~Chapter Seventeen~

Miki screamed as he fell, body parts flying everywhere.

One hand hit a jagged rock for a millisecond, then dragged down along with Miki.

His hand bled, but it was hard to see where everything went in the blur of the sky rising up and away from him.

The fall lasted for approximately four minutes, until Miki landed on the ground, knocked unconscious.

Miki woke up with a girl his age staring down at him.

Her grim smile nearly scared Miki out of his skin.

Her sand-colored skin was crowded with scars, making her look ferocious and tough.

"Oh boy." She said in a raspy voice.

Miki's eyes nearly rolled back to his head.

"The woman pushed another off." She shook her head slightly.

Miki suddenly felt pain jolt through his body, along with memory.

The images flashed through his mind, leaving him dazed with wonder if who pushed him off.

He looked down at his leg, where some sort of barf-looking pulp was spread out on his wounds.

He grimaced slightly.

And the girl noticed. "You need it for the week."

Miki managed to speak to her. "Why are you helping me?"

She smiled. "Because my grandma is very clumsy, and the people she pushes off usually get injured."

Her words completely confused Miki out of his mind. Why would a girl push off someone for no reason?

Miki searched the woman's gaze for lies.

"Don't worry, she didn't mean to." But did she??

"Who are you?" Miki said.

The girl laughed. "I'm Kierlyn. My grandmother is very weird these days. I'm sorry for the confusion."

"Oh." Miki was trying to debate whether he could trust her or not.

But then he couldn't help his instinct but gaze at her. Her hair was a cinnamon color, her hair tied back in a high bun. Her eyes were bright brown, full of mischief, but her scars along her body made her look like a rebel, independent and not to be messed with.

"I get them from fights." She said, noticing he was staring at her rather obvious.

"O-oh." He snapped his gaze to the ground.

"Mhm. Now, what's your name?" Kierlyn said innocently.

Could Miki give her valuable information?

He shrugged his thoughts off and gave her an answer. "Miki."

"That's unique. I like it." She said thoughtfully.

"Yeah...." He said.

"Would you like some noodles?"

The sound of food made Miki's stomach grumble rather loudly.

She laughed a cheery laugh. "I'll take that as 'yes'."

Miki scarfed down the hot, slimy noodles the girl gave him. She sat down beside him, watching him.

He sipped the leftover broth.

"Where do you come from?" She asked after a while.

"Msc— uh... far from here." Miki blushed profusely as he almost gave her the information that no one could know.

But it was true. He DID come from Mscilly.

"Hmm." She said. "I've lived here all my life."

Miki stared at her, forgetting his manners and dropping his jaw in awe. In a cave? All her LIFE?

She held in a laugh, covering her mouth. "Yes, I know, Miki, it is weird. But grandma doesn't want to move."

"But it's dirty down here." Miki immediately covered his mouth, turning red.

She didn't give an expression. She just held his gaze. "I know. That's why I'm trying to persuade her." She said it sort of rudely.

Miki bit back a sharp retort. "I'm sorry for saying that. I shouldn't have."

She blinked dismissively. "It's fine."

Miki didn't talk to her for the rest of the night.

Miki awoke to a cold hand touching his back.

He froze instantly, fearing that it was one of the evil cops.

But then his memory traced back in, making him remember that he was with the girl who gave him refuge.

He turned around and murmured something.

Then he looked up.

It was a face that was familiar, but it wasn't at all Kierlyn.

His eyes seemed to be blurry, so he rubbed them.

But then he blinked up again, and it was the same face. The same face that was in the pictures.

The same pictures that were hidden away for reasons.

The reasons that were meant to stay a secret.