Cascading

A voice rang threw Will’s head, familiar but so distant telling him that things were well on the way and that he must continue to stay strong. The light in itself was a comfort with a surrounding warmth that you never could quiet feel in the sunshine. It was odd the voice wasn’t spoken but a resonating sound in his head, but that too was an indescribable comfort to be certain of approval. With out a warning everything had turned black, an endless tunnel, a abandonment of hope, that is what had woke him.1

With a jump he awoke to the alleyway behind a restaurant, scaring the alley cat that had burrowed beside him sometime during the night.2

“Sorry, lil’ thing,” he said feeling bad for scaring it from its sleep.3

Gathering his few possessions that he had collected  Will headed towards the subway, where he sat with the other people to keep warm through the days. Since the accident, and with out relatives the streets had adopted him into the alley ways and abandoned buildings. People with generosity was so uncommon, that a smile seemed to be worth something.4

“Don’t you just love these good and caring people…”came a voice of a elder woman, with a false happiness; Will had  seen at the station on a normal basis.5

“Yup, even the Christmas spirit has a horrible feeling” he said, trying to remember things from the past with a family, that he must have had at one time at least, only ending in a failed attempt.6

“ They are having a dinner at the mission center, you know?” she said.7

“Do they? I dunno it maybe weird to be there and not with family, it’ll seem …like as if I were unwelcome.” Will said looking at his hand, which were freezing.8

“Maybe so, but it is a warm meal, and it is good to be reminded people can care,” she said with memories reflecting in her eyes.9

“Yeah,” he said standing up.10

“Well I am going to take off, I don’t think I can stand this place much more.” he continued signaling his exit.11

“Take care young man” she said, waving good bye with a worn out glove.12

Fresh air greeted his nose as he walked out into the sidewalk. Being a few days before Christmas shoppers made chains from store to store. A little kid threw a fit  by  a door, while a mother tried to hush the little kid. Looking at the fighting mother, he accidentally collided with a woman, who seemed disoriented.13

“Sorry,” he tried to explain immediately.14

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she said at the same.15

“Looking for something?” Will asked 16

“Um, not really just new to the city, finding my way I suppose,” she said wiping the hair out her face.17

“Okay, well have a good day,” he said passing her with a glance back.18

The day passed quickly as he roamed the streets behind the stores. Things seemed to pass by like colorful shadows swaying to some out of tune music. Days seemed to blur from one into the other, everything kept going down. First it was the news that he couldn’t remember anything ,except for his name, but the hospital would try to find relatives that would come to get him. An infection had started in his arm and a threat of it being cut off lingered in the doctor reports. Weeks later near full recovery the news that they could not find his relatives came, and that they would try to help by getting him a spot in a homeless center, till he could get on his feet. Memories seemed only to be a thought away from remembering them only left him in a frustration. Then there were the dreams, bright and always a voice encouraging him to move on into this world, that he needed to be strong, everything happened for a reason.19

Screeches of tires brought his undivided attention to his surroundings, the sky had turned to a dull gray, appearing to make time slow down. Slowly he wondered back to his spot behind the restaurant. The cat meowed, when it noticed his presence.20

“Hey you!” he said giving the cat a few strokes.21

The cat purred at his touch of warmth and a offering of comfort. How he would love to feel such an offer ran threw his head as he took his place near the building. With a thump the cat jumped down from the dumpster and laid in his lap. What was his life like before? A questions he couldn’t ignore . Simple things would make him reflect on the question. Sometimes as he gazed at the stars before sleep claimed him, he’d create memories with friends, sisters, brother, and parents that never had a face. As he did a settled smile would cross his face and dreams would catch him in their currents. A pure light haunted and tormented behind closed eyes and yet as he stood in the midst worries, doubts, and all fear were swept away.22

“Excuse me!…um hello?” a female voice rang from above.23

“Yeah? Ah Yeah?” said Will feeling the nudges the woman  gave tapping his foot.24

“Are you okay?” she asked looking at with a sensitivity in her eyes.25

“ Yes, I’m fine, I was just sleeping.” he said opening his eyes to the sight of the girl who he has bumped into the day before.26

“Okay, sorry, thought you could have been dead or something, in a city like this.” she said bending down to talk to him eye-to-eye level.27

