The Giant and His Heart. [Light at the end of the tunnel]

Chapter 1 - "The Stranger"

It is now 10 pm and my shift at the restaurant just ended, so I'm walking home. The way I'm so tired you guys have no idea. I swear my feet are even breathing. My mother and I live in a two bedroom apartment, which is more or less a 20 minute walk distance from the restaurant. It is not far but if you're as tired as I am at the moment it seems very far. My friends always tell me how risky it is to walk by myself at night...they say I should get a taxi which is ridiculous because the restaurant is not that far from where I live for me to get a taxi and anyway taxis are scarce at this time of night. A cab is expensive especially at this time and unfortunately I don't have money to waste so walking will have to do. Yes, sometimes it does get a little scary to walk all by myself at night, especially when I see strange looking men wearing hoodies standing at the street corners, but on most nights the streets are vacant. My friends always tease me saying that with all the walking I do every night, I should've at least lost some weight. I also don't know why I haven't lost any weight. Back in high school I used to try everything that would make me lose weight so that I wouldn't get picked on. I would take diet pills and I would also do bingeing, but that is a story for another time. See? I told you I had issues. Anyway what I was trying to say is that all of those methods didn't help me lose weight...at all.

I picked up my pace, it was getting cold. I was already picturing myself taking a hot bath and going to sleep. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow. The  school work that needed to be done was just too much and having to waitress every single day after my classes didn't help either. The joy that is my life! I'm about to cross the street when I hear someone moaning. At first I don't mind it because at night you hear a lot of things. The moaning continues...it is more prominent now. I stop walking, firstly because I'm a little scared since you can never be too safe, and secondly because the person moaning is in pain. I look around trying to put a face to the moaning but I see no one...the streets are completely empty. The person moans louder and I edge closer to where I think the sound is coming from. When I get closer to the sound I see a body on the floor next to the big garbage bins. I pause and look around unsure. I'm contemplating if I should just turn around and pretend as if I didn't see anything or if I should find out what is wrong with the person who is obviously hurt on near the garbage bins. After what seems like a decade I edge closer to where the body is...I can't let someone die on my watch. I know some of you are probably calling me stupid for not turning around and walking home like I was doing before I heard the moans. But I couldn't do it people. I couldn't disregard this person who needed help.
Me: "Hey...are you fine?" I called out as I edged a little closer to the body. Even though I wanted to help the person, it didn't mean that I wasn't wary about the whole situation. I mean this person could be trouble. But nonetheless I was going to help. From what I could see, this was a man. The body was too big to be a woman. The man answered me with more moans and groans. I couldn't see properly because the lighting on this part was bad..."should I call the ambulance for you?" I got more moans and groans. I sighed. I walked closer until I reached him and I gasped loudly when I saw blood next to him on the concrete. It wasn't a lot of blood but it was still blood. Oh my gosh...oh my gosh...oh my gosh. I was freaking out! He is hurt! I mean I knew he was hurt when I heard the moaning but I didn't think blood was involved. Blood meant this was serious. I knelt down next to him not knowing what to do. The man had both his hands pressed against his stomach where he was hurt. His whole face, which I could see clearer since I was close to him, was contorted in pain..."I'm calling the ambulance" I announced with a panicked voice. The man shook his head. He was crazy if he thought I wasn't going to call the ambulance. I took out my phone out of my handbag with shaky hands.
Him: "Don't." He grunted forcefully in pain. I paused.
Me: "But you're hurt, the ambu-."
Him: "Don't." He said more forcefully than before. He tried to get up. Oh my gosh! This is a crazy person! I quickly pocketed my phone and tried to help him up. When I said tried, I meant every sense of the word, because the the man was so heavy and huge. He was a freaking giant! He finally got to his feet with his own might, because to tell you the truth getting him up was like pulling on concrete. He still had his hands pressing on his stomach...and blood was coating his hands. I wonder who did this to him? I mean the guy was a giant. I'm sure he had been ganged up or something because it would surely take a group of men to take on this guy.
Me: "I really think you should let me call an ambula-."
Him: "Shut up!" He barked harshly..."no hospitals." Oh my gosh! He's so rude! Did he just tell me to shut up when I'm trying to help him?! I should have left his ass and carried on home. He swayed on his feet and I tried to balance him out which led to us almost falling but he regained the balance for the both of us. Such a giant!
Me: "Um okay. At least tell me where you stay so I can help you get home." He grunted..."or I could just call an ambu-." He grunted out his address unhappily to me. You would think that he would be happy that someone was trying to help him. Jerk! Luckily I knew the place where he stayed, but it was way off from the way leading me home. Sigh! I led him towards the direction that went to his place...actually it was more like he was leading me. Who was hurt here? Me or him? This guy! We walked slowly towards his place. Every now and then, he would stop...grit his teeth and grunt in pain...then we would continue walking. I was starting to second guess myself ,because firstly, I should've called the ambulance despite his refusal. Secondly, I was walking a total stranger to his place. Yes, he was injured so it was unlikely that he would do something to me but there was a fact that he was a giant so he could overpower me if he wanted to even in his injured state. Thirdly, how was I going to get home? I mean by the time we reached his place, it would be too late, which meant that I had to spend my savings on getting a cab ride home. Damn! I huffed out loudly. He grunted. Jerk! Please remind me why I was helping him again?

We got to his place. He lived in more or less the same neighborhood as me. We got into the building. When I saw the lift, I nearly sagged in relief because I wouldn't have been able to hold him up the stairs, because during the walk to his place he had been getting weaker and weaker...so he was leaning his weight more and more on me now. And as I've said before the guy was a giant so you could imagine that state I was in. I was huffing and puffing everywhere  in like a pig. Argh! I asked him his floor number and he grunted out the answer. I was also getting really irritated by his grunting. We got to his floor and he grunted out his room number. I huffed frustrated. I led him to his door. If you guys could've seen us we would've been a sight I'm telling you. I was literally struggling and Mr "don't call the ambulance" was not helping at all. After so many tries, I finally was was able to open his door. He stumbled in and went straight for the bathroom and locked himself in. Um...okay! I heard coming from the bathroom a lot of banging and of him grunting. This was for me to leave right? But guess what? My conscience wouldn't allow me to leave. I groaned. I went towards the bathroom and knocked. He grunted. Seriously?! What's up with this man? .... "um...look it's late so I need to go so..." I trailed off.
Him: "No." He responded roughly. What? Did he just say no? What does he mean no?
Me: "What?" I asked confused.
Him: "Stay. Don't. Leave." He commanded. I was so confused and a little scared. Why would he want me to stay?
Me: "Do you need help with the...you know..." I cleared my throat.
Him: "No. I'm fine. Just stay." Right after he grunted and groaned in pain. I frowned.
Me: "Open the door." I demanded annoyed with this whole situation. Silence greeted me..."if you don't open this door, I'm going to leave."  I threatened weakly. I heard a huff then a grunt. He was annoyed with me..."okay then I guess I'm lea-." I was cut off by the opening of the bathroom door. My mouth was hanging open. Firstly, because he was half naked, I could see a whole lot of chest...abs...yes abs people! Believe it or not but this was my first time seeing a half naked man. The second reason why my mouth was hanging open was because I could see the wound across his middle where I guess he had been stabbed but that is not the reason for my mouth hanging open. What had my mouth hanging open was because the wound had stitches and he was holding a big ass needle in his hand. So all this time he had been stitching himself up. Oh my gosh! What had I gotten myself into? Who was this man........