Chapter 3: Freaky Red Eyed People

Near dusk Usagi spotted a small town, if she could even call it that. It was more like a small area of shacks that was composed of anything and everything, from scraps of metal to cardboard, yet it was the closest thing to civilization she had found and she wasn't going to be picky on her choices.

Her feet were a bloody mess and she could no longer feel them. That can't be good, she thought. Feet that are so torn up that you can't feel them? Hopefully they aren't too damaged, but why such rocky terrain? It's utterly ridiculous. Usagi could have sworn some of the ground was split into pieces.

A brief thought flitted through her mind of the possibility there had been an earthquake, but she quickly dismissed it. She was tired of thinking up silly ideas to entertain herself... too much creativity to keep up.

Upon entering the town, she was greeted with the sight of several fires distributed near the shacks. Some kids were playing soccer, but as most times when Usagi was near flying projectiles, there was an unnatural attraction and the ball flew directly into her face.

With an "umpfh," Usagi fell on her butt and rubbed her face with her hand. What a greeting!

The kid that had perpetrated the attack ran up to her and was in the middle of apologizing when he suddenly stopped. Surprised by this abrupt silence, Usagi looked up at the boy. Instead of finding sympathy in the boy's face she was met with a cold glare.

"Your kind isn't welcomed here," he uttered, pointedly staring at her.

Baffled a, "Wha-?" escaped her lips, but then she took a good look around her. All the children had brown skin and red eyes. She also noticed some adults baring the same resemblance as the children, standing threateningly in the background.

Immediately, her survival skills kicked in and Usagi rushed out a, "Sorry," scrambled onto her feet and ran away.

Note, number one, Usagi, don't go near people with freaky red eyes. If her feet didn't already look like they were about to fall off she would have kicked something. It was nighttime and all of her efforts were wasted because she didn't have brown skin and red eyes. She had half a mind to go back there, but she couldn't forget all those hateful stares. Those people...a pebble skidded against the almost barren landscape.

Usagi jerked her head towards the sound and spotted an outcropping of rocks. Should she? Eh, sure.

Against her better judgment, Usagi crept over to the little cove and saw a flickering glow. A fire? Searching further she found a man sitting opposite the fire.

Hesitantly she called out, "Hello?"

The man's head snapped to attention and he growled, "Leave."

Thoroughly frightened, Usagi took his words to heart and turned to leave, but then the strange man called out to her and said, "Wait."

She froze in her tracks and slowly faced him. After a long pause he elaborated. "You can...stay."

Relief flooded Usagi, but as she came closer to the man she noticed red eyes. A sudden fear struck her and she grew weary. Would he yell at her as well, to get away?

Usagi chose a spot a couple of feet away and sat against a rock wall. So far so good.

"Ah, hello. I'm Usagi," she greeted.

His eyes quickly darted over towards the sound of her voice, but he quickly glanced away. "I am...Scar."

That's ironic, she mused, scanning the crisscrossing scars over his forehead.