A Perfect Last Night

     It was a dark night. A black and quiet night when Charlotte stood on the balcony of her apartment, clutching an alive cigarette. Although not moving, her whole body shook with a fortuity of the horrors to come. She on edge with only a centimeter of ground standing between her and an endless pit of hopeless, godless despair.
     All of the horrible shaking from Charlotte's body was caused by what could be seen as a minuscule dream. It definitely was more than minuscule. It was mind wrecking, life destroying, and heart breaking.
     Then, with a shaking hand, she moved the cigarette to her dry, chapped lips. She took in a long draw, filling her lungs with the murky depression of utter grayness. A rather labored exhale followed. Charlotte watched the light smoke disappear in the black sky with half closed eyes.
     She tried to recall what had occurred in her dream.
     Charlotte remembered standing in a grassy field...and she was there laying on the ground. Then, a large inferno of dark red bursted around her. And she was still there, laying on the ground, a puddle of crimson gushing from under her. Blood was everywhere. Charlotte would then make an attempt to help the bleeding lady but her hands were tied. She could not move at all. She started screaming bloody murder till all she could hear was an ominous ringing that flushed away a soft whimper. Then more fire...and blood...and ringing...and fire...and blood...and—
     "AAH!" Charlotte yelped at the sudden sensation resonating from the back of her hand.
     It was a familiar sensation...one that reminded her of her tragedy of a life. How strange that it felt worst when it is far from intentional.
     With a sharp sigh, Charlotte quickly threw her cigarette on the floor of the balcony. She killed the flaming life out of it with one firm stomp paired with the anger of ten gods.
     That was it...enough to push her past a breaking point that has never been reached. Charlotte put her hands over her now dull, bloodshot eyes and started to sob uncontrollably. So many thoughts violently popped into her aching head. Her mind went from one horrifying idea to the next. How her life was an unending Armageddon between her body and mind. How everything never mattered. How she will die in front of her. How she will leave her. How she will disappear into the sands of divine darkness. How she will die.
     Charlotte became startled when she heard something move suddenly. She slowly moved her shaking hand down her slim face to peer.
     It was her; a woman standing at a slightly below average height with a Marilyn Monroe like figure to make up for it. She was wearing an elegant pale white nightgown that flowed in the night's cooling wind. Her face was brightened by a subtle pink blush with glossy lips that always were twisted into a smile. But her eyes said it all. Her icy blue orbs, though bright and graceful reflected pain...so much hidden agony. She looked like an angel, no, more beautiful and more divine than an angel. If an angel, if the concept of believing in the nonsense one calls faith can be considered beautiful...she was ten times more beautiful and probable.
     "I thought I heard you yell," She said. If a pastel color could have a sound, it would be her voice. Soft and quiet like a psalm. Surprisingly bright and colorful. Not overwhelming or dull. Just light pink perfection.
     "L-Lucy?" Charlotte stammered, her heart beating faster and faster.
     Lucy smiled, her cheeks turning a bright shade of bubblegum pink. She walks over to Charlotte before grabbing her hands. It was not long until Lucy noticed the fresh burn mark of the same diameter of a cigarette on the back of Charlotte's hand.
    "What happened?" Asked a now concerned Lucy.
     There was not a point to ask such a question. Lucy already knew how the bright red and yellow mark appeared on Charlotte's skin. An act of self hatred, horror, and darkness supposedly. Charlotte was predictable when it came to the injuries that stained her skin.
     "What happened?" Lucy repeated. Charlotte did not-could not reply. She looked like a statue with marble white skin.
     Lucy sighed with a smile,"I'm gonna get the first aid kit then."
     She dashed through the door, leaving Charlotte alone with her thoughts.
     It felt surreal to Charlotte to see Lucy. Just moments ago, she was bleeding out the wine of the Devil surrounded by hell's damned fire. But, she was alive and well...and smiling gracefully.
     More sliver tears ran down Charlotte's face as she thought about if her dream was fate...if it would happen. Would it be her fault? Why was she not able to move to help Lucy? Does that mean she would betray her or be so petrified to process such a ghastly image.
     Lucy returned to the balcony holding a small, dainty first aid kit and a damp washcloth. She strolled over to Charlotte, eyes bright as usual.
     "Let me see your hand,"
     Charlotte once again did not respond. She just stared at Lucy with dazed, horror filled eyes.
     "Charlotte, love," Lucy gently tapped Charlotte's shoulder. This snapped her back to life with a gasp.
