Midnight Imaginings

Innocence

Dim light shines down on the gray slab of a street. Large circles illuminating certain spots, then fading into the dark. Whenever she passed through the wide circles her eyes shine gold with silver lacing through the irises.

A soft breeze played with her hair, gently lifting the dark tendrils. Her jacket lay open across her breasts, allowing the coolness to touch her skin. She walked with a purpose, even though she had none.

The reason for her small endeavour was a simple one. She had grown bored.

Days and nights of eating and sleeping. Her waking hours spent surfing the media or reading a novel. All were quite enjoyable, and yet she looked for something more.

Tired of lounging on her bed for hours, she had decided on a walk. Grabbing a light jacket she had hoped it would take her mind off of the nothingness. So here she was.

The ecstatic chirping of birds had died hours ago. No sound permeated the darkness. Except for that of a child.

Small cries laced with fear came from her right. Glancing over she searched through the black of the night. Her muscles tensed as she halted her momentum.

Vaguely the shape of a bush came into view. The sounds of the weeping child right beside it. Silently she stalked towards it, hoping she wouldn't frighten the child away. Upon reaching the child she squatted down and she smoothed the child's hair.

"What is it little one? Are you lost?"

Jerking its head up she was faced with big blue orbs. Fear leaked from the child's every fibre. Lips trembling it wiped at the tears that ran down its face.

"Do not worry dear one. I will take the fear away," she calmed the young human. Kneeling she secured the child in her arms with its back to her, soothing it with soft whispers.

Slowly the child began to quiet, relaxing into her motherly embrace. With it being the wee hours before dawn, nobody else was out and about.

Considering this she looked down at the young one. Such sweet innocence inhabited the small body. Unfortunately said innocence can never last. She herself was proof of this fact.

Sooner or later this young human would grow. With that growth would come the abolishment of the innocent child.

It would be a slow and agonizing death. Hopes and dreams would be dashed away, only to return again and again. But unknown to the child, pieces of that hope would have broken off. Little by little that hope would shrink. Smaller and smaller it would grow, until it winked out of existence.

With the extinction of hope comes the birth of an abomination. An abomination such as herself. She could not let such a thing happen.

The child was now asleep in her arms. Reaching down into her boot, she pulls out a knife. The shiny metal glints as the moon's rays touch it.

Placing the sharp edge on the child's neck, she begins to hum. It is a soft, haunting lullaby. One that kisses the wind as it is carried off into the night. The glint of the knife fades as she drags it across the flesh.

Setting the knife on the dew, she rocks the child into an eternal slumber.