Must’ve Been The Wind
//inspired by the beautiful song by Alec Benjamin- Must’ve Been The Wind//
He was awoken by the sound of glass shattering on the wall of the apartment above him. Sitting up in bed, his breathing was uneasy by the sudden awakening. Thinking it was just a dream, he blinks twice, ready to lay his head back down, when he hears a voice.
It sounded of a girl who’d been crying, hoarse and broken. “Please! I already told you, I’m sorry!” She cried.
He glances over to the digital on his nightstand, squinting to see it read 3:18AM. He’s debating wether or not to do anything about his noisy neighbors, when he hears a door slam upstairs, followed by a low sob.
His neighbors were all very to themselves. So, it was no shock that he hadn’t heard these noises before.
He rolled out of bed, rubbing his knuckles at his sleepy eyes. Yawning, he throws on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Sliding on his sandals, he makes his way out of his apartment, into the elevator, and up to the second floor.
Making his way down the hall and up to the apartment above his, he softly knocks twice. A few seconds later, she answers the door.
In the midst of summer, she wore a sweater, zipped all the way up to her chin. She was tiny. Much smaller than him. Her hair was messily tied, and if she had made eye contact, he was sure he’d see her eyes red from crying.
I told her about the noises I had been hearing, and all she replies with, “I think your ears are playing tricks on you,” she says, looking to the ground.
“But-” he starts, positive he had heard something.
“Thanks for caring, Sir, that’s nice of you,” he tries to look past her, into the apartment to see if glass had been shattered, but she steps into his view, “but, I have to go back in.”
She’s about to close the door, when he quickly stops her by placing his hand in the way, “Are you sure?” He was eyeing her suspiciously.
“Wish I could tell you about the noise, but,” she shrugged with her small shoulders, “I didn’t hear a thing. It must’ve been the wind.”
“It must’ve been the wind.”she repeated with a sort of sad look in her big eyes. She shuts the door on him.
He turns on his heels, and goes back to his bed, not taking it long for him to sleep once more. The next morning, he’s lying in his room, on the cold concrete floor. He had one thing on his mind.
Who was she? And, what was happening with her?
He didn’t want to intrude, because, he didn’t have all the facts. Just some feelings he couldn’t shake. Regardless, he didn’t feel good about it.
He got up, and retraced his steps from earlier that morning, winding up back on the second floor. He’s making his way down the hall, when her door opens, and an angry man stormed out, huffing and puffing, cursing under his breath.
He watched the angry man leave past him, and looked back to her apartment door, slightly open. He cautiously approached, as if something might run at him.
He slowly pushed the door open, it creaking the whole way. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing. This wasn’t his place to make a move. He didn’t even know her. Even if his suspicions were correct, who’s to say she wanted his help.
“H-hello?” He called out, walking in slowly.
She emerged from inside, confusion knitted between her furrowed brows. “What- What are you doing here?” She sniffled, keeping a hand up to her mouth, covering half her face.
“I wanted to ask you about the noise,” he put his hands in front pocket, “again.”
“I already told you. It must’ve been the wind.” She said, and he repeated it with her, not believing her one bit.
“I can hear everything downstairs.” He takes one small step closer to her, causing her to step back the same.
“I don’t... need help.” She said quietly, unconvincingly, shaking her head.
“Promise I’m not playing tricks on you,” He said softly, taking a step again, “you’re always welcome to come by,” she stepped back, “you could stay there for an hour or two, if you ever need a friend.” She looked so sad to him. “We can talk about the noise, whenever you’re ready.”
She stayed silent. He looked around her place, and saw a notepad and pen lying around. Scribbling his name and number down, he looked at her once more. Standing in her own apartment, she seemed so out of place. So uncomfortable.
He sighed and left, feeling uneasy about leaving her alone.
Later that night he heard yelling once more. A man yelling and then he heard her screaming- no, pleading.
After the noise has quieted down, he layed on his bed, feeling nothing but hurt for the girl. She looked younger than him by a bit, but so much more tired. He knew something was wrong, but she wouldn’t let him help.
Under his pillow he felt a buzz of his cell. Pulling it out, he read,
So I heard. Do u want me to come upstairs?
He didn’t know what exactly he was offering, but it was worth a shot.
She replied fast. Following up with,
Just... keep messaging me pls makes me feel less alone
So he did. Back and forth the pair went until sunrise. Until she stopped replying, and he figured she dozed off.
He sent her a message to read when she awoke,
I know it’s a long shot, but, maybe we could grab coffee later today? As friends.
He put his own phone down, and shut his eyes to rest.
Surprisingly, she agreed to coffee. So, around mid-afternoon, the two agreed on a coffee shop far from their apartment building, and met there.
The texting has helped him get to know her, but this meeting got him even more close to her. She was a lot like him. Interests, hobbies. They shared their liking in black licorice, and their same dislike of pickles.
