On My Own (l.s. AU)

Prologue (Part II)

Louis POV

We are currently driving home.

In the car it's me, my mum and my four sisters, Lottie (Charlotte), Fizzy (Félicité) and the twins Daisy and Phoebe.

It's late already, half an hour before midnight and Daisy, Phoebe and Fizzy are asleep. Lottie is texting someone on her phone, mum is driving and I hum along to some music on the radio.

I'm sitting in the passenger seat, which gives me a good view over the dark forest we're driving through.

Since I forgot my phone at home, I have not much other choice then to look out of the window. It is not like I'm addicted to my phone. I just like to spend longer drives reading fanfiction and listen to my own music, instead of the music from the radio.

The forest is passing by slowly. Are we driving this slowly or is the forest just big? I'm bored. Nothing is happening outside. The most interesting thing I saw until now, was a deer and her fawn.

I'm close to falling asleep, when I see something else. Something on the road in front of us.

'MUM! BRAKE! NOW!', I can hear myself screaming.

The car stops. My sisters already woke up, the moment I yelled, but now their faces are covered with shock. Lottie dropped her phone.

'Louis, you better explain this.', my mum says angrily.

'Right now.', she adds, when I don't answer.

'Just look mum. I didn't want you to run over the deer.', I answer her, pointing out of the window, towards the shadow I saw earlier.

But as I look out of the windscreen of our car again, I realize I am wrong. What lies there on the street, eyes closed, looks awfully human.

I jump out of the car. My mother follows me instantly.

'Boobear, didn't you say, you saw a deer? That's a boy.'

'I haven't had a good view yet. The only thing I saw was a shadow. It was too big for a hedgehog, rabbit or a raccoon, so the first thing I thought of was deer.', I explain.

I walk towards the boy until I'm standing on his right and take another look at him. He looks like a teen, maybe 16.

His eyes are closed. Is he breathing?

I instantly kneel down on his left and my hand is immediately on his neck, right below his jaw, to search for a pulse. It is there. Thank god, he is alive.

Then I hear it. A small whisper that almost sounds like a whimper.

'Help.'

My cold hand on his neck, searching for a pulse must have brought him back. By the time I realize my hand's still on his neck, I quickly take it back. In the movement I lightly brush his shoulder and that causes him to groan in, what sounds to me, agonizing pain.

'Help. Don't let him hurt me again.', he says, his voice louder this time but raspy.

I look down to my hand and then to his shoulder. What I see now, sends shivers down my spine. I barely touched his shoulder, but the tips of my fingers are already covered in blood. His blood.

'Who?', I ask, looking him in the eyes, trying to show that he can trust me.

'My dad. Please don't-', he can't continue, because he is gone again.

'Mum, can you please call 911. He is losing blood.', my throat is dry and my hands are shaking and so is my voice.

I'm on the verge of tears. Not really sure why I'm so affected by the situation, I slowly turn around to my mum.