Her mind caused chaos, she remembered, when she was a child, how ingenious she was, she challenged herself to create the most absurd inventions that a child her age would never make... perhaps not even an adult.

  Her parents clapped, celebrating her creation. They caressed her head, placed her on the shoulder of the big machine and when she activated it, she grabbed its metallic head and screamed with the movements.

  She remembered leaving school early to focus on her own studies at home. Honorary medals were directed to her for her progress. And her mother, aware of the situation, took it upon herself to care for her while working exhaustively.

  The man carried the hoe over his shoulder under the scorching sun. He plunged it into the earth and pulled it out repeatedly. His boss walked with his hands clasped behind his back, leaning against the wood that separated the land.

  "I could never imagine that a man like you could have had such an intelligent daughter. You really are a lucky man."

  "Yes..."

  He rested his arm on the piece of wood, panting. Sweat dripped from his forehead and fell to the ground, and his gaze met the man's with a short smile.

  "I am very lucky."

  "And I think it's fair, knowing the honors your daughter received..."

  He approached, touching his shoulder with fingers squeezing his tired muscles.

  "That you receive a raise and new opportunities. Perhaps even consider promoting you to my administrative assistant."

  "How? Since I never went to school, you'll end up with a useless person by your side."

  "...We'll figure it out."

  When he arrived home with the news, the wife hugged him and congratulated him and the girl jumped into his arms. The man hugged them with a smile on his face, but it slowly faded from his expression.

  In her room, the girl slept in her bed without moving, but it was enough for murmurs to enter her eardrums to wake her. She got up and walked through the corridors and dodged the light from the living room, seeing the argument.

  "This isn't fair!"

  "How, Robert?! You will earn more money, you won't live in such poverty!"

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  "It's not that, Orária. It's Aurora..."

  "What about her?"

  "He wants her for himself, he wants to put her in a place with other intelligent children and make them train cruelly."

  "And you accepted this?"

  "No, but he insisted. I denied it so much, so much! But he seemed more and more convinced! As if he no longer cared about the promotion. He just wants to use her."

  "My lord..."

  The woman knelt, the old skirt spreading over the hot wooden floor. She held his fingers, caressing the wrinkles and looked at him with soaked eyes.

  "Please, Robert, don't let him take her. I don't want to lose my little girl!"

  He hid his face between his wife's fingers, his lips softly touching the ring while caressing the back of her hand.

  "I promise, Orária, I won't let him take her. Even if it costs my life."

  The little girl fell to the floor with her heart racing, she breathed fast and covered her mouth to prevent vomit from escaping. She ran to the room on tiptoe and hid under the covers, wiping away tears. She lifted the blanket slightly, the robot, shiny like the moon, like a guardian of its creator.

  She could still hear her parents' voices, but they were lower. The lights began to go out and the sound of the bed moving with both their weight gave her the clear signal. She stared at the ceiling, with her little hands on her chest. She turned her gaze to the robot for long seconds before getting up.

  Her body ran through the shadows while collecting objects that, in her view and in her parents' assessment, were dangerous. She grabbed equipment, turned on a small light in the room and placed a small ladder at the robot's height. She took a deep breath.

  In the morning, the door was knocked on several times. Robert got out of bed and walked slowly to the door. His hand hesitated to touch the doorknob, but soon he swallowed hard and opened it.

  "Good morning, Mr. Sinhaygter."

  His boss, with two larger men behind him. He adjusted his tie and said in a not-so-professional voice.

  "We came to see your daughter."

  "No."

  "How dare you, Robert? And our agreement?"

  "I never made an agreement with you. Don't even think about touching her, you have no kindness toward her."

  "Of course we have good intentions, Robert. Now allow us..."

  He gestured and the men crossed him like trucks. He tried to block their passage, but the larger men took weapons from their arms and struck him against the head.

  The wife got up with her body falling and ran when she saw.

  "Robert!"

  She crouched, holding him in her arms. The boss looked at her with no smile and pointed to the girl's room. The woman, realizing, stood up hurriedly.

  "Don't try to touch her!!"

  And her body was enveloped by roots and a small natural needle touched her chest. Her vision blurred before everything went dark.

  But when opening the door, one of the men came face to face with the machine standing still, its eyes shining blue. But they soon turned red and, from its fists, kitchen blades were born that pierced him from chest to back. The boss widened his eyes and commanded the other man, but the guard was thrown against him against the walls.

  Aurora opened her eyes covered by dark circles. She fell from the bed and quickly went to the living room, seeing the machine annihilate the men with dry brutality. The boss looked at her and walked hurriedly toward her.

  "You little brat..."

  "No!"

  Before his hand reached her, she saw his head fall from his body, rolling to her feet. She screamed and the machine approached, enveloping her in its cold arms.

  The father opened his eyes and saw the scene. His hands pressed the floor to rise, he saw his unconscious wife, his heart beat hard, but soon he turned to the girl.

  "Darling, are you okay?"

  There was no answer, other than the machine slowly turning to face him... with the same red eyes.

  In a single blow, his body, together with his wife's, were pressed against the wall along with their crushed skulls. The blood hit the girl's face, who remained kneeling in silence. The liquid ran across the floor and reached her legs.

  "Mommy... daddy..."

  She crawled in the pool of blood, with her vision becoming clearer and clearer. The machine stopped and the parents motionless. She began to sob and soon the crying rose in the nightmare. She fell to the floor, with her short arms hugging herself, while only screaming for her parents.

  The blood entered her skin, mouth, eyes, but nothing changed her reaction. She kept crying until her voice became hoarse and a last murmur came out before losing consciousness.

  "Mommy... daddy..."

  In the present, when her consciousness returned to reality, the stronger light did not allow her to see. Her body did not obey, but her mind could recognize the voice of who had found her.

  "Aurora... what happened to you?"