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
