The first time I saw her, she was sitting on a curb, her little feet hanging still in the gutter. I couldn’t see her eyes for the silken tangle of ink black hair flowing to her knobby knees to hide her face. She looked lost, but not unduly upset by it. I stood in the shadows of the alley watching her, drawn to this tiny, dirty scrap of humanity.
Across the park James was coming, drawn to her as well, but to him a little thing like her was a money maker. She’d be warm and fed and off the street, but more fucked up than was believable. James peddled flesh, and his customers liked their flesh young. No way in hell was he getting her.
Don’t go thinking I’m soft or anything. I’m no bloody angel that goes around saving lost children.
I pushed away from the wall and walked to her, not too fast. James hadn’t seen me yet and I hoped that I could get her away while his attention was on the street traffic. I could, if I timed it right. James was watching the cars, waiting for a clearing to get across the street. Now was my chance. I reached the girl, crouched down.
“Hello there, my name is Merek. What’s yours? Are you lost?”
She looked at me then, and my heart rose quickly to my throat then dropped to my belly just as fast. Her eyes were grey, pale as a dove’s wing. Her eyes had no pupils. Neither did mine.
“We have to go now, don’t we?” She stood, barely reaching my waist, and put her dirt streaked hand in mine. Swinging her up into my arms, I half ran down the alley, glancing over my shoulder. James hadn’t seen us.
Across the park James was coming, drawn to her as well, but to him a little thing like her was a money maker. She’d be warm and fed and off the street, but more fucked up than was believable. James peddled flesh, and his customers liked their flesh young. No way in hell was he getting her.
Don’t go thinking I’m soft or anything. I’m no bloody angel that goes around saving lost children.
I pushed away from the wall and walked to her, not too fast. James hadn’t seen me yet and I hoped that I could get her away while his attention was on the street traffic. I could, if I timed it right. James was watching the cars, waiting for a clearing to get across the street. Now was my chance. I reached the girl, crouched down.
“Hello there, my name is Merek. What’s yours? Are you lost?”
She looked at me then, and my heart rose quickly to my throat then dropped to my belly just as fast. Her eyes were grey, pale as a dove’s wing. Her eyes had no pupils. Neither did mine.
“We have to go now, don’t we?” She stood, barely reaching my waist, and put her dirt streaked hand in mine. Swinging her up into my arms, I half ran down the alley, glancing over my shoulder. James hadn’t seen us.
