January 23, 1919

"Wake up funny-bones," Alice said as she shook her sister awake. "It's your birthday!" Laughing, Cynthia threw off the covers and sat up. Alice sat down next to her and handed her a small box.

"It's from Henry," Alice said slyly. "He couldn't make it to the party, but he told me to make sure it was the first present you opened!"

Cynthia opened the box slowly and what she saw made her heart stop. A ring perched just so atop a hill of velvet, sparkled in the new morning light coming from the window Alice had just opened. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she had ever set eyes on.

Alice, as always, was ten steps ahead of her throwing gown after gown on her sister's bed, trying to decide which she'd force Cynthia to wear to the party tonight.

"I like the blue one," Cynthia offered.

"Yes, but the red one flatters you more. Plus, it was the dress you wore when you met Henry!" Alice countered and Cynthia had to admit that she was right. Henry had complimented that dress many times and always asked why she never wore it. The truth was, the night that she met Henry, Alice had had one of her worse episodes, throwing a fit and telling everyone that she was going to die soon. That had scared Cynthia more than anything, but a year had passed since and Alice hadn't had even one episode. Still, the memory sent her worrying.

They arrived at the party fifteen minutes late. Alice said it was always best to be fashionably late, and well, Alice was usually right about those things. She looked absolutely dazzling tonight, Cynthia felt homelier than ever standing next to her. Alice's short curls, as was the style now, were pinned back behind her ear on one side and the rest of her hair flowed down her other shoulder in a smooth wave. Cynthia's was done up the same way, but it never seemed to look quite right when Alice was standing next to her.

Cynthia was wearing the red dress that Alice had insisted on and she had to admit that it truly was flattering, but the deep purple dress with the low back that Alice was wearing put Cynthia's sparkling ensemble to shame. And Cynthia was just too tall. Alice was petite and willowy, while Cynthia was tall and lanky. No matter how hard she tried to be like her, Cynthia couldn't live up to Alice's beauty. But that didn't bother her in the least.

Alice led Cynthia down the steps and whispered, "Smile birthday girl! Have some fun!" And with that, they continued on to the party.

Cynthia stood at the balcony of the hotel party room, smiling at the full moon and twisting the ring on her right hand, round and round. She was aware of another person on the balcony, but didn't mind. It was her birthday! They'd leave soon enough.

The person moved closer to her and Cynthia frowned and turned to find herself staring at her beloved Henry. Tall and handsome, he was perfect in every way and she loved him more than all the stars in the sky added together.

"You made it!" she cried, but Henry ignored her, staring at the ring on her right hand.

"You know when I gave you that ring, it was meant to go on your left hand, Cynthia," he replied and Cynthia gasped. Henry gently removed the ring from her hand and knelt down on his right knee.

Holding the ring he said, "Cynthia Marie Brandon, on this your seventeenth birthday, I promise I will love you for as long as the earth spins and the stars reign the heavens. Will you marry me?"

Hand on her heart, tears streaming down her face, Cynthia choked, "Yes! Yes! Henry I will! I love you too! I –"

She was suddenly cut off by a scream in the party room. Henry stood up and walked to the glass doorway, motioning her to stay back. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," he muttered and Cynthia rushed to his side to see what had happened.

Alice was lying face down in the middle of the dance floor. The man she must have been dancing with was panicking, yelling for someone, anyone, to come and help. Cynthia tore into the room, ignoring Henry's protests and rushed to her sister's side.

Turning her body over, she saw that Alice's eyes were dazed, and unseeing, her lips moving at an unsettling speed.

"Alice!" Cynthia cried. "Alice! Please wake up!"

Alice's eyes remained dazed, but her lips slowed and she uttered the five most painful words Cynthia would ever hear. And she repeated them over and over again, "I am going to die, I am going to die."

A man came up beside her and Cynthia recognized him as Dr. McKnight who had been helping Alice cope with her episodes as of last year. He had a syringe in his hand and he plunged it into Alice's arm, making her jolt suddenly and then become very still. Then he lifted her thin body and carried her away. It took Cynthia a minute to realize what had happened, where Dr. McKnight was taking Alice, but then it dawned on her and her mouth fell open in horror.

"NO!" she wailed, jumping to her feet. "NO! You can't take her! NO!"

Henry grasped her arms as she tried to follow, but Cynthia thrashed and wailed until he finally let go. She reached the outside of the hotel, only to find the ambulance pulling away with Alice inside.

Cynthia's tears finally spilled all the way over and she collapsed in the middle of the street.