself he was just an ordinary kid, and if anything (although he soon regretted the thought) it was even harder on him because he was trying to support himself. But that feeling only brought up a more prevalent problem in his life - his lack of close relationships.

The boy knew that he had a very good relationship with God. Something in his heart just told him this. But he also knew that in order to be a happy person he must reach out to others and accept them in to his life. Even though he saved many people during the last few months, he never followed up and spent time with any of them. He was now lying in bed with a pillow half over his head, as he stared out his bedroom window to the night sky. He stared at the stars, and wondered how many people out there were staring at the same stars, and wishing they had someone to be with at this very moment. He even went as far to wonder if maybe he was meant to live this life of unahappiness, so that he would in turn be able to keep on saving people and try to better the world. But all that thinking of things on such a large scale caused him to become unnerved. He liked things close and relevant, not distant and hazy. Before managing to fall asleep, he sent out a simple prayer: "God, please help me find a way to resolve these hectic problems in my life. Please show me that what I'm doing is a good thing, and that in the future I can find happiness if I have faith and believe. Amen."

---

He woke up the next morning, and was not surprised to see that there wasn't any sign of a new newsletter. He didn't really understand at all the kind of pattern they arrived in. Sometimes he'd get seven in a week, and other times it would be weeks before one arrived. "Maybe other people are getting them too", he thought, "And I just get one when they are all too busy or something". He shrugged, knowing fully well that he wasn't going to be trying to crack the mystery of the newsletter any time soon. He got dressed to go working at the convenience store where he normally worked in his pits of boredom, and headed out the door. While at work only one topic plauged his mind. Sleep. Each night now it had gotten progressively worse. It wasn't that he had trouble getting to sleep. Every night he would lie down in bed, his heart would become twenty times heavier, and he could feel it sinking in to his chest. Each night it hurt him to crawl in to that lonely bed, where he knew in a few short hours he'd wake up to only himself. He tried to shake this horrible thought away, because the more he thought about it, the more the day seemed to drone on and on.

He was walking home on the same path that he had that night several weeks ago when he had rescued that girl from the two strange men. He was still sore in some places because of that night. But he didn't die, and if someone had asked him that night, "Are you willing to be a little sore in the future, in order to protect the most important thing that a young woman possess?" he would of course said yes, and hoped that any other person would have done the same. He thought when worded like that, it's amazing to see how simple a "heroic" act may seem. He arrived home at about 7PM, and was just as depressed as he thought he'd be. He stared in to his bedroom, where the sheets lay thrown about and unorganized. He stared at the couch, where he imagined some sort of girlfriend might take naps with his fleece blanket while he was away at work. "Honey, I'm home!", he said to himself. But thinking of those things only made it worse. It was like he had to force himself -not- to think about something that he wanted more than -anything- in the world. If only there were people in his life that he could hug a couple times a week, or a friend to eat dinner out with. But he had nothing.

---

He was lying belly-down on his bed, wondering whether he should try the sleeping pills he bought at the store where he worked. The images of having someone to love, being loved in return, smiles, happiness, bright futures, and more were all swirling around in his confused head. He was about two seconds away from crying, when he heard something from the television in the other room:
"Yes, that's right, he came out of no where!", some girl was saying on T.V. He got up to go take a look.
"And then what happened?", asked a news reporter.
"Well, he ran up to me, right past those two guys, and said it would be okay", she said.
The boy recognized her as the girl he had helped protect several weeks ago. They were actually doing a news story on this?
"Right. I see. And then what happened next?", the reporter asked.
"Well, you know, they, they, started beating him and stuff. Really bad too. I really thought that he was going to die.", the girl continued on. "The whole thing, it was, it was just so, so incredibly shocking and terrifying that I didn't even know what to think. All I could do was keep crying, but this stranger who was there helped me."
The female reporter turned to face the camera now. "Well, there you have it folks. A Miracle Man of the modern day, to be sure. Perhaps our city has its own superhero: Ordinary man by day - Protecter of the Streets by night! Now I'll turn it over to Chuck, who has profile information on the two assailants of this poor young woman. Should you have any information which may lead to the arrest or capture of either of the individuals, please....", but at that point the boy was too dumbstruck to hear anything else.

He wanted to laugh out loud. Miracle Man? Then he did laugh out loud. "Oh man", he said to himself, "People think I'm some kinda hero or something!! Miracle Man! Ordinary man by day - (then he half covered his face with the fleece blanket, as if it were a cape) - Protector of the Streets by night!" The idea of him being someone supernatural or of some other world was just
so ridiculous to him that he couldn't help but laughing. In the end he gave a warm smile at the television, and was turning to go to bed when suddenly he saw that, at some point during the night, he had received a new newsletter. "At this time of night?!", he thought.

But the contents of the newsletter was not something tragic that he had to go stop. There was no house on fire or young girl trapped in a warehouse.

