Her hair was thick. It was laid on to her shoulders in a delicate manner and tucked behind one ear. Her hair was much like a waterfall calm and collected near the top until it streams down and hits the bottom and the water breaks against the rocks. Her skin was tan in a way that make you blush every time you looked at her but it seemed as if it had taken hours to achieve. In her hair was an emerald pin which must have been a gift for she kept pushing her long honey brown hair over it. Her eyes were deep brown and when you looked into them you felt comforted, like if the world was ending you would be completely calm. She wore a long yellow dress, tight at the top and flowing at the bottom the dress had milk colored buttons from the start to her torque. Over it she wore a worn down trench coat, it had many pockets and was a very light brown almost, Beige color. It seemed to match in an odd way. She had a stop watch dangling from her side and it swayed as she moved. She wore no shoes and had paint all over her bottom half of her legs and feet. She thanked Mrs. Roush for her tea and waved to her friends in the hall and she apologized once more for being late. I looked away I didn't know her well I had seen her many times but this was the first time she looked as if she could possibly be the most interesting person I'd ever met. I looked over at her as she was watching an owl land on a tree. She sat there for hours at a time not doing anything. Simply coming and going at approximately ten thirty to two forty five. She had the oddest expressions sometime, you couldn't even begin to imagine what she was thinking about. And every hour Mrs. Roush would would hand her another cup of tea, she would smile sweetly nod and continue to think. I thought about going up to her and talk about art or music or something that seemed interesting. So I walked up slowly and steadily making my way up to her. Pushing myself off the the rose covered bench with my boney arm. She knew I was coming but did not turn around, she stared off into the distance as if waiting for me to say the first word. I did. I said the most sensible word I could think of. I said hello. And it made her giggle. "Why hello" she replied. She kept staring and I stood there not moving an inch. And after ten minutes I turned to leave and her head swung around. And she patted the seat across from her beckoning me to sit. Ms. Roush brought me a cup of tea, the second I sat down. She looked at me, staring at me for what felt like hours, her head was cocked to one side and her breathing was deep but proper. She sat tall and steady but her eyes moved all around as if scanning everything.

"What's your name?" I asked

"Whats yours?" She said back.

"Ron." I replied

"Claudia."

I was taken aback I had no idea way. But I gasped, like a child just learning to swim. She was looking out the window again like she didn't even notice the outburst. She looked up, up to the ceiling. I looked too.

It was a deep blue with checkers of black tiles every so often, she stared and stared and lost herself in the pattern. She didn't care, she started to hum. She glanced down at her pocket watch and stood up stretching as she did. It was to forty four. She dashed out. I followed, like a fool I may add. She didn't notice she was wrapped up the thoughts, she was living in her own head. I watched her following her to a small blue building, it was old and some what falling apart. But it looked like a great place to call home. She buzzed number four and a pass code opened she put a card into the door and slowly put in the four digits in immediately opening the door. She had spotted me as she turned around to close the door she had found me hiding behind a mail box. She didn't pretend not to see me but she went on up the wooden stairs to the fourth floor. She was there five or more minutes until she reemerged holding a tray of mango and a glass of milk. I ducked behind my new hiding spot a red rusty car. She walked right past the mailbox and straight to the back of the rusty car and simply said "I thought I would offer you some food because you look very busy.” She took a key out of her pocket and opened the rusted car doors. She took out a bow and arrow. And for some reason I lost control and my arms swung up, as if I was surrendering.

She looked down at me and let out this humongous laugh, one like I’ve never heard and then she quickly looked around as if checking to see if anyone was watching. Then she motioned me to follow her and shoved a cross bow into my arms. I was terrified. She ran pretty fast for a girl with no shoes on and the farther the we ran the more skeptical I became. But she finally stopped and began to slowly walk. We soon reached the forest.

“Were are we going?”, I asked.

“Somewhere beautiful” She claimed.

We walked for what felt like miles until we reached a bridge. It seemed to be a small bridge but you couldn’t see the end or what lay on the other side. It was covered in dark green vines but Claudia seemed to know her way around them like the back of her hand. When we got to the other side of the bridge there was a curtain of vines and she stopped me for a second as if contemplating if it was a good idea to let me in. Then she sighed and drew back the vine curtain and reveal easily the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Thats a lie it wasn’t beautiful because there are no words to describe what I saw.

At first I thought it was a simple cliff with a sunset but as the birds started to fly in the sun's shadow. And the crickets began to chirp and the waves started crashing on the shore below us. I couldn’t move. I was stuck, it was the only time in my life where I was truly in awe. Claudia was slowly taking my shoes and socks off and as my feet touched that wet mossy ground. I knew I was free. That what I was searching for my whole life was finally here. I was in love with the feeling I had in that moment. And I was in the love with the face that Claudia had on when she watched me step into the light. And I was in love with myself.

“Thank you” I whispered to Claudia.

And she smiled into the sunset.