The light glistened around her hair, lighting up her pale profile against the bustling New York night. Her figure is temporarily illuminated completely in a pair of headlights, forging forward against the drizzling darkness. In a blistering storm of commotion, she stood there. Her mouth was so agape I was worried it might fall off her all together.

"Shit." I hissed. How the hell did I get her here? Was I braindead?

I quickly storm over to her, ignoring the taxi's blaring horn. Apparently I had arrived in the middle of the street. I grab her and quickly grind my heel against the slick cement, feeling myself being pulled back again. Not fast enough that I didn't manage to flip off the now very confused cab driver though. Now he could be puzzled about two things.

With a warm breeze, we arrive back at the crossroads I left her. The sky, a moment ago one consistently dark curtain, now looks like a brilliant tapestry, painted by the lights of the thousands of gleaming stars that had only recently appeared to me. I wonder how many make it. When I jump, that is. The dirt roads fade rapidly into the darkness, kicking warm brown dust softly against us. Her breath is rapid, almost shockingly so.

"Wha-" she stammers. "What..where were we?" She ask, incredulously. Her eyes dart from side to side, up and down, searching frantically for any trace of what she'd seen. It couldn't be fake. Impossible. "How did you take me there? Can we go back!?" She continues, almost shouting.

"Shhh. We aren't trying to wake the whole state." I hiss lightly. She must've thought we moved somewhere else..another planet maybe? "What exactly do you think just happened?" I ask gingerly.

"We traveled! I don't know how, but you were there, and the lights! There were all these sounds...and people! And my Gods, the smell!" She babbled, clearly almost delirious with it all. Her eyes finally settle down, and she stops quivering. She reaches out and grabs my arm, slowly. "Did..did you do that? Can you..can you go to these places?" She finishes, mystified.

I look at her. I look for a long while. Her silhouette still gleams against the night, but differently now. Not with the industrial lights of the modern world, but a softer, more humble light shone through. The light of a softer, quieter world. The world that she belonged in.

I felt like I stared for an eternity. I felt like..no, I knew. This was going to be one of the last times I could. "Take a photo, it will last longer," snapped a snarky voice in my head. God. I could be such an asshole.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She giggled. "Are you thinking of where else we can go?"

I feel my throat catch. I'd been here before. I'd done this. And I knew what could happen. I'd seen girls like her.. well. I'd seen what happens when you place someone where they don't belong. I remember long conversations. I remember longer fights. I remember a final ending to all of that. All seemingly a long time ago. Now very recent. I..I can't repeat this.

"Yeah." I whisper, forcing my best smile. "Here, cover your eyes. I have the best spot picked."

She immediately turned around and put her hands over her eyes, giggling incandescently. "Where are we going, just tell me!"

I walk behind her, slowly. "Well...it's great there. The smells are much better." I force myself to laugh. This all over again. History repeats itself, no matter what time. Forward or back. "Just, keep your eyes shut."

She relaxes, smiling from ear to ear.

"There's a cool breeze there, always.."

She gets on and off her tip toes, anxious.

"And the food. God, the food. I'll take you to..."

And she's alone.

The drizzle falls lightly on my hair, lights blaring harshly now. The crowds mill past, all marching towards their varied and insignificant destinations. The lights illuminate them harshly, black outlines now shown cruelly against the lights. I start to walk home. Alone this time.

Time and time again.