"May I help you officer?" she asked, politely though suspiciously.
The officer took off his shades and looked her in the eyes. "I’m afraid I have some bad news, miss." He said, almost apologetically. She shook her head to stop him from saying, what she knew in her heart was coming.
"There’s been an accident." The officer continued and her fear mounted, erasing the chance for any thought to surface. She shook her head no and finally found her ground to run. The officer reached out his hand and took hold of her own, trying to give her support. Jessica tore free from his grasp and she ran. Her hand at her mouth, she cried. Sobbing, she headed for her special place.
It was a secret cavern near the bay. She entered and threw herself down on a large bolder. How could it be? No, no, no, she said to herself over and over. Her body shook with grief. Rachael and she had been best friends since kindergarten. Chad, oh god. She knew she knew it was they. Guilt plagued her. What if she hadn’t encouraged Rachael to go? What if she hadn’t encouraged Chad to take her? Oh, god. It was all her fault.
"Oh God. Why? Why did you do this to me?" she cursed to the sky.
"God had nothing to do with this." A soft voice spoke behind her.
She jumped and turned around to face the intruder. "What are you doing here?"
It was the man she’d met on the beach. He stood before her, hands in his pockets with a soft breeze blowing through his hair. He shrugged.
"I told you I’d be here when you needed me." He said as if it was the simplest statement in the world.
She shook her head. "I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all."
He smiled softly, "and that is ok. Nobody understands why God has given us what we have. We must simply live the life he has provided to it’s fullest. It is the way god intended for us to live."
Jessica shook her head; "You really are crazy."
He laughed and it was a wonderful sound to her ears. It seemed as if just by laughing he had reached out and caressed her soul. She looked back up at this stranger who had entered her life. "Why are you here?" she asked.
His smile never left his face. "I am here to help you, Jessica Peters. That is only if you want me too."
"Well then I don’t. I don’t need your help. I don’t need anybody, I just, I just want them back." She sobbed. He nodded quietly and reached out for her hand. "Come with me, Jessica."
She looked as though he might bite her. "No." she cried.
He merely shrugged and turned, walking away. "Suit yourself."
"Wait!" she called running after him. He paused and turned.
"Yes?" he asked and once again his almost inhuman beauty startled her. She gazed into his deep blue eyes and felt herself falling within the depths of them. Her mind spun and her feet fell out from under her. He caught her just before she landed. Her long ebony hair entangled within his grasp. She was silently looking up at him longingly. She longed for his innocence and purity. She longed to be like him. He helped her to her feet, his hands holding her arms as if he’d never let her go. He seemed to be protecting her, or trying to. But from what, she wasn’t sure. She took a step away from him and he let go of her.
"Where are you going?" she asked, her mind spun wildly. What had just happened? Why am I even bothering with this man? He is but a stranger to me, why am I holding out my emotions on this platter for him to see? Why do I find myself trusting him? And she knew, inside her heart she knew. It was because he was trustworthy. His calmness was like a magnet, so was his innocence, his purity. He was like the flame and she the moth drawn to it.
"I am going to see a friend." He said, smiling. No matter how bad things were he always smiled. She realized she was attracted to that smile. It made her feel good.
He turned and headed away from her. She followed; normally she wouldn’t have even bothered, especially to a stranger. But for some odd reason she felt as though she had known this man forever. It was strange. Perhaps it was because she had always craved to have his purity. She had always wanted to be a good girl, someone who was smart and pretty. She wasn’t, sure she got compliments on her beauty, but she didn’t feel confident inside. One of the reasons was because where she lived, it wasn’t allowed to be smart, or beautiful. To survive in the neighborhood, you had to be smart, streetwise as well as mind wise. Her life hadn’t been pleasant. There was no one she could trust, not even Rachael. But for some odd reason she felt she could trust this stranger who came into her life. Though in the end it would only cause her more grief and more sorrow, with perhaps…a hint of love.