Chapter Text
Deafening silence fell over everything. All the explosions had been set off. Fires had roared and burnt themselves out. Motionless bodies were strewn around; none of them would ever be claimed. Buildings were basically gone, only broken foundations and rubble to prove they had been there. I had done my job. Soon enough, I’d be picked up as the cleanup crew came to fix the filth that had been this rebel camp. The rebels had been violent, more violent than I. The sky was still full of smoke and ash, and I watched the way the wind twisted and contorted it into beautiful shapes. The smoke proved that there was always a beauty to when order was restored. The spell of quiet had then been broken by a soft hic and the sound of debris being unsettled. I turned to face where the noise had come from, walking carefully in that direction. The gravel ground beneath my military-issued boots crunched lowly with each step. I turned a corner and looked down to find what looked like a seven or eight-year-old girl. She looked small, weak, and probably was malnourished. She had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders with straight bangs, and big brown eyes that were currently full of fear and tears. She was still in a pink nightgown; she had most likely been asleep when the first fire had been set. I crouched down in front of her so we were on the same level. She looked terrified, almost human for a second, like her people weren’t monsters. This was the first time any of them survived past the expungement. I held out a hand to her, and she looked at me, unsure yet desperate. She took my hand. Hers was so small and delicate. I pulled her close to myself, looking her in the eyes as I pulled a blade from the pocket of my pants and administered a quick stab into her side just under her ribs. The girl yelped and then started to fight. Her nightgown began to turn red in a matter of seconds. I pulled the knife from her side, then let her go. She fell sideways and was sobbing with fear. I stood up and watched as she struggled for a few seconds, only causing more blood to spray out. I walked away, back to the main road, where it would be easy for them to find me. The bloody knife was still in my hand as I waited patiently.