He was glad he was making her smile, because her face seemed so permanently sad when he saw her the day before. Unbeknownst to her, he also noticed the cut on her lip. He saw the bruises on her thighs and arms when her dress or sleeve shifted. He noticed how if he ever lifted his arms, she every so slightly flinched.
Their coffee date ended on a good note, and they continued with having more. Him, happy to be seeing her happy. And, her, happy to meet someone who made her happy.
A few quiet nights past, just to be followed up again by a loud one. Something else breaking. He had tried to stay up late Incase she needed him at night.
When he heard her crying through the ceiling, he rolled out of bed. Pulling out his Bluetooth speakers, he connected it to his phone. Aiming the boombox at the roof, he played Lean on Me, just so she could know that she could lean on him, if she ever needed.
The wind was strong tonight.
Her reply took a minute to come back,
I can’t. This is my fight. Not yours.
And after that, even though he messaged her all night, she didn’t reply.
The next few days came and went. Noises louder some nights more than others.
But, there came a night, when Eric, her partner, was furious. More so than usual. He had told her he wanted a hot meal by the time he got out of the shower, and she did exactly that. Except his shower ran long, and when she got up to reheat his cold dinner, he grabbed the plate off the table, and tossed it at the wall in her direction, glass shattering around her.
She cowered from the noise.
He narrowed his eyes at her, “Oh, look at the mess you’ve made.” He said with a tsk. He walked towards her, and she stood still, shaking in fear. He hated when she tried to run or fight back. That just made it worst.
“I asked you for a hot meal, did I not?” He spoke low, stroking her cheek with his hand.
She nodded, trying not to let her fear show through. “Y-yes.”
He pulled back, and backhanded her, “That. Wasn’t. A. Hot. Meal.” He growled through grit teeth, “Was it?”
She fell to the side, and scoot back from him, “I made it right when you c-came home. B-but, you’re shower ran long, so by the time-” she stopped rambling when she saw his eyes widen, and his head cock to the side.
“Oh!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands dramatically, “So, this is all my fault then?”
She widened her eyes, choking on her words, “No, no, no. Tha-that’s not what I meant, I just meant that-”
He ran at her, kicking her hard in her ribs, causing her small body to shake furiously. He pulls his leg back once more, when she screams.
She screams his name. Not her partners. No. She screams her neighbors name. Loud, and shrill. Causing a chill to run down her partners spine.
Good thing too, because when her voice reached the ears of her downstairs boy, he shot up in bed. This was his time. This was the moment he was waiting for. He was wanting her to ask him for help, and here she was- quite literally, calling out for him.
He rushed down to the elevator- unsure of what his game plan is. Taking it up a floor, he runs down the hall, and to her door. He takes a deep breath before barging in, seeing his poor neighbor balled in a corner while her partner stood above her menacingly.
“Get away from her.” He spoke loud and clear, with purpose.
The attacker snickered, “And, who the hell would you be?” He asks, turning his body towards him.
Neighbor boy was confused with the question. He was just a nobody. Just a nobody neighbor. So he stayed silent, simply looking down at the sobbing girl.
“So, you’re the hero she called out for, huh? Well,” he cracks his knuckles, “let’s see if you’re really worth the hype.”
Eric charges towards his opponent, tackling him to the ground. They fumble around the ground, each attempting to throw punches, both failing. Neighbor gets an upperhand, and pushes him off, before running towards his damsel. He quickly swoops up her tiny body, and runs with her inside a room.
He wasn’t here for a fight. He was just here to save her.
He gently placed her on the bed, and quickly locked the door. Barricading it with a chair and a nightstand, he stepped back, waiting.
And, on cue, in came the police he had called before coming upstairs.
“Put the knife down, and step away from the door!” The duo heard officials yell from outside.
There was shouting, and rumbling. Some tackling and eventually, a knock on the door they were hiding behind.
He opened the door to see an officer looking at the two of them. Taking one look at the crying, shaking girl on the bed, he said, “I’ll send in a medic. From there, they’re probably going to want to take her to a hospital.”
He sat by her the entire time the EMTs worked on her wounds, and tended to her cuts. She was softly holding his one hand between both of hers.
When they told her to get into an ambulance, she refused to go without her neighbor savior. As they sat in the back of the ambulance, she didn’t once let go of him. Wether that be holding his hand, or grabbing the hem of his shirt.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered so low he thought he dreamt it.
“For what?” He asked, looking at her.
“For needing help. I said it was my fight, but you fought it for me.”
“With you. I fought it with you.” He reassured her, he tucked a loose strand behind her ear, “Everyone needs help sometimes. I’m right here with you.”
This was longer than anticipated and idek if I like it I’m sorry and I hope I did the song justice agghhhh