Wanna play a game?

The rain fell ceaselessly all around her, Helga trembled from the cold, the wetness, and the immense pain in various places on her body. The older, high school bullies had walked away laughing just minutes ago as they made off with her wallet, and the special necklace that her former nanny had sent her in the mail just days ago. They had beaten her senselessly, she'd never felt so much physical pain in her life, she'd never been so scared, so vulnerable, so...weak. It all felt like one big nightmare. All this black and cruel despair felt like a living nightmare.

Helga managed to weakly rise up to her knees, still weak from the fight, unable to stop trembling. She wondered if something was broken, but she couldn't tell, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Footsteps were then heard, coming toward her in the alleyway where she was. She tried to open her eyes, but she had a black eye in her left so that failed to open. Her right had its vision slightly blurred, but she could just make out a small figure coming toward her, though she couldn't see the person's features.

"Helga?"

Helga tensed, her heart leaping. That voice. She knew that voice anywhere. That sweet, beautiful voice that was nothing less than music to her ears. She barely managed to croak out his name, the name dear to her heart. Her beloved, her angel, her Godsend, her boyfriend of a month and a half.

"A-Arn....Arnold....?"

"Helga!"

She blinked her eyes again, making out the vision of Arnold as he rushed to her and knelt down before her, his hands on her shoulders.

"Helga...what happened? Who did this to you?" She could hear him ask in a panicked voice.

Helga trembled more, and blinked her good eye, coming now to see the concerned, horrified green eyes looking back into hers. Arnold raised his hand to her bruised cheek and leaned closer to her, lowering his voice.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

She couldn't answer him, whether she was unable to form the words or was too afraid to, she didn't know, all she knew was that all she wanted was him. More than ever. Helga looked away, shutting her eyes tightly, and could feel his hand gently guiding her face to meet his gaze.

"Helga, don't hide your eyes from me. Open them, and tell me what you see."

The blonde girl uttered a noise, blinking open her good eye as she opened her mouth to try to respond to him. "Y...You..."

Arnold's grip on her tightened and he hugged her fiercely, but gently so as not to hurt her. Helga's heart skipped a beat and she could feel immense warmth coursing through her, allowing her to gather enough strength to hug him back.

"It's okay Helga, it's all over, I'm here to protect you. I'm here for you." He whispered to her, rubbing her back in comfort. "I'll get you to the hospital."

"A-Arnold..." Helga croaked, clinging to him as tightly as her strength allowed her. "Just...just hold me..."

Never one to refuse her, especially now, Arnold did, as the rain continued to fall around them.

(I was really bored today, hope you guys don't mind ^^ And I hope you'll post one too, Mel. After all, it was your turn)
I hope my bad english isn't too annoying

I walked upstairs, shot a quick glance at mom and dad, who were already sleeping after a long and exhausting day, and put on my pajamas. I sat down on my bed and grabbed the nicely framed picture from my nightstand. The blond girl inside smiled at me. It was a playful, goofy, but sweet smile. It made my boyhood tremble. If only I could hold that girl right now.. But alas, we were thousands of miles apart.
I turned off the lights, crawled into bed and covered my head with the sheets. Darkness surrounded me. I was hoping to forget about her. I tried to think about the jungle, the green eyed people, the adventures with mom and dad.. But all I could think about was her.. and the dreams I had every night, in which I desperately searched for the girl I loved. I drifted off to sleep within the silence that surrounded me.
When I opened my eyes I found myself standing in a narrow, cobblestoned street. I was all alone. The street lamp shed it's orange light onto my pale face. It was cold and damp. I turned my collar up and started walking. The bright neon lights stung my eyes as they arose from the darkness.
When I looked past them, I saw ten thousand people, maybe more. They were walking, moving, talking, but they were inaudible. I walked through the crowd, trying to find that one person. But that silence, it was unbearable. It felt like I was loosing my mind.
"Fools!", I yelled. "You do not know!" But they didn't hear. And the only sound was the echoing of my own voice. I watched the people as they bowed and prayed to the neon lights. Could there be a message hiding in these reoccurring dreams?
I opened my eyes, rubbed them and looked at my potato alarm clock. 2AM. I sighed, while still being surrounded by that suffocating darkness and silence. I need my light that shines on the darkness.
I need my sound that kills the silence..
..I need my Helga to keep me sane...

"They should have rehab for this kind of an addiction," Helga sighed and sprawled herself across the bed as Phoebe took the chair at Helga's desk, turning it so that she could watch her friend as they talked.

"Perhaps sleeping...."

"Tried it," Helga snorted. "Didn't work. Criminy, he won't even leave my dreams. You know what the sick part of this whole thing is?" Phoebe shook her head. "I'm dizzy when I see him, I feel like I'm sick, I want to hit my head against the wall...but I also hope I never stop feeling this way. I actually like the feeling. Is that sick or what?"

"Interesting," Phoebe jotted some notes in front of her. "Your reaction to Arn---certain stimuli most closely parallels well...if you'll forgive my saying this but...a narcotic."

"Heh...you saying I'm addicted?"

Phoebe shrugged, though her smile was very kind. "Have you ever had these feelings towards another boy?"

"No...I mean, think about it, there's no one out there like him!" Her smile grew dreamy as she thought of Arnold, her eyes suddenly gaining a far off look. "What he's got is too hard to find..." She suddenly smacked herself, forcing herself back to reality. "I'm acting crazy, aren't I?"

"No more than usual," Phoebe insisted.

"You know what really stinks?"

"Aside from the fact you like this feeling?"

"Yeah," Helga nodded. "It's that when I'm away from him...I sort of feel like I'm crashing. I don't feel better until I see him again. ...Anyways, Pheebs, this conversation? Never happened."

"Forgetting!"

He is smiling at me, holding out his hand and I know that he wants me to take it but I can’t. So instead I scowl and push him away and get up from the mud on my own. I wipe my hands on my already dirty dress and stomp in front of him, ignoring the look on his face that makes me think he’s hurt. But I know he’s not, because he hates me.

If only I can be nicer. If only I can act how my heart longs for me to behave: how I wish my rough exterior would melt away to reveal the sensitive, caring girl that I really am inside for him. But I cannot.

The truth is that I’m afraid.

I dream of the day that he I will let him under my skin: things will be right then. I imagine how his arms will feel around me and with the strength of his love, the weight of the world that I hold on my shoulders will be relieved because he will be there to help me. And I will be there for him too and will no longer be forced to hide behind cars and garbage cans. Alone…  

I’m a fool, living in a cold world. And until I freely give him my heart, even though he has owned it for eight years, things will not get better.

I shake my head, picking at the tear in my dress. We have joined up with the rest of the group now and we’re about to make camp. It’s our first night here in the jungle of San Lorenzo and already I have fallen in mud and ripped my clothes. Perfect. I help pitch up the tents in silence, eyeing Arnold every now and then.

The third time I steal a glance, I see him staring at me. I start to scowl, but he gives me that look, the one with half-lidded eyes and a slight smirk. I freeze, wondering if he’s caught me looking at him earlier and I look away, unable to make a smart remark and my face grows hot. After a moment, I sneak a look back and he’s working again.

I mentally sigh and I fight the goofy smile that wants to take over. This is it. I will do it this time. I’ll reveal my love and won’t take it back. Not again. I won’t, I won’t.

If only I can stop lying to myself.