"Center for Single and Abused Mothers Opens This Saturday"
"The Thompson's Center for Single and Abused Mothers is planned to open this Friday in West Hall County. The center aims to give not only emotional aid but financial aid as well, to any single mothers attempting to raise a child. Members of the community are encouraged to support any family or friends they know that could benefit from this center, and if at all possible to help the growth of the center by offering donations. If a person wishes, they can send a personal donation (anonymous or signed) to a specific member of their choosing."

"Jessica.", the boy whispered. Her face immediately popped up in his head again. He remembered that look on her face as he was holding her stomach. He remembered the way her eyes seemed to light up as she looked down on her precious baby daughter. He threw the paper away, because he knew he could simply get another one tomorrow. He didn't know if Jessica received the mail or not, but nonetheless he'd pick up an extra copy and mail it to her.

Just then he thought that he'd finally be able to get some peaceful sleep in that night. He stared at his ceiling as he thought to himself how something (or someone) was really looking out for him today. He knew that he didn't catch breaks all that often, but when he did he made sure to get the most out of them. He laid down to sleep, closed his eyes, and was drifting soundlessly asleep. Then suddenly, his phone rang.

"I knew it was too good to be true", he told himself. He let the answering machine pick up the call.
"Hey! Umm, gosh, I guess I never did quite get your name before. It's me Jennifer! Well, um, I was calling to say 'thanks alot!' again, and that, if you ever wanted to hang out, you know a movie or something, to just give me a call! Look forward to it! Bye!"

Looks like he actually might have friends to spend time with after all. For the remaining thirty minutes that he remained awake, he prayed and talked to God from his heart. He wanted to apologize to God, and ask for his forgiveness. He knew that he was somewhat selfish this past week, and only thought of himself and how miserable he was. He never took the chance to reach out and grab a hold of something. After all, if you're alone in this world, then it is up to you to fix it. God can't give you friends or a loving family, but he can give you a way to meet them. At this thought his mind drifted back to the newsletter. He had some strange feeling that he'd be getting one in the morning, and he was ready for it. The boy once again thanked God for allowing him to find some sort of inner strength, and vowed to never doubt his ways again.

Chapter Two: Gift of Life

Please read this blog from the older entries to the most recent, or from the older archives to the most recent.

It had been several days since he had received a new newsletter. During that time the boy questioned a lot of things, and in turn became a little bit depressed. The boy felt that he was serving God with the actions that he put forth, but he was still unable to shed the feelings of loneliness. He lived by himself, and had no friends to speak of. He had no pets, and no family to call. On the last day before a new newsletter would arrive he was even comparing himself to the kinds of people that he saved. "I'm really not all that different from them", he thought quietly to himself. Just when he felt he was going to emotionally break down, a newsletter arrived.

"Unborn Fetus Found In Garbage"
"An unborn fetus was found lying in a garbage bin on the corner of Sokawa and Tsubiki St. in the middle of yesterday evening. Officials predict the fetus was self-aborted and left in the bin at approximately 6 o clock PM last night. No details have surfaced as to the identity of the unborn child's parents."

"What the hell!?", the boy screamed out loud. "Is this some kind of joke?", he said seemingly to nothing but the air around him. "I can't help anyone with only this! I don't even know who it is! No names, no address, only an approximate time and a garbage bin! I can't just show up there at 6 and watch some lady throw her kid in the garbage, it'll be too late by then!" He frustratingly sat down on his couch and read the article again, hoping that he missed some sort of detail that might help him. In the end, however, there were no such clues. "Okay, look", the boy began to speak out loud again, "I don't know -who- you are, or -why- you're giving me this paper, but if you want me to keep on helping people, then -you- have to help -me- a little!" It took several minutes for his temper to die down, when suddenly he began to cry.

When he was only eight years old, his mother was pregnant with his small baby sister. He vowed the day that they told him she was pregnant that he would do everything in his power to always protect his little sister. He had fantasies of beating up kids who bullied her, and pulling pranks on her sleazy ex-boyfriends. His heart was filled to the brim, and he was ready to pour it out all over his little sister, as soon as she was born. The boy never got that chance, however. As one can probably guess, the mother aborted his little sister, and not early in the pregnancy either. The topic of abortion was always a very delicate one with the boy. He loathed people who would kill their unborn children, instead of just giving them up for someone else to raise. He could care less about having a child somewhere out there in the world on one's conscience. He just knew
that taking an innocent life was a wrong that it must never be committed.

With his resolution to attempt to stop this heinous act from occurring now freshly renewed, he began to systematically think of a plan. He couldn't work backwards from the garbage bin, since he had no leads. He couldn't sit around at the garbage bin, because that would only result in a dead child. He looked at the clock on his microwave, and it read 7:45AM. Given that the mother is likely to throw the child away quickly after it is aborted, that gave him roughly ten hours to find out who the parents are, and stop them. Even the boy was beginning to have his doubts, though. Abortion is usually a very final decision that people make. Would he really be able to change their minds, simply by talking to them? He didn't feel like he was anything special, or that he had any special abilities which made him capable for the task. Just after beginning to doubt himself, however, he began to pray. He prayed to God to lend him whatever strength or knowledge was required to help this poor helpless life, which was about to be thrown away forever.

