never flawless

We entered the city through the river. It was supposed to be covert, but such things were never flawless.

My group was in the shallows. A little girl was nearby playing at the edge of the forest. Someone made a noise and she saw something she should not have seen and let out a little squeal.

She turned and ran but I was only twenty meters behind her. She would raise no alarm.

I caught her leg. She was just a rag doll.

A blow to the throat destroyed her larynx and severed her spinal cord.

But.

I knew what was happening inside her, what would happen as her body's systems gave out.

What was she? six, seven?

Some part of her was still scared and suffering, feeling herself die.

I hit her again, and everything of her was stopped, blood ran freely on the ground, and I was splattered with brain.

I waited a moment to see if anyone would come running after her screams, but no one did. I walked back into the river, with my group, they were quiet.

---

I'm sure a child that age should have had an educator, my only guess is that her educator had defected. I don't know whether to thank her or apologize.