i just looked at this little girl at the counter and was instantly shocked back into a dream i had last night.. i love those moments of remembering things.

i was walking to the back of the store, and sitting on the training desk was this little girl. long dirty blond hair, pretty blue green eyes. chubby like a little girl should be. she said she was three, but she acted much older than that. i asked her where her parents were, she said her dad was around here somewhere. she needed help. i carried her around, she said he was a bad man. i was getting very upset. i asked amy what we could do, i wanted to take her home with me--to take care of her, to keep her away from him. her father came up, dirty, scraggly. i could smell the alcohol on his breath. 'that's my daughter,' he said. 'i'll take her now.'
'oh, well, she's very beautiful. you should be proud.' my improv/managerial coverup skill taking over. 'we were having a wonderful time. she just wanted to see the breakroom, didn't you honey?' she nodded. 'do you mind?'
he seemed hesitant like he knew something was up. 'only for a minute.' still on my hip, i took her into the breakroom and started panicking. asking amy what i should do. i couldn't let him take her back, he left her here while he went and got drunk, for chrissakes. and now they were about to drive off. she told me there wasn't much i could do. i considered taking her and leaving. just leaving everything to save this little girl. she looked very sad.

i took the back entrance out of the store. 'which one is your car,' i asked her. she pointed to it. her father was running out of the store behind us. 'quick, give me your cell phone number.' she fumbled with her phone, being three and all.

'i promise you, i'll save you somehow.'

and i thought about calling her in the middle of the night and sneaking her out the window. but i had this feeling it would never happen.

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i kinda wish i hadn't remembered it.