Young Writers Society

She frowned.

"I don't know," she said. She looked him over again, eyes narrow and wary. "Also, you died. You said you weren't going to."

She thought for a moment.

"...But you're back now," she relented, "so I guess it's alright."

The man's roughened face was softer with the girl. The sternness gone, unnecessary with a child. There was no reason to fake things and children usually saw through it better than adults did, anyways.

She didn't know. She didn't know her name. His brow furrowed slightly, finding that strange, and that concern in him began to rise.

"Yes, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to. Are you all alone out here?"

She gave a big nod.

"Yeah," she said. "No one ever comes to visit."

She thought for a moment, a serious expression flickering across her face.

"But that's okay," she added, musing, "because I have every toy I could ever want, and the forest is really pretty."

Alone. No one visiting. It was a miracle she survived out here. Was she even properly human? He glanced around at the rising trees. Even the birds were silent tonight, storm still raging on over the woodland. His eyes trailed the clearing, the short grass decimated by wind and mud. The girl was so young already; how was it she managed life alone in the forest? Humanity was capable of miraculous things, but this...Well. It was impressive enough to nearly be unbelievable. His mind flickered back to the mention of a heart. No, it looks like this...

"Ja, that doesn't sound so bad," the vampire agreed, eyeing the sheets of water still falling to the earth. "How long have you been out here, Mädel?"