“Mmmhmm” he said looking at her gray eyes.28

“I’m Clarissa.” she said putting out a hand of greeting.29

“Will.” he said shaking her hand.30

A smile had caught him off guard, making him take notice to how she had only worried when she had saw him sleeping, shaking off the temporary dislike of her waking him. Light had captured a halo over her black hair and putting a gleam in her eyes. Like a missing angel, that had been nice enough to settle a minute mercy on his eyes. A memory at least  it seemed like a memory one he couldn’t capture but yet it left a taste, a voice saying that he should he should watch over her, with a glimpse of a young girl on a swing, and smile to match a perfect day. Shimmering as if in water it left as quick.31

“Would you like to come with me and get coffee ? Or you know something in someplace warm?” she asked standing back up.32

“Um as long as they have a expanded menu outside off coffee.” Will said getting up and brushing off the cat hairs.33

“okay .” she replied starting to head out from behind the restaurant.34

A ring of a child’s laughter rang in his head, coming from the memory of the little girl. What had made such an occurrence render from his brain; occupied his ideas as he traced the steps Clarissa took. As she walked she held herself high and yet a gentleness flooded off of her.35

“ When I was younger I’d come to this restaurant with my grandmother. She’d wake me up early to come down here with her, it was the only time she could get me away from my mother, when we visited.” she said opening the door. The smell of warm food flooded Will’s nose as he stepped in the almost empty dinner.36

“ Hey!” a cheerful waiter said from behind the counter, laying down a check to a couple of older men.37

“Um, where would you like to sit?” Clarissa asked.38

“I don’t care.” Will said, but headed off to the nearest seat.39

“Okay,” she said and sat down, picking up the menu “ order anything you like.” she said.40

“I don’t know, um pancakes?” he mumbled.41

“Can I get you guys anything?” came the elder over weight waiter.42

“ Yup, pancakes for him and  I’ll take the strawberry shortcake.” she said in a confident voice as if Will was about to take back his order at any moment.43

“ So you and your grandma had a habit of coming here?” he asked looking around admiring the place for it’s down to earth decorating.44

“Yes, she’d tell me stories of her past, how things were when she was a little girl. She’d tell stories about things she saw.” she said with a memory caught in her eyes.45

“Cool, what’s a story she told you?” Will asked hanging on to her words, looking distracted by the menu.46

“One was about when she was younger, she had saw a ghost in a door way, asking for her mother. I remember I use to hang unto her stories, just trying to capture them right in my head. She use to tell me about how angels were so close to us, that you could touch them.” she said.47

“ cool.” 48

“Once she said my guardian Angel’s name was William, and that he loved me and sometimes at night he’d hover over my bed a just watch me sleep. When I heard you name that is what reminded me of coming to this place.” she explained49

“That is neat.” he said laughing at her memory of good times, trying to reclaim his own.50

“How about you? You have any good memories?” she asked sipping the water from her cup.51

“Actually, um no.” Will said looking in her eyes with an blank expression.52

“Really? I’m sorry, I guess I was lucky being in my family. We always seem to get along; and if we didn’t we’d make up.” she said watching the waitress bring the food to the table. 53

“Well it’s not exactly that. I mean it could be I don’t know. Thing is a few months back I was in an accident. I guess they found my in alley way. My head was hurt pretty bad but the cut my arms was the worst. They took a blade to the top of my arms and slit it all the way down. I must have passed out from the loss of blood because I didn’t wake in the hospital till about a week after the found me. When I did wake I could tell you who I was and I knew how to eat speak and such but any memory of the past had been wiped.” he said tears rimming his eyes.54

“I’m sorry.” she said whispering from a shock of truth.55

“When I did wake they had said my arm may need to be cut off from the horrible infection and that they were looking for relatives. Weeks latter the infection had went down and the threat was gone but no sign of a relative. When I had finally healed up they released me and set up arrangements with a homeless shelter. But that ended soon and I just kinda had to find away to get along.” Will said finishing his brief history.56

“Well, maybe things will start to look up for you,” she said.57

“I think they have, you treated me to breakfast.” he said looking at her gray eyes.58

