Promise

Drip, drip, drip.

Rain.

This…this feels familiar…

***

It was a cloudy wet night like this. I was sitting alone as the villagers celebrated their successful yearly harvest festival. People were dancing, singing, and eating as the night went on. It was great, for everyone except me.

Kira had just left the village, she never said why, never told anyone. She wanted to leave in secret. She didn’t say goodbye, but the look she left me with told me that it was going to be goodbye. Whether it was for now or forever, I’ll never know. I spent the night alone, quietly crying to myself as people avoided me and gave me glances that looked like they just pitied me.

As the night went on, people started to disperse, it was getting late after all. Some people stayed to clean up, others still gossiping or talking about next year's harvest.

A few of the other kids noticed throughout the night that I sat alone. They knew that I was nothing but a crybaby, always asking for help, always begging for something, someone. It made me an easy target for them. I was just someone who had no one now, as the one person I could rely on chose to leave me.

The group of kids stalked towards me, like I was just a live bait, and they were the predator coming in for an easy meal. It wasn’t a problem for me to be picked on. I usually just took it and accepted it. But today…today felt different. It felt like a breaking point for me, like my whole world evaporated before my eyes.

“Kira…”

One of the bigger kids in the group walked up, his wide smirk taunting me to do something. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to cause any more issues for Mabel. She was already dealing with Kira leaving too, so I couldn’t add more problems for her. She already does so much for me that taking some light words and taunts is nothing to what she’s feeling.

“HA!? Kira?” the big kid snorted out maliciously. “You’re crying over a girl? Are you sure you’re not the girl!” The rest of the group laughed alongside him, sounding like a pack of squabbling monsters fighting over scraps.

“Yeah! You’re more of a girl than me! I would never cry over something like that!” A girl from the group shouted out.

They gathered around me and continued hurling insults, one after another, relentlessly, treating me as nothing more than a pebble underfoot. They pushed me back and forth. Poked and prodded me. Laughed as one of them threw me onto the ground. My chest hurts. I couldn’t breathe. I lifted my knees up to my chest, into a fetal position as I was kicked and bruised. I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to disappear. I just wanted it to be over.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” A voice roared from the distance, enraged. It was Vivian.

No. Stay away Vivian. I’ll be fine, it’s normal. Don’t worry about me.

She sprinted toward the group and started to push them away with reckless abandon, her one goal was to get to me. Nothing else mattered to her at that point.

The girls in the group turned on her and started to push her back and retaliate, hitting and slapping her. She fell to the ground, but that wasn’t enough to stop her onslaught. She got back up and went right back in without any hesitation.

Why…Why Vivian? Just leave me alone. You’re better off without me. I’m not worth the effort.

“Zero! Zero! Zero!” she cried out to me as they continued to push her away. She finally yanked herself off from the girls and jumped on top of me, using her small body as a shield.

“I’m here now Zero. It’s okay. I’m not leaving you, I’ll protect you.”

Eventually some of the adults nearby heard the commotion and ran over to help. The group of kids, afraid of getting caught, scattered to the wind and ran like cockroaches.

I slowly uncurled myself from my position and look up at her.

She’s all hurt, because of me. Why would she do this?

“W-why would you let yourself get hurt this much for me? Why didn’t you stay away? I was fine, you know I can always take this. You know I — “

“SHUT UP!” She raised her voice at me. That was the first time she’s ever done that.

“I did it because I wanted to, and you’re my friend. Friends always help each other no matter what! That’s why my dad said to me! He said that if I wanted to be a hero one day like from the books, that I would never turn my back to someone that needs help.”

She leans down to take my hand and help me up. “Now come on, let’s go. Mabel told me to come look for you, so you need to thank her too, plus you’re all hurt so she can take care of you.”

A hero, huh. She did all this because she wanted to be a hero?

I stand still and look at her, closer this time.

Look at her. She’s so small, her hands are so soft, her cheek is hurt, she’s all dirty. She did all this for me.

I tighten my grip and quietly mutter to her.

“Hm? What did you say Zero?” She looked at me confused.

I sigh and quietly mutter again.

“Zero? I can’t hear you, can you repea — “

“I said you don’t need to do that!” I shouted at her. “I’m going to be the hero! Not you! I’m going to be the one to rescue people and help people and protect people! I’m going to show everyone that I’ll be the best, that they’re all wrong about me! That I’m not just a little boy anymore! I’m going to show you too!”

She tilts her head to the side with a curious look. “Show me what?”

“I’m going to show you that…that… you don’t need to protect me anymore. I’ll protect you. Whenever you need help, whenever you’re in trouble. I’ll be the one to come to your rescue. I’ll be the one to save you from the bad guys. So you just wait and see. I’ll show you that I can be the one to do it!”

Her eyes soften and her lips lifted in a bright grin. “Mhmm.. okay Zero. I believe you.”

She grabs hold of my hand and lifts it up before intertwining her pinkie with mine. “It’s a promise then Zero. I’ll be waiting for you, as long as it takes.”

“For you to become a hero, and save me from the bad guys. No matter how long it takes. I’ll always be waiting for you.”

Seeing her like this, looking at me like she just saw the most beautiful thing in the world. It made me want to do it. From that moment on, I wanted to show her.

To show her that I can be the one to become her hero.