Night Angel

Seperate

After Nezumi closed the door to my office, I sat back. Closing my eyes I just breathed. Why did everyone see me as so helpless? I lived in this city all my life. In all that time I managed to survive. With a sigh I curled up in the chair. I could smell something cooking. It smelled spicy. He was using way to much pepper.
Even with my stomach growling I refused to go out of the room. Dozing I woke when he knocked lightly on the door. I didn't answer. "Shion, I made some soup." His voice traveled through the thin door. Ignoring him I tried for sleep again. Sometimes sleep was the only escape from hunger.
His footstep, although light, I could hear them walk away. Sleep took me for a while. My back was stiff when I woke. Stretching it cracked and popped. I stood slipping out of the closet. There was no sign of my house guest. Putting my coat on, I smiled to myself as I wrapped the scarf around my neck. I walked out of the only other door.
I took this apartment for this reason, it had a very small space in back. I had built boxes to house my medical plants. I walked out there now. Watering them I spoke to each one. Telling them how overly it looked, what I was giving it that day, things like that. I made my way around to each one before going through the door at the end.
This was another way out of my house. I climbed the little hill, pausing for a moment to see the city sprawled out below me. Turning my back on it, I followed the path out to the road. It was busy here. Sometimes I just came out here to be around other people. The crowds made me feel more normal. That would end when someone commented on my appearance.
I truly loathed looking at myself. For that reason, I avoided going to close to the shops. Their windows loved to reflect all my abnormities. Catching site of my white hair, young pale face set with red glistening eyes, was not something I needed nor wanted to see.
Today though I did have a purpose in mind. Carrying the leaves in my pocket I went to an old ladies house. She suffered from aches and pains. The dried leaves stewed in tea like fashion, helped with her pain. In return for the leaves she would give me bread, sometimes even a sandwich.
I knocked on her front door. It took her sometime to get there. She opened it with her large toothless smile. "Shion, you are in luck, I just pulled a fresh loaf out of the oven." With a giggle she took the bag of leaves. Disappearing inside I waited for my payment. My stomach growled at the scent of the baking bread.
When she returned she had a full loaf packed away in a bag. She held out a freshly buttered slice. I bit into the warm savory bread. The nicely melted butter sliding down my throat. It was too good. I told her so and she laughed happily. She closed the door as I turned away.
The slice she gave me lasted until I got to the end of her drive. Turning to theft I walked a few blocks before making a right. I took the loaf of warm bread up to the door of a small cottage. Knocking loudly a man answered.
"Shion, its been a while!" he cried happily. "How is the new play coming along?" he asked as I handed him the loaf of bread. He smelled it laughing, he placed it on the counter.
"It's going well. I'm very proud of this one. Rikiga just hired a new actor that can supposedly sing. I haven't heard him yet." I chuckled. The man laughed with me as he pulled out a small ham. He sliced the meat off of the bone. Wrapping up all but one slice, and the bone in separate bags, he gave all of it to me.
I took the packages he left out one slice. "Well I for one can't wait to see it. Have you seen this new fella? Is he good looking? Will he be able to hold the show?" Worry curved his lips downward. I chuckled.
"I have met him. He is tall dark haired and has great bone structure. Quiet good looking." I smirked. "We will have our first practice with him Monday night. I will make sure I stop by next week to let you know if he is worth the hype." He thanked me stating he couldn't wait to find out.
I finished the slice of ham he gave me as we talked. Now I waved my free hand as I walked away. Cutting through a small hole in the hedges I maneuvered through a short alley way to the next block. Three houses down, across the street, an old man sat in a lawn chair. A fire spitting away before him.
"Shion!" he cried as soon as he saw me. Even though I was still half a block away. I opened the gate strolling in. I unwrapped the bone handing it to the dog beside him. After scratching the floppy brown ears, I told him of meeting the strange girl named Dogkeeper.
He plucked a freshly cooked ear of corn from the fire. Placed it on a plate with a generous slab of butter, passing it to me. "I thought that was just a legend. A girl that claims she was raised by dogs." He shook his shaggy head at me. "Can't believe you met her!" he crowed. I told him of the encounter as I ate. He laughed stating how Marty just wanted her hands in everything. I chuckled.
"You stay healthy there, Shion. Don't let anyone smother that light of yours." He wagged one knurled finger at me. Only after I promised I wouldn't did he give me a bag of six ears of corn.
"See you around!" he waved me off. My stomach was quite happy now, having been properly feed. I stopped at the corner. A brick house loomed in front of me. The windows dark. It had been this way for some time now. I wondered if the old woman that lived here would ever return. Slipping between the rails of the fence, I walked to the little barn.
I had promised her I would take care of her goat Betsy while she was recovering. Every night I made sure to stop by feed the animal and milk her. The milk was nice for baking, made everything taste creamier. It was good to drink too, but somehow I hardly did that. Betsy greeted me while chewing on some hay.
