Duality Drabble: Ratt - Scars

   I'm too nice, Ashley thought, it wasn't easy getting this meal… I certainly won't have such luck again for a while. Still he just sat there and watched on mournfully as the reward for his hard work was given to someone who lacked the skills to obtain it herself.

   For her part, the little orphan who referred to herself as 'Ratt', was scarfing down the hot food, not bothering to savor the taste. She was too filled with terrifying uncertainty at her situation to contemplate what it was she was filling her growling stomach with, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

   Bewildered at her voracious consumption, Ashley said warily, "Calm down, kid, I promise the creature is dead. It won't be coming back to harm you." His words seemed to snap her out of her instinctive frame of mind, a shock which in itself nearly led her to flee. "Hey hey, now.. kid.. err.. Ratt… you can still eat, just take it easy." Ashley soothed, using calming hand gestures to put the feral child at ease. Ratt, although still terribly frightened, found the courage to stay and continue eating at a slower pace.

   She hadn't actually gotten a good look at the person who had so generously offered her their food until now. Had he not been looking away, lost in his thoughts, she wouldn't have continued to stare at the ragged scar that ran from the side of his mouth to roughly the middle of his cheek. It made him seem more frightening than he probably was.

   Her brain soon registered that sustenance had been filling her belly, and her appetite quickly deserted her, but she found herself still sitting next to the man in front of her, transfixed by the scar. Instinctive fear fading rapidly from her, she reached out a hand and began to trace her fingers along the stranger's scar.

   Ashley started at the sudden sensation of someone's fingers touching his face, and he turned to look at the young girl in surprise. She quickly recoiled, suddenly aware of what she was doing, and again nearly fled. When Ashley's shoulders merely slumped, wordlessly granting her permission to further examine the mark on his face, however, she managed to stay, albeit fidgeting nervously.

   Ashley sighed, and waited for her to let her curiosity loose on the scar. When he felt nothing, he looked at her again, confused. He watched her for a minute or two, no doubt wrestling with her desire to study his scar in more detail or merely flee in terror.

   Ashley sighed once more. "Go ahead," he said, turning his gaze to nothing in particular in front of him thinking, Honestly, I am far too gracious. Ratt gave it a little more thought while chewing her fingernails, worry written on her face. She mustered up the last of her courage and reached her hand out again timidly to inspect the scar again…