It was a quiet night. There were no noises that filled the desert night, not that there was much. Not even the fire that burned dulling made much sound as its embers popped like corn kernels.

He look out of the cave, his narrowed eyes staring out into the still sands of the dead desert. Despite its quietness, life still lingered in the desert. Small animals, large one, plant life, bacteria, etc.

There was a sense of... perverse sentimentality in his eyes. How life still climbed onto any opportunity to grow. To expand. To evolve.

And it was horrifically beautiful.

How many generations would die just so the descendants of a near extinct species would survive.

How many ecosystems would grow into great biomes only to wither away back into the dust it once was.

How many disasters would attack humanity, be it Mother Nature or something they created, before it would end? After they died? After they were extinct? It would then move into the next to attack...

But their downfall would give rise to ascension to others. Be it animals, plants, bacteria, or even more humans.

But none of that mattered.

To the Earth, the universe, and all that there is, every conceivable time frame was valued just as the next.

No, the only thing that mattered to him was finding his friends in this god forsaken wasteland, and protecting this child. The small little girl in his lap, sleeping away soundly as giant mutant worms dashed through the sandy dunes.

He promised her that he would not only protect her, but to provide for her. Even if she died before he uttered anything.

"Nh... mommy..."

"Shh, I'm here. I'm here." He covered her body with a blanket, never taking his eyes away from the shattered destroyed moon.

300 words, excluding disclaimer and Author's Note. I will accept criticism and opinions.