The Light At The End Of The World

Grace

After a few moments, I slowly turn the handle surprised that it was unlocked, and look in to find a pink sleeping bag with purple flowers on it, a stockpile of empty cans, and a water bottle with barely even a drop of water left in it. The little girl sat in a corner quivering in fear with wide eyes and a very small pocket knife that would have done no damage to the Changed if they managed to get through.

I don't know what made me stop and talk to her that afternoon. Maybe the fact that she was only a little girl, or maybe I was just in a good mood because I'd found a restaurant that had thrown out an entire day's worth of old sandwiches.

The girl who couldn't have been more than thirteen years old stayed where she was, trembling when she saw me. She was skinny as a rail, with a tattered shirt and trousers. Her hair was long and tangled, and ended right below the middle of her back, and a chestnut shade of red in the sunlight.

I waited for a moment, not wanting to scare her like I had the other people I met in the past. "Hey," I said again, "mind if I join you?"

She stared back at me without a word. I could barely make out her face because of all the soot on it. But what I could make out was that she had one blue and one green eye..

When she didn't reply, I shrugged and started walking toward her. Maybe I could help her and she could be useful for me.

The instant I got within ten feet of the girl, she let out a strangled cry and darted away. She ran so fast that she tripped, falling onto the glass covered floor on her hands and knees. I limped over to her. My knee injury was getting worse and I stumbled in my rush. "Hey!" I said. "Are you alright?"

She jerked away and held up her scratched hands to shield her face. "Please," she said. "Please, please."

"Please, what?" I snapped,Then I sighed, embarrassed by my irritation. Already I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "Stop crying. I'm not going to hurt you." I knelt down beside her. At first, she whimpered and started to crawl away, but when I didn't move, she paused to stare at me. Both of her knees had the skin ripped right off them, and the flesh underneath was scarlet and raw.

"You have a camp close by?" I asked her.

She nodded. Then, as if she had remembered something, she shook her head. "No," she said.

"Can I help you get to your group?"

"I don't have a group. Please... just go away." She stammered as she broke down into tears, "I don't wanna die."

"I'm not going to hurt you. Where are your parents?"

She shook her head again. I sighed and dropped my bag to the ground, then held out a hand to her. "Come on," I said. "You don't want two infected knees. I'll help you clean them up and then I can let you be. You can have some of my food too. Pretty good deal, right?"

It took her a long time to put her hand in mine. "Okay," she whispered, so softly that I could barely hear her.

I reach into my bag and find a can of beef stew I found earlier that same day, but I still keep it hidden inside of my bag. "I'm not going to kill you. How long has it been since you ate anything?" I say as I clutched the can in my hand.

This was starting to break my heart as I saw her start to tear up again. "Why."

"I can't really remember... Do you have any food with you?" The little girl said as she wiped away tears in her eyes and put away the pocket knife.

"I have to ask you something first."

"Anything please, I just need food." She starts sniffing the air for just a hint of the food that I have in my bag.