• Kali walked down the road, and saw him. He was so wonderful. Why wouldn't he go with her? She was the one for him, she was sure of it. His name? Sterling. Sterling Nite.
    The school bell rang and Kali walked into the 'Hell Hole' full of self doubt.
    Sterling had the same schedule as her. Miracle? No, Kali didn't think so. Who could ever love a freak with wings. Of course he didn't know about the feathery attachments on her back, but that still made her have to dress weird and always be careful so that no one felt them.
    "Hey," Sterling said in math. They sat next to each other.
    "Hey." she murmured back.
    "Do you have a pencil sharpener?" he asked.
    "Yeah," she dove for her pencil bag, and pulled out the sharpener.
    He took it with a smile, and sharpened his pencil.
    As school went through they had no more encounters until after school. Kali got enough courage to ask him out.
    "Hey, Sterling?" she asked.
    "Yeah?" he detached himself from his group of friends to talk.
    "Do you want to go out with me this Saturday?" she asked with a hoarse voice.
    "No," his face was flat.
    "What?" tears filled her eyes.
    "I don't want to."
    "Okay, I'll see you at the dance tonight." she said.
    "Yeah, okay." reluctance was in his eyes, but he didn't say anything else.
    That night Kali dressed in a fancy dress. It was All Hallows Eve so she could wear her wings free.
    She had on a gown with no straps but hung on every curve and held in her gut. Her beautiful wings were unfolded and expanded. They looked real, which was a bad thing because someone might get a bad idea.
    Kali's violet hair was kept down and shown with diamonds in it.
    Her feet were uncovered.
    Kali flew to school trying to keep the wind-blown look in her costume, but she landed a good ways away from the school so no one saw.
    When she walked in everyone looked and most gasped at her wings.
    She walked down the stairs and kept her face towards Sterling's. He was dressed in a tux, and had a mask on covering one half of his face. The Phantom of the Opera.
    She walked by him and rustled her wings to give him a show. Many people didn't know who it was, and that was good.
    "What are you dressed as?" asked the guy at the punch bowl.
    "I'm Quintessence." she said, which was real. That was her real name.
    "Hot." the oblivious guy said.
    Kali walked to Sterling who was alone in a corner. "Wanna dance?" she asked.
    "No,"
    "Why?"
    "You're playing princess, and I don't like girls like that."
    "You liar." she growled. Her wings ruffled furiously. "You're just a stupid popular boy who thinks that looks are 'all that' well, to let you know, they're not brains. And they won't keep you alive." she snarled. Her wings flapped and before she knew it she was six feet above Sterling and almost touching the ceiling.
    She broke a window and flew out.
    Tears stung her cheeks, and she landed. "He isn't the one." she cried. "Yes, yes he is." she argued.
    Then there was her knife in the folds of her dress. She was going to scare any fan girls of Sterling's but she knew what to do with it.
    The knife slid cleanly through her chest and pierced her heart.

    Sterling:

    He ran after her. Who knew she had real wings? Was that really just a sick joke? Why was she angry?
    He ran and ran until he heard the screams. The agonizing screams.
    He ran toward them and found Kali.
    "Kal." her head was placed in his lap and he stroked each feather.
    "Sterling?" she croaked.
    "Yes?"
    "Kiss me."
    Sterling didn't hesitate. His lips landed on hers and then her strength to hold the kiss together was gone.
    "Kali?" he asked against her lips. "Kali!" he cried when he couldn't find her heart beat. Tears slid down his cheeks as he kissed her over and over hoping for some life.

    A few years later:

    Sterling was reading the mail. There were more letters on how much they were sorry for her death.
    Sterling sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger.
    He stood and went to Her room. Kali's room. He had loved her but never gave her the chance.
    Her bed was still cold and unused, but he was okay with that. A feather from her wings was in a frame.
    Sterling took the letters to the closet and placed them in a half full box. He was about to close the doors when he bent and got a small briefcase. He opened it and took out the only thing that was in it. A newspaper.
    It read:
    This young woman, Kali Jorgensen, died on October 31, 2009.
    She was stabbed in the heart by her own blade. Sterling Nite found
    her halfway dead, and heard her dying words. These words are not
    being revealed to anyone, and we doubt they ever will. Coroners who
    have studied this strange body said that she hadtried to hit her heart
    but failed and pierced a lung. The heart was cut quite deeply. We will all miss this strange girl.


    Next to the article was a picture someone had taken of her in her costume. There was a ghost of happiness on her face. It killed him to know that it was his fault.
    Sterling put the newspaper into the briefcase again, closed it, and replaced it in the closet.
    When he was about to leave he patted the door frame.
    "I miss you Kal." he whispered. "I really do."
    He shut the door softly behind him as he reviewed her face in his mind. Seeing every detail in her beautiful face.
    He lived his life knowing that, somewhere, Kali was watching out for him. And he'd see her again.