Hazel walked for 4 hours
straight. She decided that that was enough for a day, so she found somewhere
safe to campout, sprawled out a huge picnic blanket and placed a sleeping bag
on top of it. She climbed inside and fell asleep straight away. 

Morning came and Hazel was awoken by the
smell of eggs and bacon.She could feel the warmth of a campfire. She sat bolt
right up and turned her head in every which direction and finally laid her eyes
upon the thing that had caused the smell and the warmth. She saw a tall figure
dressed in all black with his back to her. Finally she spoke with a quiet voice.

“Who are you?”

The tall man did not seem
to hear her so she spoke a bit louder.

“Who are you?” she repeated.

The tall man turned his
head and their eyes met. 

“I am Alvin Turner, and you
are?”

“Hazel.”

The man called Alvin held
out his hand and smiled. Hazel put her small little hand inside his big hand,
looked down at the two hands and the man shook them. Hazel looked up and smiled
into the kind man’s face. The man smiled back in response. After about a minute
or two of silence, the man stood up with the little girls hand still
clutched in his. They walked closer to the fire and he handed her a plate of
bacon and eggs. 

“Eat up; you’re going to need
the strength and energy for the big journey that lies in front of us.”

“What big journey?” Hazel
asked with a puzzled expression sitting upon her face.

“Well, you don’t just
expect to live out in the middle of nowhere for the rest of your life do you?"

“No, of course not, but
where will you lead me to?”

The man looked up
from his plate to look at the small girl and said with a smile upon his face.

“Of course to my home
silly. I have a nice wife and three lovely children. In fact, I believe if I am not mistaken, one is
probably your age. How old are you, Hazel?”

“I am four years old sir,
but I am almost five.”

The man chuckled at her
seriousness and smiled widely into her bright young face. 

"Finish up with your
breakfast so we can leave and don't worry I have already organized your stuff."

Hazel finished her
breakfast quietly and watched Alvin put out the fire and clean up the remainder of the camp.
Something told little Hazel this man was sent by her father. A single
teardrop rolled down her cheek as she smiled to herself. 

"Hazel? What is your
last name?" Alvin finally said to break the silence.

"Wakely" Hazel
said matter-of-factly.

"I read a newspaper I
found on my way here," he began. "And there was a story about a man and
his wife found dead on their living room floor." he looked into her eyes
with a concerned expression. "Does that sound like what happened to your
parents?"

Hazel didn't answer
verbally; she instead pounced onto him and cried into his gut. Alvin felt
sympathy toward the young child, so he  picked her up as well as their stuff and they
walked away from the camping ground without looking back.