The pancakes were little amusement compared to the thought running through his head as he looked at her. There was something about her that seemed familiar something that just seemed right. She finished her food in all good time and sat there for a few holding a conversation with Will. The morning just seemed to pass into afternoon with out a notice. Finally when they decided to part ways she had made a  gesture and gave him a hug. Something so new to him, yet simple, what a delight to feel as if someone cares for you.59

Gray afternoon turned into a dark night with white highlights of snow lining the top of trees, cars, and the buildings. Morning memories weighed heavily on his shoulders as he looked at the stars. Clarissa had been so kind and yet for no reason, but not only that she had caused a stir of memories to rise from deep with in his mind. Something about her had to trigger them, was it her? Was it just her voice or could it be her character?60

Again as he closed his eyes a light flooded it and a voice rang through his head.61

“Will stay strong she will need you. Do not move around stay put.” the voice of a unidentified source rang through his head.62

“But who?” he gathered the courage to talk to this voice. 63

“Her.” said the voice and everything went black leaving Will in tundra of darkness.64

Waking from the light of day he gathered up his stuff, petted the cat, and took off from the alley looking at the ground.65

As he went to the end of it he turned right back around. Crazy as it might of have been the voice said to stay. When there wasn’t any other comfort the voice was. Even if it only remained in his dreams. The day progressed easily into noon and noon faded into evening with out notice only the changing directions in the sky. About noun the cat gave up trying to follow him up and down the alley way and now jus sat by the garbage. As the sky blackened with diamond looking studs placed carefully into the sky a scream echoed through the alley. This was the first he had ever heard it on his alley. With out thinking and much less control he peaked around the corner to see what was happening.66

In the shadows two figures moved. One was  a big burly shape hitting  the other smaller more feminine  shape  who was trying to block it. 67

“Stop” the female voice screamed.68

“shut up, no one is gonna care or even listen to you.” said a male voice swooping and hand across her face.69

With that ignition Will picked up a rusted metal that lined the alley way and started to sneak towards the two figures. Keeping it low and his shadow hidden he started to walk near them with his heart pounding on his inner ribs. Giving off a silent prayer he kept proceeding forward hoping that he’ll get there in enough time before the guy would try to do any thing permanent to the lady. A ringing sound of a forceful slap went threw the alley and a scream followed with sudden pain. She was crying and things only seemed to be getting worse. In a blur the sound of  child crying in her bed hugging onto a teddy bear came to his mind  like he was looking down over someone. The closeness of him being near the pair made him jump into action.70

Gathering all force he could into his muscles he took a swing at the guys head. But as he went in for the swing and the guy turned landing Will’s meaningful swing into the guys side. Looking at the women’s face he knew why he had felt such a reason to protect, it was Clarissa. Taking the advantage of distraction the man swung at Will’s legs knocking him at the back of the knees wiping him to the ground. Clarissa’s eyes looked like hope had been wiped from them seeing him crash to the ground.71

In a instant Will found the pipe again and went for the man’s head but he only dodged it and went to swing at him.  Luckily enough he moved in time to avoid the blow and leaned in for a swing the legs, nailing the assailant in the lower legs. Gathering up to stand up will took another swing at the guys head finally making contact with the hard bone. Like David and the giant he went down very much the same.72

“Are you okay?” Clarissa asked moving over to him.73

“I’ll be okay what are you doing down this way at night?” he asked a protective tone all but sang out of his voice.74

“ I was coming down to get you, I was gonna ask you to come to my place for Christmas . You seemed alone and didn’t seem like you could enjoy Christmas.” she said tears swelling into her eyes.75

“well lets get out of here before this um person is found or wakes up” Will said ushering her unto the street.76

“It’s like you were a guardian angel there to protect me.” she said in a almost half daze left over from the shock of things.77

As she said that he saw the young girl again in the bed her hair spread out over the pillow sleeping and an older woman coming in looking at him. She stood there bending down kissing the girls cheek and smiled at him.78

“You take care of her Will, you take care of her” the older woman said.79

A horn blazing woke him from the memory as things were picked up into a fast speed. That night Will walked her home and slept on the couch. Next morning being Christmas he opened a present that she had bought for him. It was a  statue of an angel that had Will inscribed in the base.80