This story is inspired by the song "I'll Leave a Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" by Papa Roach and Carrie Underwood. This song is so pretty, and I've wanted to write a story based on it for a while now.
Whumpee sighed sadly as they tossed their last few coins into the bus collections.
They sat down and cuddled a canvas bag close. A few tears splashed to the fabric.
Most patrons sat away from Whumpee. Understandably, but Whumpee wished more than anything that someone would hug them.
They pulled out a picture. The only picture they had.
"I miss you", Whumpee felt tears well up in their eyes.
Their friend had just passed, the picture was of them both in the hospital together. Their friend had gotten severally sick and had to go in.... They never left.
A nurse took the picture of them together a few days prior. Whumpee received the picture after their friend died.
Whumpee had one more job to attend to. Whumpee acquired the ashes of their friend. They needed to return them to their home.
They and their friend were homeless. Not much else could be done for the remains.
Whumpee looked inside of the canvas bag. A black bag stared up at them.
It was dark by the time Whumpee got to the street they needed to be at.
The bus ride took them as far as they could get, but it was still a few miles to walk.
"You're almost home", Whumpee sighed, "then I'll be truly alone again."
Whumpee felt another tear.
"This is where they belong, I can't carry my friends ashes everywhere. They belong with their family", Whumpee sighed.
They trudged down the street. Their friend had brought them here once a while ago.
"Find the home with the light in the window", Whumpee recalled their friend telling them, "Caretaker hopes it will help bring me home if he leaves the light on or something like that."
"At least, Caretaker will be able to turn the light off", Whumpee saw the house finally. They sighed, "thankyou for staying with me all this time. You could have easily gone home, but you stayed with me, and you got sick because of that."
Whumpee quietly climbed the stairs.
They took a deep breath before knocking.
A few moments passed before the door was pulled open.
"Oh, hello", Caretaker smiled weakly.
"I know you have been waiting for someone else to come home", Whumpee felt their lips quiver, "I'm sorry I'm not them, but...", Whumpee looked down and started to sob.
"Oh... uh... would you come in. I'm sure it's cold out there", Caretaker looked them over.
"Oh, I don't want to be a bother, I just felt I needed to do this last thing", Whumpee looked down at the ground.
"It's not a problem, please come in", Caretaker offered again.
Caretaker sat down across from Whumpee.
"Are you sure you want me on your furniture", Whumpee looked around, "I can stand, I don't mind. I don't want to make a mess of your home."
"It's alright", Caretaker smiled, "you can have some water if you like. You seem quite parched, and if you're hungry I can make you something."
"They said you were always so kind to strangers", Whumpee smiled weakly, "thankyou though."
"When have you last eaten?", Caretaker frowned.
"Uhm, a little bit ago", Whumpee sighed, "but that's not why I'm here. I wanted to return... uhm, return Preston to who he belongs to."
Caretaker frowned and looked at the bag Whumpee had. Now realizing their greatest fear had happened.
"Preston always talked about your home, and how you left the light on for him. I know in my heart he would have come back to you so long ago", Whumpee admitted and wiped a tear away, "I am at fault. He didn't want to leave me, so he stayed out there. He always said he would miss his cuddle buddy, but he missed you more. Uhm, he got sick about a week ago. I talked him into the hospital. Unfortunately it was to late."
Whumpee reached down into the bag, "I'm sorry to bring him to you like this, but I can't carry him around on the streets with me, and he deserves to be taken care of properly."
Caretaker felt a tear fall as Whumpee stood and handed the bag of remains to them.
"I also have his belongings, and uhm this", Whumpee pulled out the picture of them together, "Preston helped me so much this last year. I'm only sorry that I was the reason he felt like he couldn't come home to his real family."
Caretaker looked at the picture, "he... he left here a while ago. I guess I understand now. You should keep this though. You can have the memories."
Caretaker looked at the bag sadly.
"I think in all honesty, it would dishonor Preston if I didn't offer you a place to rest tonight. I can feed you and let you get a bath as well", Caretaker looked up at Whumpee, "would you like that?"
