Bye Bye Beautiful

            She stood on the gate overlooking the edge of the hover pad when he walked into the garden.

            “If I jump now, they wouldn’t be able to reverse the force of gravity in time to save me. They won’t even notice I am dead until hours from now.”

            He inched toward her, walking cautiously incase he accidentally startled her.

            She turned. Her eyes were a dark grey. They harbored no reflection of the world around them, only of the pain she felt inside.

            “Would you try to stop me?”

            He didn’t even know her, but he did know that she was beautiful. He knew instantly that her death would be a great loss to the universe. He nodded slowly in response.

            She tilted her head. “You seem so unsure.” He reached for her hand as he approached the gate marking the edge of the hover pad.

            She lowered herself into a sitting position on the fence.

            “Why should you care if I were to jump?”

            “You’re beautiful.”

            She scoffed and returned to her feet. “That’s what they all say, all I ever hear. Did you ever stop to think that such beauty is only a curse?”
            He stared at her, searching her eyes for an explanation.

            “They all love beauty. They want it for themselves. But, when they can’t have it, they despise the holder, destroy the splendor.” Her face shown with tears. “They’ve destroyed me, too, you know, with all their words and stares. But, its okay, they can have all I don’t want because I can’t handle the pain that comes with this…disease.” She wiped the tears from her face. “What’s one less pretty face in this life?” A silent smiled played across her lips. “Would you remember?”

            He nodded.

            “What part?”

            He mused for a moment. “The sorrow is what I would remember most. Every time a sunsets across the horizon, every time a young child smiles, I would remember the misery that brought you to this edge.”

            “Not my face?”

            “It is only a face.”

            “Not a lovely face?”

            “No; it is a sad. A face complete with painful eyes that are brimming with tears and a frown in place of a potentially lovely smile.”

            She smiled honestly.

            “You’re a broken beauty, one with the likes of which I have never happened upon. You’re beauty is not a curse, it is a gift. It is only the misery you carry that curses you.”

            He offered his hand once more. She took it and let him help her down from the gate. They smiled at one another, and embraced briefly before parting for the first and last time.

 

Reviews

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I like this. It has a good message! Well written! You expressed yourself well. I like the flow! I wished this was a little longer. It would make a great novel!