Angel in the Dark

I walked down by the stream listening to the sound of the rushing water, then a sound hit me the softest of sobs, her back was to me, she was sitting on the ground wrapped around herself. I had never seen her before she had to be my age.
"Hello" I said hoping to see if I could comfort her. She jumped straight up, it was obvious that I scared her but as she turned around to face me I took in the blood running from her nose, the swollen eye that was gonna be a huge black eye and the red marks on her arm. Her makeup had run down leaving black streaks stained on her face some not yet dried up. She was underweight for her age and for how tall she was but she was still beautiful. The shock of the girls condition showed on my face and the only thing I could think about is what happens to her, who would do this to a girl. Before I could say anything else she turned and ran, lost in the trees before I could even attempt to follow her. I walked home slower than normal. I just wanted to know who she was, I felt something when our eyes met some kind of connection. A week went by and not a second of it was I not thinking about her. Then that Tuesday a week and two days later I saw her walking down the street. I ran up next to her.
"Hello" I said kinda out of breath
"Who are you?" She she asked giving me a dirty look.
"Brady Anderson" I said
"Ok and you're talking to me why?" she said a bit of attitude Coated her words.
"What happened to you?" I asked,Her eye had indeed bruised but she tried to hide it with makeup.
"What are you talking about?"
"Last week I saw you down by Pine Mountain Creek"
"O you were the one that snuck up on me" she said simply and kept walking
"You didn't tell me what happened to you" I said trying to not sound too pushy.
"It's my fault I upset him again" she started "it's really nothing new I will heal I'm not weak"
"Upset who?"
"My dad" she sighed " it's really no big deal. I stopped dead in my tracks pulling her to a stop.
"Your dad did that too you?" I asked shocked.
"Yes but that's nothing to worry about" the tears were pooling at the corner of her eyes threatening to spill over and any minute. There was more to her story then what she was saying but I was not going to make her cry.
"So you didn't tell me your name" trying to change the topic of conversation.
"Andrea Jordans" she said " Brady right?"
"Yeah that's right"
"I have never seen you around before and I know everyone that goes to school."
"I'm homeschooled but I have lived here all my life" I loved the fact that she was actually having a conversation with me.
"Why homeschool? Where is the fun in that?" She asked sounding honestly a bit curious.
"Well I'm actually not allowed to have that much fun because of my medical condition, I have a lot of restrictions."
"What medical condition do you have?
"I have heart cancer it's a really rare form of cancer it's tumors in my heart." I said like it was no big deal. I had already come to terms with this in my own mind, and saw no reason to get all upset about it anymore it wouldn't fix anything only stress me out. Then all of a sudden "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry started coming from her phone. Now this song is my jam and I started to sing along with her ringtone.
"Katy Perry fan huh?" she giggled. She actually giggled and it was the cutest thing the way her eyes lit up and her whole face seemed to glow. She then looked at her phone and opened her text message cutting off the song. Her smile instantly disappeared and all the color drained from her face, her breathe even seemed to quicken.
"I have to go. Now." She said shakily. She was absolutely terrified.
"Let me walk you home, I don't..." I started.
"No!" she cut me off "I can walk home myself I'm not a little girl." she shot back at me. All the ice I got to melt froze again and she had gone cold. She spun and started down Dean St. I also lived on Dean St. so I figured I could follow her home and if she saw me simply explain I was headed home. Normally I wouldn't have followed her but there was just this feeling in my gut that was making me sick. Just as I came around the corner I saw her walking up to her front door and pulling her key out of her pocket. I guess I just worry too much she seemed just fine so I proceeded to continue on my way down the street, but right before I crossed the tree line that would block my view of her house I looked over my shoulder to see her backing away from the door. A man fairly large was walking toward her yelling. He was about a foot taller than her and about twice her size. She stood tall with her chin up and he stood looking down at her. He yelled something at her and I watched her lips move in a reply. Then before I could even register what he was doing he hauled back and smacked her across the face hard enough her head snapped to the side. I took off at a dead run to her side, when she looked up her hand pressed to her face she saw me out of the corner of her eyes. Panicked she mouthed the word stop. Her Father caught her eye and saw me I froze as he turned back to her. He grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the ground. I heard him tell her she could sleep outside with the trash like the rat she is. As soon as he was back inside I ran to her side and helped her up. She had a red hand print on the side of her face that was practically glowing. Her eyes met mine as the tears started spilling over, I took her into my arms and held her as she cried. She stayed the night at my house that night. We were sitting on the couch in my living room my parents sitting on the loveseat on the opposite wall. She sat on the end writing in a leather bound book, that was fairly thick.