"You don't have to do that", Whumpee whispered, "I appreciate that, but I only came to return Preston to you. I'll be alright."
"Nonsense", Caretaker smiled, "has Preston ever talked about my cooking?"
"Everyday", Whumpee smiled.
"Please let me do this", Caretaker sat up, "I know exactly what I can make for you. One of Preston's favorite meals."
Whumpee looked down at the bag for a moment to think, "alright, I really appreciate you wanting to help me."
Whumpee followed Caretaker up a few stairs.
"The bathroom is right here. I'll get you some towels from here", Caretaker opened a closet, "there is soap and shampoo already in the shower. You can use what you like. I will get busy on your dinner and it should be ready for you when you get out."
Whumpee lay in bed that night. Caretaker said that it was Preston's bed before they had left. Whumpee wore some of Preston's old clothes now. For the first time, they felt clean, full, and safe."
"Preston, why would you leave this?", Whumpee blinked tiredly, "it almost feels like you.... are.... watching... over..me still", their eyes closed sleepily.
Caretaker also lay in bed. Thoughts raced through their mind until their eyes finally closed.
Preston met Caretaker in their dreams.
"Caretaker, I'm sorry", Preston sighed, "I couldn't leave them, but I didn't know how you would feel if I brought them home."
"You both could have come home. I would have rather that then this", Caretaker embraced Preston.
"I'm sorry", Preston sobbed, "please will you take care of them. Whumpee has such a sweet heart, they are not defiant like me. They will love the care you give them."
"It's not that easy Preston", Caretaker frowned, "they are a complete stranger."
"At least try, please. I was not supposed to leave them like this", Preston frowned, "they don't deserve this."
"I-I will try my hardest", Caretaker sighed, "please stay just a little longer."
"I can't", Preston sighed, "I am not here anymore, but Whumpee has a piece of my heart, I love them so much. Please take care of them."
Whumpee's eyes opened the moment the sun shined into the room.
They looked around in confusion until it clicked.
"It's been a while since I woke up inside", Whumpee grinned sheepishly, "something smells amazing."
They slid from the bed, and cautiously opened the door.
Caretaker turned when they heard Whumpee peak into the kitchen
"Breakfast normally got Preston out of bed too", Caretaker chuckled.
"Preston always said you made the best food. We would always cuddle together when we were hungry. He would talk about your cooking until we both fell asleep", Whumpee sighed, "it made the hunger go away for a little while."
"How did you meet Preston. Please sit and relax", Caretaker turned to cook some more.
"Uhm, I was being bullied by some older homeless people. They would steal my gear and food", Whumpee thought back and smiled, "Preston was the new kid on the block, but a lot if people were too afraid to mess with him. Even I was scared of him; to be fair I'm afraid of pretty much everything though. Preston had been watching them pick on me. He rushed over and kicked their feet out from under them. They were warned to never mess with me again. Preston invited me to be nearer to his tent, then we ended up sharing tents."
"That definitely sounds like my Preston, always so defiant. But, still ready to help out", Caretaker's lip quivered, "I'm proud of him. Though he wouldn't believe that for a moment."
"He always talked about how amazing you were", Whumpee smiled, "my favorite story was the light in the window. I always wished I had someone waiting for me like that."
"I'm curious, and you don't have to answer, but how did you end up on the streets. You just seem so timid to be out their", Caretaker pulled out two plates. Not even bothering to ask if their guest wanted breakfast.
"Mistakes were made. My family didn't trust the person I was dating, but I, of course, knew better. I wanted to prove them wrong. They said if I left the house, I would never be allowed to come back. The relationship became abusive. I tried to run to my family for help, but true to their word, they wouldn't help me. I hid on the streets and have been hiding for over a year now. I know your light wasn't meant for me, but I found it a comfort to imagine that it was when Preston talked about it. I made a big mistake, and I regret that ever since. I know I deserve my lot in life. I'll leave now if you want. I feel like I'm bothering you."
