She looks up into the sky. At the beautiful stars. But it?s not night. She sees a peaceful rainbow. It hasn?t rained all year. Her eyes see children playing. There?s not a child within three miles. The smell of sweet strawberries overwhelms her. But why can?t anyone else smell it?
Now, she?s in a meadow. The grass is green and the sun is out. The sky runs forever. It? s summer. Everyone is a young child of about ten, including herself. She looks down.
Suddenly, a monster appears. She is running. Faster, faster. But she cannot get away. Her feet are bricks. She tries to move. She can?t. Her legs are cement blocks.
The monster catches up, calling, ?My precious little Rose! Come to me, my dear little flower!? His words slur together.
?No, no!? She is screaming. No one can hear her. He grabs her arms. She is shaking- not by force, but because she is scared.
?Be still, my tiny flower.? He tries to soothe her. It doesn?t work. She is still scared. Tears roll down her cheeks.
Everything goes black. She is no longer with the evil man. No longer within his reach. So why is she still running? She looks behind her- sees nothing but black. She looks forward and sees the same.
The black flows into a great rainbow of people. She?s about twenty-three. Still the shadow of the monster haunts her. She can feel his touch even though he is far away.
She is quickly walking through the crowds, trying to find home. She walks into a small brick apartment. Closes the door behind her. She finds herself searching under a mattress. A small, old book is sitting there. It hasn?t been touched for years.
She opens it. Tears stream as she strokes the pages of her diary. She remembers the monster again- the only ?him? in her life.
She can hear voices calling her name. She opens her eyes.
?Where is he?? Her eyes are soft, hurt. No one knows what she?s talking about. No one ever did. She?s eighty-seven. She wants to tell someone. Anyone that will listen. But her mouth is shut.
She thinks about him for one last time. A single tear runs down her cheek. She takes her last breath. And no one ever knew.