There was one job that made Meg believe that the little things were as important as the big ones.

He was tasked to babysit a child, no more than nine years old, and to transport her to a village near the sea (it was atleast a week's drive because he was instructed to always stop over every night to a motel).

She had a name but he called her Ebi because she told him to call her that.

She had long sandy brown hair and bright eyes always ready to ask a question if she found an opportunity. She had a habit chewing her hair when spacing out in the car and she would always sway her feet if she could not reach the floor. She hated the blueberries on her pancake specials but would always order them. She likes her hot cocoa with the marshmallow on the side so that she could put them herself. She could not sleep with the lights off and would always ask for a story before they both retire for bed.

He had composed a number of stories for Ebi. Some were from his own childhood and some were the ones he winged so that the child would agree to go to bed.

Ebi would also always ask for the radio on because she thought he was "awfully quiet" and that all adults were like that. She would sing along the radio while he drove and sometimes they would play I Spy when she got bored with just sitting in the backseat of the car.

They arrived in the sea village on the eight day. It was a high noon. They got out of the car and Ebi was quick to take his hand as they looked at the sparsely populated village. Most houses were empty from the beginning of the road. He could tell by how old the wood was and how unkept were the gardens around.

What bothered him more were the absence of birds. Most birds were just at the mouth of the village but once in, there was no single chirp but the crickets.

They were met by the same couple that hired him to take the child to the village. He was sure that they were Ebi's parents but there was an uncanny dead cheerfulness with the woman and the man never spoke a word.

He remembered how Ebi's hand tightened on his as the couple asked her to come with them. Meg had to convince Ebi that she would still meet him after a day because he would be driving h