Editing The Sky

Chapter 3

Alex's eyes blazed and he flipped around yanking at River's hair in the process. She screeched again and fell to her knees. She looked around her for her rescuer but couldn't see anything in the dark. She looked up at the sky and sent a strong wind up to the clouds to part them enough to get some moonlight into the ally. She almost gasped when she saw him.

It was Darius Zane, a senior in her class. She couldn't believe he was here well she wasn't all that surprised to see him in the ally but helping her? He didn't even know she existed. Darius was massive even bigger than her attackers. He had broad strong shoulders and thick beefy arms. He had a narrow waist with long thick legs. His black skin blended with the shadows giving him a dangerous look. But River wasn't scared. She had seen his chocolate eyes once when she had bumped into him and they were so handsome and gentle. She knew he wasn't dangerous but then again with the look on his face now she wasn't all that sure.

"What stake do you have on her Zane?" Alex asked. They knew each other?

"She's mine that's all you have to know." he said and held his hand out to River. River slowly stood and took a step toward him but Alex clamped a hand around her waist and pulled her into him. "If she really is yours tell me her name?" without missing a beat Darius bullshitted her name.

"Her name is Jane." he said he gave River a look one that said go with it. Alex looked down at her.

"Is Jane your name sweet?" River nodded. He let her go half shoving her forward. Darius held his hand out again and River rushed forward to him nearly tripping. When she grabbed his hand he yanked her into him. He wrapped an arm around her waist holding her tight. His heat sank into her and she shivered. He was so warm. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Zane," Alex said and River looked at him while keeping her head on Darius' chest. "Next time I catch her without you... she's mine." River's heart beat faster in panic and she gripped the ends of Darius' leather jacket.

"Touch her and I'll kill you." River wouldn't have believed him if he hadn't pulled out the Glock from behind his back. River froze. Alex nodded and back up with his buddies. When they were gone Darius pulled her away from him and he put the gun away.

"Are you okay?"

River just stared at him she didn't know what to do. He reached for her and River unfroze. She wheeled around and ran as fast as she could away from both Alex and his group and Darius. She ran and ran till she finally found her house. Nothing but a tilted old shack really but safe all the same. She busted the door open and slammed it shut. River sank to the floor and brushed stray hair out of her face. River wrapped her arms around her knees and started to sob. River's mother came around the corner with her tiny pistol in her tiny hands.

"River?" she asked and River looked up at her.

"Momma?" she whimpered. Her mom dropped the gun and sank to the floor next to her daughter and wrapped her short arms around her who seemed to cuddle even more into herself.

"What happened, Boo?" she asked. River went into another set of sobs but wrapped her arms around her mother. When she finally had enough control of herself she told her story. Her mother listened quietly. When River was finished her mother softly brushed her cheeks whipping away the tears.

"Never go down that ally at night again." her mother reached over and grabbed the gun and placed it in her River's hands. "Bring this with you everywhere."

"Even school?" River's voice was rougher than normal it was nothing but rasp.

"Yes even school." River nodded and hugged her mother some more. After a moment her mom pulled away to give her a fond look but then she paused her face draining of blood.

"You’re bleeding?" she murmured. River looked at her shoulder and remembered the cut.

"Doesn't hurt much." she said but her mother grabbed her gently and pulled her over to their rough and old couch it was a dirty tan and River was pretty sure it had been white when it had been new and that wasn't when River and her mother got it. She sat down hesitantly like always. Her mom didn't. She pulled off River's jacket and touched the wound. River let out a groan and tried to move away. Her mother swatted her non-injured.

"Hold still." she whispered concentrating. River's mother had wanted to go to nursing school and would have been able to if it hadn't been for River. Her mother had gotten pregnant and River's father or sperm donor as she liked because he had done the worst thing a man can do to a woman. Last she heard he was still in jail for murder and rape. And by leaving her mom with River, they went into poverty, maybe even lower than that. Her mother had to give up school to take care of her. River lived with the guilt especially because of where her mom worked. Her mom was young and beautiful so it's really needless to say that she had the two worst jobs a woman could have. Stripping and against many of River's protest prostitution. River's mother got off the couch and went to go get some supplies. When she got back she gently sang and River relaxed into the couch despite the feel of the needle going in and out of her skin closing her wound.

"Oh life goes on..." her mother's voice was a sweet melody to River's ears and she cuddled into her mom's side when she was done being patched up.  "Long after the thrill of living is gone..." River slipped into the cool darkness easily.