Alone

The Girl and Her Friend

  She stared, peering through at me with big round eyes, extending a dirt-ridden hand out, each digit telling its own story. She said her name was Willow.

"Come, I would like to show you something" She invited. Looking past the aged lines, the girl had to be about 8 years, hungry and sweltering, to say the least.

It had to be at least 120 degrees here as we spoke. I looked around for a barrel of water to offer to her but the rich bastards had beaten me to it. Even with the sun setting, there still failed to be a breeze. Willow withdrew her hand- I had spent too much time thinking and prying into what I shouldn't and had given off the impression of not caring.

Her eyes lowered, kicking into the blazing sand that made up the deserted town. Before I could muster words to cheer her up, as if by some miraculous and forgiving fate, a small boy about her age ran over from behind without her knowledge and hugged her, calling out her name. The weak child stumbled forward, only to be caught by her guy friend.

He grinned a toothy grin, the sun reflecting off of golden strands and darkening skin from spending so much time outdoors. From the looks of it, he was in the same boat as her. I was in good hands.

"Richard ..? Where have you been??" The former brunette questioned. I now seemed to be out of the loop of the conversation, her entire focus on him. She was limp in his grasp, listening as he spoke.

"I've been searching for food, Willy!" He snuggled, entirely unfazed by her grimed hair, lips resting without her knowledge. "It's been a long and hot journey ... not to mention lonely. I was waiting for you to come and join me!" The assumed Richard only hugged tighter as Willow pondered her next words not necessarily out of care but rather mustering up enough energy to so much as speak.

"I was taking care of the elderly, Rich. They were dying." She hugged his arms as if for support.

"Well. They're alright now, right?" Richard inquired with another toothy grin and a giggle. "We can go hunting for food again and-"

"They're dead, Rich." She had enough energy for 3 last morbid words. "They died on my watch. The wealthy are angry with my work. I ... I tried telling them ..." Richard held her closer as she leaned forward for intended support, guilt overriding the breaking child; he hushed her quietly in attempt to reassure her, rubbing her back.

"Those old folks were dying anyway," he chittered, annoyed. "Besides, you're hardly enough to leave town on your own, much less doctor OLD people." He pulled her to him, standing her up in a comfortable position in to sob. "If they're so rich, how come they hired a child? Are they even paying you for your efforts?" The slightly taller boy questioned. Willow simply shook her head.

"Something about it costing less and saving money for the 'youngsters'."

"Disgusting."

"It's our only chance of having food and shelter for the time being, Richard."

"For what? An hour? Willow, please listen to me-"

"I'm not leaving. That is my final word on it."

"Fine. You don't have to leave."

"Good.-" Before I knew it, the child had fallen silent after a distinct thud to the back of her head. The boy turned toward me with wary eyes shortly before taking the girl into his own arms and making his way into the vast unknowns of the Arizona deserts.

It wasn't so much of the situation that had just happened that startled me but moreover the fact that a kidnapping between 2 eight year olds had just happened.

And one of them, maybe, just maybe could expect to be his wife in order to survive.