"What do you want?" Spencer remembered his steady voice saying.
"The world." Came the reply. Ellie grinned up at him toothlessly.
"That's a lot." He had answered.
"You can do it."
"You think so? I'm not sure I can get the whole world for you."
"Yes you can!" She insisted, brown tendrils bobbing on her shoulders. She blinked wide eyes and they crinkled when she smiled.
"Listen to me," Spencer remembered saying seriously. Ellie's smile fell and she nodded, struck by the deepness of his eyes.
"What?"
"If I could, I would bring you every good thing imaginable. But you wouldn't want the whole world, okay? There are many wonderful and beautiful things in this world, but there are also many bad things that aren't good for you."
"Like sugar?"
Spencer smiled. "Things a lot worse than sugar. Sugar ruins your teeth. Many of the things you find out in the world today can ruin much more than that. So you be careful, okay?"
"Okay. How will I know when something's good or bad?"
"You keep reading that Book." He tapped the faded cover. "Then you'll know when you find bad things. A little voice in your head will tell you if something is right or wrong. That's called a conscience."
"What if the voice breaks or something?" She fiddled with the slice of bread in her hands.
"Sometimes that happens. Then you just have to listen to your heart. And you'll remember what I've taught you."
"Okay." She smiled and tossed the crust of bread into the wind. It landed on the sand and a hungry gull swooped down on rushing currents of wind. "Look!" Ellie pointed, conscience forgotten. She no longer wanted the world. Only to watch the gulls.
Spencer savored the way her eyelashes fell across her pink cheeks. Innocence was woven into her smiles and her eyes. It would fade someday. There would be harder questions to answer. He closed his eyes.
"Spencer?"
Spencer opened his eyes again and looked up. White teeth were shining down on him.
"Time for your juice." They said cheerfully and the bitter taste filled his mouth to the brim.
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