Free Salvaged by Stefne Miller

peace.
    I became completely engrossed in the amazing character of
Legend. He was a noble man who tried to do the right thing, so
much so that he lost everyone that he loved and began to lose himself in the process. No matter the circumstances and the uselessness
he must have felt, he continued on his mission. Legend was willing
to sacrifice his life to fulfill his purpose.
    I could relate to the depths of despair he was feeling when he
begged a store mannequin to speak to him. He'd just lost his best
friend, and all he wanted was for someone to talk to him. Maybe he
longed for someone to tell him that he wasn't alone and everything
would be okay. For me, that one-minute clip was the most powerful
scene in the entire movie because it wonderfully showed that everyone, even a hero, needs someone to talk to.
    At that moment I made the decision to agree to counseling with
Joshua. I knew that I needed someone to talk to, and I needed to talk
to someone whose pain wouldn't increase as I tried to decrease my
own. Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, and Riley couldn't be the ones I
shared my grief with because they each carried enough grief of their
own.

    My attention went back to the movie. Legend became tired of
being alone and was ready to allow the monsters to devour him-the
monsters that only came out at night. He was going to let his enemy
be the one to put him out of his misery, and he went looking for
them so they would quickly accomplish their goal.
    Amazingly, just before the monsters won, God sent someone,
another survivor that Legend could connect with and fight the monsters alongside. Although the movie didn't credit God for bringing
him his new companion, I knew that's exactly what had happened.
Just when Legend couldn't take one more step alone, God sent
someone who reached in, pulled him out of his pit, and joined him
in his battle. Now that he was given a companion, the trajectory
of the movie, of this character's life, changed. And because of that
change, Legend was able to fulfill his purpose after all.
    I looked over at Riley, who was totally engrossed in the drama,
and couldn't help but realize the parallels of our stories. I was
haunted at night by monsters of my own, and just when I couldn't
take another night, another moment alone, God sent me a friend.
He sent me someone who would help me fight my monsters. God
sent me Riley, and I was certain that the trajectory of my life was
changing as well.
    "Great movie, kids." Mr. Bennett stood, stretched, and let out a
large yawn. Riley and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.
    "Old folks," Riley chided while pointing his thumb toward his
father.
    "Hey now, no making fun of the senior citizen in the room," Mr.
Bennett teased. "It's way past my bedtime, and I've got to get some
sleep. See you guys in the morning, and don't forget about church
tomorrow."
    "All right. Good night, Dad."
    "Good night, Pops," I added.
    Mr. Bennett stopped and turned around to face us. "Pops?"
    "Pops, that's my new name for you."
    "Pops," he repeated as he tried to decide if he liked my new
name for him. He smiled and nodded his head. "I like that. I sound young and cool, not old and out of touch. Yeah, that's a cool name.
Okay, good night, kids."

    Riley and I slowly made our way up the stairs. I knew that we
were both afraid of what the night might bring, and once we made
it to the top landing, we stopped outside Melody's room to contemplate the unknown.
    As I took a deep breath and began to walk into the room, Riley
put his hand on my shoulder and turned me toward him. "Look, you
don't have to do this alone." He looked frightened for me. It was
sweet.
    "Riley, this isn't your burden. I've got to do this."
    "I don't know."
    "What?" I winked at him. "Are you going to sleep on my floor
every night for the rest of your life?"
    He gave me a sly grin. "Don't even go there. You might be afraid
of my answer."
    I chuckled at his sarcasm.
    His face turned