• She stood in the snow wearing her rainbow dress and strawberry red boots. I remember the first day I saw her, out in that field by herself. She looked so peaceful, so serene. It is now a year after I first saw her in that field. In the usual spot where she once had stood, a vase of lilacs sit in loneliness. The sweet aroma that fills the spring air reminds me of her, beautiful and calming. It’s sad to think that I never got to tell her that I love her before she died.

    Two years ago, a young girl by the name of Lilium, moved to the small town of Tari. Her pale skin would blind most people, and her beauty could bring anyone to their knees. She stood out in our town full of preps and colorful people. She wore a black dress with a red bow that tied around her waist and she wore her silky black hair down to her waist. She was never seen without her black, laced umbrella and most people considered her a social outcast. Every day you would hear people talking about how weird she was and that she didn’t belong here, I disagree with them. I wanted to learn more about her. One day I walked up to her and tried to talk to her. She glanced at me and walked away. I would have to use a more indirect method.

    For a year I followed her, I felt that if I could observe her enough I would be able to understand her more. Every morning she left her house which was conveniently next to my own, and then she walked to school. Upon arrival at school, everyone seemed to stare at her for a split second and then go back to their business. As an excuse to find out her classes I’d ask to go to the bathroom. Her schedule started with Art, World History, Math, and finally Chorus. The last one surprised me but I just let it go with the fact that she probably was forced into it by the school. After the last bell for school rang she would leave the building and walk back home. On the way she always stopped by a bookstore. After browsing most of the sections with disdain she stopped at the section for manga and would stare at this section for an hour. If she found something she liked she would buy it and then leave. She always came home to an empty house and then closed all the window curtains.

    After a year of no success in finding anything out about her, I decided I’d follow her once more and then I’d give up. Everything was the same, woke up, walked to school, went to classes, then left. But this certain day when I followed her out of the school, she didn’t go down the road towards her house, instead she followed a dirt trail to an open field. She walked out into the middle of the field and stood staring up into the sky for what seemed like hours. I watched her and then felt myself turn tired. I closed my eyes and then slowly opened them again. I saw a pair of heterochromatic eyes two inches from mine. I jumped back and started walking away. “Sorry!” I said and then ran away.

    I stumbled up the front steps of my house and fell into the doorway catching my breath. No one was home. I sighed and went into the kitchen to make something to eat and calm down. What did she think of me? Did she know I was following her? I got some water and gulped it down. The timer went off and my dinner was ready. I grabbed it out of the oven and went to my room and locked the door.

    Late into the night I stared at the glowing computer screen in front of me and slowly my eyes closed. I laid my head down on the desk but then heard a rap at my window. I slowly got up and drew my curtains and took a jump back. Her face was pressed against the glass staring at me. She pointed to the lock on my window and mouthed out “open it”. Still in awe, I unlocked and opened the window which she then swiftly jumped through.

    “You’ve been stalking me…” She said

    “Well I wouldn’t really consider it stalking but… well yea. I was stalking you.” I sighed and sat down. “What do you want?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the window

    “Follow me.” She lifted me out of the window and started running with my hand in hers. I felt branches and twigs snap against my skin as we went to a clearing. It was the same spot I saw her at earlier. We stopped and she walked out into the middle of the field and pointed up. “It’s about to snow.”

    “Hmmm… And how do you know this?” I asked. No later than 2 seconds after she said that white flakes started to descend from the heavens. My eyes widened as I stared up. It had never snowed here before. I looked back down at her only to find her inches away from me again. “Yes?” I chuckled. She looked into my eyes and then closed hers and pressed her lips against mine. I was amazed. She pulled away from me and then turned and ran away. Before I could say anything she was out of sight. I sighed and walked back home.

    The next day at school I went back to my normal life of not following Lilium. I walked to my first class and everyone stared at me as I walked in the door. “What? Am I suddenl- Oh my god…” There she stood at my desk blushing and looking down at the ground. She was different today; she wore a rainbow dress with bright red boots and she didn’t even have her umbrella. I looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “What?” I asked. She looked at me and for the first time I saw a smile on her face. She raised a finger up to her lips and then kissed me and ran off. Everyone in the class stared at me as I closed my eyes and sat down.

    For the next year it was the same routine every day, we never even spoke to eachother. I decided I’d try to ask her what was going through her mind to make her do this so I went back out to the usual spot that she stood everyday. I watched her as she stared up into the sky and called her name. She never looked at me once. Every day I went out there and watched her, she never looked at me and I seemed to grow a strong and strange emotion every time I looked at her. Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore, I walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Lilium, why do you kiss me everyday?” I asked her. She turned to me and looked in my eyes. She was crying. My heart ached as I saw her this way and I grew melancholy. She embraced me and knocked me down. I let me arms rest around her back and sighed. “What’s wrong?” I asked. She coughed and clutched me tighter.
    “I’m… I’m dying…” She sobbed. My heart grew a sharp pain as I heard her speak these words

    “What? How?” I asked surprised. She looked into my eyes and let out a weak sob.

    “When I was younger I was raped by my father, I never told anyone this, it’s why I seem so down all the time. Well over the years I never really noticed it but I have AIDs…” She said and grabbed my face then kissed me one more time. “I just wanted to die knowing that… I was loved by someone…” She weakly looked into my eyes and breathed one last phrase. “I… love… you…” And with one last move she pressed her sweet lips against mine and sighed.

    I looked at her as I felt my eyes swell up. “No… You can’t… Oh god no…” I stood up and lifted her limp body. With tears in my eyes I ran with her in my arms, and didn’t stop. I felt that it couldn’t be true, she couldn’t have died so suddenly. I didn’t know where I was running to, all I know is that I would keep running and never stop… Not until she was awake again. Not until I knew she was safe…

    Every day at school from that day, I felt empty going to school and not seeing Lilium standing at my desk ready to give me my daily ecstasy. People were curious about what happened to her… and how I had developed sudden scars on my body. If only they knew… how much I loved you…