Lana was quietly reading while curled up under the plush comforter. The only sound made was the turning of a page, and her soft breathing. The boy Lana was watching was laid down next to her, his smooth skin red with the coolness of the night air. She gently stroked his blonde curls, taking care not to wake him. Every minute or so, the boy would twitch. His body scrunched up a little, rustling the covers and breaking the sweet silence.

Then came the sound. A window squeaked open in the old farmhouse, alerting her senses. Lana jerked her head from the adventure on the page towards the eerie sound. Careful not to wake the boy, she slipped out from the warmth of her bed and crept to the door in her night gown. The thin silk garment left her feeling exposed. She grabbed a flashlight that was hung on a hook near the door in case of emergencies. Lana clicked on the light and drew as silently into the hall as possible.

Every hinge and floorboard in the old house screeched as she made her way to the bathroom. The soft yellow of of the night light shone across the polished wood floors. Lana gripped the glass knob, afraid to see what was on the other side. Her heart quickened and her breathing wasn't as even as it was while reading. She mustered up as much courage as she could and twisted the knob, raising the flahlight to use as a weapon if needed.

As soon as the door was open, Lana felt along the wall for the switch and flipped it. The bathroom lit up, the white tile reflecting the light into her eyes. Disorienting her and the intruder in unison. She quickly looked to the young boy huddled in the corner of her bathroom. He was rail thin and had lashes all across his back. He wore nothing but a pair of ratty shorts. But it wasn't his clothing or wounds that caught Lana's attention.

It was the color of his skin. A pale blue, his black hair was matted but through the grime shone small bits of light. His skin also had the same lights, and Lana thought she could see the Big Dipper patterned across his chest. The strange boy looked up at her, his eyes wide in terror. He didn't lunge, or scream. The boy stayed in his corner cowering, protecting his head with his arms. Lana realized she still had the flahlight poised to attack and lowered it, now seeing that he was used to protecting himself from hits. Lana breathed out, the boy looking through his arms to peek at her.

Lana got down on her knees, she held out a hand to the boy. "It's okay, I'm friendly.", only being twelve, Lana wasn't sure how to deal with this situation. When the boy reached out to her and took her hand, she could see how his fingers were crooked. What she did know, was that that was a sign of broken fingers. Tears welled up in her eyes and she stood up. Lana grabbed a cloth and walked to the sink. She ran the water until it got warm and soaked the cloth.

The boy was perched on the edge of the tub with Lana knelt in front of him. "I'm not used to people looking up at me... or being nice.", his gravelly voice hurt Lana. So did his words, he obviously hadn't seen a good thing a day of his life.

"Well, I'm very nice. And I'm gonna get you all cleaned up. Would you like a bath?", Lana was wiping his innocent face with the warm rag when she said this. After a couple of swipes, the grime coating his blue face washed away. Revealing a darker blue beneath them. The bits of light in his skin shone brighter, and Lana wondered of he had been tattooed to look like this. Or if the lights were surgicallu implanted. But after further cleansing, she could tell that was not the case.

Lana ran the water for the bath, getting it warm enough so his young skin could handle it. She took his ratty shorts off and helped him glide into the tub. A smile twitched at his mouth as his beaten body slid into the warm water. Lana took the cloth and some soap and rubbed them together, the cloth became soapy and Lana rubbed it down the boys back. She was careful not to touch his cuts, she would clean those out after he was clean.

After a while, Lana got the boy fed and put to sleep. His skin was a so much darker hughe now that he was warm and happy. Lana was afradid of the boy, afraid of what he was. But still, she cared for him like he was her pwn brother. That night, Lana slept with a child on each side of her. She was content, content because she saved a life that fateful night.

OMG! This was way crappier when I found it. I was going through all of my old documents when I found this. It was cheap, cause I wrote it when I was younger. But I think I improved it. Reviews? Any-hoo! I think I'll add onto this. I'm just gonna leave it as "complete" for now. But if you want me to continue this, just tell me and I will. Ciao!