• I had seen her before. She was like a distant memory... but not. Sometimes she was silent but I could always imagine her voice as she laughed. Her face was pale and it matched her fair, blond hair. Her eyes were blue and her lips were pink. I'd seen her every night since I had the accident.

    Her piercing eyes turned to look at me, waving like a small child to a long time friend, she smiled. Everything was silent but her lips moved softly -her voice should have be in sync with them. It was autumn and the leaves blew into her long hair and past her short skirt. The laugh should have echoed through my mind but not tonight -not this time. I looked at the scene though what seemed a camera with the setting stuck on sepia. A boy ran to her and she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head in the crook of her neck. His face was shadowed by his hair and I couldn't see his eyes.

    "Who are you?" My voice asked and she stopped laughing to examine me. Her eyes blinked with confusion and I repeated my question. She mouthed something but I couldn't make it out, the vision began to blur. She stepped forward and mouthed the words again after seeing the look of confusion that I wore. Suddenly a ripple went though the picture and it disappeared -like a reflection in a pond.

    My eyes opened and I looked at the ceiling. The sunlight played a dance through the leaves and onto the wall of the bedroom as if to welcome mt new day in the world. I turned to look at my husband who still lay asleep and snoring softly. Rolling out of the light, cream sheets I placed my feet on the cool ground and reminded myself to breath in and out. A bird sang out side of my window and I smiled to the new morning.

    I quietly stood and tip-toed along the old, wooden floors with caution as not wanting to wake him up. My husband snored quietly as I closed the door and smiled. I walked along the cool hallway with no hesitation and a little more freedom to be noisy. The paint on the wall was always a soothing sight in the early morning and lately I had noticed it was one of the only things that held my sanity in place.

    The kitchen in the small house was at the opposite side from the bedrooms and that was part of the reason I bought it. As I entered into the open area I turned on stove to rest the kettle on top to boil a tea. My laptop lay silently on the kitchen table and I eyed it questionably. It sat and called me but I turned my shoulder to it. There was a quiet sound at one end of the house and I stayed silent to listen to it. "What will we do Sir?" Someone said in a hushed tone. I smiled and walked to a door leading into the family room. Leaning against the wooden door a smile crossed my face. "Eek! Save me!" He said in a higher voice and I knocked on the door.

    My hand gently grasped the door handle and turned. Peaking in I saw a brown haired boy holding an action figure in one hand and a space ship on the other. I smiled and he pouted. "What are you playing with? A rocket ship?" I inquired and he turned around to look at me. Although both his eyes were blue his right one held a blob of brown, like some one dropped brown paint in his eye.
    "It's not a rocket ship Mom, it's an N-1 Starfighter." He said in a scoffed and I laughed quietly to myself. I nodded and opened the door up wide.
    "Well can you and the N-1 Moon fighter come have some breakfast?" I said, taking extra care to say the name incorrectly. He sighed and stood up. Shaking the spaceship at me he repeated "Starfighter, Mom." I laughed and nodded. "Ok, ok. Can you just go eat?" He nodded and walked out, hanging his head. I placed a hand gently on his head and we walked to the kitchen together.

    "Are you ok Mom?" He asked as we ate cereal silently. I looked to him and readjusted my stance. While I ate I was staring at the old paint on the wall and barely blinking. My right elbow had been on the table and my chin rested in my palm. As my son looked at me I sat up straight and smiled to him.
    "Why do you ask?" I questioned and he took a bite of his cereal loudly. I had been thinking about the girl again. Although I tried to avoid it I couldn't stop myself. She was there every time I fell into sleep and now she was appearing every time a closed my eyes. Some how she looked familiar and it scared me as to why I couldn't remember. I checked my watch and bit my lip. "I've got to be off Kevin." I said quietly and kissed his head. He nodded and played with his food. "Don't let you father sleep in too late." I warned and he nodded.