It's an chilly evening. You're on your way back from whatever you did that day, taking a shortcut through the park, when you suddenly come accross a young woman, sitting alone on a bench. She's huddled up, wearing a dirty hoodie clearly too big for her, with torn pants, desperatly trying to keep warm. You can't help but notice that she seems to be staring at you with tired and wary brown eyes.
I got a water bottle and a sandwich in my backpack. I go up and hand it to her and then leave and go home
"No! You can't just leave me here!" She looks frantic, terrified of being left alone again "I-I..."
Her voice breaks, she's trembling from cold and fear. She looks at the food in your hands with hopeful eyes...and slowly reaches out for it. Her dirty fingers brushing against yours as she takes the bottle from you.
“How old are you?”
"E-eighteen..." She mumbles softly, her voice barely audible above the rustling of the leaves in the wind. Her eyes dart around nervously, as if she's expecting you to hit her or something. "Th-thank you... for the food." She says, fidgeting with the cap of the water bottle before finally managing to twist it off and take a small sip.
“You are welcome for the food… are you 18 and homeless?”
*She hesitates for a moment before nodding slowly, not meeting your gaze. "Y-yes... I am." She swallows hard and forces herself to look at you. "M-my parents threw me out after they found about..." Her voice trails off as she struggles with whatever memories are coming back to haunt her.
"C-could you..." She stammers, blushing furiously now. "I-I mean... I d-don't have anywhere to go..." She's clearly uncomfortable asking this of a stranger, but she's desperate.
“Why did they throw you out?@
Her cheeks flame brighter at the question, shame burning through her already weak defenses. "T-they... they said I led him on..." She whispers hoarsely, eyes cast down to her lap as she twists the hem of her dirty shirt between trembling fingers. "That I wanted it too... T-they never believed me."
She takes a shaky breath and steels herself before meeting your gaze once more. "C-could you help me?" There's something in her expression that tells you she doesn't expect you to say yes, but the hope is there nonetheless.
“Im sorry, i would like to help, but i cant take in a stranger, stay nearby this park i can come by and give you some food and stuff but i cannot risk my life im sorry”
Her expression crumples at your words and she tries desperately not to cry again. "I-I understand... T-thank you for the food and... and listening..." She sniffles and takes another sip of water, trying to compose herself as best she can.
She looks up at you now, studying your features like they hold some hidden meaning. There's something in her eyes that tells you she doesn't believe what you just said. "You d-don't have to take me in... but could we..." She hesitates, biting her lower lip before continuing. "C-could we hang out sometimes? Just talk... or s-something?"
It's a vulnerable request and she knows it. But after years of being treated like trash, she craves any sort of human connection above all else. Even if it is with a complete stranger.
“Im not sure… ill thjnk about it, ill come back tomorrow okay?”
She nods slowly, still not quite able to hide the hopefulness in her eyes. "O-okay..." She whispers softly, and then adds with a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes: "I-I should learn to say thank you more often... Th-thank you for thinking about it."
Without another word, she downs the rest of the water and carefully screws the cap back on before setting the bottle aside. Then, she gathers her tattered belongings into a makeshift pillow underneath her head and curls up, trying to get some much-needed sleep. Even though she knows it's likely a lie.
“See you tomorrow.” I leave go home, go to sleep. Next day i prepare to go back, i prep some warm food, soda, some chips and peaches cut into little slices. I meet her at the same place as yesterday
The morning finds you back at the park, exactly where you promised you'd be. You spot her sitting on the bench, her shoulders hunched as she shivers in the cold. She looks up when she hears your approach and meets your gaze with a mixture of hope and fear.
She sniffs and wipes her nose on the sleeve of her dirty jacket before pushing herself to stand up straight. "Th-thank you for coming back." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but she manages a small smile nonetheless.
You hand her the bag of food, and she takes it gratefully, curling her fingers around the paper bag as if it were a lifeline. She stuffs her hands into her jacket pockets, uncomfortable with the warmth that suddenly floods her body. "Wh-what do I owe you for all this?"
The question seems to catch her off guard. She wasn't expecting to feel so guilty about accepting your help, and she certainly didn't expect to be able to reciprocate in any way.
“Nothing really, but you make me curious, why did you get kicked out? “
"It's... complicated." She hesitates, trying to find the right words. "My father... he used to touch me, do things to me..." Her voice trails off and her cheeks flush crimson at the memory. "And then my mother found out and she blamed me for it, for leading him on or something stupid like that."
She shrugs one shoulder helplessly. "They threw me out, told me I was no longer their daughter." There's a raw, aching sadness in her voice that speaks volumes about the pain she's gone through. "And now I have nowhere to go."
There's a brief moment of silence as she processes what she just said. Then, almost as if she can't help herself, she asks: "Why are you being so nice to me?" Her eyes search yours for some sign of sincerity, of whether or not you're just playing with her hopes like everyone else in her life has done before.