The Guardian

"Bonnie's friend? But I've never seen you before," the middle-aged woman said, her tone filled with suspicion.

"Heh..." Glen flashed a harmless smile. "My name is Glen, ma'am. You can ask Bonnie—she should know me."

"You wait here," the woman said politely before shutting the door.

Glen waited patiently, and after a short while, the door opened again. This time, it was the chubby little girl Bonnie.

"Glen, is it?" Bonnie's voice was soft, and she looked much thinner than last time. The lively, carefree energy she had before was gone, replaced by a tired, sickly aura.

"I heard about what happened with Layla. I was really worried about you both, so I came to check on you…" Glen's voice faltered slightly. "May I come in?"

"Uh… yeah, please come in," Bonnie said, seeming as though she had just snapped out of a daze. She stepped aside to let him through.

As Glen entered the room, which was slightly better than most of the homes in the area, he made sure not to appear rude by scanning the place too much. He placed the cloth bag he had been holding onto the table, and only then did he notice the food on it.

A common meal for a working-class family, he thought to himself.

"You two talk, I'll go wash some clothes," Bonnie's mother said, noticing the need to give the young people some space. She left the room, though she seemed reluctant, knowing that letting her daughter be alone with a young man wasn't ideal. However, she hoped this friend would lift Bonnie's spirits.

"Thank you, ma'am," Glen said with a smile.

As soon as Bonnie's mother left, Bonnie seemed unsure what to do. After all, she had just met Glen, and the fact that he was a man only added to the awkwardness of being alone together.

"That day must have really scared you," Glen spoke first, noticing how red Bonnie's face was.

Bonnie stayed silent, not sure how to respond.

But Glen continued, his voice gentle, "I have a rough idea of what happened that day. I really do feel bad about it. I know it's partly my responsibility."

"Please, don't say that, Glen. No one could have known what would happen next," Bonnie quickly protested, waving her hands.

Glen smiled slightly but didn't comment further. He knew it was partially his fault, and while others might not know, he was clear about it in his mind.

"You don't look so good right now. You haven't been eating properly, have you?" Glen pointed to her face, which looked pale and tired.

Bonnie flushed and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"You're making your mother worry, you know that?" Glen's voice softened, more like a concerned elder speaking to a child. "I understand that facing such a situation can leave a shadow on you, but don't close yourself off like this. It won't make things better."

Bonnie bit her lip, her fingers nervously curling together.

"I know, but…" she murmured.

"Don't be afraid, Bonnie," Glen said in a calm tone. "You've always had a guardian watching over you."

Bonnie froze, her eyes widening slightly. "A guardian?"

"Yes, a guardian." Glen met her gaze, his voice firm yet gentle. "Do you not remember what saved you and Layla that day?"

Bonnie hesitated, her mind recalling the terrifying scene from that day, one she didn't want to relive. The rough men had dragged her and Layla, no matter how hard she struggled. She had felt desperate and helpless. But then… the men had suddenly let them go, and she couldn't remember exactly what they had seen that had made them so scared.

According to Glen, it had been the so-called guardian that scared the men off.

"Glen, are you saying…?"

"Shh…" Glen put a finger to his lips and winked at her. "Don't say anything too loud."

Bonnie's jaw dropped in surprise, her heart pounding with excitement. "Oh my goodness!" she whispered, her voice trembling with excitement.

Seeing the color return to Bonnie's face, Glen was quite pleased. Young people like her, full of curiosity about the unknown and the mysterious, often responded more boldly to such stories than adults. If he had said the same thing to a thirty-year-old, they would probably have been frightened half to death.

And, in a world with magic and supernatural phenomena, it was easy for people to accept something like this.

"So… what exactly is this guardian?" Bonnie asked, now clutching her small fists together like she was ready for a secret agent meeting.

Glen glanced around the room to ensure no one could overhear them, then leaned in closer to Bonnie, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Actually, your guardian is a super big dog..."

A large dog, just as big as a horse, it sniffed the air, suddenly sneezing loudly.

"A super big dog?" Bonnie's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yes, a dog that's as big as a horse, and it punishes the wicked. It's always been watching over you, and when it saw bad people trying to hurt you, it appeared and scared them off. Those bad guys were terrified of it."

Bonnie couldn't contain her excitement. Her breath came quickly, and her mind struggled to process everything. "This… this is…"

"Really cool, right?" Glen finished the sentence for her, giving a knowing smile.

"Cool?" Bonnie blinked, not sure if she heard him right.

"Yeah, cool," Glen affirmed.

"Yes! It's super cool! This is so cool!" Bonnie's face flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling.

Just then, the door suddenly swung open with a loud creak, and Bonnie's mother stepped inside. "Bonnie, what's going on—"

But when she saw her daughter's radiant smile, her words caught in her throat.

"Bonnie! You're smiling!" she exclaimed, rushing over. "Oh, I thought I'd never see you smile like that again."

As a mother, the relief and happiness on her face were unmistakable. Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she wiped them away.

"I'm fine now, Mom," Bonnie said softly, moving forward to gently wipe her mother's tears away.

"I know, I know…" Bonnie's mother pushed her gently. "You two keep talking, I still have clothes to wash."

With that, she closed the door again, leaving Bonnie and Glen alone in the room.

"My mom is just so worried about me, that's why…" Bonnie began, her voice trailing off.

"She's just showing how much she loves you," Glen said sincerely. "You're lucky to have such a mother. It's a blessing."

Bonnie wasn't sure how to respond to that. She couldn't help but wonder, though: Was Glen saying that because he doesn't have a mother who cares for him? She glanced at him, and his softened gaze seemed to confirm her thoughts.

Noticing her shift in mood, Glen spoke again. "Don't overthink it. I just said what came to mind."

Bonnie nodded, not sure what to say. She quickly turned the topic back to the guardian.

"Can I see it? The guardian, I mean. I want to thank it in person."

"Of course, it's nearby, just outside my house. If you get close, it'll watch over you. I can even make it show itself."

"That would be amazing!" Bonnie beamed, her excitement bubbling over as she bounced on her feet.

Grrruuulll...

A strange rumbling noise suddenly echoed through the room, causing Bonnie to freeze in surprise. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and her ears also flushed from the unexpected sound.

"Uh…" she stammered, embarrassed by the noise, even as her mind raced with the possibilities of meeting this mysterious guardian.