He had been in bed, crying. A boy at school had been mean to him and said he was going to be sacrificed to the Gods. She had come to him. He was crying from fear, she knew Makis would have felt this but she felt the injustice. She felt it painfully. She had found the source and came through the window in a shower of glitter. He saw her and screamed almost silently. The Gods had come to take him away, he recognised he from the telly and the newspaper. She had come for him. She was going to eat him. Instead of eating him she sat on his bed.
"Hello."
He didn't respond, he just pulled his bedsheets higher up his face. Her voice was soft and just above a whisper but that didn't comfort him.
"My name is Themi."
He was going to be sacrificed but she was being so calm. He thought she would have snatched him from his bed and ran quickly through the night to skewer him above a fire but she didn't she just sat. He thought this must be a dream. He hoped it would be a nice dream and she felt his hope. She smiled.
"What is your name?"
"Christopher but my mama calls me chrissy."
His voice was muffled by his bed sheets.
"Why are you crying Christopher?"
"A boy said you were going to eat me."
She laughed slightly. He lowered the blankets further. She didn't have sharp pointy teeth like a vampire. They were normal. They shined a lot in the dim light. He couldn't make out alot of her features apart from her gold eyes that shone like the sun. That was when he realised this definitely a dream. People's eyes didn't glow.
"I am not going to eat you. I don't eat people."
"But you are a God."
"Yes, but I don't eat people."
"Why?"
"They don't taste very nice."
In his infinite wisdom at four years old he didn't expect that response.
"So you won't eat me?"
"No."
"Good. How did you get here?"
"I felt you. I knew you were upset and I didn't like it."
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's not your fault. What is this boy called?"
"Steven."
"Well I think Steven was just teasing you. He doesn't sound very nice."
"He isn't! He is mean!"
"I know. What will make you feel better?"
"I don't know. Normally when I feel upset mama cuddles me."
"A cuddle?"
"Yes."
"But I am not your mama."
"I know but she is sleeping and she said I can't wake her unless I feel ill."
"I see... Well a small cuddle wouldn't hurt I guess."
Her voice had dipped so he couldn't hear her. So when she looked at him fully again he looked confused. His big blue eyes had tears still gleaming in them but they didn't look like they would fall anytime soon. She held her arms out gingerly like she didn't know how to hug. In truth she had never really hugged anyone. Juni didn't even look at her most days let alone hug her, Keahi was always busy, and when Makis did hug her he left her feeling cold. So part of her didn't understand why this small boy wanted a cuddle to feel better but what he asked was so simple and in a way so pure she couldn't really say no. He didn't ask for Steven to suffer in return, he just wanted to feel better. He fell into her arms and squeezed her body. He was warm and small. She hugged back until he went to sleep. She placed him back in the bed and pulled his covers over him.
"Goodnight Christopher."
And she left the way she came. Back on the street she hugged her arms around herself trying to keep the little bit of warmth he left, she knew what was coming. What her siblings had planned. She looked back to his tiny bedroom window. She hoped he lived through it. That was the last time she helped anyone after they came to Earth.
