A.N. Just a short one-shot I thought of making. Enjoy


Roman walks along the wet dirt road, his suit and hat drenched by the storm. While walking his cane swung limply by his side on the right arm. A cigar burned with an orange glow while grey smoke emanated from the dissolving tip. About fifty feet in front of him, the Village of Mura stood. After a long day of walking, a drink and a warm meal sounded nice.

Entering the village, Roman immediately took notice of a restaurant's lights. He quickly made a beeline for the building and ran under the patio roof to get out of the rain. As he tosses his used cigar away, Roman looks around to his left and sees a small girl looking at him around the corner.

The young girl, wearing a ragged dirt stained shirt too big for her and a pair of torn jeans, quickly disappears around the corner when Roman notices her.

Lighting another cigar, Roman walks around the corner and sees the girl climbing into a dumpster. She closes the lid, and Roman walks up to the garbage container. Pushing the lid up he sees the girl holding an old and rusty parasol. She points it at him as some means of defense.

Roman grabs the parasol away and tosses it aside before lifting her up. Her fists beat Roman constantly with the only result being his hat getting knocked off.

"Stop struggling for a second kid." Roman says, grabbing her tightly. She stops struggling long enough for him to retrieve the hat.

Placing the hat back on, Roman lifts up the girl once more without any resistance this time.

"You got a name?" He asks. The girl shakes her head no.

Once they enter the restaurant Roman places the girl down at a table. He also props his cane against the table before walking up to the counter.

The girl curls up into a ball, wondering what the man was doing. Why would he help her? She was worthless, a street rat, lost and forgotten. Hearing the man sit in front of her she looks up to see him holding Neapolitan ice cream in a cone.

The man nudges the frozen treat forwards, a gesture for her to take it.

With a shaking hand the girl takes the ice cream. She takes a small lick and gives the man a small smile.

Roman returns the smile and adopts a pensive look on his face.

"Neo sounds like a good enough name. What do you think?" Roman says.

The girl, Neo, nods her head in agreement. For a moment Neo felt content and happy with this stranger, who rescued her from isolation.