Never Walk Alone

Lanny, Matt’s best friend awoke on the bed next to Matt’s. Matt’s parents had let him sleep over even on a school night as long as they made the bus on time in the morning. Lanny had heard some noises but it wasn’t loud. The noises came from outside and it sounded like someone was in trouble. Everyone was asleep, even Matt. Lanny continued to hear the noises and then sobbing from a young person. He rose himself from the bed and looked out the window. He couldn’t see anything at all but he knew it was nearby.
Matt stayed asleep then Lanny went to his shoulder and shook it. He wouldn’t wake up so Lanny shook him harder. Matt finally woke up then looked up at Lanny. “What is it, Lanny?” he asked, half-asleep.
Lanny continued to shake him, trying to wake him up fully.
“I’m awake, I’m awake, what is it?” he said, coming in full wake and rubbing his eyes.
Lanny started his physical motion in all excitement and pointing towards the window.
Matt looked at him then the window. “There’s someone out there near us?”
Lanny nodded then looked afraid as if something was bad happening to someone outside. Matt stood up then looked out the window. He saw nothing out there like Lanny but heard nothing. “There’s nothing out there, Lanny… wait!” he exclaimed when they finally heard some painful noises. They heard it for a second then the noises stopped and quieted down.
Lanny frowned at Matt then looked down the hall out the room towards Lizzie’s room. Matt’s jaw nearly dropped. “You mean, it could be Lizzie? Did something happen to Lizzie?” Matt asked.
Lanny shrugged but nodded as if it was possible. Matt sighed. “Get dressed and get my parents. We have to go out there and see what’s going on?”
Sam woke up when he heard his wife’s stifled sobbing. “Honey, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I wish Lizzie was home. What if something happened to her? She’s not at Miranda’s and the police haven’t called us with anything,” she whimpered.
Sam sat up and put his arm around her. “Aw, honey, I’m sure Lizzie’s fine and the police are doing what they can. Now try to get some sleep. You can’t lose sleep over this.”
They heard hurried footsteps and Lanny and Matt has entered their room. “Boys, what is it?” Sam asked them.
“We just heard some noises coming outside and it didn’t sound so good. It sounded like someone might be in trouble. The noises didn’t come far from here. I’d say probably a few houses from here.”
Jo gasped, sitting up on the bed and looked at Matt and Lanny. “Oh, my god! Something happened to Lizzie!”
Immediately, Lizzie’s family and Lanny got dressed to go out and look for her. Matt and Sam were holding flashlights and yelling for Lizzie. “Honey, do you think this is a good idea? I mean, we haven’t found her yet,” Sam asked.
“Sam, what are you talking about? We just left the front porch!” Jo told her husband.
Suddenly, Matt’s eyes lit up when he shined the flashlight on Lizzie just down the road. Lizzie was dressed up, looking down and she was shaking with tears over her face. “Mom, Dad, look!” he yelled.
Sam and Jo looked down the road and saw Lizzie. “Oh, my god… she doesn’t look so good,” Jo commented. She and the family with Lanny ran down the road to see Lizzie. “Lizzie! Lizzie, what happened to you? What happened?” she demanded.
Lizzie couldn’t answer then as she kept looking down, crying and putting her arms around her own chest. “Oh, god, Mom….” She sobbed. “This man… he…” she struggled but could not finish.
“Who? What man?” Jo asked her.
“This man in the alley…” Lizzie struggled again.
Sam sighed. “Oh, you’re not supposed to go through the alley,” he thought to himself. He leaned over closer to Lizzie. Lizzie flinched. Sam gave her a puzzled look and backed up some. “Lizzie… did someone attack you?” he asked gently.
It took a minute for Lizzie to pull herself together then without looking at him, she nodded. “He raped me, Dad. I shouldn’t have gone through the alley. I know I wasn’t supposed to but I thought everyone was asleep.”
“Honey, it doesn’t matter what time it is. There’s a lot of crazy psychos out there around the clock. Why didn’t your friends walk home with you?” Jo asked.
“I thought it would be okay since you were only a block away. They offered to walk with me but I told them I’d be fine and I wanted to take a shortcut so I can get home sooner and more safely. Mom, he kept me there for hours and I thought I’d never get home!” she sobbed, placing herself into her mother’s arms. Jo wrapped her arms around Lizzie.
“Oh, it’s okay, honey. It’s all over and we’re here now.”
Sam put a hand on his wife’s back. “Honey? We should take her to the hospital.”
Lizzie looked up at her father. “Why?” she asked.
“So you can get treated and they can get some evidences for the police. They’re going to have to call the police from there.”
“Wait, wait, I feel so disgusted, I have to get a long bath first.”
“No, no, honey, you can’t do that. You shouldn’t change your clothes or take a bath after what happened to you,” Lizzie told her. “Your father’s right, we need to take you to the hospital. Matt, you stay here with Lanny and just look out for things and get more sleep. You got school tomorrow. We’re going to take Lizzie to the Emergency Room right away.”
“I’ll get the keys,” Sam told her.
Matt nodded at his mother and walked back into the house with Lanny and Sam. Jo put her arms around her daughter’s shoulders and walked her to the car, putting her in the back seat. Lizzie felt so cold like iceberg, shivering her whole body, still hugging her chest and crying in the back of the car.
Matt sighed sitting on his bed next to Lanny. “What am I going to do, Lanny? I can’t believe someone would do this to her. My own sweet sister, Lizzie. I wish I would have gone to the hospital and make sure that she’s okay,” Matt told his best friend.
Lanny put a hand on Matt’s shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. “You’re right, Lanny,” Matt nodded. “I’m sure Mom and Dad will call here if there’s any news. I just feel bad about faking my feelings for Lizzie while she was in Rome. I guess I really did miss her. I don’t know. All I know is I love her. I guess I always did but I didn’t realize it… till now.” Lanny looked at him and rubbed his back as Matt sat there, trying to fight back tears.