"Not without breakfast", Caretaker quickly set a plate in front of Whumpee.
Whumpee looked at the plate, "a-are you sure? I-it looks delicious, but..."
"Of course I'm sure", Caretaker nodded, "and actually I have a question for you, but let's get some food into your stomach first."
Whumpee sat nervously on Caretaker's couch, they felt like they needed to run, but they were too afraid to get up.
Caretaker came in carrying the remains of Preston.
"So I had a dream last night", Caretaker set the bag down and then sat next to it, "honestly though, I don't fully believe it was a dream. Maybe visitor is a better way to explain. Preston had a message for me. He asked for me to take care of you now. He wants you to stay here. How would you feel about that."
"Oh uhm, y-you don't have to do that. We can just say you had a wild dream after the shock of losing Preston, and maybe a little guilt. You don't have to feel the need to help me", Whumpee panicked, "I can leave now, and you can completely forget about me."
"Preston loved you... so much. Last night, he said that you carried a piece of his heart with you. That is exactly what I told them before they left, that he carried a piece of my heart, and that they needed to keep it safe until they came home. Then, as they walked out on me, I told them I would leave the light on until they came back home", Caretaker smiled weakly, "I don't think it was my imagination. I can't imagine allowing you to go back to the streets... alone. You have a piece of his heart with you, and so you also have a piece of mine. I want to protect that."
"I've made mistakes, and I want to learn from those", Whumpee wiped a tear away, "it's not... you don't have to help me."
"You made some mistakes. That's a human thing to do. It seems to me that you've learned your lesson and then some", Caretaker leaned up, "I can do something your family couldn't do. I can forgive you for being human. Last night, that lantern was for you. I appreciate you bringing Preston home, but that lantern also led you here."
Whumpee's lip quivered as more tears fell.
"Preston wouldn't have wanted you to go back to the streets alone. He wants you to be kept safe", Caretaker smiled, "let me honor his last wish. Let's try this. I would like to try. You can leave whenever you like if you don't like this."
"Ar-are you certain that you want this though?", Whumpee looked up, "why would you even want to do this?"
"I spent this last year waiting... hoping for someone very important to come home. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but Preston wanted to keep you safe. So I can honor that wish", Caretaker smiled, "he would have stayed out there forever if he could. Let me continue his want to take care of you."
Whumpee took a shaky breath, "I-I would love to stay here, but I'll leave whenever you ask."
"That's fine", Caretaker nodded in agreement, "how about today you take some time and relax. Maybe you can think of some things you may want or need. Or, if you have some questions. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have."
Whumpee nodded, "I-I can't believe this. I never imagined that this was going to be the outcome of bringing Preston home. I thought maybe you would let me sleep on your porch for the night. I was going to ask at least, then I would leave by dawn."
"I would have never let you sleep out there like that, it was to cold", Caretaker stood, "you can look around the house if you like."
Caretaker came in later and found Whumpee sitting on the floor and looking at several pictures on a shelf. Most of Preston.
"He hated his picture getting taken", Caretaker smiled, "I always stole pictures when he wasn't looking."
Whumpee looked up and nodded, "the only picture I got with him was at the hospital. I think he knew he was about to go, so he posed with me. I know he didn't want to leave me. I felt him cuddling me last night while I laid in his bed. It became a comfort having him around. I only wish I could have done more for him. He was always working so hard to take care of us both."
Caretaker nodded, "I don't think he would have wanted it any other way."
Whumpee nodded, "I appreciate that."
Caretaker watched as Whumpee stood.
"Are you ready for dinner?", Caretaker smiled.
"Yes, but I'm not used to eating so much. I've eaten more food today then I have in the last week, maybe month", Whumpee smiled, "I feel bad that Preston missed all of this cooking though."
"Like you said earlier, mistakes were made. Preston made his decisions, though I would say I am proud of him for taking care of you", Caretaker smiled, "I would definitely not call that a mistake."
Whumpee smiled, "thankyou again for helping me."
"You're welcome Whumpee", Caretaker smiled, "come on, let's eat."
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