Frightening Night

All he could hear was the roar of rain slamming into the muddy ground. It was cold — the wind felt like razor blades against his face. Breathing was just as painful. Yet he felt numb and lost, unable to comprehend his surroundings. Black filtered on the edges of his vision as he stared at his dirty paws; breath labored. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there. Minutes? Hours? His mind was so numb he could hardly think. There was nothing that could pull him from the panic washing over his body.

The chaos in his head raged on that he didn't realize he wasn't alone. His vision kept on tunneling to the rocks on the ground, paws mangled into the mud. It wasn't until another paw that wasn't attached to him broke his concentration. He gasped, sucking in what felt like thorns into his lungs. He dared not move, ears finally listening as time seemed to stop.

"Hey... are you alright?" said a voice. It was soft, not harsh or forced.

He slowly moved his head to look up, following the pale leg up to a body covered in wet clothing. His vision was a bit blurry, especially with rainwater washing into his eyes. They didn't look familiar. Whoever this was, the babling didn't know them. They weren't shouting at least. They weren't being forceful or showing their teeth in aggression. There was nothing but a look of concern. It made him confused.

The other mantibab pulled something over him; it was warm and dry. He still wasn't sure what was happening, all he knew was he was scared, cold and wet. The rain was relenting, freezing almost. He didn't know where to go, there wasn't much energy left to think now that the adrenaline running through him started to wear off.

"Come on, we'll go somewhere safe and warm," beckoned the voice, a gentle nudge to get him going. The pressure in his side made him sway where the stranger wanted the babling, guiding him away from his misery. He wasn't sure how long they walked, he just knew that his paws partly hurt, but were partly numb. Fatigue set in heavily along his shoulders and he felt so weak. Why did he feel so weak? He couldn't remember much...

Before he knew it, the babling was in a warm and dry hovel. A fire flickered and crackled, setting a comfortable atmosphere throughout the house. The red mantibab that brought him there pulled the now wet clothing off him and set their clothing to the side. He saw deep crimson stains dotted across the cloth he had worn. It confused him more.

"What's your name?" asked the voice, blue eyes shifting up, drunken with exhaustion. His name? His mind was so foggy, that he couldn't quite remember. What was his name? Did he have a name? Why couldn't he remember it? What was wrong with him? He felt so lost. The stranger sighed softly before shaking their head. "Do not mind that for now, how about we get you dry and warm? I'll make a bed for you before the fire... how is that?"

All he could do was nod. He stood there as the stranger shuffled throughout the room, dragging a futon, a few blankets, and pillows to the hearth. Once everything was set, they nudged the babling toward it. "Before you get in, let me clean you up a bit more."

The babling sat down, patiently waiting. The stranger brought a couple of towels and what appeared to be medical supplies. He didn't bother to think about what that was about, he only sat there as he was tended to. His eyes were so heavy at that point, shutting as he could no longer keep them open. He couldn't stand either. Everything went dark.

He slept somewhere safe that night with a warm body that protected him.