---

The boy was always told that God works in mysterious ways. Obviously he does not converse directly with us, but rather shows us things in a unique fashion. Often times it is not so much God showing us the answers, as it is showing us how to find them within ourselves. Whatever the case may be, the boy was suddenly struck with a scheme that might work. If he didn't have the information he needed to find out who the culprits were, then he needed to -change the article-. He called up the county police and told them that at 6 o clock a very good friend of his was going to be committing illegal activities at the garbage dumptser on the corner of Sokawa and Tsubiki St. Hoping that the police would buy in to his tip, he ran back to the newsletter article, which now read:

"Mother of Dead Fetus Caught"
"Jessica Parker was caught late yesterday evening attempting to dispose of her unborn baby daughter at a dumpster on the corner of Sokawa and Tsubiki. One policeman was camping in his cruiser, going off of an anonymous tip, and saw the woman throw her baby away while it was still wrapped in a blanket. Ms. Parker was apprehended on site, and investigations are currently underway as to the cause of this travesty."

"Jessica Parker...", the boy said to himself, "Jessica Parker. Jessica Parker. Jessica Parker." He flew across the couch and tore through his Yellow Pages to the P's. Over one hundred listings for "Parker", and none of which had Jessica as the first name. He realized he could narrow down the number of calls he had to make to try and find a Jessica if he omitted any areas that were more than two hours or so from his city. He ended up with about twenty names, and called each of them asking for a Jessica. It took him about an hour to complete this arduous task, and by the time he was done it was already 4:00PM. Finally, on his last call, a woman answered.

"Hi, may I speak to Jessica please?", the boy asked.
"This is Jessica.", said she.
"This may sound like an odd question, Jessica, but are you by chance pregnant?", the boy interrogated.
"U-um, W-who is this again? I d-don't recall giving anyone my number recently", she said.
"Please, I need to talk to you somewhere", the boy began to plead. "Please, just for a lit--
"I'm sorry, but I can't talk right now", Jessica said.
"Please, I won't take much of your time, I just need to---
But she had already hung up the phone.

The boy tore the page furiously out of the yellow pages, circled her address with a sharpie, and darted out the door. 482 West Terrace Place. That was atleast an hour drive from where he lived, assuming he was speeding and didn't stop. When he arrived at the front door it was already 5:30PM, and his heart was racing so fast he could feel it thumping in his chest. He didn't even care if he was intruding or not, he swung back the screen door with all his might and ran in to the house, only to find the kitchen, den area, and foyer empty. He closed his eyes, and he heard moaning coming from upstairs, in what he could only imagine was the bathroom. Not even thinking twice about how he was in someone's else home without their permission, he flew up the steps and swung open the door the moaning was coming from. What he saw before him, he will never forget.

---

Jessica was lying in the tub, with her legs spread far apart. She was tilting her head back, with her eyes close shut, and was crying ferociously. To the boy, it wasn't even a cry. It was like some sort of battle-cry or screaming. In her hands she held a coat hanger, and she was going to insert it in to herself at any moment. The boy froze. What the hell could he do now? He had come all this way, and it was going to be too late. He was moments away from breaking down and crying with painful memories about his baby sister, when suddenly a voice spoke out to him. It came from within his heart, but he knew that it was not himself who was the source of it. The voice was telling him, that he must face that which haunts him the most, so that no more innocent lives will be lost like his sister's. It told him that he was the only person who could help Jessica at this moment in time, and that if he didn't, a living thing would die.

He snapped. "Jessica!!!", he screamed, "Wait...God...Oh God...Please...Just...Just...Please just put...put the coat hanger down", he managed to mumble out. Jessica could tell he was just as scared and nervous as she was. "Are you the person who called me?", she moaned out. To the boy it sounded like she was dying. Her voice seemed extremely desperate and tired. "Who are you? Did you call me? I -told you- it was -too late-!!!", she croaked. "No", the boy said, "It isn't too late. Please. I-it is never too late", he said. "It is for me!!! Who in the hell are you!? If you came to rob and kill me, you can go right ahead", Jessica said. "This is where the beginning of the end of my life begins!", she added. "Please, just tell me everything. Tell me your story, and in the end, if you still want to do this, I won't try to stop you. I can even drive you to the hospital if you want", the boy coaxed. He knew that he wouldn't drive her to the hospital. He also knew that if she didn't go through with it now, she probably wouldn't have the courage to try again by herself. He saw a small ray of light - the first of the day for him - and took advantage of it.

The boy was now fully aware that he was staring at a naked pregnant woman in her bathtub, in her home to which he was not invited, and became immediately flustered. He handed her a towel and clothes that were on the floor outside the bathroom. When she had come out, he noticed she had brushed her hair back. To his surprise, she was actually kind of pretty. He had no idea why someone like her would want to abort their child. Little did he know that such a thing happens all too commonly, and rarely is there a person to stop it.

