Mary ran through the forest without looking back. Branches slapped her face. Behind she could hear breathing and growling. Suddenly the trees parted and she saw a glade. But scene in front of her made girl forget about chase.
Grass all covered in blood. And in the center of this, surrounding by dead bodies, stood man. Except for hands, there was no blood on him. And now this man squatted down and rummaged into guts.
'If strike heart or cut head they dead immediately... Such weak creatures'
Two blue eyes with golden vertical pupils staring at her.
'You scared?'
Girls don't move.
'I can understand that, survival instinct. These people were scared too.' - He pointed on the dead bodies. - But why...
Terrible creatures sprinted out of the forest and attacked girl. On it body was many spikes, beast looks like big hedgehog with mouth filled with fangs.
But when girl's mind accepted her fate, creature came off in tree.
'Can't you see I'm talking to her?'
Monster doesn't answered and roared.
'Are you lost your mind? Or you hasn't been getting mind? In any case...'
Colorless spot rushed to monster's neck and cut it. Mary looked at it with horror in eyes.
Without waiting for an answer, he going forward. Girl set quietly, but when she understood that no one not going to kill her, sighed with relief. And in other moment Mary listened new roar from destroyed town on distant.
'Wait! I'm going with you' - she ground out words between her closed teeth, fearfully.
Man looked on her, but didn't say a word. And continued to walk.
Steps in the silence sounded like thunderclap, but girl can't move. She's watched with wide eyes on him, but man simply went away in the forest. Mary clenched her teeth and on trembled legs and followed him, with no noise. Creatures which destroyed her home and town scared her more than stranger with monstrous eyes.
Girl stood by a second, but screams behind forced ahead, step by step. The blonde man ignored her, but didn't send her away. No one could tell what is twisting in this head. But for girl stranger seemed safer than monsters.
****
A few minutes later man stopped and turn to Mary, glanced on her without sense in eyes. Girl trembled more, but not from fear. Cold filled air, because it was getting dark.
'What you know about this world?' - sounded unexpected question. Girl froze by a second.
'Mother always told me that the world outside is a dangerous place. - Answered girl, shifting on foot and rubbing hands.
'Why?' - Man ignored Mary's moves, in his cat's eyes was no emotion.
'Because there living bad creatures and people.'
'Okay...' - the man briefly paused - 'what mean "mom"?'
'Mother...'
'And who it is?'
Mary didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Adult man asked about simple thing, but this question sounded strangely lonely. But she was small but not stupid.
'I-if you find a place where we can eat and get warm, I will answer all yours questions.'
***
Mary didn't move and she didn't know what can do. Blue-eyed man, but when Mary saw him closer, he looked twenty, sat at the floor in cave, and staring at her. She scared him. Suddenly her stomach rumbled.
'I'm still hungry.' - Whispered Mary, but didn't move, and with hope glance on neighbor in the cave.
He got up and went outside. Many seconds later started the little wind and into the cave floated branches and sticks. Firewood flied ahead and formed a small pile. Man moved a hand and light a fire with magic. Then he took out piece of meat.
'What do you know about Tower over the horizon?'
'In Tower has been living God.'
'God?' - man's eyes blacken.
'All people think so.' - Answered girl, not noticed the change.
'And you trust?'
'I don't know, adults says so.' - Blank silence followed, but girl laugh. - 'I think it's silly and boring, when you living all alone. So why adults decided, that god living there?'
The tension had left and man smiled.
'You are right. But now, we are going to eat and rest.'
As he watched the little girl tried to bite the tough meat, he thought:
People are strange creatures ... so smart, so stupid and so weak.