It hadn't been a good day for Karli. A bazaar full of money laden people and all she had gotten for her efforts were a few worthless trinkets and a near trip to the city jail.

"Forget this," she breathed, swinging herself off the ledge she sat on and wandering into the park behind her.

She readjusted the pants that were three sizes too large for her and brushed a stray stand of shockingly blue hair from her face. And I wonder why I always get noticed... she thought, pulling the bandanna she wore down to her neck then back up to put her hair back in place while covering as much of the blue mess as possible. She also made well sure her ear were covered as well.

"Excuse me lady," Karli started in as sweet a voice as possible as a woman passed nearby. When the woman stopped and regarded her, Karli looked to her toes with guilt still aiming to come off as cute as possible. "Um.." she began biting her lip. "I have a problem and I was wondering if maybe you could help me," she began to prattle. "Cuz, my mom'll be real mad and I don't want my mom to get real mad," she carried on, trying as best she could to produce a few tears.

The woman, laid a delicate hand to her chest, then looked about the area as if the child might be creating a scene.

"She gave me some money, you see," Karli sniffled. "But the bully back at school, he ran inta me before I got to the store... And my mommy, she wanted me to buy us supper and I can't go home without anything, and I have nothing and all my money's taken..." She plopped herself down on the grass and finally managed to open the pipeline. Sobbing, she wiped tears from her eyes before looking up to the woman hopefully.

"Please lady," she asked again when the woman seemed hesitant. "My father's real mean and if I don't come home with sumthin' he's gonna get right mad at me and I don't want him mad at me more then my mom. Atleast my mommy doesn't hit me..." she wailed, throwing herself face forward into the grass and sobbing into her arms.

Muttering something the woman approached. Karli gave one more good heave on the heartstrings with another sob and propped herself up to wipe her face.

"Here," the woman told her, taking her tiny hand and placing a half dozen coins in it. "Go get your food and remember to bring someone with you next time. To think sending a child your age out on their own unattended."

"Oh thank-you!" Karli beamed, jumping up and clutching the woman's legs in a bear hug. "Thank- you lady!" she said again, smiling up at the woman. "And I'm not so little no mores. I'm almost five," she told the woman proudly.

Detaching the child from herself, the woman nodded then hurried off on her errands before anyone began prying into her personal business. She hoped that no one had seen her give the child anything, last thing she wanted was a mob of delinquents descending on her. Watching her go, Karli slipped the coins into her pocket and stood there until she was out of sight.

"Eeee-gads!" she exclaimed to no one but herself. "I feel so... dirty... That was sad," she breathed, locating a tree and rubbing the front of her shirt against it to remove the smell of the woman's perfume.

"People love kids, what can I say?" she commentated for her own amusement, readjusting her clothes. "I say I have another um... fifty years of pulling that scam if I fail to improve my picking skills..." she griped, looking around before darting off across the grass towards the bizarre again.

"Food is always good. Then maybe find somewhere to sleep... Sleep is good too," she smiled, sighing at the thought. Ducking around the first vending cart, she cut into the busy street and took her time deciding what to eat.