Fallen Star Chronicles (Work in Progress)

Chapter Nine - Blind man

~Chapter Nine - Blind man

It has been roughly two months since the night that completely changed her life. Ainu stumbles and falls to her knees, unable to stand, let alone walk any more. She crawls behind a boarded fence and curls up with her back against the fence and knees pulled to her chest. Her bag rests on the ground next to her and she wipes away the tears that start falling once more. She leans her head back against the fence and looks up at the sky, watching the clouds pass over and grow dark as it begins to rain. It wouldn't be the first night she spends out in the elements, but with how sick she has been over the past few weeks, she doesn't really need to get any sicker. She looks around and spots an old shed, nearly falling apart, but at least had some roof still intact that could be used as a rough shelter to wait out the worst of the storm.

Ainu uses her bag as a pillow and curls up just inside the doorway off to the side, out of sight in case anyone were to walk by, but she could see out without much trouble for anyone coming towards her. She digs through her bag under her head for some jerky she kept to snack on and chews on it while watching the lightning streak across the sky. She jumps as a loud crash of thunder goes off nearby and she laughs to herself, calling herself a chicken for jumping at thunder. She chews on the jerky for a while and notices a figure darting in and out of overhangs on the other side of the street. Whoever it is, uses their hand as a sort of guide along the wall and she reasons that the person is having trouble seeing in the pouring rain. She closes her eyes and lets the sound of the rain pull her into a light doze, hoping that the small nap will help to kick the worst of her most recent cold.

When she wakes again she notices that the storm has passed and there is a rainbow in the sky above her. She smiles and grabs her bag, stretching when she stands and slowly makes her way back to the street. As she turns to continue on her way before she had grown tired, she trips and nearly dives into the sidewalk face first, except that she was stopped in mid-fall. She regains her balance and turns to face whatever she tripped over and notices a young man, not much older than herself, leaning against the fence opposite where she had sat earlier. She can barely see him in the growing darkness, but she could tell his brow was wrinkled in concern.

"Are you all right, miss?" He asks softly as his hands travel over her arms to her shoulders.

"Aye, thank you. I'm sorry that I didn't see you there, Sir."

He laughs softly and gently squeezes her shoulder before dropping his hands back down to his sides. "Think nothing of it, I was in your way more than you were in mine. If I may ask, where is a beautiful young woman like yourself headed to in this wasteland of a town?"

Ainu shuffles her feet, chewing on her bottom lip as she decides what to answer with. "Well Sir, I was trying to find a space port so that I could move onto the next planet, but I seem to have gotten myself turned around and lost when I got sick."

"Come now, what is it with the Sir?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. It's how I was taught to speak to others of higher class than myself."

"Higher class? What ever do you mean, lass?"

"Well Sir, I'm a slave, Sir, and anyone else that isn't a slave is either Sir, Master, or Mistress."

"Ah, I see. Then where is your Master if you are a slave?"

"I-I-I should go now, forgive me for tripping over you, Sir. Have a good evening, Sir."

She goes to walk away and he stops her with a gentle hand on her wrist. He notices that she has a bandage on her wrist by feel alone and his expression becomes confused and pained. "Come now, lass. No need to be afraid of me. I should probably be more afraid of you since I cannot see a thing, than you are of me."