Every Dark Night Turns into Day

She walked with her hood up, the rain falling all around her in the darkness of the night. She didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to leave. She was walking along an empty road, her surroundings only being the cold wind around her.

As she walked with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, she couldn’t stop thinking about past events, the ones that broke her.

“Celiene, I cannot believe you did this.” Her mother’s voice scolded the guilty 16-year-old.

“Mom, you have to believe me. It was a mistake!” She tried to defend herself.

“No!” Her mother shouted, slamming her palm against the small, wooden kitchen table, making Celiene jump in surprise. “You’re the mistake.” She said coldly, tears starting to streak her face.

Celiene stood awestruck at her mother’s comment. She had fought with her mom before, but they never insulted each other, and in that moment, Celiene couldn’t think of something more horrible than what her mother had said.

“Leave.” Celiene heard her mother’s quiet voice take over the now silent kitchen. She knew this day would come, she just didn’t think it would be because of something she couldn’t prevent.

“You want me to leave?” Celiene asked, her anger with her mother becoming stronger by the second. “Fine. I’ll leave. But just know, that once I walk out that door, I am never coming back.”

The young girl grabbed her hoodie and her keys and stood in the doorway. “Goodbye, mother.” She said harshly, the words tasting like venom on her tongue. Celiene walked out the door without another word.

Celiene sat in her old, beaten up car that she shared with her boyfriend, the only person who ever understood her. She made the quick decision to drive to his house. Starting the engine and buckling her seatbelt, she tried not to think about the fight with her mother. Jeffery would comfort her. He always did.

Celiene walked up the steps of the porch and quickly knocked on the door. When she didn’t receive an answer, she knocked again. Becoming impatient, she opened the door to see Jeffery on his living room couch, straddling a perky blonde, both only half-clothed.

“Jeff...” Celiene trailed off, stunned by the sight before her. “Wh-what are you doing?” She asked quietly as tears started filling her eyes, but she refused to let them spill over.

“Celiene.” Jeff whispered, as surprised as the girl in his doorway. He crawled off the girl on the couch and made his way to his girlfriend “W-what are you doing here?”

“My mom kicked me out.” Celiene admitted quietly, not being able to look past the two before her. “What is she doing here?” She asked, the disgust and betrayal evident in her voice.

“Uh, um, sh-she, uh.” Jeff stumbled over his own words, unable to answer the girl’s question.

“We were going to sleep together.” The blonde spoke up, answering for Jeff, causing Celiene’s eyes to widen in shock. She knew that was what was going on, but she didn’t expect either of them to admit to it. But now that it was out in the open, she couldn’t deny it if she tried.

“I can explain this.” Jeff hurried to say.

“No you can’t!” Celiene shouted, surprising even herself by the volume of her voice. “How do you expect to explain this?” She questioned, pointing at the smug blonde on the couch.

Jeff looked down in shame, causing Celiene to explode with the anger bottled up inside. “Ugh! You are a selfish, good-for-nothing, jerk who wouldn’t know how to care for a person if they were your own flesh and blood!” She took her keys and threw them at the shirtless male in front of her. “We’re over, Jeff. Don’t ever try to contact me again. Ever!”

Celiene stormed outside, slamming the front door behind her. The rain started pouring down, so the young girl pulled her hood over her shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair and started walking.

She now sat beside the empty road, - every once in a while a car would drive by, and ignore her existence - the rain soaking her completely. She saw headlights from the corner of her eye, but continued to stare into space, her knees pulled close to her chest. She hugged herself tightly as she tried not to cry.

Celiene heard the car approach and slow to a stop near her. She paid no attention to the car, or the driver who walked around and sat beside her. She did everything in her power not to look at the person with curiosity.

“It’s fun to sit in the rain, isn’t it?” The person spoke, in a deep, husky voice, as lightning flashed, lighting up the road in front of them. Celiene continued looking straight ahead, just wishing the person would leave her alone in her misery. But the person continued.

“I don’t expect you to open up to me about why you’re sitting alone in the rain, but would you accept my offer to give you dry clothes and a ride home?” At this, Celiene couldn’t stop her curiosity from taking over her as she turned her head to face the figure at her side. She took in his features. His short brown hair, now wet and sticking to his forehead from the rain, and - when the lightning flashed again - his bright green eyes. When she didn’t answer, he spoke again.

“Or, I can just sit here with you until you decide on something.” He looked into her shadowed brown eyes while he awaited her answer.

“Why are you talking to me?” She asked quietly, barely audible over the rain.

