A young man with dusty brown hair and long eyelashes leaned his toned back against the rough bark of the large oak tree. He propped his newly scarred arm ontop of his bent, grass stained knee and stared off into the distance, waiting. The boy's green eyes drooped with the sun, but no matter how much sleep persisted, he was determined to pervail. He's missed his chance before, he wouldn't miss it again. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and froze when he saw her skipping down the dirt road. She was wearing rolled up khakis, a beautiful blue blouse and a navy apron. Her hair flew behind her in cascades of golden rivers. The man noticed that she was carrying dozens of lemons in her apron. He hoisted himself up off of the ground and waited until she was accross from him. An ear-splitting grin appeared onto her face the moment her cerulean eyes met his.

"You're okay!"

The man smiled, "I've realized I'm not ready to leave yet. I've missed you, Life."

Life smiled and handed him a bundle of lemons, "I'm glad you came back. Now you can help me carry these!"

The man let out a sigh of relief and laughed, "Of course! Thanks for the second chance."

"Why so serious?" The man before her cocked his head, causing his tousled red hair to splay across his forehead. He tossed his blanket aside and revealed a lengthy brunette sleeping next time him, whom was completely unaware of the blood seeping from the other woman's heart. The man stalked over towards the trembling blonde in the door way as if he was a lion preparing for the kill. As he approached, his nose flared from the despair that bled from her veins. Oh, how she wished she knew the way he thrived from the cracks and scars of a shattered heart before she gave her unscathed one to him.  

He leaned forward with narrow, stormy eyes and whispered, "Oh, dear. Did you think you were the only one?" She cursed herself as she shivered from his warm breath kissing her neck. Releasing her white knuckles from her hold on the door frame, she straightened her spine and backed away. 

As she turned, she wiped her tears and silently vowed that she would never be serious again. 

My mind is running laps. My body has more self-control as it walks briskly past hundreds of mouths and eyes. Mouths are trembling as their eyes shut in a poor attempt to suppress the horrors they have witnessed. My eyes search theirs as my brain logs the tragedy filled ones into a folder. My feet pound up flights of stairs only pausing as I turn the corner. I'm almost there as I slam into the pair of eyes that haunts me. 

The eyes of a child I have been unable to help in my profession as a school counselor.