"D-daddy!" the little cried out, snot and tears dripping down her face. "Daddy! Mommy!" she continued to scream, the zoogs approached, laughing, and mocking the young one as she continued to cry for her parents.
They had her surrounded from all sides, having backed her into a corner, her small body pushing against an aged, willow tree as if trying to merge with its bark, and escape the cruel game of these hateful rodents. With each whimper she let out, they proceeded further towards her, frightening her all the more. She tried to silence her cries, but it was in vain. Her feelings were too powerful, pouring out of her in a continuous stream which she couldn't stop. She cried out once more, calling for her father and mother and Keziah and whoever came to mind, but neither answered and the zoogs continued to laugh at her.
One, feeling braver than the rest, took the chance and leaped at the little one's exposed feet, leaving red, crimson scratch marks in his wake. The young one screamed louder, the sound driving some zoogs away. However, they quickly came back, even more eager to torture the poor girl.
"D-daddy!" she cried once more for her father, but alas, he did not answer.
Another zoog stepped forward and, just like the one before, was about to lunge at the child and attack her, when suddenly, he was hit by a rock and fall down with a loud thud. The others were startled, staring at their friend and the projectile in shock and trying to comprehend what was going on.
"Bad jerry!" someone shouted, causing everyone to turn around in the direction where the voice came from.
To their surprise, the one who spoke was a young girl, around the same age as the one they were torturing, maybe even younger. A few zoogs began hissing at her, trying to scare her like the other, but she wouldn't even flinch. Instead, she walked over to the other child, pushing the zoogs away and ignoring their growls and attempts at scratching her, much to their bafflement, chastising them now and then.
"Bad jerry! Bad! If you no good a tom will come eat you!" she chastised some as she proceeded towards the frightened girl.
The zoogs watched her confused at this new development. Those in the back who acted only as spectators up to that point began whispering to each other, asking questions neither had the answer to. Who was she? How come she wasn't scared of them? Even the people of Ulthar who were accustomed to their appearance shivered when they gazed upon them and avoided the forests which the zoogs called home. Yet, this child walked among them without a care for their hissing and claws swinging so very close to her feet. She was no child of the Outer Gods like the other one, her blood giving off the well-known sweet scent of humanity. Yet she acted so brave and nonchalant towards them.
Also, why did she call them jerry? And what was a tom?
"Come on." the young girl spoke when she reached the other child, hand reached out towards her.
The young one took it with shaking hands, snot and tears still running down her face. Together, they walked away from the gathering of zoogs, nobody daring to stop them, on one hand too surprised by what was transpiring before their very eyes to make a fuss. A few zoogs, however, fell prey to their curiosity and began to follow them out of the forest and into the meadow beyond.
The little girl whom they tormented squeezed the other's hand with all her might, still afraid of the wretched monsters to let go.
"T-thanks." she muttered as they continued to walk, the stream of tears having finally stopped.
"You welcome." the other replied, turning to show her a toothy grin. "Those jerries were really mean." she continued, looking back ahead at the meadow surrounding them. "Tom is going to have big belly after he eats them."
