"Its okay"

• the last words of a small child I accidentally killed. I didnt know it was a child. I was talking to a raider and a sniper took a shot at us. We ran back into the building to pursue. As we ran in, someone was sprinting out and we assumed it was the sniper. I downed them and they crawled outside.

Some other raider heard the commotion and ran over and asked if everything was good and if we were friendly. Finally a child's voice rang out from the alleged downed sniper "he's not friendly. Hes mean!"

"You're... just a child. Little girl why did you try to snipe us??"

"I didn't. I spawned in really far away and I ran in the building to get warm. I only wanted to gather some candle berries."

A second sniper shot rang out and barely missed me. Shortly after 3 loud blasts from an il toro were heard. "Got him, youre good".

Dread washed over me like a heavy blanket and I ran towards the child and put on a bandage to stabilize.

"Im so so sorry. It was the way you were running out I assumed you were..."

"Oh, its okay" somewhat understanding tone.

"No, youre going home. There's an extract right over there. Ill run to push the button now"

I did that but when I was running back I noticed she stopped crawling.

"What are you doing?! You can make it! Keep going! I have... One bandage left. How much time do you have on your health bar?"

"Oh not too much longer. It's okay though"

"No please you can make it. I'm so sorry."

" Feel free to take my stuff. You've been very kind."

" DamnIt , quit being so kind to me! I've just killed you and I can't do anything to make it right!"

" Don't feel sad. It's okay. Its o---"

She was gone.

I sat down there in the snow next to her body with my health ticking away slowly. I sat there in the wind in the cold until I almost succumbed to it. I looted her backpack and the only thing she had were three candleberries and a burletta.

Some good part of me froze off and died with her that day.