The Shadows within

The girl child wondered into camp sat down and slept. The look of her clothing and the dirty feet indicated she had be alone for a long time. She didn't speak but her eyes told you she had fears, had seen things a child should never see.

After the blast of missiles, 2030 showed a world of cruelty and taboos. People were eating each other to survive, children were a delicacy so few were still alive and free, others were farmed. This child was alone, nobody to guide her in life's lessons or protect her. As I watched her sleep my heart went out to her. I wondered how she had succeeded to hide and not become a meal.

I will find out who she is and protect her while she is in camp. Maybe I can find her family. Learn from her as well, she had escaped being harmed by the 3 heads(dogs, who due to radiation, mutated to flesh eating monsters)Those things could smell you 10 miles away , and once they had your scent it is kill or be killed. This child had scars on her to prove she had been in the 3 heads sights, How could a child of 4 or 5 years of age escape detection? I had so many questions.

She slept for 9 hours in a sitting position her hand holding her head. I feared for her as some of the other camp members looked at her. I had a feeling I was gonna be leaving the camp in a hell of a hurry. I quietly got my pack together for our escape, the adults were circling her I needed to move and move fast. I approached the Elder and laid claim to this child.

The deed was done, the challenge issued. I would need to defeat all challengers in order for us to leave the camp. I got my favorite knives and stood my ground waiting to see who would come at me first. Milo was the first, he came at me spear in hand. I knocked his weapon aside and sliced his fingers off with my sword, next I slashed his thigh muscle, he went down. Next was Sara. She blindsided me with a sucker punch, I took a few more blows before I was able to smack her upside her temple with the butt of my sword and she dropped. I was still seeing stars when the child was beside me she had a grenade in her hand, holding it for all to see she grabbed my hand and pulled me to come with her. Once we hit a safe distance we turned and ran for our lives.

We found shelter in a tree, sitting there looking to make sure we were not followed. I thanked her, she smiled. I couldn't help it questions came out of me rapid fire. Who are you? What is your name? Where are your parents? Where did you come from?

Those eyes of hers, one was green the other blue, I hadn't noticed before surely such a unique child had someone looking for her. I asked her again where her parents were, she smiled at me, dug into the collar of her shirt and produced a gold heart shaped necklace. Taking it off she handed it to me, I opened it to find a picture and the name Maria from Vancouver. She handed me a sign that was folded up in her pocket, It read. My name is Maria, I am nobodies child.

I looked at the picture again, looked at her and said "I guess we are going to Vancouver Maria." I could not, did not wanna believe she was nobodies child.