She was an absolutely beautiful girl with silky blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her smile illuminated her face with a youthful and lusty glow as her teeth sparkled like impeccably white pearls. She smiled at everyone as she skipped by. Everyone smiled back and she took the world to be a wonderfully happy place. She had no idea that people smiled because of --her--. Her naive innocence attributed to her charming persona. With one glance the onlooker percieved her innocence. Upon second glance one discovered a most unbelievably gorgeous creature. And her name was Mary.

On this particular day she was wearing overalls, sandals, and a bright sunflower yellow shirt. She was taking a walk in her neighborhood with a neighborhood friend. They walked holding hands as the sun played off the strands of the light hair on their heads. They looked like elementary kids, but they were much older. They were too old to be holding hands in fact, but for some reason they did not appear out of place. Perhaps if the neighborhood friend had been holding someone else's hand besides Mary's, she would have looked strange. But the gesture seemed so innate to Mary that the other girl appeared natural as well.

They spoke excitedly as they strolled along. They laughed sweetly and listened politely to each other. Mary began to tell an animated story. As she spoke, she acted out a graceful play. The friend watched closely and giggled at Mary's silly gestures. When Mary finished they both began to laugh. And then they laughed and giggled harder and harder until they both fell to the ground hugging their stomachs and covering their mouths. This lasted for a moment until the memory abruptly froze. The girls remained lying on the green grass facing upwards towards the blue summer sky with their faces locked in youthful jubilation.

I sat back with a sigh and stared out the foggy window. I focused more closely on the picture and then on Mary. Immediately, I was captured by her bright blue eyes. Suddenly, I began to cry.

I wanted to leap back in time and lie back down next to Mary on that fresh green rye and wrap my arms around her. I would never let go. I wished to whisper into her ear that she was a beautiful, lovely girl and that she always would be. And I would keep my arms securely around her forever to hide her vulnerable innocence from the rest of the advantageous and evil world. I imagined the smell of youth on her skin and hair against the smell of fresh soil. I could hear her sweet, high voice. I remembered her laugh...I wished I had never let go.

But then the picture began to fade. The grass began to gray and Mary's soft hair turned to wiry lead. I looked up to the sky and black clouds closed in. The grass began to shrivel revealing dark soil. So I tucked my face under Mary's chin catching a glimpse of her sparkling blue eyes before the world went black.