Word Count: 362
Like a moth, alit on the windowsill, ready to fly into the warm air of another summer Saturday night. With a little jump, she lands on the dewy grass of the back lawn. Lets her robe shimmer down to her feet. Dons the soft glow of the moon as a ball gown.
A twirl, a bow, another and another till she stands in the center of the dance floor. Looks around at the suiters, tall firs lining the walls. Smiles shyly while waiting for the first notes off the sweet violin. The high floating breeze of the flute. The ground swelling melody of the piano to wrap stanzas around her ankles to dance.
There’s Lacey. Flits like a firefly. Her boobies like two baby moons. Not right, her being out here. Her daddy asleep not knowing. Dancing, dancing like the tree frogs played fiddles. The owl watching with them big old eyes. I gotta hide. Can’t let her see me. I ain’t an owl but I watch. I can watch.
She reaches out, holds hands with the tip of a bough. Curtsies, smiles at her lover, the one she’s selected this warm summer night. She is light as a petal. Bright as a star.
Used to watch from the window up in my room. But here I pretend that it’s me. Me that she picks to dance with her. Like we used to play tag and hide-n-seek before. But Mama told me to leave her alone now. She’s growing up but I never will.
The moonlight is magic. The silence a song. She’s a curious moth to the moon.
That’s what I’ll do. I’ll catch her in a jar. Like we used to catch lightning bugs on these warm summer nights. I’ll catch her and hold her forever in a jar in my room.
And the dance halts so sudden, the fall is so swift that she barely has time to know what is happening. Just that he’s come out to play and she can’t get the words out in time to stop him. Her last breath a whisper of his name like a wisp of cloud into the moon.
