She knew what her parents would say if he took her to the Gala Event Friday night, but she had made up her mind, she was going to say yes.  Liliana was determined, for once in her life she was going to do something for herself.  She was going to the event with William.

        It was Thursday afternoon and she was tired of hearing about how, "Your father will never approve of this William.  Besides, he is too old and he doesn't even live within the Kingdom," as her step-mother would say, insistently.

        Before Liliana knew it, it was finally Friday.  Her stomach churned at the though that she was soon to disobey her father.  Her mind filled with terrible thoughts of consequences.  Her step mother's anger was growning by the moment, pushing Liliana to go with a more "civilized" man.  Liliana's step-mother had only one man in mind, Christopher.  He was tall, slim, with brown hair in the most perfect fashion, almost too perfect, and brilliant blue eyes.  Handsome he was but he had not a sense of humor like William.  A gentleman?  Yes, but he was not as charming as William.  Nor did he ever smile.  William had the most enchanting of smiles. While on the other hand,  it seemed as though Christopher had no opinion or thoughts at all, and if he did he never found it important enough to share with Liliana.  No matter if it was because he had under estimated Liliana's ability to understand or he was just lacking confidence in himself, she did not approve.  William always talked to Liliana, played silly flirtatious games, cared for her, and understood her...  Things Christopher could never understand, let alone demonstrate.

        It is now two 'o' clock and Liliana has a bitter taste that lingers in her mouth.  She knows she must get prepared for the event, but she just can't keep her thoughts together.  Everything is going too fast, if only time could stop.

        Liliana sifts through her gowns.  Brown,  beige, white, pink?  There are so many colors, so many choices, and only one to be chosen.  Finally her eyes fall upon the gown her mother wore to her death.  Liliana's mind is brought back to that dreary day.  Everything black and white, colorless, motionless.  Her mother lay in her casket of roses and red velvet.  Her face of no expression, her beautiful, long, thick, black hair in tight bouncy, but yet so lifeless curls.  The recollection of her mothers death becomes too much to bear.  A single tear let free rolls down her cheek in a wild path like a winding road.  It trips off her chin and falls to the floor with a small but loud clatter at the back of her mind.  And to make herself feel stronger, to make her life... complete?  She slips into her mothers gown of black spider silk and crimson red embroidered trim with billowing sleeves that suspend her arms into an ocean of soft black water. And as it caresses her every curve, her head slips through the neck of the gown and she gathers her hair up, taking it out of the dress and letting it free.  Another tear breaks free from her eye.  It trickles down her cheek and falls upon her lips.  She softly cradles the tear within her tongue, tasting the sweet salt of her sorrows.

        Liliana sat down at the vanity applying make-up of the same shadows that had once held her mother's soft pale face.  Reaching into the fire, she retrieved the very same hot iron that tangled with her mother's lifeless hair.  Liliana twirls and twists, leaving her hair in small tight spirals.  She takes a silver ring of black onyx from her mother's jewelry box and slips it on her thin, long index finger.  She pulls a long breath deep inside of her, looks up at the mirror and recieves the reflection that seems to be her mother then releases the breath in shock.  Distraught at the thought of her mother lying stiff as a board six feet beneath the sands of hell, she tried to decipher the mystery of it all.

She hears foot steps losing distance down the hall.  The door opens, the face in the mirror disappears and she spins in her chair to face the oncoming assault... Is it her sweet, lively eyed William come to sweep her off her feet and make all wrong things right?  Is it her father come to give Liliana his acceptance of her choice?  Liliana turns from the mirror to find her step-mother standing insolently with a look of the most hatred sort drawn upon her face.  A masculine figure stands over her shoulders, Christopher.  Elizebeth, her step-mother, has come to force Christopher's attendance upon her arrival at the Gala Event.  Liliana's hopes and dreams shatter to the floor, dancing at her feet.  As they turn their backs to leave the room, the door slams shut.  Liliana looks to the mantle where lies a dagger in a glass case.  A sparkle dangles at the point from the golden light that shines down from the chandelier.  She falls to her feet, dashing for the dagger.  Breaking the glass case in pieces with her dreams that dance at her feet. She grasps the dagger in her hand daintily, bringing the blade inwards, thrusting it through her troublesome heart.  The tip of the blade that once shimmered with the light now protrudes through her back.  Her mouth expels her last sounds of extreme anguish, and she collapses to the ground.

        Waking up at the sound of the alarm clock she searches for the snooze button, not quite so ready for her first day back at school from spring break.  She answers to her mother's beckoning calls, "Yes, I am up!"