And then it went white. I forgot everything I knew. My eyes focused and I noticed I was laying on a cloud. You would think that it would be light and fluffy but it was surprisingly damp and warm like someone had wrapped me in a moist towel. The only other thing I could see in the clouds was a white pedestal. On that pedestal lay a feather. The feather was a soft, almost pastel, rainbow. It radiated a sense of safety and reassurance. I walked over to the feather cautiously and picked it up, but it was heavier than I thought. It felt as if I had just picked up a mountain, so much so that I fell from the clouds.

 

“No one knows exactly what happened to Paris Baxton. She was never found. All that was left was her bright yellow bike, abandoned in the woods. Nothing else. It’s rumored that you can still hear her screams at night. 

She was a sweet girl. Always did as she was asked. Never asked questions.”

“That could be your legacy, Paris. Just a mysterious disappearance.” The dark cave made every little sound the man said echo throughout. “Or you could give it to me.”

“No.” Paris clarified for the despicable man.

“It’s more important than my life.”

The man growled.

“So be it.”

 

The steep cliff overlooked a few small dwellings, lacking enough to be considered a town. It was a seaside neighborhood with adorable cottages. The cottages were surrounded by a large meadow of flowers. Seeing the small houses made Jonova feel ill knowing what she had to do. Jonova walked down to the bottom of the hill she was on and pulled out a lighter. It burned. The whole neighborhood. Burned. She ran to the car left for her and hopped in. It didn’t turn on.

When it just wouldn’t start, Jonova realized her life had come to a bittersweet end.