How Rare and Beautiful // Rilaya

Just to be Seen by my Eyes

{RILEY'S POV}

Paris was beautiful! 

Absolutely stunning!

The brick roads cutting like rivers through magnificent plaster buildings.  The small corner cafes advertising croissants and aged cheeses. From the bricks to the skyline, every inch of the screamed the essence of Paris; Elegance and love. 

I had to laugh as we strolled down the Paris street. It had just occurred to me that I was in the city of love, without my love. My love was back in New York. I believe the trip we took with Shawn and my parents was the first and only time Maya had ever been out of state. 

I took a mental note. 'Places to take Maya Hart #10: Paris, France.'

Maya would love it here. She'd probably dance down the brick streets singing the Les Miserable soundtrack. It would begin drizzle and I'd run for cover. But Maya would drag me out by the hands into the street and twirl me around. I'd fuss at first but I'd give up and twirl her next, singing Eponine's lines from 'A Little Fall of Rain.' Maya would finish the song, singing Marius' lines. As she sang the last few words, she'd dip me down and kiss me. I'd kiss her back. And at that moment, the sun would shine down on us through the clouds. 

The scenario I imagined was so vivid and and I'd played it over in my mind so many times, it felt more like a memory. 

"Riley!" My parents called out to me. I had been so deep in my imagination I hadn't heard them they were stopping for supper.

"Sorry." I apologized sheepishly as I jogged back to join them at the cafe. 

We ordered our food and took a seat at one of the metal tables outside. Just to my left the sun was setting. It's orange rays blossoming under the base of the Eiffel Tower. I took my phone out to take a picture of the wonderful sight. I lifted the devise up but I never took the picture.   

The Earth rumbled and shook beneath us. I had time only to glance at my family, fear and confusion in their eyes, before I was thrown to the ground as the shaking of the Earth grew. My head hit the pavement violently. My world turned foggy and I couldn't think straight. 

My father fell to the ground beside me. Auggie and my mom were on the other side of him. My father recovered fast He pulled me to him and shielded me with his body. I could hear the buildings around us crackling and falling to the Earth. The rumbling reached a crescendo. The sound was deafening and the shaking of the Earth so violent my head continued to slam into the concrete. A sharp pain in my nose indicated a broken bone, as well as the dark liquid staining the pavement just below me. 

The screams of the people mingled with the collapsing buildings. I could hear Auggie just  few feet away screaming for our mom. She looked to be shielding him as my father was doing for me. 

I could barely see them through the haze of my vision, the tears, and the dust caused by the falling buildings. The hindrance to my sight did not take away the horror of what came next. The Earth still shook violently, and buildings continued to fall to the Earth. As I laid there sheltered by my father I kept my eyes glued to my mother and brother. Out of nowhere a large object fell from the sky. Several large objects. They crashed down around us and with every second I prayed that the pieces of buildings would not fall on us. 

Then I saw it. I barley had time to process it. A huge chunk of building fell from the sky and landed on my mother. 

My brother's screams stopped immediately. Replaced by my own. 

"No! No! No!" I screamed, trying to get loose from my father's grip. He held me tighter. 

"Riley, no! It's too dangerous!" He yelled at me, sobbing.

I fought him with everything I had, which wasn't much. At some point the rumbling slowed and ended. I hadn't realized how dark it had gotten. As my father rolled off of me I realized we were not out in the open anymore. The cafe we had been eating at just a few minutes before had fallen down around us, creating a cement grave. I dared not move for fear the unstable rubble would collapse on us. 

"Daddy?" I asked through tears. My throat raw from screaming. 

"Yeah?" He answered not bothering to hide the tears he was crying. 

"Mom's gone...and Auggie..." My breath hitched and I couldn't finish my sentence. 

"Oh god, oh dear God no!" My father sobbed beside me. He hugged me close and cried into my shoulder. I cried too, but truth be told I was till in shock. Just a few moments ago we'd all been sharing a nice evening together on the streets of Paris. Now two of us were dead! Just like that! My family split in half, gone in a blink of an eye! 

Paris was ugly!

Absolutely horrible!

The once beautiful cafes and hotels and boutiques now level with the brick laid roads. A family looking to spend a nice evening together, split apart. An earthquake destroyed it all.  

I closed my eyes and cried. 

Sorry it's a crappy chapter.