[p]deja vu

Sabriel, unlike many people who walked the city streets in the evening, had an innocent purpose. He didn’t eat much of the school food, both for lack of appetite and finding the food less than what he enjoyed, and so kept his own refrigerator stacked with food. He’d ran out of milk and had decided to run quickly to the store, and to take a back way since it was getting late and he didn’t want it to close before he got there.

Usually he hated the night, and especially traveling through alleyways. This was the way things went in horror movies. It made his mind race with morbid thoughts, with ideas of danger and death. He hated the fact that those things made him almost quiver with fear and they weren’t even happening.

He took a deep breath and looked around, feeling a little lost but figuring this route had to lead somewhere – he would be free from the maze eventually. Sabriel hadn’t been expecting to hear the soft cries of a girl his own age, however, nor see her curled up into something like a ball in the alley.

He stood frozen, his cat ears perked up on his head and his tail stilled in mid-sway. Sabriel drew his arms up close to his chest and averted his gaze for a moment, his golden eyes seeming less lucid than usual.

Carefully he stepped toward her, his feet light upon the ground. “Miss…” he said softly, “Are you all right? You’re crying.” His voice was filled with compassion and he waited, hoping that his entry had been socially acceptable and that he had done no wrong.

Her arm snapped? Sabriel’s ears perked to attention and he moved closer, made hesitant by this sudden closeness. “A-Are you okay? Do you want me to take you to a hospital?” Her health was far more important than him buying milk tonight. He looked her over, biting his upper lip at the sight of her tear-stained face. He loathed seeing people cried, especially after he himself had cried so much in the past. Crying now… it almost seemed impossible for him to do it.

“I’m Sabriel,” he said. “Sabe.” He walked closer, holding out a shaky hand for her to take. He wanted to help her, but he didn’t want either of them to get in trouble either, especially when the world wasn’t a safe place. “C-Come with me? I-I’ll help you. Or something. I think? Is that okay?”

Maybe his question had been a little stupid. He could tell that she wasn’t okay, it was obvious. She was crying and the way she moved her arm made it apparent that something had happened to it. He appreciated her honesty, though, and nodded to confirm that he had heard what she had said.

An awkward smile caused the corners of his lips to twitch when she said her name. “Hi Jessica,” he said quietly, figuring that was a good way to properly introduce them. Sabriel went silent after that, at least until he had helped her up. It felt weird, touching another person’s hand – but Sabriel disliked most physical contact anyway. He wasn’t sure why he did, as he didn’t find it disgusting or anything, but he wasn’t going to dive into it and try to come to a conclusion about reasons. That was for psychiatrists to do, and he wasn’t about to go see one. Not again.

He watched her examine her arm, his brows knit in concern. Sabriel tentatively reached out his hand, only to draw it back. She probably didn’t want him to touch her anymore. “It looks r-really bad,” he said. “Do you go to the school? Because I can take you back there, they should be able to help. A-Are you okay with that?” Sabriel shifted his stance, folding his hands behind his back. “You can’t just leave you arm like that.”

“I go there too.” Sabriel nodded. He was surprised she hadn’t heard any rumors about him, but maybe now what he had disclosed he was that Sabriel she might start to realize. A part of him hoped she didn’t know, or at least didn’t care; she was a nice person and the closest thing he had gotten to a friend in his two years at this school.

Sabriel began to walk back the way he came, looking over his shoulder to make sure Jessica knew to follow. “You can walk, right? Or-or do you need me to help you?” he asked, taking a few more slow steps before he fully paused. They were a few yards away from each other now due to the distance he had put between them.

Sabriel whirled around when he heard another voice. His eyes widened at the sight of the man and he took a small step back, his mind whirring at the sight of Jessica caught in someone else’s arms. He knew, by society and moral law, that he was supposed to help her – but he was Sabriel. What could he do besides make things worse?

It seemed to take only moment for Jessica to free herself from the man’s hold. She started running and grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her. Sabriel yelped and almost stumbled at the sudden velocity, but managed to catch himself before he lost his balance and brought both of them down.

“What the hell did he want?!” Sabriel yelled, looking over his shoulder at the man who they were leaving in the dust.