Once the sky wore its black velvet cloak of the night, Florina stood up with a purple backpack on her shoulders and vanished into the shadows of the streets, protected by the dark fabric of the night. The street lights lit the vacant road with an orange glow.
“The world is so different at night,” Florina thought as the pitter patter of her feet sounded unfaltering, creating a soft heartbeat for the world to enjoy from the shadows. A chilling howl from the wind whipped her richly colored hair into her face--stained with glass gems. No one could possibly replace her loving parents; Florina promised to never forget them. That director had no idea that Florina was not ready to move on at all; she needed saving. No one had provided her with a solution, so Florina made her own: running away.
“I have to keep going,” she thought. In a seemingly endless battle against the burning exhaustion and the all powerful foster system, Florina ran to join the poor souls on the unforgiving streets, forever trapped in the bustling of the crowded and indifferent city.
As she ran through the city, she witnessed the flashing lights of the speeding cars. She felt disorientated, and the red tail lights appeared uncomfortably familiar. A siren of an ambulance sounded in the distance, and a few people glanced at Florina with concern. When Florina attempted to cross an intersection, she tripped onto the dark cement, and blood from her palms created a puddle. After the light turned green, the cars honked impatiently, and tired drivers cursed at Florine.
“Why is everyone yelling at me? Stop! Please, stop! Make it stop,” she screeched. “Leave me alone; all I want are my parents.”
Despite the crushing feeling of despair, Florina managed to shuffle her feet to the other side of the bustling intersection and continued her lonely journey with quiet sobs until she reached the stone bridge across a small levee. The pandemonium of the city failed to touch this side of the city, and Florina found it pleasant. The rigid stone felt cold under her bruised fingers, and the stars above shone more gently than the headlights of a convertible.
“Peaceful,” Florine thought, “as a soft lullaby.” Comforted by the scenery, her eyes dried and fixed on her possible sleeping quarters, a soft area of grass under the bridge, sheltered from the chilling nips of the wind. Climbing down carefully, Florina planted herself in her makeshift bed and pulled out a jacket from her purple backpack for additional warmth. Her exposed skin shivered as it made contact with the itchy, cool grass, and her back ached as she attempted to find comfort from sleeping on dirt. Finally, Florina found a comfortable position and fell asleep while gazing at the twinkling stars, her only companions.
Emerging from the ominous darkness, a soft, golden glow enveloped Florina and emitted a safe warmth that Florina had long forgotten since her parents’ passing. Without hesitation, Florina wrapped the light around herself and snuggled against the soft heat, which slowly transformed into a flowing, glowing gown fit for a princess. The long transparent sleeves fitted loosely, and the skirt of Florina’s dress cascaded to her ankles with a single, golden layer of material that faded into a glittery white at the bottom of the dress. With bright eyes, Florina lifted her dress and twirled happily around until she was dizzy and plopped herself onto the field of lush, green grass that swayed peacefully in the warmth breeze. Florina laughed since the tall grass could hide her so well; it reached above her waist. After regaining her balance and strength, Florina pranced in the grass with her chestnut hair curling behind her. The wind felt exhilarating against her face, and she ran faster and faster. Her body felt so light, and when Florina glanced down, she realized she was walking on air. Something behind her catch her eye: twinkling, feathery wings that spanned twice her arm span. Sparing no time, Florina flapped her new wings and raced to reach the fluffy clouds above; she made cloud angels, danced on her tippy toes, and tasted the sweet clouds.
Resting on her white cloud, she peered down and saw two people waving their arms at her. The curious Florina floated down, and tears sprung from her eyes: those people were her parents. Florina cried out and jumped into their arms, and her parents held tight and kissed the top of her head. Never before had Florina felt so warm and happy. Her life was finally complete with her parents at her side once again.
After Florina managed to stop sobbing from joy, she said, “I have been waiting for this moment for so long! I’ve missed you so much.”
Her parents looked at each other and smiled.
“We have always been looking after you no matter how far away we are. We are so happy to finally speak to you and say good-bye.”
Florina flinched, “What do you mean?”
“Well, we didn’t want you to be so sad forever, so we decided to visit you in your dreams.”
“You’re not staying?”
“Florina, we would love to stay forever, but we cannot. Let’s just enjoy our few minutes together.”
Florina’s throat felt swollen when she spoke, “You two can’t leave me again. I have cried every night and prayed for you two to come back somehow. Please, don’t leave me again. They were trying to send me away and to make me forget about my parents. I ran away, you see, and if you two stay, we can still be family and live happily ever after.”
“Oh, dear. Don’t you know that we will always be your family?”
Florina felt her dress sticking uncomfortably to her skin.
“How can we be a family when we are separated? How can you read me bedtime stories? How can I show you my drawings? How am I supposed to feel safe at night without you two?”
“Another loving couple will take care of you, and we will watch you from the sky. They will be your second family. No can replace us. You know that.”
“No!” Florina screamed. Her skin felt too warm, and beads of sweat rolled down her neck. Ever so slowly the grass slowly became a dry yellow.
“Florina, please. Calm down. We love you, but we must leave soon.”
“If you ever loved me, you would never want me to go with another family! You would never leave me alone. Stay with me! Stay! Please!”
The once lush green field burst into flames that surrounded Florina and her parents, and Florina’s dress started to melt and scorch her skin.
“Stop, Florina! You will hurt yourself. We must leave right now.”
“Don’t you see how much this hurts me? Help me. Don’t leave! Don’t go! Please, help me. I can’t go on without you two.”
The orange flames reached her parents, and they slowly began to char pitch black. Their faces trickled with blood and tears, and their faces melted under the intense heat of the fire. Before they crumbled completely, they smiled softly and whispered, “We love you, Florina.”
Poof! They were gone again in the savage licks of the devouring fire, and Florina was alone in the midst of the cruel fire. She sobbed and screamed, for every inch of her body burned from the pain of losing her parents once again. In her despair, Florina grabbed their ashes and cradled them to her chest, and Florina remained still in the bubbling fire until she faded into a flickering ember like her parents.
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