Snippet #2338888

"Hold still....just a few more...."

On the other side of the Smoky Mountains, there was a small distant town known as Brook Forge. Despite its relatively small population, (only about 600 people) the town was crawling with space. The land where the town lay was half rugged mountains, and half long, never-ending valleys. The small town was so large, that it was divided into the North and South sides. Although acting like two split regions, there was one thing that remained the same about the sides of town, and that was the fog. The mist and fog that accumulated over the mountain range settled to Brook Forge at the end of their journey across the vast state of Tennessee. Brook Forge had never received much sunlight due to this fog. Everything, from the plants to the animals to the people, had a dark hue. The fog seemed to match the emotion of the people in the town.

Right on the edge of the south side of town, there lived an aunt and her niece. The aunt was a seamstress who made costumes and occasionally props to use in theater for a living. This woman could be described as 'light in the darkness'. Her husband had gone on to help in the war, and she lived in one of the gloomiest places of North America, but yet she had a constant stream of happiness. She was plump, but not fat. She had curly red hair, olive skin, and a heartwarming face that was partially covered by her glass spectacles.

The niece was completely different from her aunt. Although its hard to describe her physical appearance, one could say that she blended in with the area around her. She was dark and mysterious, even to those who knew her well. It was hard to tell whether or not she was sullen, if there was something more to her. Her detailed green eyes seemed to hold secrets that could not be unlocked by words alone. Her white skin was ghost-like and eerie. She was lean and slender, looking tall enough to reach the sky. She was a presence that was neither ignored nor revered, and her name was Tabitha Walker.

It was a special night in Brook Forge. It was the night of senior prom. There was only school in the town, located right on the border between the north and south sides. Simply known as Brook Forge High, the school was not only a place of learning, but it was a major part of social gathering in the town.

Inside the Sherida house on that crisp night in May, the seamstress could be found doing the small, delicate buttons found on the back of her niece's beige dress. Tabitha had not even picked out the dress. In fact, the dress was found in Mrs. Sherida's costume closet. The eighteen-year-old had refused to spend her time at a worthless school event, but much to her disapproval, her aunt was making her go.

"Alright, Tabby, i'm done. Turn around so I can see how it looks."

With her tan heels, the girl made a clacking sound as she pivoted around to face her aunt. At the time, the girl's hair was a flat, shoulder-length, light red color. Although she wore nothing else besides the dress and her shoes, she looked absolutely stunning.
However, her cheerless face begged to differ.

"I hate this, Catherine." she said, simply yet sourly. Her voice was soft, moderately deep, and full of sarcasm.
"Well, your lucky," her aunt replied, "because that was the only dress I could find that wouldn't make you look like a prima donna from the 1700's."
"Why are you making me do this?"
Her aunt was silent for a while, sighed, and then spoke again. She fixed the bottom of the dress as she talked.
"Tabby, i know i said to you a while ago that you don't have to go to prom if you don't want to, but there are....reasons why i want you to go. I think it would be great for you. It's your last year, and you're never going to get to do this ever again. Don't you want to look back and remember something here before you move on to the next chapter of your life?"
The red-haired girl rolled her eyes, and shrugged. "Sure," she said, moving over to the table to grab her car keys, "I'm leaving you now..."
"WAIT! I NEED A PICTURE OF YOU BEFORE YOU GO! Where'd you put the camera?"
"I hid it so that you wouldn't have to take a picture of me before i left the house."
"TABITHA!!" the aunt shouted before her nice could unlock the front door to the house. Her niece wasn't stopping, so Mrs. Sherida quickly started to say goodbye,
"Have a great time, sweetheart. OH! AND TABBY..."
Already on the other side of the doorway, the girl glanced back at her smiling aunt.
"Remember to....talk tonight. I just want you to...have fun."
Emotionless, Tabitha nodded, and then shut the door on her way out, crossing the driveway to her green pickup truck that once belonged to her uncle.

It took about a half hour to cross the southern side of Brook Forge. In her truck, she passed deep woodlands, flowing rivers, and vast fields of grain that seemed to glow in the dark. There weren't too many streetlights, in fact, the sky above illuminated the darkness. Since there were not city lights, all the stars of the night sky could be seen overhead.

It was around 8 pm that Tabitha reached the school. She started to think twice about going inside, since the lights looked too bright for her taste, but she sighed, and undid her seat belt. She looked around, and focused on what was right in front of her. A silver-chained necklace with a blue crystal moon dangled on the mirror. She snatched the necklace from its spot, and clasped it on her neck. The chain had been known as her 'lucky necklace' and had been kept firmly around her neck since she was young. It seemed to be the only thing about Tabby that never changed.

She walked quickly into the building, avoiding the silent sneers and glares that other kids were giving her. The dress attracted people's attention, but the person who wore it threw their focus away. After paying the fee to get in at the front door, Tabitha crossed through the halls and entered the blue and white colored cafeteria, where the prom was being held. Chairs and tables had been cleared to provide space for the swarm of teenagers that had attended. