The Scars We Bare

Chapter 1

Jack and Mimi didn't have time to discuss the information they got from Mr. Clint as they needed to get Ralph inside.
Jack picked up his brother and hurried over to the front door as Mimi thanked their new friend. "You don't have to thank me. Once you guys are done here, come look for me in the town Saloon and I can help you get a room for the night." Clint spoke as Mimi hopped down from his wagon, "We'd really appreciate that sir." And then she hurried into the Doctor's office.

Inside the Doctor had Jack lay his brother down on the cot so he could check him over. The doctor was dressed in a grey turtleneck and tan pants. His long white hair was pulled back into a braided ponytail. Mimi shivered slightly when his cyan eyes met with hers. "So what happened?" The doctor asked and glanced between the other two. Mimi looked at Jack. How were they supposed to explain when they don't even know exactly what happened. Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "Well we went exploring in the old mansion-" Jack was interrupted when the doctor's door swung open and a big man just waltz right in, "Hey Doc, I've got an ache in my shoulder can you help me out?" The man didn't seem to notice the children standing around the doctor as he was examining another one. "Chimur, I have told you time and time again to wait your turn." The doctor looked at the big man with narrowed eyes. Chimur looked around and noticed the kids, "Oh, sorry." He took a seat over by the door. Mimi turned to look at him. Chimur was a very large man, but not in a fat way. He looked as if he had worked all his life. The man had beautiful green eyes that stood out against his dark skin tone. Chimur shifted slightly under her gaze, "What? You never seen a black man before." Mimi's face flushed in embarrassment as she quickly shook her head, "Yes, I have. I was just admiring your eyes." She looked away. It reminded her of her first day in America. That time she had never seen a black man before. "...the mansion on the cliff snd we got trapped in one of the rooms." Jack finished after it calmed down. "You went inside the mansion and survived?!"  Chimur exclaimed before the Doctor could even get words out. Mimi frowned, "Yeah? Why'd you say it like that?" "That mansion is owned by the meanest creature to ever walk the Earth!" Chimur explained, shaking in his seat. "Did you see the creature?" "Creature? What creature?" Jack asked. "The old witch doctor." The doctor told him, "That must be why you're friend is suffering with this fever and why you three don't belong here." "Don't belong here?" Chimur asked and tilted his head. "It seems the witch decided to trap the children within her mansion and bring the back here into our timeline." The doctor rubbed his chin before nodding. "What? You mean we actually did travel back in time!" Mimi exclaimed and then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and collapsed to the floor. "Mimi!" Jack called and hurried over to her, shaking her shoulders, "Mimi?" The doctor walked over and took out a small flashlight, checking her eyes before he sighed "She passed out from shock. She'll be alright." Jack took his seat again after helping to get Mimi laid down. "So we are in a different time. But why? Why did she bring her us to your time?" "Because she's a witch!" Chimur answered. Doctor shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. She probably brought you here for a reason but you'll never get a straight answer from her if you go back to ask. Barely anyone has actually seen her." Jack looked at his little brother and then to his best friend. "How do we go home?" "That would be a question for the Empress." Chimur spoke up as he rubbed his arm before walking over to look at the sleeping Mimi. "She has magic just like the witch and could send you back home." "That's great! How do we met her?" Jack asked as he began to feel hopeful again. "To meet her...that's a long journey Kid, and that's if she'll even have an audience with you. The Empress is a very busy person and you're not exactly high up on the totem pole of people to even try and get an audience with her." He mumbled and then looked at Doctor like he had a wonderful idea. "No. No, no, no. They are not our responsibility." Doc replied with a scowl upon his face as he gave the younger brother a shot to ease the fever a bit. "Oh come on Doc. They are trapped here in our time. The least we could do is help them." Chimur pointed to them, "They don't know how our world works. They probably don't even have magic in their time from how the girl reacted." "I don't care Chimur, I am not helping them. It is their own fault for going anywhere near that mansion." The doctor turned away to clean up his office. Jack sighed softly, Thank you anyway." Chimur felt sad for them and he turned to face the doctor. "They'll be my responsibility. I'll care for them as long as you help us. Please?" The doctor just about spit out his drink and turned abruptly to face Chimur, "You're responsibility? You can barely care for yourself and now you're going to take on the responsibility to care for three children?" "Yes." Chimur crossed his arms over his chest and stood to his full height, "They need help, Rain. They are probably scare out of their minds. I'm not going to leave them to fend for themselves in such a horrible town." The doctor, now known as Rain,  looked at the two on his cots before looking at Jack "Fine. They are your responsibility." Rain walked over to his door and turned the sign to close. "Help me get them to the house." He picked up Ralph and Chimur picked up Mimi, swiftly following Rain out the back of his building. Jack hurried to keep up with them.
Outside Rain laid Ralph down on his own wagon and Mimi was laid down next to him. Chimur helped Jack up onto the wagon, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." He patted the young boy's head and smiled softly before he looked at Rain, "I'll meet you there." Rain nodded before he whistled and the wagon jerked forward as the horses began to trot away from the town.

