Bennu was a brave little girl.
The older boys said Eves had to be afraid of everything so they wouldn't get hurt outside of The Nest, but Bennu had no fear as she approached the sleeping monster. She slowly made her way down the aisle of shelves, careful to not disturb the slumbering beast. And though she was often teased for being a lowly Hoofr, the little girl’s cloven feet were quiet as a Klaw’s padded paw as she snuck close enough to examine it.
The stiff barbs of hair beneath Bennu’s homemade vest stood on end, for the little girl’s snout confirmed the monster wasn’t from the Inner City. Bennu knew from Mama Hen’s storybook that monsters from the Outer City were tricksters, and these smells were certainly deceptions. The smells were unlike anything the little girl had encountered planting in the greenhouse and carrying garbage to be sorted and reused. The sweet perfume made Bennu think of Chrimmas or the celebrations when an Adam youngun leaves The Nest to seek out and join his clan.