Jessica began to tell her tale to the boy, but it wasn't all that enthralling of a story. "I'm just a typical loser", Jessica started out. "I got in to a really serious relationship way too early. I...I should still be in high school". The boy's eyes narrowed at the sound of this. This girl wasn't even twenty? "M-My boyfriend t-t-told me that h-he was using the necessary precautions, b-but one night, when he didn't have any condoms, and I said no, he wouldn't stop, a-and he k-kept going, and...and...", but continuing her story was just too much for Jessica. She started a fresh set of sobs, and the boy could only sit on this woman's couch and stare at her. This girl is as much of a victim as his little baby sister was. Neither of them asked for this kind of life. But there was one difference he could see. His little baby sister never had a choice, but this girl here, as depressing as it was to see her, is here because she had made the choice.

"I want you to know, that when I was eight years old, my mother aborted my baby sister", the boy said. This took the young woman off guard. He was sure that she had some rebuttal to spit his way, but continued before she could react. "In a lot of ways, my little sister was my hope that things would get better in my life. I had planned on growing up with her, and loving life with her. I fantasized about seeing her in a wedding dress on the happiest day of her life, with the most gorgeous smile on her face. But all of that was stripped from me when my mother ended her life. I can gather from what you've said that you don't want any of this. I suppose no one has gotten in your face about it, since they all assume it's a personal issue. Well let me just say this, abortion is a -very- personal issue, and if you allow yourself to carry through with this act, nothing but darkness and despair will consume you."

Fully expecting the woman to click in to some automatic defense mode, where she goes on about how it his her life and her choice, the boy was completely taken by surprise when she began to cry. She buried her face in to her hands and sobbed and sobbed. This briefly reminded the boy of that girl he had saved in the alley not too long ago. Realizing he needed to stay focused on the task at hand, he knelt down next to her, and pulled her arms down. Jessica stared in to the boy's eyes. Something about his eyes entranced her. By looking in to those eyes, somehow she could see a future. In some distant fantasy land, for a brief moment, she could picture herself living happily with her baby. With her current financial state and lack of a job or supportive father, however, she was quickly snapped back to reality, and began her crying anew. That is when the boy put one hand gently on her stomach, right over her navel.

"Jessica", he said. "I want you to listen very carefully. Underneath my hand here is a living person. And although you may not know it yet, this person loves you very much, because you take care of them and allow them to live. They rely on you for so many things, and although they cannot express their feelings of love or gratitude, rest assured that beneath this hand lies a source of future happiness that nothing else in this world can bring." His hand felt very warm against her stomach, and soon it began to tingle. Something about this man's hand comforting this part of her body made her feel - in the perfect word - alive. For once she finally looked at what may lay ahead of her, instead of what she has left behind. The boy looked at her with very sad eyes, which she knew meant that the road ahead of her was even more difficult than anything she had experienced thus far. "The choice is yours now, Jessica", the boy said shortly before departing. "If you don't mind, I'm going to check in on you later this week, okay? You should have my number from Caller I.D. Please make the right choice Jessica. I will look in to some centers that support single-mothers with babies, and see what I can help setup. If you need me to, I can even consider letting you borrow some money until you get back on your feet", he finished with a smile.

He left her house to the sound of her pleading with him to not send her any money. Partly because she knew she would be ashamed, and partly because she knew she wouldn't refuse it. The boy was at the door when he turned to her and said, "Jessica, there are many things we learn through life. The Lord knows that I still have the majority of them ahead of me. But
when a person extends their hand to help, do not refuse it, but take it and thank them." Jessica could only weep a little to this kind notion, and watched as the boy rode off in to the sunset.

---

Later that night Jessica wrote in her Diary about the day's events:

Dear Diary,
Today I came very close to taking the life of my unborn child. I know that you aren't shocked to hear it, since I've been writing to you about doing it for quite some time now, but today I came the closest than I ever have before. It turned out that being so lonely and having no support got the better of me, and I decided the baby would be better off dead than being raised by someone like me, or in some home where they don't know their real parents. I don't know what I was thinking. But Diary, the strangest thing in the world happened. A boy called my house asking about me, and I hung up on him. I suppose it is what I've been doing to the world all this time, Diary. I've shut them all out. But this boy refused to be shut out of my life for some reason. I was in the tub, Diary, naked and with a coat hanger clenched in my hands, when this boy showed up and stopped me. I wanted to do it right then and there, Diary, but I couldn't take my baby's life in front of another person. It was barely manageable for me to think about it when I was by myself.

But this boy, he sat me down, and talked to me about all kinds of things. It turns out his little sister was aborted, and for that I knew he hated me for what I was trying to do. When he touched my stomach, Diary, I think it was like he was forgiving me for what I had tried to do. It was like he understood all the pain that I had gone through, and was trying to take it all away from me, so I could be happy again. He even for a moment gave me a glimpse of a happy life that I might be able to have with my baby. I know I can never go to college now, and never get a degree, or a good job to support a real family. All of that still keeps me depressed during most of the day. But whenever I get those feelings, Diary, I just put my hands over my stomach, just like that boy did. He said this baby could bring me "a happiness in the world that nothing else can bring". I wonder if he's right, Diary? I still have a long way to go, but he said that he would try and help me. I really feel embarrassed to ask for his help, since he doesn't even know me, but we will see what happens. I really hope that I never try anything like that ever again. Praise be to God that I was saved today, by an unexpected stranger.

