Episode 13 Continued - Curious Kitten
“Wow… have you never worked a day in your life?” Taylor said as I struggled to carry a box across the stage. “All that box has is feathers and light props in it.”
“Oh, it’s just very large,” I said, laughing nervously. “I’m more used to doing housework like the dishes and such. I have very small arms, you see.”
It was a lie. He was right. I never worked a day in my life.
“Where do you want this, then?” I said.
“Oh, over there by the sabers,” he said, gesturing to it. “Yeah, right there.”
I set it down then, letting out small pants as I set my hands on my knees.
“Really?” he said then, chuckling. “That took a lot out of you?”
I gazed up then. “I would be a fool if I didn’t admit I’m a bit of a weakling.”
“Oh, don’t say such things,” he said then, waving off my response. “What my father says, ‘you cannot expect a child to ride a bike when they were never taught how’.”
I stood up then, pressing my hands to my back. “How very wise of you.”
“It’s what my father said, not me,” he laughed again. “Just repeating the wise words.”
“Well, the fact that you repeat it means that you accepted it. Which means you’ve matured enough to realize the meaning behind it.”
Taylor gazed up at me then, smile softening. “You’re very mature for your age, too, you know. You look so young, but you are wiser than me.” He chuckled. “And I’m twenty-six.”
I just smiled in response. “I guess the trick is having self-respect. And many people find it hard to gain no matter how selfish they are. There’s always doubt in the mind, and no one really trusts themselves.”
“But you do?”
“I would be a fool if I said that I did,” I answered, gazing over at him kindly. “I am no different from the rest of the people, and I accept that.”
Taylor just kept smiling at me. “I wish I was like you, Yumi.”
My lips parted then. “Huh?”
“I said I wish I was like you,” he stated, gazing up at the top of the tent. “Wise, young, intelligent, mature. I spent most of my teenage years with toxic friends and morning my future.”
My lashes lowered then, and I looked away. “I cannot say that I feel the same. I cannot say that I wish myself upon anyone.” I lightly touched my eye.
“What happened?” Taylor said then, brows drawing together. “Can you see out of it?”
“A terrible accident,” I lied, gazing over at him. “And I have a patch on it that covers my sight. What do you think?”
He chuckled then, scratching the back of his head. “I do see your point.”
I watched him carefully.
I currently have no reason to suspect Taylor. He’s oddly kind and very friendly. There’re no signs that he’s involved in all this like the others, but still… people lie. People always lie.
I breathed out a sigh and gazed up at Taylor.
He just smiled then. “Why do you always wear that sleeve on your arm?”
I gazed down to my right arm, finding the long, felt sleeve covering my skin to my upper arm. “A fashion trend I like.” I said as I gazed up at him, smiling. “It’s very comfy, you know. You should try it.”
He just snickered. “I can’t image how hard it is to lift things with that. Why don’t you just take it off?”
I pulled away then, laughing nervously. “Ah, no. I like it deeply.”
He just stepped over, clearly getting playful. “Come, now! It’s just a sleeve. What harm could be done?”
“Well, I do particularly like it.”
He then shot over to me, and I yelped and spun around to dash away, but I tripped and fell, toppling over.
I cried out when I crashed with the ground.
He laughed and fell onto me, making me grunt in annoyance when a whole pound of ice ran through me.
“Are you hiding a tattoo?” he said then, laughing as he pulled at my sleeve, but I held it in place. “Come on! It can’t be that bad!”
I kept a grip on the sleeve, trying my hardest to keep it on. “No! Stop! Let me go!”
“It’s not bad, I swear on it!” He kept laughing and pulling at the sleeve. “It’s just a tattoo! Or do you have a birthmark? I’m so curious, I want to see!”
I struggled to keep it up, feeling my entire body grow cold. “I said to let me go!”
“I promise I won’t make fun of you!” he said then, tugging at it harder. “I want to see!”
But it was too late.
My fingers slipped and he tore the fabric, making my soul shatter to pieces when the large, burn-like scars revealed themselves.
Taylor immediately froze, eyes widening.
Hideous. I was hideous.
Flashes of my past burned through me, the blood on the walls of my parents’ bedroom, the darkness covering the halls as I ran down them to escape, the children half-dead in their cages at the freak show…
My parents dismembered in that hospital room.
The blood… all that blood.
Nausea swelled up my throat.
My previous anger replaced with pure ice.
“GET OFF ME!” I screamed then, shoving him so hard he tumbled backwards.
I then struggled to get up and dashed out from the room, holding back tears as I slid my arm into the liner of my jacket, hiding it.
“Yumi, wait!” Taylor called. “I didn’t mean to—”
But I kept running, breathing shakily as large, hot tears slipped down my cheeks.
Right as I passed a small barn, Sebastian turned from his position, clearly haven been gathering some towels for the showers.
“Master?” he said.
I just rushed past him, tears slipping further and further down my cheeks as I made my way to basically nowhere.
I just wanted to be alone.
Alone.
My hideous self.
My parents were murdered and taken from me, and life hated me so much that it gave me this scar to remember it by.
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