"What's that?" I asked her.
"It's my journal I write down everything that is important in here." she stated "Do you have an envelope?"
"Yeah, one second." I grabbed an envelope out of my mom's writing desk "Will this do?"
"Perfect." she stuck a folded up piece of paper in the envelope and sealed in then wrote my name across the front of it.
"What's that for?" I questioned her.
"If Something ever happens to me I want you to open this, I will keep it inside my journal until then."
"Well where am I supposed to get your journal?"
"In the old hollow tree by the creek right by the place where you first saw me, the note is specifically for you but I want you can read the whole journal it contains every thought I have ever had." She looked sad as she said these words.
"Promise me you find it and read it." the way she looked at me while saying this made it seem urgent.
"I promise."
"Good" she went back to writing sticking the note in the front of her book. The next morning I had Chemo at 7a.m. sharp.
"I'm going to go home and get something your mom invited me to stay here for the weekend." she said as we were eating breakfast.
"You sure you can't wait till I get home then I can go over there with you."
"No, I will be fine." she said
"OK I will be home by noon then we can do something fun, ok?"
"Ok" she said "Brady?"
"Yes Andrea?"
"I wanted you to know that my heart belongs to you." This shocked me.
"Thanks, Andrea that means alot to me." Something in me turned at that moment they way she said that the truth in her words just scared me. Chemo seemed to drag on longer than normal today, about 11:30 I had a bad feeling something was wrong. Half an hour later I rushed out of my appointment. When I got home I asked my mom is Andrea was back yet
"No dear she left when you did and I have not seen here since."
My heart started racing and I was weak in the knees as I raced out my front door. Her house seemed so far away as I ran as fast as I could toward it. I approached the front door it was standing wide open and the table inside the doorway was laying on its side
"Andrea!" I yelled the house was quiet no one was home. I walked in scanning for any sign of her or her parents. There was nothing I got to the living room and on the floor was a broken vase. And blood there was blood on the floor I was frantic now with Andrea no where to be seen. I checked the bathroom kitchen, and what must have been her parents room. There was one room left the only room in the whole house that the door was closed on. I put my hand on the knob, my head is spinning, I slowly turn the knob not even breathing now and gave the door a push and there she was face down on the bed her hair sprawled around her head her limbs just flopped like she was thrown. I ran to her side and as if she was a newborn, slowly rolled her over. She was pale, lifeless, and unconscious. I felt for a pulse, nothing, I layed my head on her chest listening and hoping. Then the faintest, lightest little thud could be heard she was alive I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called 911. I held her and cried while I waited for the squad to arrive. Her arm was sliced, her lip was split, her face was swollen and she had welts down her arms. This beautiful angel I was holding in my arms was living in hell. I heard the squad as the came squealing up and the paramedics rushed in. They took my girl from my arms and strapped her to a gurney, she looked so small and fragile and broken.  I thought of what she said this morning about her journal where she wrote everything in, if I can find it I can find a way to make it so her dad can never touch her again. I raced to that old tree and there it was just like she said I sat down and opened the the leather bound book of secrets and shattered dreams. The envelope with my name on it feel in my lap. I picked it up and slide my finger along the seal. I slowly unfolded the note and read her handwriting.
"Brady, you have saved me if anything ever happens to me I want my heart to go to you. Your mom told me that you are on the donor list waiting for one so you have live. Then I can save you the same way you saved me." Love Andrea
The tears flowed down my face as I took in her words, she knew this was going to happen. That evening when they finally let me see her I walked in her room. She was in a coma but they said she could still hear me. I sat down beside her and took her small little hand into mine.
"Andrea, I read your note," I started to sob as I pressed my face to her hand, "I don't want your heart Andrea, I want you! You made me happier than I have ever before. Please don't leave me." I felt a cold breeze and a whisper in my ear.
"You saved me."
Then her heart monitor dropped to a solid line never to make a little mountain again. My angel has flown.