Fight or flight

Chapter seven

The sun is shining way too brightly to fit my mood. The streets are crowded and someone has already bumped into me, making me wince. My arm is still in a small sling to make sure I don't make big movements while we walk.

Ran is walking beside me but hasn't looked at me once since we left the apartment. He is just walking determined and I have to quicken my steps to follow him.

"Are we there soon?" My body is still sore from being beaten so walking this far isn't fun. Ran only nods shortly and places a hand on my back to make sure I doesn't fall farther behind. My body stiffened and without thinking do I walk faster so his hand doesn't touch me anymore.

He seems to notice and his smile drops a bit.

After a couple more minutes of walking we are at the front of a mall. Ran doesn't stop and continues inside with me right behind him.

I try not to gape as I see shop after shop of fancy clothes and jewelry. This can't be right? I look at Ran out of the corner of my eye but he only looks around assessing the first shop to visit.

"Let's start with getting you a shirt so you don't have to walk around in mine all day." Redness crawls up my neck and I grab the hem of the shirt I'm wearing. Again one of his.

I don't get to say anything as he grabs me and drags me toward the first shop. Shirts and dresses are hanging everywhere and in all colors. I only follow Ran as he goes over to grab a few t-shirts and other blouses. He then holds them up in front of me and either shakes his head or nods.

"I..." I don't really know what to say so I just stay quiet as he gathers a small pile of clothes for me.

Ran gestures at one of the workers to come over to us and hands her the cloth. "Get a changing room ready for us, we will be there in a few minutes." The women just bow and turn away from us again.

"Come on." Ran grabs me and drags me over to some dresses. "Which one do you like the best?" He points to the big selection of dresses. At first I just let my eyes skim over them till something catches my eye.

It's simple. A black dress that has a tight fit around the torso and waist but then flows out. It goes to the knees and even from here I can see how soft it would be. Without thinking do I pull it out from the rack so I can study it more clearly. I have never had a dress like this and I never thought that I could. I look up only to see Ran smile at me before looking at the dress.

"Now let's get you to try it."

I have tried on way too many shirts of all kinds. Ran insisted on seeing me in all of them like a fashion show and when I tried to intervene he just pulled the curtain up. My arm is out of its sling and everytime I lift it too much pain shoots through it.

I sigh as I pull the next shirt on, swallowing a lump when I see the big cut it has in front. Most of my scar is visible and I can't tear my gaze from it.

Over the last couple of days I have had to look at it too often. Mirrors are my worst enemy. Shame fills me as I force myself to look at the floor again. My stomach turns and my eyes fog. I'm not gonna cry.

Other than that, the shirt looks good on me. It fits the curves I have nicely and the color suits me. It's like a deep kind of green you would see in seawater sometimes.

"Are you almost done?" Ran's voice is right on the other side of the curtain and I don't even get to turn around before he pulls the curtain open. I see him in the mirror as his eyes land on the scar that my hands are covering now. He then glance up to my hands and then my eyes.

"You know that I have seen it before, don't you?" He steps in and pulls the curtain shut again so it is just us in here in the small changing room. I didn't think about him having seen it before because I have had it covered up in all the time I have been with them. But then I remember the night they brought me to the apartment. Me waking up without a shirt. My cheeks burn as the memory comes back to me and I still don't dare to turn around.