Still Waters, Volume 4, Issue 4

Page 9

She walked back home along the

made the little girl proud. The road had

rim of the galaxy. Pebbles wedged into

seen ten more years of use since those

the soft skin on the bottom of her feet,

days, but she still knows it like the back

hidden underneath the hem of her long

of her hand.

white dress. By her waist she swung a

She moved slowly as she admired

pair of pointy high heels, which she had

the beauty of the open sea and listened

taken out of her mother's wardrobe. She

to the distant music from the high school

had been dreaming of wearing these

auditorium, which carried itself nicely

shoes since she was a little girl playing

along the water. No matter how long she

dress up. A cool salty breeze lifted her

spends on the walk, it was never long

long brunette hair on the right side of

enough. When she finally pushed open

her head. The waves, no more than a few

the rotting white wooden gate, she

inches tall, gently lapped at the

dodged empty bottles and cans on the

glistening shore of the rocky beach. The

walkway to the creaky front steps of the

moonlight shone across the ocean like a

old cape house. The windows looked

beacon pointed directly at her. “A

down upon her as if desperately asking

beautiful ending to a beautiful night,”

for attention. It was on this very porch

she thought.

that she would sit with her mother and

The sharp grey pavement, riddled

talk for hours with no interruption aside

with potholes, was in desperate need of

from the periodic crashing of waves on

replacement, but its rough sharp feeling

the rocky shore. When they sat on the

on the bottom of her feet brought her

porch watching the sun fade below the

back to warm summer days walking back

horizon, and the hospital would call,

from the beach with her mom, imitating

tears would roll uncontrolled down her

her every move, placing one foot in front

cheeks, but when she felt her mother’s

of the other and twisting her hips in the

warm arms wrap around her tiny body,

same manner. Her mom would turn

she felt as though nothing could go

around to watch her daughter, which

wrong.

always brought a smile to her face and

She pulled open the screen door whose handle, once gold, was now grey after

6 Still Waters Vol. IV, Issue IV

The Rim of the Galaxy by Kevin Golden


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