Mimi shifted around and stretched as she woke up. She spotted Jack immediately and sat up, "Jack! I had the weirdest dream! We were trapped in the mansion and Ralph got really sick and the next day we got a ride to town and from the doctor we found out that we were trapped in a different time." Jack gave her a weak smile and her happy smile faded, "It wasn't a dream, was it?" He shook his head no before he stood up and gestured Mimi to follow him. She got up and followed Jack down a hallway and into a living room where there was five other people. "Jack?" Mimi asked and grabbed onto his shirt as she hid behind him. "These are the people who have taken us in. Chimur said that there is a way to get back home. It's just a long shot." Jack turned to face her before leading her over to an open chair. Chimur came in carrying a couple of plates and a giant smile on his face, "Good morning, I hope you slept well." He handed Jack and Mimi the plated with fresh food. "Uh yes. I did." Mimi uttered before she looked down at the food on her plate. Eggs and bacon. It looked pretty good and she was starving. "How's Ralph?" Mimi asked Jack as she began to cut into her eggs with her fork. "Doctor says that he should recover soon. The fever is just a side affect of the time change." Jack muttered as he played with his food. He was absolutely starving but he couldn't muster the energy to eat. "Oh Mimi, you have yet to meet everyone." Chimur said and pointed at the woman sitting in the chair on the other side of the room, "That's Ako. The roughest, toughest woman this side of the mountain." Ako looked up from her book she was reading and gave a slight nod to Mimi. She had pixie cut of brown hair. Her eyes were blue but in the lighting, they were slightly pink? She wore a blue shirt that had a popped collar and riding pants with tall boots. Also she had on some kind of gear? Was it a horse riding outfit? "And this over here is Hachi." Chimur gestured over to a younger man standing over by a doorframe, looking longingly into a room.
His blonde hair stood out against his slightly darker skin. He wore a white undershirt and over that he had a yellow and black jacket. He had on blue jeans. Hachi glanced over at his name and gave a gentle nod to Mimi before signing to Chimur.  Chimur gave the boy a smile, "Don't worry, Rain said the boy will be perfectly fine." Hachi made a face before he looked back into the room that he had been staring at before. "And around here somewhere is Oidoas." Chimur looked back at Mimi as she gave him a big smile "Wow, it's nice to meet you all." Chimur noticed that Jack hadn't touched his food, "Is something wrong Jack?" "I-I'm just not very hungry right now." Jack muttered and set the plate down on the night table next to his seat. He stood and walked over towards Hachi, he moved pass the man and then sat down next to his brother, who was laying down on a bed. "Don't take it personally Chimur. Jack is just worried for his brother. Back home Ralph is all Jack had because their mother is always at work and their father hadn't been in the picture since Ralph's birth." Mimi explained as Chimur looked a little distraught as Jack left the room. Ako stood and walked over to Hachi, pulling him away from the room and closing the door. "Let's give them some space." She led him over to Mimi, "Why don't you show the girl around the place? It's a beautiful day." Hachi smiled and looked over to Mimi. He held out his elbow for her to come along with him. She smiled and joined him. A walk would probably do her some good.

Ako waited until Mimi was outside before she turned to Chimur, "What were you thinking? Bringing them here was a bad idea." Chimur closed his eyes briefly before looking down at the ground, unable to look Ako in the eyes. "I just want to help them." "Are you sure you just want to help them or is there another reason?" She questioned him, poking her finger against his chest. Chimur tried to avoid her strong glare, "I just want to help them!" He sounded like he was pleading a case. Ako snorted at his reply and took a step back from Chimur, "Don't get attached to them. We are to help them get home and that is it. What if you caught feelings or something?" "Excuse me? You dare accuse me of catching feelings?" Chimur growled back at her. His pupils changed to a vertical silt. "You're heart is too big for your own good and you're going to drag innocent Hachi into this as well." Ako explained to him. "Hachi isn't a baby and can take care of himself!" Chimur began, his tone was even more defensive as he was becoming very angry. "Hachi is too young! He hasn't even mated yet and look at the way he longingly looks at the boy with glasses!" Ako exclaimed as she pointed to the door of the bedroom. "It's not my fault that we are slowly going extinct. Beside you already have a mate Ako, do you not remember the aching feeling in your bones for a mate!?" Chimur shouted. Ako took a few steps back in shock as Oidoas stepped into the main room, "Chimur, please calm yourself." His deep baritone floated through the air and calmed the tension.  Chimur's pupils changed back and he took a couple steps back, letting out a low hum like sound "I apologize Ako." Ako walked over and carefully patted his shoulder, "It's okay. But do you understand my concern?" "I do." Chimur nodded and went to clean up the mess in the kitchen. He didn't want to admit that he had imprinted on the young girl: Mimi.