The Caravan of Hope

Chapter 3: Ikuyomi

Sorry I'm a little bit late, but the new update was supposed to add pictures, but there's a bug and it won't let me do it. If there's ever a chance where they fix it, I'll update it. Well, here goes chapter 3!

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Ikuyomi was a bigger town than Usef, but Mary and George both noticed that it was less lively than their home town. There was a depressing atmosphere, and if emotions were colors, the townspeople would have gray colors. All the windows were closed, and the people walked as a group, looking around all the time.

The Caravan went into the center of town. There were hardly any people, even though Hearthfell had his tattoo for everyone to see, and they knew that the group was coming.

They set up, then Daiko announced who was doing what that day, saying, "Okay, I'm shopping today. Mary is working today in order to help George know how we work, and Hearthfell is helping her with our work." She winked at Hearthfell, for she was trying to get him and Mary together, but he didn't notice. "Everyone else can do whatever they want today."

Everyone left that area except for Hearthfell and Mary. "What do we do now?" Mary asked.

"We wait inside. Since there aren't many people outside, it's probably going to be a slow day," replied Hearthfell, with a little enthusiasm, since he was happy that he got to spend the day with Mary.

And so, they waited. Hearthfell was right; only a trickle of people came, which was strange because of their reputation.

------------- Meanwhile ----------

George, Alex, and Bella, the ones who didn't have a job for that day, all left together. But after a little while, Bella stopped and said, "Alex, go ahead and spend the day with George. There's something I want to take care of."

Alex shrugged, and Bella left. The two boys continued on for quite some time, and Alex then asked a question that has been bugging him: "Hey George, what's with your scarf?"

If it hasn't been mentioned already, George has always seemed to be wearing a white scarf, even when he slept. George looked at Alex, then pulled down his scarf.

Under his scarf was a long and thin scar. Strange thing was, Alex noted, that any skin above the scar was pale and any under it looked normal.

"I don't remember how I got it,"said George, "But I do remember that Mom gave me this scarf, so I keep it in remembrance of her. I keep it on so you guys won't get scared, since it goes all the way around my neck." He moves one finger around his neck to demonstrate.

"I'm not scared," Alex says. 

Since after all, it is better than my physical scar.  He puts his hand under the hair that went over his right eye that the twins haven't seen yet.

There's a reason why I cover up this eye.

--------Meanwhile, with Bella----------------

Bella stopped in front of an abandoned building, one that she had found many years ago in the secret corners of town. She went inside and remembered what happened in here three years ago. She wondered what would've happened if he didn't...But never mind. What's done is done.

Suddenly, she felt someone put their arm across her shoulders. "Hey, what are you-" she started to say, but the person put their mouth up to get ear and said something she'd never thought she'd hear ever again.

She wished and wished she heard wrong, but it seemed like what she heard was what she heard. She remembered what the person said:

Hello, Bella.