Fragile Skins

Chapter one: Nine Years Later

Kai slung the bag of freshly bought fish over his shoulder and walked slowly back home. His thick wavy hair was now shoulder length and tied in a tight ponytail. His eyes had large dark circles. He opened the creaking door and entered the dark house.
"Mom?" Kai asks gently, "I've got the fish."
"Y-yes, put it i-in the fridge." His mom said in a shaking voice while knitting the same scarf she has been for years, which must be 100 feet long. Kai puts the fish into the industrial sized fridge. He walked up the stairs and knocked on a door farthest down the hall from all others.
"Yes... come in." Sidy said from the other side of the door. "I'm just talking to Auntie." Kai enters the room. There is almost nothing inside except a bed with plain white sheets and a picture in a frame of Auntie Ellie and their father.
"How are you?" Kai asks.
"Oh I'm okay... well not really. I just i wish I coulda saved her ya know?"
"Hey." Kai put his hand on her back, "I just got home but I'll go back out and get you a very special treat."
"R-really?" she held back tears, "What?"
"Roasted unicorn ears."
"Huh? yes please I'd like that, but isn't that expensive."
"Yes but cheering you up is worth it." So Kai went back out. The streets of Vermillion are dangerous, the city is known for it's rude citizens and underground crime organizations. So it was no surprise to see a boy in a wheelchair being hurled down a steep hill for some asshole's entertainment. This boy collided right in Kai who dropped the unicorn ears.
"Oh man I'm Sorry." Wheelchair boy said.
"No it's ok it's not your fault." Kai looked up the hill and saw a group of young children pointed and laughing. "I'm Kai."
"Sachiel."
"Wow! Such a pretty and unique name, I love it." Kai said excited.
"Oh, thank you." Sachiel looked down and blushed.
"Do you want help getting somewhere?"
"No I'll be fine."
"No I insist, where are you going."
"Alright, I guess,I'm just heading down to the beach."
"Alright." Kai grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Sachiel down the street and dock and onto the beach that lead to the ocean. "Thank you. You can be on your way." He spoke quietly. Something strange Kai noticed about him is the way he was dressed. He had a thick blanket over his legs and he wore a giant coat and a hat so everything except his face was covered. It was winter but it never got cold enough in Vermillion to dress like that. From what Kai could see of him his eyes were blue-green like a nebula,his skin was pale and if you squinted it lightly gleamed in the sun and he was covered in freckles which looked like grains of sand scattered on his face.
"Alright, I guess I'll just leave you here. See you later, maybe." Kai said.
"Yeah bye." Kai left knowing the unicorn ears would get cold if he didn't get home soon.