Can you feel that? Can you hear that sound? That's the sound of a million hearts breaking. So many chills run down their backs in the moment, but you never feel it until it happens. Sometimes you don't even realize it's broken, until someone comes to fix it.
The sky turns a mix of orange and pale pink as it starts to set over the hills of Tunisia. The birds voices are heard through the panels of windows, calling to you. Asking you to fly away with them.
Birds have freedom. They flap their wings and can go anywhere, see anything. No one can tell them what to do. They just follow the sunlight.
She looked out the window, asking herself when she would get up the courage, to follow the sunlight.
The sun deepened into the east, making the heat travel and warm the limbs of the trees. The reflection of the girl was caught in the glass. Her face tanned, making the lines of her face more prominent. Her deep brown eyes shown, centering her cheekbones upward. She stared at herself for a few moments, wondering what other people saw. Did they see the sadness in her eyes? Or did they see the dreams, the thoughts roaming behind them? A sigh escaped from her lips as she started to see it. She imagined her figure outside the tree line, laughing and smiling. Her eyes closed as she saw herself. Another figure started to appear, sitting beside her.
"Ali? Why are you still up?" a voice came from around the corner.
The girl jumped, opening her eyes. She bit her lip, "Um, what? Sorry, what?"
"I asked why you were still up?" the woman walked closer, her eyes furrowed in confusion.
"Oh, I-I couldn't sleep."
The girl started fiddling with her thumbs as she smiled dryly, brushing past her elder toward her bedroom.
The woman walked slowly over to the window, wondering what the girl had been looking at. She saw the haze of her daughters breath still left on the glass, as she looked toward the horizon. Her breath mingled with the silence in the air as she wiped away the fog with her sleeve.
"You were thinking about her again, weren't you?"
She jumped as she shut the door to her room, "Oh my god, what is with people scaring me?"
Her sister shrugged, bringing her knees to her chest, "so were you?"
"Was I what?"
"Thinking about her," she smiled.
The girl pulled down the covers and asked, "Thinking about who?"
The girls taller shadow shook her head, "I don't know. She doesn't have a name yet."
The girl sank down in her bed, a deep huff as she hit the pillow.
"You are reading too much," she sighed, closing her eyes.
"Maybe. Maybe not," the sister smiled, turing over, drifting off to sleep.
The brook flowed downward, toward the summit, where it would splatter into a million drops of water. She followed its path with her eyes, watching the tiny droplets join into a pool of blue.
A rattling came from the trees, making her turn around, "I've been waiting for you!"
A figure approached, her figure small, with a tan coat to her skin. Her hair was curling, and her eyes bright. She walked slowly outward, smiling widely as she caught a glimpse of the water.
"I'm sorry, I got sidetracked," the girl sighed, sitting down beside her.
Aliu smiled, reaching her hand into the water, letting it brush her fingertips, sending chills down her back.
The other girl reached behind her and handed a white rose. It was dusted with gold, looking almost unreal. A smile crept upon her lips as she saw the tears start to form in the smaller girls eyes.
"It's so beautiful," she managed.
The girl tilted her chin upward, leaning in slowly, her eyes closing.
Ali sat straight up, broke out in a sweat, her breath wavering.
"She has a face."