USER: Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a three year olds trauma , gazed in his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" . Fluting a scrap and blackened , rough blanket, she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished three fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm three years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the toddler as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ."

USER: Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a three year olds trauma , gazed in his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit it's left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished three fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm three years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the toddler as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, ges...

USER: Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a three year olds trauma , gazed in his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" . Fluting a scrap and blackened , rough blanket,Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit it's left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished three fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm three years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the toddler as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"

USER: Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a three year olds trauma , gazed in his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit it'sits left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished three fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm three years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the toddler as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her shoes falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip.

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' .. I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a threefour year olds trauma , gazed ininto his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished threefour fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm threefour years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the toddlerchild as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her shoesknees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it..but I'm so tired..I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now .." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now.." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two.. but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head as he said "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands , yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out , sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ..orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ..... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it..butit...but I'm so tired..Itired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now .."..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now.."now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two..two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head as he said "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands , yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out , sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ..orange...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head as he saidhead. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands , yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out ,with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old...

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old...

USER: Ibut what are some examples of how Lily is well portrayed as a child character

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old...

USER: Is my narrative cheesy or is it gritty

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old...

USER: As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old...

USER: As Ryan pusheddragged his thighs through the rubble,shards of debris, the blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his gnarled elbows, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped.distinct sound. It came from a thousand directions, its faint persistence causing his temples to pulse in anticipation . Then as his eyes scanned the horizon, a strange dread consumed his airways, and his eyes came to rest on back of his hand. The glare marred his vision , shades of green overarching with streaks of white. " Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't pinpoint the damned crying-she's gotta be dehydrated, and we have zero hydration-" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt, his sentence broken in the atmosphere. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat:skin crawled as he cursed into his forearm . "Liam , it's - a-a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope "I thought I'd seen some hell but ...those bastards don't-" Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay,, his own skull throbbing with the heat, combed a hand over his visioneyes . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-sheI don't know what I expected but -she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. CapturedAssuming she had parents- father is either A, dead or b, pleading for muling.the status through his teeth. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryancan't even visit that sick twisted- We need to move fast. And I -this is - I mean she's not visibly injured but-Is there nothing they won't pervert-that they won't-" he said, his voice bleeding into a strained curse. As he looked into the glare , she remained on the ground, crying into hands blackened by filth. "She's surrounded by cut glass, and if she moves-". Liam's rough voice simmered on his tongue , the anger and urgency biting into Ryan's flesh as he braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he saidchest. "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" asthis." As her face became clear inemerged from the heavy clouds of dust, pulling himself to his feet to navigate the shattered glass . Ryan met hereher in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris; splintered windows and doorframe remnants , as she noticed his presence and ceased her tears, drawing her legs closer to her chest as she lifted her head . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds-loaded with trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? "make-make Daddy-take off his shoes? And why did-did they tell him to say good-b-" Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them ,him, ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" ClitchingClutching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-mreply ."I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened for the first time that week as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-"says-but he told me not to move-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I"I don't know why Daddy is gone?"gone? Why did they say he was going to the other heaven? " The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-"bastards. In front of her-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky"Uncle Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost...left behind... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist , pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um"Uncle...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky"Unckle Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? ""he asked . Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared nowscared- ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep.and pulled her waist against his neck. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two...too... