Elena POV
I was walking down a quiet street, carrying a bag of groceries from the nearby convenience store, when I suddenly heard a groaning sound.
"Argh…"
The deep, strained voice grew clearer as I approached a narrow alley. My body trembled slightly, but curiosity pushed me forward.
I peeked from behind the wall. "Who is it? A man?" I muttered to myself, feeling a bit silly for even asking.
It was obvious. It was a man's voice.
I turned and saw a man slumped on the ground, blood pouring heavily from his stomach. My eyes widened and reflexively I dropped my groceries and ran toward him.
"Someone is hurt," I whispered to myself.
I crouched beside him, pressing my hands against his wound to try to stop the blood. "Are you okay? What happened? How did this happen? Oh my…"
My heart was racing, panic rising, but I tried to stay calm, glancing around for anyone who might help. But the area was empty and dark.
He looked at me with eyes full of pain, his breathing ragged. His hand trembled as he reached out toward me.
"I… I… need…" His voice was hoarse.
I panicked, but quickly realized I had to act. I pulled out my phone, hands shaking. "It's okay. I'll call an ambulance!"
But as I opened my phone, the screen displayed, "No Signal."
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. "Wait… don't die yet…" I whispered, fighting back tears. I was truly terrified to see someone dying right in front of me.
He looked at me seriously and grabbed my arm as I tried to call the ambulance. "Don't… let them find me…"
I could only fidget, my hands panicking as I pressed against the blood. "Then what do I do?? I can't carry you!" I said, my voice rising slightly in worry.
"Take the phone from my pocket," he directed, pointing to his pants.
I nodded quickly. "Okay…"
I reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. My fingers were trembling as I unlocked it and searched for a contact. "Who do I call?"
"Asher… find the name Asher," he whispered weakly.
I nodded obediently and typed in the name. Once I found it, I immediately dialed. It didn't take long for someone to answer.
"H-hallo???" My voice quivered.
"Who is this?" came the tense voice on the other end.
"I—" I shook my head, turning away. There was no time to introduce myself.
"… I found the owner of this phone badly hurt. His stomach is bleeding, and he told me to call you."
Concern was audible on the other side. "Alright, stay there. Send me your location."
I nodded, even though Asher couldn't see me. A few seconds later, the call ended. I handed the phone back to him, looking at him anxiously.
"Y-you… don't feel any pain?" Another stupid question escaped my lips.
He grimaced and raised a thin eyebrow. "Do you think I am?"
I gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck. "Right… sorry…" I shifted uneasily, moving restlessly.
He chuckled softly, staring deep into my eyes. "What's your name?"
I swallowed hard, looking at him with eyes still full of panic. "Elena… my name is Elena," I answered softly.
He nodded slowly. "Elena…" He gazed at me as if trying to memorize every detail of my face.
I fidgeted awkwardly. "W-why? Is there something wrong with my face?" I reflexively touched my own face.
He shook his head slowly. "No." Then his eyes swept over the quiet, dark alley. "Aren't you scared to help me like this?"
I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "No… um yeah, well, a little scared, I guess… but how could I just ignore someone who's hurt like this?"
"Would you just let yourself die like that?" he continued.
I noticed he only chuckled softly.
Not long after, a man in formal clothes approached us, his expression full of concern. He crouched beside him, carefully supporting his body.
I just stood there, watching anxiously, my hands clenching nervously.
The newcomer turned to me and gave a small, faint smile. "Thank you for helping."
I only nodded quietly. "Be careful… take him to the hospital quickly… he could die otherwise."
The man named Asher chuckled lightly. "Alright, you be careful too. It's late already."
I nodded again.
The man called Mr. Grant, who had stayed silent for a moment, then gave me a faint smile. "My name is Noah… Noah Grant."
After that, the two men left me, disappearing into the darkness of the narrow alley.
I stood there for a moment, trying to process everything. Then I realized my surroundings and shivered, suddenly remembering the grocery bag I had dropped.
I ran back to where I had left it, grabbed it quickly, and hurried away, ignoring the blood still on my hands.
After a few minutes, I finally reached my small apartment and rushed to wash my hands.
"Ew! Blood… disgusting!" I muttered.
Not a fan of blood, I scrubbed my hands harshly, using a lot of soap, but it still didn't feel enough. My heart was pounding. I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Who was that man?
For the first time in my life, I had seen someone bleeding like that, and it was terrifying.