“Why wouldn’t I?” He asked instead of answering her question. Celiene couldn’t come up with a reason for him not to talk to her, but she couldn’t think of a reason for him to approach her at all, either. Instead, she hugged her knees tighter and looked back out at the road.

“You know,” He spoke again. “we could get sick from sitting in the rain like this.”

“Then why don’t you leave?” Celiene asked, not sparing him even a glance.

“Not unless you come with me.” He said seriously, causing Celiene to look at him with surprise. “I’m not leaving you in the rain alone.”

“You don’t even know me.” Celiene commented.

“I don’t have to.”

Celiene didn’t have a reply to the man. She was awestruck by his kindness and caring nature. She wasn’t sure whether she should accept his offer, or turn him down, even if she knew he would stay with her. Something inside of her told her that it would be safe to go with him, even though she knew the dangers of accepting car rides from strangers.

Celiene nodded to the man beside her. “Okay, I’ll go with you.” She said in a shaky voice. The kindness in the smile he shared with her made some of the darkness in her deep brown eyes disappear.

He arose from his spot and offered Celiene his hand. She slowly chose to accept the act of kindness, and he helped her onto her feet. He then proceeded to be kind by opening the car door for her.

As the two strangers drove down the road, an awkward silence corrupted the car. Celiene looked out the window, watching the lightning strike outside. After a long ten minute ride, they pulled up to a small two-story house.

“If you’re willing to come inside,” The man broke the silence. “I have a spare change of clothes you can have. You can come inside and shower if you want to.” Celiene nodded her silent response and the two trudged through the rain and into the house.

Celiene took in her surroundings. It was small and simple, but cozy. It felt welcoming. There were slight furnishings, few decorations, and an overall atmosphere that made you feel happy.

“Follow me upstairs,” He commanded politely. “everything’s up there.”

Celiene silently obeyed, walking behind the stranger as he led her up the stairs and down the hall. He opened the door to a bedroom and walked inside. Celiene, not wanting to intrude, waited in the doorway as he rummaged through the drawers in the dresser.

“Here they are.” He said, pulling out a woman’s tee shirt and jeans. As he walked back to the girl in the doorway, he had a smile plastered on his face. A genuine smile. He handed Celiene the clothes and continued down the hallway.

“The towels are under the sink.” He said, showing her to the bathroom. “If you need anything, I’ll be downstairs.” He smiled at her one last time before walking back down the stairs, leaving Celiene by herself.

With the door locked and the hot water running, Celiene looked at herself in the mirror, disgusted by the sight before her. She looked as broken as she felt. Dark bags under her eyes, no sign of any happiness to be found. She was shattered.

Removing her clothes, she stepped into the shower, letting the heat beat her back as she cried silently, trying with all she had to scrub the pain of betrayal away.

When Celiene finally felt satisfied, and all her worries were pushed to the back of her mind, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from under the sink. Wrapping the towel around her slim body, she inspected the clothing the man had given her. Why did he have women’s clothing anyway?

Deciding to shrug it off, Celiene began getting dressed. Just as she was about to pull the tee shirt over her head, she stopped and looked intently at her protruding stomach. She couldn’t shake away the knowledge that a part of Jeff was growing inside her, and she couldn’t recall anything from the night it happened. It was all his fault.

Not wanting to think about Jeff and the destruction he caused, Celiene quickly shrugged on the tee shirt and hung the towel on an empty hook. Gathering her wet clothes, she headed downstairs to find the man who has helped her.

When she walked into the living room, she saw him sitting on the couch, reading. She also noticed that he had changed from his wet clothes as well. He must have sensed her stare, because he looked up over the book, and shared a sweet smile.

“Would you like a ride home now?” He asked kindly.

“I, um, I don’t have a home to go to.” Celiene admitted hesitantly.

“Oh. Well, um...” He trailed off, setting the book on the table beside him and standing up to be next to the girl. “You can stay here tonight, if you want.”

“No, that’s okay.” Celiene rejected politely, not wanting to burden him further. “You’ve already done enough for me. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking.” He corrected. “I’m offering. If you don’t stay here, where will you stay?” Celiene picked up on the challenge in his voice, and knew he was right. She didn’t have the money to stay at a hotel, she no longer had a car or a boyfriend, or even a mother for that matter. Where would she stay?

“I’m not gonna make you stay here if you don’t want to.” He continued. “But it would make me feel a lot better if you did. That way I at least know you’re out of the rain and in a sheltered area.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Celiene needed a way to stall him while she weighed her options. His answer would finalize her decision.

He hesitated, as if thinking about his answer. Then, as if the answer was right in front of them, said, “Because you’re letting me.”