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: Which is more resonate : passage one : As Ryan draggedpushed his thighs through the shards of debris, the blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his gnarled elbows,rubble, honing in on the distinct sound. It came from a thousand directions, its faint persistence causing his temples to pulse in anticipation . Then as his eyes scanned the horizon, a strange dread consumed his airways, and his eyes came to rest on back of his hand. The glare marred his vision , shades of green overarching with streaks of white. " Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't pinpoint the damned crying-she's gotta be dehydrated, and we have zero hydration-" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt, his sentence broken in the atmosphere.sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his skin crawled as he cursed into his forearm .heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's -a- a kid. I thought I'd seen some hell but ...those bastards don't-"Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze , his own skull throbbing with the heat,of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his eyesvision . "oh God , I don't know what I expected but -sheI've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. Assuming she had parents- father is either A, dead or b, pleadingAnd we know her father's fate at least. Captured for the status through his teeth.muling. Her mother-I can't even visit that sick twisted- We need to move fast. And I -this is - I mean she's not visibly injured but-Is there nothing they won't pervert-that they won't-" he said, his voice bleeding into a strained curse. As he looked into the glare , she remained on the ground, crying into hands blackened by filth. "She's surrounded by cut glass, and if she moves-". Liam's rough voice simmered on his tongue , the anger and urgency biting into Ryan's flesh as hedon't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest.chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this." Asthis" as her face emerged frombecame clear in the heavy clouds of dust, pulling himself to his feet to navigate the shattered glass . Ryan met herhere in the middle of the deteriorated pile ; splintered windows and doorframe remnants , as she noticed his presence and ceased her tears, drawing her legs closer to her chest as she lifted her headof debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils -loaded with, that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they make-make Daddy-take off his shoes? And why did-did they tell him to say good-b-"go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find him,them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" ClutchingClitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered reply ."I-mname "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened for the first time that week as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is -ahtwenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-but he told me not to move-"says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "I"But I don't know why Daddy is gone? Why did they say he was going to the other heaven? "gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bastards. In front of her-"bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncle"Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got left behind...lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist , pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncle...um"Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unckle"Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? "he asked ." Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared-scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , and pulled her waist against his neck.assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them too...two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance. Or passage two : If I wanted it to fit into a gritty psychological narrative , how are these revisions : As Ryan dragged his thighs through the shards of debris, the blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his gnarled elbows, honing in on the sound. It came from a thousand directions, its faint persistence causing his temples to pulse. Then as his eyes scanned the horizon, a strange dread consumed his airways. The air was dry with particles of desolation, and his vision was marred by the unrelenting glare Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't -" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his pulse slowed as he cursed into the air . "Liam , it's -a kid. I thought I'd seen some hell but ...those perverted bastards don't-" Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his eyes . "oh God , I don't know what I expected but -she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I can't even visit that. " he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this." as her face emerged from the heavy clouds of dust, Ryan met her in the middle of the deteriorated pile of waste, pulling himself to his feet to navigate the shattered glass . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils -loaded with trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clutching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered reply "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened dor the first time that week as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is -ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: Which is more resonateresonant , one or two : passage oneONE : Ryan hauled his torso through the splinters of glass, blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his elbows, his bound legs dragging behind. Finally , as his ankle was freed by the sharp jag of a split window pane beneath him , he kicked away the rope from his feet. As Ryan pushed his thighshe scanned the horizon, his eyes raw and throbbing with his pulse , the distinct sound haunted him. It rained through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped.air from a thousand directions , its distress weaving through his clenching jaw. He clutched at his temple , its faint persistence causing his head to ache. The unrelenting glare marred his vision, striking his eyes with overarching tones of green and white as he rested his gaze behind his hand. "Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't pinpoint the crying-" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat:disgust burned across his tongue as cursed into his forearm . "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope "... I thought I'd seen my share of hell but ...those bastards don't-the things I'm guessing' she's seen-" Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combeddesolation, ran a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-sheeyes , his weathered stare haunted as she stood crying into blackened hands. "God , I don't know what I expected , but she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit.say, five? Assuming she had parents , the father , A, Dead, or B, pleading for the status through his teeth. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Herthe mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached.can't even visit that twisted scenario-And in front of her- is there nothing those bastards won't pervert- " he said, the anger burning on his tongue as his curse trailed into the heat of the arid air. "We need to move fast, if she moves-" Liam said, his hand finding its way to his nape as he balanced his stiffened neck, unable to find a space uncovered by shattered windows. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this"this." as her face became clear inemerged from the heavy clouds of dust, Ryan met herepulled himself to feet and approached her , his bloodied elbows behind his back as he winced in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debrishaze. . