Grey clouds slither and twist across the sky like the smoke of an old man’s pipe. People, their faces etched with worry, hurrying and rushing to fulfill their place on earth, with little appreciation or regard for life and time, occupy the sidewalks. The streets are jammed with speeding cars, filled with people, people rushing life, always looking into the future. The street lamps overhead cast a soft yellow glow onto the street. The clock-tower clocks tick slowly. Tick- tock -ti... time slows to a stop. The wind suddenly subsides until it has disappeared also. Any form of life, has now been frozen in time.

She slowly comes into view. Only a shadow, her black outline dances across the street. She dances closer, spinning and weaving. As last, she waltzes under the yellow cast of the streetlamps. I can see her clearly now. Her face, smooth, without a worry line visible, glows with understanding. Her black hair spins in spirals, fanning out around her head. Her eyes gleam with wonder, excitement, and affection. She lifts her foot and points her toes as she spins and spins and spins. She dances as if she is weightless; with such determination, passion, and devotion, yet she is relaxed, and care-free. She dances with a clear mind. No worries, regrets, or mistakes clutter her mind. She carries no burdens, and is immune to the world’s contagious negative outlook on life. She spins and spins, her hair creating a halo around her head. Suddenly, the once black sky, is sprinkled with a handful of stars. A warm sensation suddenly fills my body as her shadow dances past. For a fraction of a second, I am allowed the pleasure of seeing the world through her eyes. My mind, wiped of all thoughts, washes away any troubles. Anything learned from the culture of modern day society, any rules, thoughts, sides, beliefs, and memories, are wiped from my mind. I have a clean slate. She allows me to see life in a different perspective. She allows me to live in the moment, and live life to its fullest potential. As suddenly as it started, it disappears. My knees buckle and I am shaken by the weight of the world being dropped back onto my shoulders. She dances on, as if nothing happened. Her figure becomes mistier with every step she dances. She spins, and spins, and spins, her figure, now just a cloaked shadow against the street.

I look up. The stars are gone, and the sky is back to its pitch- black color. Tick- tock- tick. The clock ticks on, time resumes. People swarm around me, not realizing how short life is. I search desperately, looking for any trace of her. She is gone. The world continues on with its vicious outlook. She is now only a figure of my imagination.