After Celiene made the decision to stay with the man (whose name she learned was Adam), they had talked. Celiene found it easy to open up to Adam, even if she had only met him a couple hours earlier.

“Why did your mom kick you out?” Adam asked when Celiene told him about her reasons for sitting in the rain.

Celiene let out a groping sigh, debating on if it would be safe to tell him. He was still a stranger, even if she knew his name.

“Well,” She began slowly, avoiding eye contact, too afraid of the judgment. “I’m pregnant.”

Adam was silent beside her, so she dared to look at him. He was looking intently at his enclosed hands, as if deep in thought. He sighed and opened his mouth to say something, but never looked at her.

“I know.” He whispered.

“You know?” Celiene asked with befuddlement written across her features. “How do you know? I’m barely showing.”

“I could tell by the way you hold yourself.” Adam explained. “Your posture is different than most sixteen-year-old girls.”

Celiene looked down in shame, knowing most girls her age were just getting their first boyfriend, or figuring out what love really is, or how much it hurts to lose a friend. But there she was, a child growing inside her.

“In my defense,” Celiene spoke softly. “it wasn’t my choice.”

Adam’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait a minute,” He said quickly, his words clumping together. “you weren’t - um - raped, were you?” He spoke carefully, as if trying to explain something complicated to a young child.

“Not exactly.” Celiene confessed, making Adam’s eyebrows furrow together.

“My boyfriend - ex-boyfriend - and I were alone at his place.” She began to explain. “He spiked my drink with something - I’m not sure what - and I ended up getting really drunk really fast. Technically, I agreed to have sex with him, but I wasn’t conscious of it. I don’t even remember anything from that night.” She finished in a whisper, waiting for a lecture to come from the man on the couch beside her.

“I’m sorry.” Adam said, expressing his sympathy for the young girl. She could sense the pity in the two words, and that’s the last thing she wanted.

“Please, don’t pity me. After all, I agreed to it.”

“No you didn’t.” He retorted with a firm tone to his voice. “He drugged you. You were put in a position with only one choice: make him happy. That’s not fair to you.” He spoke the last sentence with a softer voice, trying to reassure the broken girl.

“I suppose.” Celiene voiced quietly, wanting more than anything to change the subject.

“Why did you have women’s clothing in your dresser?” She asked the question that had been hanging in the back of her mind since Adam gave her the tee shirt and jeans.

“Um,” Adam hesitated. “my ex-girlfriend left them here when she moved out. I was just going to throw them away, but they served a purpose.” He smiled.

“Well, it’s getting late.” Adam said, looking at the clock on the mantel. “You can have my bed tonight. I’ll sleep here on the couch.”

“Oh no.” Celiene declined as the two rose from their places on the couch. “You have done way too much for me already. You’re sleeping in your own bed, and I’m staying here in the living room.”

“Celiene, really, it’s not a big deal.”

“No, it is a big deal.” She countered. “You sat in the rain with me, gave me dry clothes, took me in. I can’t accept any more favors from you.”

Adam was reluctant to let a pregnant teenager sleep on his couch - that wasn’t comfortable for sleeping - but he knew he couldn’t talk her out of it. So instead, he bargained with her.

“Fine, I’ll let you sleep on the couch. If,” He said, making sure she couldn’t miss the emphasis on the conjunction. “you let me give you something more comfortable to sleep in.”

Celiene could see the challenge in his bright green eyes, and knew there was no room for objection. “Fine.” She agreed with a sigh, causing a smile to sprawl across the young adult’s face.

“Follow me.” Adam said cheekily, heading up the stairs and entering the bedroom. He scoured through one of the drawers of the dresser before pulling out a white tee shirt and basketball shorts.

“You can change in the bathroom.” Adam smiled as he handed her the clothing. Celiene took them gratefully and went to the bathroom to change. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw a shadow of a smile playing at her lips.

“Well, I think that’s all you’ll need for sleeping.” Adam said, looking at the pile of blankets on the couch.

“It’s more than enough.” Celiene reassured him with an appreciative smile.

“In that case,” Adam said, walking around the couch and stopping at the end of the stairs. “I wish you a good night. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, and if you need anything you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Adam.” The two shared a smile and the male headed up the staircase, leaving Celiene to herself.

“By the way,” Adam spoke again, poking his head over the railing. “the storm outside will pass soon enough, just like the storms in your life.” He was gone as quickly as he had appeared, not leaving Celiene any time to respond.

Thinking about Adam’s final words, Celiene spread the blankets across the couch, turned out the lights, and snuggled under the covers. For the first time in a long time, the broken girl fell asleep with a smile on her face, all because of a stranger.