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds-loaded with trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. WhyBut why did they-why-why they go so far away?m-make Daddy take off his shoes . He-says you-get-cut without your shoes. And then they told him to s-say Good-by-goodbye? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find themhim , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam.Liam for now. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" ClitchingClutching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered namereply "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened for the first time that week as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-"says-but he told not to move no matter what-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?"gone , to the -um -other heaven?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky"Uncle Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost...left behind ... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um"Uncle...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky"Uncle Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it to daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance. Or passage two : If I wanted it to fit into a gritty psychological narrative , how are these revisions :or TWO :Gah As Ryan draggedpushed his thighs through the shards of debris, the blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his gnarled elbows,rubble, honing in on the sound. It came from a thousand directions, its faint persistence causing his temples to pulse. Then as his eyes scanned the horizon, a strange dread consumed his airways. The air was dry with particles of desolation, and his vision was marred by the unrelenting glare Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't -" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt.sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his pulseheart slowed as he cursed into the air .its beat: "Liam , it's -a- a kid. I thought I'd seen some hell but ...those perverted bastards don't-"Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his eyesvision . "oh God , I don't know what I expected but -sheI've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I can't even visit that. "don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this."this" as her face emerged frombecame clear in the heavy clouds of dust, Ryan met herhere in the middle of the deteriorated pile of waste, pulling himself to his feet to navigate the shattered glassdebris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils -loaded with, that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" ClutchingClitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered replyname "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened dor the first time that week as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is -ahtwenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: Which is more resonant , one or two : ONE : Ryan hauled his torso through the splinters of glass, blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his elbows, his bound legs dragging behind. Finally , as his ankle was freed by the sharp jag of a split window pane beneath him , he kicked away the rope from his feet. As he scanned the horizon, his eyes raw and throbbing with his pulse , the distinct sound haunted him. It rained through the air from a thousand directions , its distress weaving through his clenching jaw. He clutched at his temple , its faint persistence causing his head to ache. The unrelenting glare marred his vision, striking his eyes with overarching tones of green and white as he rested his gaze behind his hand. "Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't pinpoint the crying-" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his disgust burned across his tongue as cursed into his forearm . "Liam ... I thought I'd seen my share of hell but ...those bastards don't-the things I'm guessing' she's seen-" Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of desolation, ran a hand over his eyes , his weathered stare haunted as she stood crying into blackened hands. "God , I don't know what I expected , but she can't be older than say, five? Assuming she had parents , the father , A, Dead, or B, pleading for the status through his teeth. And the mother-I can't even visit that twisted scenario-And in front of her- is there nothing those bastards won't pervert- " he said, the anger burning on his tongue as his curse trailed into the heat of the arid air. "We need to move fast, if she moves-" Liam said, his hand finding its way to his nape as he balanced his stiffened neck, unable to find a space uncovered by shattered windows.windows to rest his chin. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this." asAs her face emerged from the heavy clouds of dust, Ryan pulled himself to feet and approached her , his bloodied elbows behind his back as he winced in the haze.haze . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils -loaded with trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. But why did they-why-why they m-make Daddy take off his shoes . He-says you-get-cut without your shoes. And then they told him to s-say Good-by-goodbye? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find him , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam for now. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clutching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered reply "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened for the first time that weekin days as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is -ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-but he told not to move no matter what-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone , to the -um -other heaven?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we knowknow-about this other heaven , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-"bast-And calling' it the other heaven. Meaning-they probably told him he was going straight to -" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncle Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got left behind ... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncle...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Uncle Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it to daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance. or TWO :Gah As Ryan pushed his thighs through the rubble, honing in on the sound of human tears, he stopped. As his eyes froze on the figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his heart slowed its beat: "Liam , it's - a kid. Poor thing was spared-I hope " Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of loose bricks and clay, combed a hand over his vision . "oh God , I've been through enough hell-but look at her-she can't be older than ...five? . Ry-I -ah shit. And we know her father's fate at least. Captured for muling. Her mother-I don't think I'm strong enough this" he said , gazing at the girl who , noticing their presence , curiously approached. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this" as her face became clear in the heavy dust, Ryan met here in the middle of the deteriorated pile of debris . " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils , that of a four year olds trauma , gazed into his. "I -I don't know. I miss them. Why did they go so far away? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find them , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clitching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered name "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is twenty-ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncky Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got lost... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncky...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Unky Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.

