Overlap

Sunrise and Sunset

Pigments of peach and rose gold stained the morning sky amidst the fragments of light blue that faded every waking second. The time was 6:30 A.M. and the city and its inhabitants were still under the wonderful spell called sleep. The sound of birds chirping filled the evident breeze that swirled around the atmosphere. At that time, there were only a few cars dwelling on the road. If Peter Pan did exist he'd be witness to a matrix of windows showcasing how at peace all the people were as they remained in a daze that temporarily clouded off everyday problems that arose when souls woke up from dreaming.

But not everything was sound.

A girl who looked to be in her early 20s, maybe late teens, tiresomely dragged her feet across the sidewalk. Her eyelids were threatening to fall and her body begging for her to give up and allow it to collapse. The girl's medium length brown hair--which hung down in soft waves--mopped through the air, brushing against her stained white blouse. Her pink skirt, which was just two inches above her knee, contained various patches and her white knee-high socks contained splotches of dirt. The girl nearly tripped on an uneven edge, but luckily caught herself in time. She glanced down at her tattered brown shoes which, akin to her body, were ready to give out any second.

In the midst of her wandering, she caught sight of a bakery with pastel colored cakes decorated across the window. A chalkboard sign advertised bread and other such pastries for a fairly low price. The girl's stomach rumbled and she promptly made her way. Digging her hands into her pockets, she sighed as she found the content to be empty and tugged the pockets outward in sheer frustration.

Slightly limping, she slid her fingers across the glass of the window and fantasized on being able to get even a bite of one of the pastries. Her eyes scanned the inside and she found her mouth begin to water as she witnessed the bakers, in their white uniforms and tall hats, place numerous baked good in elegant arrangements. The scent of freshly baked goods enchanted her nostrils and she sniffed the air in ecstasy. Perhaps they'll allow her a taste if they witnessed her condition. Surely, she wouldn't mind paying back one bit. A worker stepped out the door and the girl began to call out to him, swinging her hands desperately in what turned out to be a failed attempt in grabbing his attention.

Dragging her feet once more, she maneuvered closer to the worker and placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers weakly hanging on as she panted.

"A small piece of bread, please, anything," she begged in between huffs, her fingers--which perhaps contained her entire body weight as well--were slipping as they threatened to fall.

The worker said nothing and swiveled his body. "Quite chilly," he remarked, his hands swinging back as he opened the door and walked back inside.

The girl fell to her knees, breathing heavily as her efforts went to waste. Balling her fists, she pressed them onto the cold stone and stared down as she tried to make sense of how someone could be so cruel as to ignore someone in need.

A homeless man clutching a box of leftovers walked past her. The girl's head shot up immediately and a glimpse of hope returned.

"May I have some, please?" The girl asked, her voice dripping with desperation as her body was prepared to give out any second. She stretched her arm out and called him repeatedly but to no avail. The homeless man did not even bother to offer a glance at her direction and instead kept walking away as the girl extended her arm further and cried out once more.

Giving up, she fell onto her back, her arms and legs spread out like a pancake across the dirty sidewalk. She bitterly smiled, looking up at the skyscrapers above and taking note of the sun seeping through further and further. The sky had lost its pigments of blue and was a mixture of various tints of red, orange, and pink.