I cleaned out her stall, gave her fresh hay and grain then got out the little stool. I milked her into a bucket. Once done I went to the sink pulled out two glass jars and a strainer. Pouring the milk through the strainer into the jars, I sealed them closed. Taking a canvas bag from my pocket I placed the jars in it, closing the top with a pull string.
Before leaving I scratched the goat between the ears. It butted its head against my leg. Giggling I pulled out the carrot I had for it. As it nibbled it away, I told her good night. Walking to the door, I pushed it closed, securing her for now.
The moon was out. A full one that lit my path as I wondered back toward home. I didn't go back the way I came. Instead I ducked down another well traveled path. Through a garden where I got some more carrots, potatoes and some green beans. I placed one of the jars of milk on the back porch for payment.
Once I got back to the main walkway, it wasn't far until the factory warehouse I lived in could be seen. This was where I almost lost everything. A voice came out of the darkness from an alley way.
"I know my cooking isn't that great, but you could have just tried it." I jumped so hard, the bag almost slipped from my fingers. Nezumi was leaning against a wall, legs crossed, hands deep in his pockets he was glaring at me.
My own reflection looked back at me from he window beside him. I gasped as I seen it. Spinning away from the disgusting sight of my own flesh, I flipped the hood up on the jacket to cover my face and hair. "How did you know I would come this way?" I demanded shifting out of the way of the window. I saw him glance at it then back at me.
"Of course I couldn't possibly have known where you were going to end up!" he stated. "I followed you." He added when I said nothing. I sniffed turning my back to him.
"Stop it. I can take care of myself." I snarled stalking off down the street. I didn't get more than a few doors before I heard a voice calling out my name. I paused.
A man stood in the doorway to a bakery. He held out a white bag. The smile on his face making him look so much younger. "Come on, there for you!" he yelled across the street. I had nothing for him. The food I already carried was for tomorrow's meal. Slowly I crossed the street.
He held the bag out to me. "I can't pay you for them." I said. He laughed grabbing my wrist to force the bag into my hands.
"Your honest evaluation of them is all I need. I found a recipe, but I don't think they are as good as Karen's." he smiled. The mention of my mother had me curious. I pulled open the bag.
"Cherry cake." I whispered starring down at it. It had been my favorite treat. My mother had been a great baker. The treat blurred.
"Hey, hey, none of that now. I didn't want to make you sad. You can take them home, tell me what you think of them later." The man said wiping the tears off of my cheeks. I had known him, my mother's bakery partner. He wasn't nearly as good as she was. Maybe because all of her recipes were in her head. He didn't have them.
"Thank you." I whispered. "Come by the theater tomorrow. I will give my review, and you can see Safu." He chuckled.
"You got it." With a finale wave he went back inside. I turned away. My eyes catching the sight of my scar in the reflective surface of the door window. Hunching my shoulder to lift the scarf higher I hurried away.
I had forgotten about my shadow in the light of receiving the pastry. Ducking away from the buildings I hurried home. It was only as I let myself back into my apartment that I even remembered Nezumi. My eyes glanced over the human free area. I spun around only to find him coming through the door behind me.
"You have yourself a nice little food ring going." Was he angry that I didn't eat his food?
"I told you I can take care of myself. Besides, I had nothing to pay you back for the food." Leaving him standing there I went to take care of my meager supplies. "I still owe you for breakfast, oh ..." I remembered the other treat. Turning I pulled out the two cherry cakes from the bag. I placed them each on a plate.
Carrying them over to where he stood at the end of the counter I sat one down before him. "Here. This should be payment enough for the coffee at least." I smiled. I sat down to enjoy my own cake. It was very good, but lacked something my mother always put in hers.
He took off of his jacket, hanging it up he sat down to eat as well. Halfway through he spoke. "There wasn't a mirror in the bathroom, where do you keep it?" I blushed.
The sudden heat to my face almost made me feel sick. "I don't have any mirrors or other reflective surfaces in my home." I told him standing up to take care of my plate.
"Why not? How do you shave?"
"I, uh, have no need for one." I stammered with my back to him. "Nor do I need to shave." With a sigh I recalled where he could use one. "There is the theater rooms. They have several mirrors. Until your place is ready, you will have to go there."
"Why don't you need a mirror, Shion?" he voice was cold, it was also right behind me. I flinched.
"Because, I don't need to be reminded of how hideous I look." I blurted out placing the plate in the rack to dry. His hands spun me around. The slap that sent my head twisting backward was so unexpected, tears blossomed in my eyes.
"You will never say anything like that again. I will not allow anyone to talk about you like that!" Fear gripped me. Not because of what he said, but how he said it. His tone was dark, but eerily calm.
"I know what I am." I whispered pushing him back a step. I flinched when I saw his hand move. The tender touch was not what I expected. His thumb traced over the scar on my cheek. It ringed my entire body.
"You are unique." He breathed out. This hurt me even more. Its what my mother would say, after someone had been mean to me over my looks. It just meant he was being nice to save my feelings. I slapped his hand away.
"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITTY!" I yelled, dashing away to my office.