Look closer, what do you see?
A little girl laying on the floor
flooding herself in tears,
glancing cautiously at the door.

Does she have red on her arm?
Is it in a dash or streak?
Is it like the broken heart and
blackened soul at which you peek?"

That's what was whispered into
my ear one cold, damp winter's night,
though who whispered I do not know,
but it put me in such fright.

There was a house before me,
I watched through the window,
at the poor girl that had nothing,
not even a faint, friendly shadow.

All of a sudden the room
was caught in a crimson blaze,
garnished by golden tassels
and smoke making my sight haze.

The girl did not move,
in fact, she looked dead.
So being a good, kind man
ran into help instead of fled.

I went to pick her up and take
her away from this awful place,
when a man came in with a frown
and scars across his reddened face.

"Drop her!" He commanded,
"No!" I hollered with fear
wavering in my soft voice.
The girl had one final tear.

As the other man spoke,
it rolled down my scrawny hand
I knew right then that
Death had taken her to his land.

She had tasted the bitterness
of Death's enticing kiss,
how could it be though,
she was too young to end like this.

"Why won't you listen?"
The man called through the flames.
I swallowed hard, "She's gone,
I wonder who gets all the blames."

Just then a shot rang out,
a bullet raced toward the dad
and just barely missed.
somehow though he wasn't mad.

The fire still raged about
and we still yelled and fought.
The more passion I showed,
the more the fire got hot.

so I took the girl and ran,
I ran until I could run no more.
Her father chased after,
but didn't make it out the door.

"Thank you sir,"
The whisper cried again,
"I owe you my life,
though this is my end."

"Oh no dear,
You owe none.
That man was wrong
now his life is done.

I'm glad you are free,
but does that really mean
you have to leave, for good?"
crying as if on the silver screen.

"I have no where to go,
no one to stay with,
no more love or care.
Though death is a myth.

But yes, I must leave,"
She cried more than I.
I said, "I'll love you,
just don't say goodbye."

With this she took my hand
stood for the first time,
wrapped her tiny arms around me,
"If you think it'd be fine."

I pointed down at the town,
showed her my tiny home,
took her in as mine and
told her she'd never be alone.

The next day, we woke
to birds singing, sun
shining, and a friend,
now knowing to have fun.