---

Back at his home about two hours later, the boy heaved the biggest sigh of his life, and crashed down on to his bed. The twilight of the night was dancing its way in to his room, and he watched his fan as it continued its perpetual motion around and around. He prayed for all those he had helped, and prayed for their futures as happy individuals. At the same time, he knew that he must keep in touch with some of these people, to ensure that nothing bad would creep up. Praying, to him, was to get the courage to do something. He knew that God doesn't do anything for us, or show us how to do anything. He simply gives us the capabilities within ourselves to seek that which our hearts desire. As his eyes were closing further and further, his final thought before falling asleep was: "What does my heart truly desire?"

Chapter One: The First Mission

Please read this blog from the older entries to the most recent, or from the older archives to the most recent.

The alarm was going off at 7 in the morning, bright and early. Sunlight managed to peek through the window next to his bed, as he glared at it with discontentment. "Hell", he thought to himself, "Can't I take a day off today? I was nearly killed last night." The boy had been living by himself for quite some time now. After becoming separated, neither of his parents wanted custody of him. So to avoid being put in to a family home, he decided to begin living on his own. He hardly had any visitors over, so the place wasn't all that clean.

About three months before this morning, the boy began receiving newsletters on random days. The only strange thing was that these newsletters contained information about tragedies that had not yet occurred. At first he didn't know what to think of these newsletters, and even went as far to throw the first one away. The next day however the same story ran, but this time the tragedy had actually occurred. Ever since that day the boy continually keeps an eye out for the newsletters. Should he ever happen to receive one, he calls in sick to the convenience store where he normally works. He was just considering lying back down and going to bed, when he heard something fall off his kitchen table. He wasn't at all surprised to see a newsletter on the ground, with tomorrow's date.

---

"Let's see here...", said the boy.

Girl of 17 Commits Suicide Behind School Gym
"At approximately 11:30AM yesterday morning Jennifer Wheatley committed suicide on her school grounds of Pike County High School. Officials are still investigating the motives of Jennifer's actions, but have yet to release an official report."

"I suppose waking up early has its advantages", the boy said to himself. He quickly took a shower (which hurt rather badly because he was not fully healed from the night before), and headed out for Pike Co. High School. It was about a two hour drive to the school, where nothing at all seemed out of the ordinary. He ran to the school gym, where he planned to hang out until close to 11:30. Even though he'd been doing this for over three months, it still made his legs shake when he realized the life of another person was in his hands. He had decided on the car ride over that he would talk to the girl, and see what the situation was. He didn't want to apprehend her and hand her over to the school authorities, since that probably wouldn't solve very many of her problems. At 11:26 a girl was walking along the back part of the gym, and stopped just by the gym's exit door, and began bawling.

From what he could tell, she didn't appear to have anything on her that she could harm herself with. Then he thought maybe she had overdosed or something of the sort, and there would be nothing he could do to save her. Not wanting to let his imagination get the best of him, he decided he would continue to watch the girl from behind some bushes close to the gym. If there is nothing that he can do about her death, then it is sadly God's will. The boy could almost not stand remaining hidden for much longer. The desperation emanating from this poor child was almost too great for him to endure. With each consecutive sob, and with tear after tear after tear, his heart began to grow very heavy. "Could it be this is what it means, to be alive?", he asked himself silently. Before he could conjure up any additional meditative questions, however, he heard the shattering of glass, and instantly thought to himself, "I've blown my chance to save this girl."

The girl had only thrown a rock through one of the gym windows, and the sharp glass shards that it produced were now tantalizingly close to her feet. The girl began to cry more now, faster, harder, and if at all possible, sadder. She picked up one of the bigger pieces of glass that lay by her feet, and held it resolutely to her wrist. Realizing it was not to late, the boy jumped out from behind his nearby bush, and in what sounded like both a scream and a whisper, said "Please, Stop!". The girl looked up to see who was shouting at her (or was it a whisper?) and saw the boy standing two feet away from her. The boy had finally gotten a good look at this poor girl's face, and he could tell that she was definitely serious about killing herself.

"Hi", said the boy.
"Who are you? What do you want? Have you been watching me this whole time?", the girl asked through even more tears.
"I just want to talk with you, please", the boy reasoned with the girl. "I just want you to tell me what's happened to lead you to try and do something like this".
"You wouldn't understand even if I -tried- to explain!", the girl yelled at him. "No one can understand the kinds of pain that high school can cause, and how I wish I could just make it all stop!"
"You are going to make a lot of people sad if you do something like this", the boy said.
"Good! I want them all to be sad! I want them all to feel the same kind of pain that I've been going through for the past three weeks!", the girl yelled again.
"I know the kind of pain that you're going through", the boy said to her. "I've experienced it all too well, just as you have. But when I was in the same position as you, literally seconds away from taking my life, I reached out one final time. Not to my parents, friends, or a girlfriend, but to God".

