“There's this girl, her names Lily and she's absolutely beautiful. I really want to make her mine, but I don't think she trust me.” I tell my friend Mike as we walk down the street to the coffee shop. He stops me and puts a hand on my shoulder, taking a deep breath as if he was about to tell me the secret of the universe. “Man you just gotta tell her how you feel and show her your for real!” “I don’t think that’s going to work.” “Of course it will dude! It works for me all the time.” I give him an eye roll and push his hand off of me. “Well she’s different, that won’t work on her. I think she was abused by someone in the past.” “Oh, well then you just gotta take it slow. Show her how gentle you are you big teddy bear.” I think about it for a second. “That’s actually not a bad idea for once.” He looks at me as if I had just slapped him. “I have good ideas! All the time in fact! Your just...never there.” He trails off towards the end knowing I’m right. I laugh but agree to do what he said.

(One week later)

I pull up to my friends house. He stands waiting in the driveway for me. “Mike it worked!” I yell as get out of my truck. “What worked?” “The advice you gave me. I did what you said and she started to trust me!” “That’s great man, so you get anywhere with her?” “Ya! I brought her home yesterday.” “God you move fast.” “She’s in the truck right now. Do you want to meet her?” “Heck ya dude! I’ve been hearing about this mystery girl for a while now, of course I want to meet her.” I go and open the truck door letting Lily out. She jumps out wagging her tail and waiting for me to shut the door. Mike stops completely silent. “Dude... that’s a dog.” “Ya isn’t she beautiful? She a yellow lab and golden retriever mix. I absolutely love her.” He bursts out laughing and almost falls over making lily bark a couple times. “Dude... I thought we were talking about a human girl this entire time.”

Once upon a time, she was a child.

Pure and innocent.

Loved by all who saw her,

Seen as nothing but a lovely blond girl,

A princess in the making.

It was only a matter of time before

She was tired of her sandbox and of her playhouse.

Overcome with the desires to burn her pretend castle

And cry her imperfect tears all over it.

Everyone told her to treasure this time.

She grew out of her dresses and dolls.

And in her grief,

Turned her interests to destruction.

For she, caught up in who she could have been, was a mourner,

One who was advised to always, always smile.

She was real, not some fictional princess.

Instead of saving her people,

She held them capture.

Opposed to protecting her fragile castle,

She lit the fire herself.

And to think,

All it took was

One.

Struck.

Match.

She was defiant,

A real go-getter.

She was blaze in the Arctic.

Fueled by crushed hopes.

She was an explosion.

She was the grenade

That started this whole mess.