Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

Scars

I expected him to be angry, but instead he just seemed a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I've hidden these from everyone. Even Erin."

"I'm sorry." Seems like that's all I was able to say lately.

"It's fine. It's like the watch, I need to let it go."

As we sat on the beds, the only dry place to sit besides the floor, Jack took his shirt off again. He felt one of his scars on his back, the longest one.

"This is the most recent one. I got it right before I ran from my parents the last time. I was told to hack into the police database and erase their records. The cops found me at a small shop I had used to do all my hacking. They saw I wasn't over eighteen and I told then I was told to do it. My parents denied the whole thing. When the cops left they decided to punish me."

"How did you keep it from Erin?" I asked looking at his destroyed skin.

"They only did it when she was gone. They didnt want her to hear me if I screamed, i never gave them the satisfaction of hearing it. But they said all Erin needed to survive was to be beautiful and have friends in high places."

I looked to his arms, the same arms that carries me while I was dying, they were untouched. Jack noticed I was looking at his unscathed arms and held them out.

"They never messed with my arms or legs. They didn't want anyone to know. My legs have scars now, though." He lifted his pant leg to reveal the small pale scars on his calves.

"Martha told me you ran into the thorns to get away from the cops."

"Did you tell her about these?" He gestured to his chest.

"No," I shook my head. "I asked if she knew about your scars and she told me about your legs."

"Good. I dont want her to know." He felt a deeper, but smaller scar. "This was the first one. I barely remember why I got it, but they saw it helped get me to listen."

I stood up and walked over to him to get a better look. His eyes were full of sadness, his face was calm, but his body was rigid with anger. He tried to look okay with it, but he wasn't, he wanted me to believe that he let go of the pain, but he didn't. As he looked up at me with his sad eyes, I hugged him. His body went stiff from surprise, but after a second he hugged me back.

"Why do people have to do bad things?" I asked feeling his rough, raised scars under my hands.

"I've wondered that for a while." He said with a hint of sadness on his voice. "Scars may gnarl us on the outside, but on the inside they only make us stronger."

At his words I pulled back. His eyes were no longer sad, they were full of hope, his face was no longer calm, but full of determination, and his body was no longer rigid, but full of strength. He may not have let go of the past, but he is facing it.

"What did they do?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't anger him.

"At first they would use a knife and slice my skin. After a while they used a bull whip. The longer ones are from that. It stung for a lot longer than a knife, that's why they used it. They were sick people." As he remembered his parents his hands started to shake.

"But your away from them now. So you don't have to think about them." I said as I placed my hands on his to calm the shaking.
He looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?" I coughed as my throat tickled from my cold.

"Everything." He stood up and pulled his shirt back on. He walked out of the room with strength back on his shoulders. Just talking about pain, can take it away

"I'm gonna see if Alex is awake." He walked out the house while I set the fire in the kitchen again. I coughed again as I lit the wood. I hope I don't get any sicker. I thought as a pain went through my side. My cough was getting worst. I coughed again as Alex and Jack came in the door.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked sweetly.

"I'm fine." I walked up to him as Jack looked at me worried.

"How's your side?"

"It's fine. It only hurts when I walk."

"Alex, let's go play on the bedroom, okay? Rae needs to rest."

Alex ran to the bedroom as I tried to protest. Jack led me to the room and forced me to sit on the bed.

"I'm fine. It's healing, and I only have a cold."

"If it hurts you can't push yourself." Jack told me as Alex grabbed the small toy he brought and threw it at Jack.

"Your the doggy." He said grabbing Jack's shirt collar.

Jack looked at him and barked. The rest of the night went on like that until Martha came for Alex. Jack wouldn't let me out of the bed until we ate. After that he made me go to sleep. I laid there until I heard his breathing calm, then I fell asleep as well.