The girl, who now appeared to be coming back down to Earth, suddenly realized how wrong it was of her to do something like this. She suddenly recalled happy memories with friends and family around the holidays, and on rainy days where she would sit inside and read a book in her favorite CozyChair. All of that would be gone if she did this. All that makes her alive would be gone if she were to do this. She began to cry again, even more furiously than before. Suddenly the boy was making a quick move toward her. Was he going to knock her unconscious? Would he slap the glass out of her hand? Was he going to tackle her and pin her to the ground until police came? "No", she thought to herself, "That would be too embarrassing. I can't let my family and friends see me in some psychiatric ward at some looney-hospital".

But the boy did not strike her, did not tackle her, and did not knock her unconscious.

He hugged her.

---

Within ten seconds of being a part of his embrace, the young girl's heart melted in to a puddle. She dropped the piece of glass, and threw her arms around him. He consolingly rubbed her back with one hand, while holding the back of her head with his other. She continued to weep, and buried her shameful face in to his chest. The boy didn't say a word, other than, "We should go somewhere before people come. You made quite a noise throwing that rock through the window". The girl nodded imperceptibly, and they both began to walk towards the bleachers on the football field. The girl didn't know what was going on, or what to think anymore. All she knew was that in this boy's arms she felt safe and protected. All that had gone wrong in her life these past three weeks seemed to drift away with one simple hug from a stranger.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep in the arms of the boy. He woke her up about thirty minutes later, figuring she could use some time to rest. It looked like she was incredibly weary, and hadn't slept in several days. When she woke up, she was startled by her position. It only took her three seconds to remember what had happened, but within those first three seconds she was wondering why she was under the bleachers with a strange boy she'd never seen before. "Did he knock me out?", she questioned to herself. "No, no, that's right, he hugged me...". Immediately the girl felt embarrassed, ashamed, and like she wanted to die all over again all at once. The boy spared her the task of getting enough courage to speak first, and began to talk.

"You know, when I was in high school, the thing I hated most was lunch time", said the boy. "It wasn't that I didn't like to eat, or didn't enjoy the food, but every new semester I had to find new people to sit with, and that was always the hardest thing for me to do in high school".

The girl didn't know why he was telling her any of this, but could think of nothing else to do other than keep listening.

"Sometimes, when there's so many people in one place, it feels like we're all alone", the boy continued. "It seems hard to jump in to something that big, and it gets really easy to lose all your courage. About two years ago, when I was still going to high school like you are now, I was sitting in the cafeteria's freezer room with a set of steak knives I stole from the utensil cabinet. I thought for sure I was all alone, and that no one was going to come rescue me. I was also sure that no one would really miss me, especially not my parents, so I figured it'd be best if I just stopped existing. The pain was all too real for me, and it was never-ceasing with no end in sight. High school is definitely one of the hardest things a kid has to go through in life." He blushed slightly, then turned to the girl. "You're a very cute girl, and although I've only seen tears come out of your eyes, I'm sure that your face has a beautiful smile hidden beneath it." Now it was the girl's turn to blush.

"I don't know who you are", the girl began, "But I want to say thank-you for stopping me back there. It was like, as soon you hugged me, everything was okay, and, well...", she paused for several seconds. "A lot of what you said, makes it seem to me, like you really do know a lot about what I'm going through. And, I know you're trying to help me, but, I also know you're only one of few who has tried to help me. I just get so depressed when I feel like no one out there wants to just hold me like you did, and tell me that it is going to be okay. All my girl friends can do is cry along with me, and none of my guy friends, not like I have many, are mature enough to not become attached if I run to them. I want to say I'm sorry for back there, and...", but she never managed to say whatever was on her mind.

Jennifer and the boy continued to talk about high school, and how to overcome the various challenges it presents. The girl began to cry again, but the boy simply held her close, and comforted her as best he knew how. "There, there", he would say, "It's all going to be all-right". The girl wanted to tell this boy that he was the best person on the planet, but before she could manage to work up the courage, she was asleep again. By the time she woke up the boy was gone, but he had left his jacket for her to lay on while she was sleeping. In the jacket pocket was a phone number, and scribbled underneath in the boy's handwriting was, "call me anytime".

---

Later that night Jennifer went on to write in her Diary:

Dear Diary,
You won't believe what stupid mistake I almost made today! Gosh, I can barely manage to write it out, it seems too scary. I was behind the gym today Diary, and I was planning on doing something really bad to myself. Deep down I didn't really want to Diary, because there's a lot of people that I love. But I was just so sad Diary, and I just wanted it to end, I wanted it to all go away forever. But guess what! This boy was hiding in the bushes watching me, and he jumped out and asked me not to go through with it. It took some convincing (and in the end a hug!) but eventually he led me to the bleachers, where I fell asleep (twice!). The boy wasn't there when I woke up, which made me kind of sad (he was cute after all!) -BUT- he did leave his jacket for me to sleep on (with his phone number inside!). I'm way too nervous to call him right now, but I did send him a text message. I hope he gets it! Well, that's about it for today, Diary. I'm soo glad I didn't go through with hurting myself - something bad could've happened! I'm going to do something tonight that I haven't done in a while, Diary. I'm going to pray to God and thank him for sending an angel to protect me!