USER: Ryan hauled his torso through the splinters of glass, blood saturating his shirt as he crawled on his elbows, his bound legs dragging behind. Finally , as his ankle was freed by the sharp jag of a split window pane beneath him , he kicked away the rope from his feet. As he scanned the horizon, his eyes raw and throbbing with his pulse , the distinct sound haunted him. It rained through the air from a thousand directions , its distress weaving through his clenching jaw. He clutchedWilling the noise to anchor itself , he grabbed at his searing temple , its faint persistence causing his head to ache. TheAn unrelenting glare marred his vision, striking his eyes with overarching tonesscintillating hues of green and white as he rested his gaze behind his hand. "Liam, I can't see , I don't know how long we've been out here or why I can't pinpoint the crying-" . .Then , as the deep magenta particles cleared, his heartbeat screamed to a halt. As his eyes froze on the distant figure, her outline framed with the fading daylight, his disgust burned across his tongue as cursed into his forearm . "Liam ... I thought I'd seen my share of hell but ...those bastards don't-the things I'm guessing' she's seen-" Liam , catching up to Ryan in the haze of desolation, ran a hand over his eyes , his weathered stare haunted as she stood crying into blackened hands. "God , I don't know what I expected , but she can't be older than say, five? Assuming she had parents , the father , A, Dead, or B, pleading for the status through his teeth. And the mother-I can't even visit that twisted scenario-And in front of her- is there nothing those bastards won't pervert- " he said, the anger burning on his tongueseeping through his teeth as his curse trailed into the heat of the arid air. "We need to move fast, if she moves-" Liam said, his hand finding its way to his nape as he balanced his stiffened neck, unable to find a space uncovered by shattered windows to rest his chin. Ryan braced a hand over Liam's chest, as he said "It's ok Li' ... I've got this." As her face emerged from the heavy clouds of dust, Ryan pulled himself to feet and approached her , his bloodied elbows behind his back as he winced in the haze .dusk, as her crying ceased and she lifted her eyes. " Hey, where's your mom and dad , huh? " Ryan asked, the girl's tiny amber irises , with her large pupils -loaded with trauma , gazed into his.his.. "I -I don't know. I miss them. But why did they-why-why they m-make Daddy take off his shoes . He-says you-get-cut without your shoes. And then they told him to s-say Good-by-goodbye? " Ryan dropped to his knees , her face peering up into his unwavering gaze as he said evenly . "We're gonna find him , ok, but you'll be safe with me and uncle Liam for now. What's your name ? You can call me Ry'" Clutching the remains of a stuffed bear, albeit its left eye handing by a thread , she offered a stammered reply "I-m I'm Lily" . She then brandished four fingers in Ryan's smiling face as she announced , " I'm four years old...how old are you?" . Liam's laugh came from somewhere behind Ryan's head as he answered her. "He's a big number , hold up both hands Ry, " Ryan's smile broadened for the first time in days as he laughed , offering his hand to the child as she entrusted her hand to his grasp. "Uncle Ry' is -ah it doesn't matter. You're gorgeous ain't ya?" She blushed with a crystalline laugh, as her eyes darted and she wound her shoe into the dust. "That's what Daddy always says-but he told not to move no matter what-" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "But I don't know why Daddy is gone , to the -um -other heaven?" The magenta skies bled behind her fragile silhouette , as Liam bent down beside her. "We think we know-about this other heaven , and we are gonna find mommy too huh?" Her face lit up , the pink hues melting into her glassy stare as she said "Yeah, I wanna see mommy , too ." Liam , smiling despite the uncertain twist of agony in his chest, gestured towards the dilapidated toy in her hand. "Who's this , huh, I bet he's pretty special? We have to make sure that no matter what, we don't lose him. " As he winked , she held up the dust infested bear as it were an earned prize . "He's Sam, he's smaller now... but I still love him ." Liam leaned behind Ryan's head as he said, in a low tone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" . As Liam's eyes landed on a pair of boots , placed eerily close together , perfect and stripped of their laces , Ryan's gaze followed. "Yeah Li' , I'm guessin' those are the father's . It's a calling card if I ever saw it. Sick bast-And calling' it the other heaven. Meaning-they probably told him he was going straight to -" The sky echoed the sentiment of despair infused with a faint