How Things Are

3

Following my nose, I feel like it's training my other senses. There was something weird about how safe that neighborhood felt. No hiding place should feel caged in. Too cult-like. I've seen living places like that. Everyone's friendly but on the last Friday of every month, someones pet goes missing for the annual sacred sacrifice.

No wonder I was found so fast. I probably didn't attend a pot lot. I'll have to travel pretty far to be forgotten.

It's not uncommon to see people walking alone on the roads like me right now. I intentionally dress in men's clothes so that from a distance no one can tell I'm a woman. This road is supposed to lead me to a place with some good inns if the map I stole is correct.

Thieving is another thing I excel at. Only do it when needed and for essentials. Just travel light with little. If you look nice walking down the road in a world run by mafias you might as well lift your shirt and say "Stab here".

Anyway, this road is one of the most dangerous. Mainly because it's heading to the neutral zone. Whoever is waring against someone, if you're in the neutral zone there's no fighting and the inn is the safest place to be.

I overheard a few years back about how if you break Innkeeper Laws and even fight then it's death on the spot. It's sacred to those who look at themselves as a true criminal. And the law enforcement is in the history books my brother used to read to me.

So I walk on, hoping the rumor exists so that when there I'll be safe. As long as I look like a man I should be fine. I wrapped my hair up in a weird samari bun hehe. My clothes are extra dusty from days of not washing. No woman can use a sword, especially a katana. I even packed my pants.

The road already has travelers on it. No one seems to be looking in my direction. Some nice cars are going by but none slow down. This is good. My heart is racing. All the information I gathered about the neutral zone was very limited. Asking anyone here would be foolish.

There are some with tattoos I recognize. They were the ones who offered me a place but there were conditions. I want freedom. I know what those conditions are. Apologies, but I'm not gonna sleep with anyone. No dicks are going in this mouth.

We all keep our pace and distance. It's getting pretty dark but nobody has stopped. Maybe it's a matter of pride. This road takes three days by foot to travel. I'm already the smallest. If I stop to rest first I'll look even more like a woman. I keep my pace but I'm zoning out. It's like sleepwalking. Then it finally happened. Someone stopped to rest for the night. He's a big guy, he has the right to stop first.

Rules of the road, keep moving til someone else wants to rest. You can never camp close to someone else. Especially near the neutral zone. This is the death road. If it doesn't wear you out, someone else will kill you.

So we walk. Another few rest. Looks like they're a group. I see matching tattoos. That's good for us walking. Means less to wait for. However, if that gang decides to attack- bad for us. That's the thing about the road. It leads to paranoia.

Another guy goes to rest. The thing is I don't even know how long we should rest! What if I lay down, sleep too late, and bye-bye?! I think my paranoia is the only thing keeping my heart pumping.

My feet hurt. Two more guys then I'll walk then me. I have no idea how many are behind me but looking would be juvenile. Just keep going.

Whoever invented the neutral zone could have at least come up with a bus system to get there. Freedom is never easy.

I stopped counting how many hours it's been. Just the same pace so I don't look weak.

The darkness doesn't bother me. It's dark in most places I stay. Fearing it will only get me killed. More danger happens at night than during the day. Which is why my paranoia switched to awareness. The pain in my feet became numb and without noticing, my hang rest on my katana.

These moments. When I feel false peace. It's like I can hear everything. Feel everything. The frontman hasn't stopped walking however when I slow my pace he does too.
Then there's two behind me. They've slowly been moving closer for the past three minutes. Their stanama isn't as good as mine however the front man is an unknown. I don't recognize his tattoos nor his clothing. This is the price of traveling on the road. Back two first then.