No sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy.
Shakespeare ,
As You Like It, Act II
Prologue
Early Monday morning, Janet Haley von Briggson - daughter of Karl Leopold von Briggson and his wife, Edith - passed on to the kingdom of God. She was sixteen-years-old. The funeral service will be held on the tenth of July, Nineteen Hundred and Four at the Christ Church Cranbrook on 470 Church Road, Bloomfield Hills. Please pray for the members of one of our great city's leading families.
Taken from the obituaries leaf of the Detroit Free Press, July 9, 1904
He trailed quickly behind her, also on horseback. The loud and fast-moving thumps from the hooves of the two saddled animals caused his ears to ring. He felt distraught and relied only on his knowledge of their path to guide him. Only a few miles longer, he told himself.
Leaves and twigs from the lofty trees crunched under the horses and the branches overhead blocked out most of the moonlight seeping through between gaps. He could tell she had grown tired and was ready to give up the pursuit, but it wasn't over until it was the end.
Through the forest the two riders traveled, over vein-like tree roots and small creeks that bubbled between moss-bedded stones. Inch after inch, foot after foot, he kept a gaining press on her. She would occasionally look back at him and shriek as he would grab at her with shaking arms. You are not going anywhere, young one.
They came to a turn in the path and followed down it. In a short amount of time, the two came to an opening. The bright shine from the nearby space rock shown down on them, but the alluring splendor did not slow their race. As though to make a sudden and unexpected move, her horse spun its course and took off in a westerly direction. He had expected it. He pulled the reins on his, and changed route to continue hunting her.
The chase was nearing its end, he could tell. Like a primordial beast, he stalked his prey, extending his limbs to reach for her again. No luck this time either. He dug his heels into the side of the animal, encouraging it to increase speed. He knew he would have his wishes.
She tried to hurry her horse but its pace slowed instead. There was not much else she could do. She continued to head forward, leaning into each gallop in hopes of escape. Tears ran down her face as she shook in fear. The chase dragged on, but he awaited the final moments. He pulled back the reigns again, this time rearing up the horse as it let out a shrill whinny, breaking the peaceful night air.
The two riders approached another forest of trees and she lead her horse into it, hoping to take shelter in the shadows of the high birches. She would be safe then. Only a few feet ahead and the darkness would engulf her like a mother's safe arms, protecting her child from harm.
Now, it was time. He began to count down the seconds before impact. Five, four, three, two... He braced himself for what lied ahead of him, but he would deny all of it. It was an accident! I tried to save her but it was too late! It was just too late! He would hug her mother and offer support for her aging father and give a shoulder to an older brother who would weep as though he were a mewing child. It was all just too perfect.
An oddly serene look came over his face. He gripped the reigns tightly and closed his eyes. Goodbye beautiful. He sucked in a final breath of air before throwing his horse into hers. She gasped and then...tree.
I woke up abruptly as intense loss of breath racked my body. I felt as though the air had been knocked out of me. Sweat rolled down my face like a window pane in the middle of a terrible storm.