     She looked at Lucy who was smiling with a surprisingly large amount of patience. With a forced sigh, Charlotte gave her hand to Lucy after muttering a quick apology. Lucy puts Charlotte's hand on top of her dainty ones. The difference of their hands fantasized Charlotte for a moment...Lucy's hands were so delicate and gentle while hers were beaten up with rough nails and small cuts.
     "This is gonna hurt a bit," Lucy then warned before placing the wash cloth on the burn mark. When she did, Charlotte let out a painful sounding grunt. Lucy chuckled.
     "Told you," She said in her pastel voice.
Charlotte could not help herself from smiling slightly. She though Lucy was too pure...too pure for such a devastating fate.
     Then, Lucy grabbed a long strip of pale white gauze from the little first aid kit. She begun to wrap it carefully around Charlotte's hand. Charlotte, who continued to stay mute, watched steadily like a child as the gauze covered her wound. Lucy then tied the white cloth but not in a normal knot...a bow. That was just the way she was...making everything, minuscule or not, a little more special.
     "There you go,"
     Charlotte examined the neat bandage that started to soak some light red fluid. She smiled at it.
     "Charlotte," Said Lucy,"can you tell me what happened?"
     "It was an accident—"
     "No, not that. Why are you up so late? Did something happen?"
     Charlotte's smile disappeared instantly. Should she tell her about the dream? The dream in which she watched her bleed to death?
     After a long sigh, Charlotte opened her mouth.
     "I-I had a dream...and you were bleeding..a lot. And-And I watched...unable to move. You were...gone...and-I-and—" Charlotte broke into tears again, harder than before. Lucy quickly grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them tight.
     "It wasn't real, love...I'm not going anywhere," She said sincerely,"I'm never gonna leave you—"
     "You were dying, Luce,"
     "I'm not...I won't,"
      They fell silent with only the noises of the dark night filling the ominous air.
      Lucy's eyes lit up with an idea suddenly. It amazingly startled Charlotte.
     "I have a thought," Lucy said, her smile was now filled with serenity,"what if when we're old and done living our lives, you die before me—"
     "What?"
     "I mean-like-um...if you did, you wouldn't have to be alone if I died before you—"
     "That's not the way things work, Lucy," Charlotte looked at the ground, feeling defeated...exhausted...overwhelmed.
     "I know, but—"
     "Wouldn't it be lonely too...for you?"
     "Yes," Lucy closes her eyes as her face turned a light red,"but rather me than you...or maybe we could just die at the same time,"
     Charlotte with her head still pointed down let out a small chuckle filled with melancholy, "Well, I don't know...I don't think I have the strength to live for that long,"
     "Then...can I help you become stronger?"
     Charlotte looked up at Lucy, staring at her icy blues.
     "What the hell did I do to deserve you?"
     "You deserve someone to love you and that just happened to be me. But, I think you deserve someone better than me honestly,"
     "Oh, Lucy," Charlotte uttered before flinging herself onto Lucy for a hug, "my love,"
      She buried her head into Lucy's neck, planting a kiss there.
     "I love you so much, Charlotte," Lucy whispered into her ear.
     Charlotte lifted up her head and faced Lucy's beautiful, angelic face.
     "I love you even more,"
      They then both leaned in for a kiss. This kiss was supposed to be short and sweet, but once their lips touched it changed instantly. It was then a long kiss...a very passionate kiss in fact. Lucy's hands were lost in Charlotte's mass of midnight hair while her beaten up hands slid down to Lucy's waist. They kissed for so long that Charlotte's chapped lips became moist and full again.
     It was a total of five minutes before only a thin line of their saliva connected their lips. Once they completely broke away from their kiss, they stared lovingly and longingly into each other's shining orbs. Charlotte's eyes were no longer laced with horror...they were only struck by the heavenly eyes of the now crying beauty that stood in front of her.
     "Let's go to bed?" Lucy asked, fluttering her long lashes.
     "Five more minutes," Responded Charlotte,"just to be out here."
     Lucy gave a nod of agreement. She then grabbed Charlotte's arm and rested her head on her shoulder. The latter sighed gently.
They both peered at the night sky above them in complete silence. There was nothing to say, no, they could not put the way they felt in words. It was too great, too divine of a feeling.
     Yes, it was a dark night, but not the depressing, murky dark. It was more of a peaceful darkness with glittering stars and a shining crescent moon. A perfect night. A perfect last night.