hope as her hand fluted Ryan's thumb and forefinger. "Uncle Ry-I-I-I don't know where I am....i got left behind ... it's cause I let go of mommy's hand . I'm I'm sorry-" Liam , deftly grasping her shaking wrist pulled her into the crux of his elbow. "No , Lily, it's not you fault. You keep Sam safe , so he's lucky you were hanging on tight to him huh?" The light flew back to her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah-but Uncle...um" she said , already disoriented by the encounter. "You can call me Li- you've made two new friends today huh? How about that?"Her eyes faltered a moment, then she gazed directly into Liam's blue stare, as she lowered her voice to a whisper . "Uncle Li" , don't tell anybody , but I have a secret. I -it's -um-" She leaned closer, whispering into Liam's ear as she said "I found this and I wanted to give it to daddy but-it's the same color as your eyes". As she produced a wilted morning glory from her pocket , she perched it on Liam's grease laden hair, behind his earlobe. "Oh , you're too -" he said , the gesture unbalancing his compose as he encircled his arm around her waist . "I bet you're tired huh, if you can't walk , do you think you can fit up here?" Liam, patting his shoulders , watched as she nodded , dust falling in her light hair. Hoisting her up , her knees falling either side of his jaw , he guided her hands to his hair. "Hold on tight , I got you. And up we go". Liam rose to his feet , with the aid of Ryan's firm grip hauling him off the ground. Lily was quick to reach out Ryan's hand, grabbing his pinky and swaying it back and forth as he walked alongside Liam. "You're so high up there , is the sky pretty? " Through a yawn she said, "yeah, it's red, I like it...but I'm so tired...I can't sleep till mommy and daddy-umm -I'm scared now ..." Her fingers twisted against Liam's scalp and her chest shook with oncoming tears. He quickly halted , assuring her she could sleep. "You can take a nap up there , we will keep walking so even while you sleep we'll be getting closer to your parents, it's gonna be ok-" . Ryan , reaching up to stroke her hair said quietly "when you wake up we'll still be here , because that's what uncles are for right? And you are stuck with two of us so you're double safe ...but you'd better hug Sam tight so he doesn't fall huh?" . Lily stuffed the bear down her oversized shirt, and rested her chin in Liam's unkept bed of hair. "He's safe now..." she said , her voice travelling over Liam's head as her eyes slid closed. Ryan glanced out at the horizon, the sun slipping lower, and he nudged Liam. "I'm guessin' that it's been about two miles , and we still don't have an iota of a clue where to start lookin' , and you know the pattern up to this point has been , traffic with the men...torture and kill the women for pure sadistic pleasure. Maybe he even trafficked a few of them two... but I don't know how we tell this kid she might not see either of her folks again-" . As his expression flickered with worry and a foreboding guilt, Liam sighed , pulling the small of Lily's back closer to his neck, her stomach flush against his skin. "I don't think we do- I think she's gonna put two and two together -kids just know this shit right? And we might have to ask ourselves something worse, for instance, how do we deal with her total sense of abandonment, the survivors guilt, she's us in a smaller , vulnerable body-" . Ryan slowed his gait, the wear in his voice as he said "Well, not in the sense that she can understand it. We might find them alive yet, and I suspect that the boots mean they want us to find these people. Lily herself is a calling card. I know better than to assume they were disposed of so fast." Liam's eyes were dark with the notion , as the concrete pavement wound its way into an unpromising nowhere. As the night carried a soothing breeze , taking the searing edge from the heat out of the arid air, Lily began to stir. "Daddy-it's cold-I don't wanna sleep yet, I wanna play with Kai-no, I -" . Her shoes kicked against Liam's collarbones as her fists coiled in his strands of textured hair. "Daddy? " Her voice was met by the silence of Ryan's downcast stare as he placed a palm against the back of Lily's head. "You remember me? Uncle Ry' . We found you and Sam, because you got lost , yeah? But you're safe now-" he said, her hair gritty against his skin. Liam , adjusting his neck as she twisted around in his hands yawning , loosened his protective grip. As Lily registered the flower behind his ear, she plucked it out with sleep in her voice. "Oh , I gave this to you, Uncle Li' , I'm gonna pick another one for Daddy coz his eyes are ...orange -like mine-" Ryan , as he smiled at her profile muttered to himself , noting the detail of her fathers appearance.