Strawberries and Cigarettes

     It was about 5 am. The birds woke me up, after that i couldn't get back to sleep. I guess i've always been a light sleeper. It was just another cold moring in November. It was just starting to get light so i threw some clothes on, I checked my pockets making sure i had my cigarettes and a light. I picked up my guitar, walked out making sure i closed the door quietly. I didn't want to wake up Carrie.

 Carrie is my little sister. She's 13, it's just me and her now. Ever since mum died i've been taking care of her, well.. more like she's been taking care of me. See, me and mum were very close, 14 months ago she was diagnosed with Cancer, it was terminal, and spreading fast. Just 8 months ago she passed away. I layed with her on her dead bed, I was there for all of her brakedowns, fits, and i layed with her while she took her very last breath. I knew it was coming, but when she died, it hit harder than i thought, i dropped out of University completely, I went off the rails. Me, a 23 year old man, went off the rails and his 13 year old sister looked after him. Wow. Only saying it back now really makes me realise how stupid i was. I mean, mums death hit Carrie hard too.. but mum said goodbye to Carrie along time ago. We don't really like to go into why.                                                        

 Me and Carrie live right next to the beach, i love it. Its nice round here, we moved up here to get away from everything that reminded us of mum. To get a bit of peace and quiet. To get away from all the drama, and trouble. We'd had enough of that, or should i say i had.                                                                

I took my shoes off. I wanted to feel the sand inbetween my toes. Then tide came in, it was cold. Freezing infact, my toes felt crispy with ice when i took them out. Well now that i've dropped out of Uni i have time for my song writing and music making. That's what i love doing, i always have. I remember for my 7th birthday Aunti Cath bought me my first guitar, it wasn't a real one, it was one of those kiddi learner ones, but from that day i knew it was for me. I took my Guitar from the case, i watched the sea washing in and out. I looking into the fog. I saw a girl, what was a girl wearing a creamy white silk dress doing sitting on the shore, by herself at half 5 in the morning. I walked up to her. I sat down beside her. I didn't say anything. She was trying to spark up her cigarette, her lighter wasn't working so i handed her mine. Again, it was silent. She just looked, with that look, kinda saying you don't know me, and you never will. From that little smile i realised how beautiful she really was.

She was mesmerizing. Like no girl, infact no human being i'd ever seen before, she had this bright red, wavy hair down to her lower torso. She was extremely pale with rosey red cheeks and freckless. Her lips were a pale pinky colour, they were chapped. She had this cute little button nose, and her cheekbones as sharp as razors. But what got me, was her eyes. They were so big, they were this bright blue, with little specks or grey. Although her eye make-up was dark and smudged down her face, she was still incredibly beautiful.

As neither her or i managed to voice a word i decided to spark up too. I didn't know what it was about her. I took a drag of my cigarette, and muttered a few words with my croaky morning voice. I didn't ask what was wrong, it was none of my business.

"It's beautiful right" i said glancing from the see to her.

It was a few seconds before she spoke.

"Its sad" she spoke as a black droplet ran down her face.

She looked at me with those big blue eyes. "What's your story?" she asked.

I didn't quite understand. "I mean, its 5:32 am, freezing cold and you're on the beach playing your guitar, something must be up?" she smirked.