---

The boy was driving back home, satisfied with the help he had given Jennifer that day. He really hoped that things would start to get better for her, although he knew that he'd be playing a key role in that department. He arrived home at about 6PM, but was too tired to make anything to eat, so he just ate a bowl of cereal and then laid on his couch to rest. He thought back to when he hugged Jennifer, and how right it felt to be helping someone like her. Yet somewhere deep down, he wondered if maybe his heart wasn't yearning for something deeper. Before he could ponder this question much longer, however, his cell phone began to beep. It was a text message.

From: Jennifer
"THANK YOU!!"

Jennifer was just getting ready for bed after brushing her teeth, when suddenly her cell phone started to play her favorite band's new hit single (it was her favorite new ringtone).

From: You-Know-Who
"GOD BLESS!"

"Yes", she thought to herself, "He certainly did bless me today".

Prologue

For him, the night wasn't that unusual. Even when taking the time to look back on all that happened in the last half an hour, he didn't find anything strange. He was just doing what he always did, doing what came natural. For the time being he will be content with that. He takes pride in being what he is.

It was extremely late after closing down the convenience shop on Tobuka St., at least a quarter past one in the morning. The streetlamps lazily cast their dull yellow flickers in to the gutters and alleys. He finished the rundown of closing up shop, then locked the front door and was on his way home. When there were no missions, he worked in this shop. It wasn't anything special of course, just something to keep food on his table. After all, it isn't easy to live on your own when you're only eighteen years old.

It was at the corner of Yabuza and Tobuka that he heard the high-pitched shrieking of a girl coming out of a nearby alley. He dropped the groceries he had bought for himself and quickly ran to the commotion. Before fully reaching a halt at the mouth of the alley, he noticed two men approaching a young girl who was huddled at the end of the dead-end alley. One of the men had a crowbar in his hand and was taunting her, while the other kept making snide remarks on how they were about to traumatize her for the rest of her life. The girl panicked, and buried her crying face in her hands. She could think of nothing else to do other than cry.

"Hey!, you bastards there!"

The young girl looked up with startled eyes. Both men straightened up at once, and slowly turned their necks towards the mouth of the alley. He stood there in his worn t-shirt and jeans, staring at them with eyes of contempt. Then he walked past both of them, and knelt down beside the young girl. He gently put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's going to be okay", he told her.

"They aren't going to do anything to you, I promise", he said.

"So don't worry, it's going to be Oka---"

"Hey!, you punk kid", said one of the two men. "Quit telling that girl she's gonna be okay, when we both know tonight's a night she's -never- gonna forget!", he continued to boast out while laughing.

The girl began to weep again, and likewise buried her head in to her trembling hands once more. The boy stood in front of her, and held his arms straight out to his sides. The men approached him cautiously, unaware of any weapons he might have on him. The girl didn't know what to think any more. Was this kid some kind of black belt? Had he called the police? What was he going to do? Was she going to be kidnapped? Raped? Or worse...? The men were an arms length away from the boy when it began.

---

One of the two men hit the boy in the back of the head with the crowbar. He hit the ground on all-fours and began to cough up blood after the second had kicked him in the chest several times. The boy immediately collapsed on his chest, for his arms were no longer able to support the weight of his upper body. The man who kicked him continued to do so, sharply in to his side, while the man with the crowbar sat on his back and began to strangle him with the crowbar. They continued the brutal beating for another good minute before they were satisfied with their work.

"Hey, go to check and make sure no one heard anything!", said one of the men. "I'm going to go clean this crowbar off. Don't want things to get messy with the girl, heh-heh-heh". The second man checked to make sure that no one had heard the savage beating of the boy. The second had finished rinsing off his crowbar with a nearby hose. After finishing their tasks, they both began advancing on the now-helpless girl. Covered in dirt, sweat, and tears, the girl pounded frantically on the chain link fence behind her, but it yielded no results.

The men were advancing on her, when suddenly the boy struggled to get on all-fours again. The men, taken aback, watched his feeble efforts to maintain consciousness. He was a bloody and broken mess by now, and was shaking horribly.

"Don't worry. These men aren't going to do anything to you", the boy said.

"What was that, brat!?", the man with the crowbar snarled.

"I'm telling this girl not to cry, because nothing bad will happen to her tonight", the boy managed to choke out.

"Aw, how nice. You two friends? Or you jus' go 'round treatin' strangers all nice, 'an take to comfortin' them 'an such, like some kinda hero?", mocked the second man.

Before the boy could respond, both men were pummeling him yet again. This time the girl couldn't even tell how long it lasted. Five minutes? Ten? An hour? All this boy was doing was delaying the inevitable. Whatever unspeakable horrors these two men had in plan for her, this boy was just making it worse by forcing her to wait. Finally, when the men had beat him to within an inch of his life, they began their final pursuit of their prey.

