• I looked down at the figure curled into a ball awkwardly.
    What the hell? This little girl was maybe 8, and yet she was laying on the beach in wet clothes, shivering and sneezing miserably. I nudged her in the ribs with the toe of my boot, and she looked up, tears and ocean water coating her face. I rolled my eyes, bent down, and patted her head.
    "Your parents must be worried. What do you think you're doing laying there. You've already caught a cold, silly."
    Generally i would have said some very bad swears, but this was just a little kid, so i decided against it.
    "Gah?"
    "Hey, can't you talk?" I asked, pulling her up into a sitting position.
    "...Gah," she replied, letting her head hang down.
    I sighed. Quickly, I unzipped my hoodie, and covered her. She stuck her arms through the sleeves, and hugged her knees, more tears brimming.
    "Hey, now, don't cry."
    "...Cry?"
    "These," I replied, rubbing tears off her face. "You're crying. Stop it."
    "Stop...it," she said. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!!" she said clapping her hands excitedly.
    "There, now, that's better," I said.
    "That's better! Better, better, better!"
    I swung her unto my back, and she was still clapping, saying better again and again.