Evergreen Dreams

Beauties Untold

Leah walked next to me down the pale, moonlit sidewalk. The sounds of downtown bustled around us, sending a sensation of unfulfilled excitement through the air. I glanced over at her, and watched as a light breeze made her golden bangs dance around her face, the rest of her short locks unwavering and clinging to her neck, her firm jaw line. A car rushed past, it's headlights glinting against the lens of her glasses. Her eyes met mine, and a gentle smile spread her thin pink lips. "Downtown is so beautiful." She said to me as she stopped under a street light.

"Sure is," I said smiling back at her. "You have no idea." I turned away from her, and closed my eyes breathing in the slight hint of gasoline on the air, and tilting my head back listening to the quiet murmur of conversation around us. "I could stay here all night." I whisper.

"Well why don't we?" Leah says happily. I look at her in question as she continues. "Isn't there a hotel three blocks from here? How about we get a room? Some place beautiful on the top floor so we can look over the city." The sweetest, gentlest look of hope flashed through her, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, let's do it then." I smirked. She let out an excited reply and we wove our way through the alleys and walkways until we came to the building. The hotel loomed over us, leaving us breathless in awe. It was beautiful, with a warm glow of pearl shaped lights strung around the luminous entry way, and dipping in lacy waves under the first story windows. Leah waltzed inside, excitement leading her very step. When she got to the counter, she leaned in to speak to the receptionist. In a bubbly voice she offered her request. "One room on the top floor please!" The man nodded, and handed her a key. I slipped up beside her, and slid my credit card to him. He swiped it, and quickly returned it to me. His voice was professional yet strict as he thanked us and told us our room number, and within seconds Leah and I were on our way to the top.

"This is a nice hotel." I acknowledged. The elevator doors slid open in front of us, and Leah ran out, swinging sharply to her left to go find our room. I stepped off just as the doors closed behind me, and began a slow walk down the hall, taking in all of my surroundings. Each door was made of pale birch wood with a high gloss finish, and each door had a single elegant bulb hanging down just above it. The numbers on the sides of each wall were metal, coated in thick black paint, a bold compliment to the modern and slick furnishing. I reached our room, the door open a crack, and tapped a finger on the number '303', it gave off a deep ring like a softer version of the chime of a large brass bell. I pushed open the door and found Leah inside, leaning out the large window, it's silver silken curtains parted on either side. The wind stirred around her, and she turned around with a grin that could make the sun rise in the dead of night. She sat in the sill of the open window, perching herself carefully. "Look at this," she motioned her arms wide, her figure swaying slightly from her movement. "It's incredible, Kiersten." Placing two hands on the upper frame, she leaned back overlooking the city from over her shoulder.

"Leah," I started. "You shouldn't do that. We're thirty-some stories up." I felt my face contort slightly to an expression of concern.

"I'm fine." She smiled. One of her hands slipped from the glass, and she let out a soft cry. "Leah!" I screamed as I moved to help her. I watched as her hands spread, desperately trying to fight the weight of her body pulling her out, pulling her down. In horror I reached for her skirt, but I just felt the spun cotton of it brush my fingertips as my eyes watched her plummet from my grasp. Her sharp scream sliced the air as she fell, gravity consuming her whole, right before the concrete did. I opened my mouth wide, I screamed as loudly as I could but nothing would come out. I slid down the wall next to the window and clutched my head, my hands tangling in my hair as my head spun. Tears drowned out my vision as reality began to blur, and guilt overcame me with an iron fist. In short hurried gasps I crawled to the window and stuck my head out where Leah had perched only seconds ago. How could I have let her go? Why didn't I help her?

"Leah!" I screamed from the bottom of my lungs, as I too found my way out the window.