The second man grabbed both of her wrists, and the man with the crowbar grabbed her chin with one hand.

"Well, that was a little more effort that I would've liked to put forth, but I'm sure the -prize- will more than make of for it", said the man with the crowbar.

"Heh-heh-heh, you said it Ted, this here's one hot piece of----"

But before Ted's friend could finish the sentence, something caught hold of his ankle. The boy, whose face was now a mixture of stark whiteness and crimson, had his ankle in a death grip.

"H-h-h-he won't let go Ted!", said the second man.

"Just hit him harder!", said Ted, and he wacked the boy on the head and face repeatedly with the crowbar.

"Stop! Stop! Please, just leave me!", screamed the girl to the boy. "Please stop, they are going to kill you!"

But the boy, who would not be moved by this plea, continued to hold on and thrashed around violently.

"I promised you that nothing bad would happen to you tonight", the boy managed to sputter out through coughing up blood. "I am going to do my best to protect you".

The men continued to beat the boy, but eventually it was like hitting a bag of rotten meat. The boy simply would -not- let go of the second man's ankle.

"Aw, fuck it, Ted!", said the second man. "This is too much trouble for a little bit of fun!"

"Yer right", said Ted. "Let's leave this whore and teenage brat and get the hell outta here 'fore anyone else comes".

The two men sprinted out of the alley, the young boy fell to the ground unconscious, and the young girl continued to cry. Her mind was whirling. Who was this boy? Why had he come here? Why had he protected her? How was it that he happened to pass by this alley, at this time, on this night? What would have happened if he hadn't shown? Her life would have been changed forever. The boy glanced up at her from his position on the ground, which startled her.

"There exist out there many kinds of demons which will force you in to their darkness", the boy began. The girl didn't quite understand, but before she could inquire as to what he meant, he continued speaking. "But always remember that for every demon in the world, there exists an angel who is there to save them".

The girl, now utterly confused, didn't know what to make of this speech.

"I-I'll be right back", the girl said to the boy. "I-I-I just h-have to c-call my m-m-mom. I know she's worried sick about me. I was supposed to be home over two hours ago, b-b-but the bus n-never came".

The girl ran to the mouth of the alley, and took out her cell phone to call her mother (which she would have done earlier, but she knew she would've been in trouble for being out this late). Her mother, who was very worried, was in the car and on the way to get her in less than ten seconds. The girl told her mother on the phone that she was attacked by two men in an alley, but that a boy had saved her. She told her that she thought she was going to be kidnapped and/or raped. The girl told her mother that if it wasn't for that boy, her life would have just taken a severe turn for the worst. Just then, she remembered that she never thanked her savior. She turned around to extend her most heart-felt thank you, but---

The boy was gone.

By the time the girl turned around, he was already halfway home, limping and barely managing to hold on to his groceries. He looked back down Yabuza St., where he knew a young girl was depsarately waiting for her parents to pick her up.

"Yea", he thought to himself, "Once again, another day, another night, and nothing at all that unusual".

---

Later that night the girl would go on to write in her Diary about the traumatic event:

Dear Diary,

Tonight may have possibly been the most horrifying night of my entire life. I had to walk home because the bus never showed up to the stop. On my way home, two suspicious men were following me for a long time. My heart leapt when soon they started chasing after me and ended up cornering me in a dead-end alley, where they were taunting me with horrible gestures and words. I've shared alot of bad times with you Diary, and you know there've been times where I've felt absolutely hopeless. But Diary...tonight was the absolute worst experience I've ever had in my life.

The closer and closer these men got the more hopeless I felt. I could see them inching nearer, relishing in whatever unspeakable acts they were about to perform. I had saved myself my entire life for someone special. I was going to wait until I married this special person before giving myself to them. It was an Oath I made several months ago. But tonight...I could see it all going straight down some dark and empty gutter. I could do nothing but cry, Diary. I was paralyzed with fear, and prayed to God to save me. I held my Cross necklace in my hands, and continued to cry in to it for what seemed like hours. Just as the men approached me, a boy showed up and saved me from the men.

I don't know anything about him. I couldn't even see what he looked like through all of my tears. All I could make out was that they were -beating- him, Diary! And very bad! I -really- thought he was going to die! I couldn't have someone's life on my conscience, so I pleaded with him to stop, but he refused. He stayed with me, Diary. A boy I don't even know protected me from men that he didn't even know. He said something about demons and angels, but I don't quite remember all of it (I was in a pretty bad shock, and I still am right now). I just wish I could've thanked him for saving me, Diary.

I wish I could tell him how much his act meant to me. He made it so I can keep my Oath intact. He protected me from evil tonight, and I will never forget him for it.

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Meanwhile, the boy was getting ready to sleep. His only hope going to bed was that everything will have stopped bleeding by the time he wakes up. He said a silent prayer for the girl he had saved merely minutes ago, and fell asleep.

(Next Chapter: The First Mission)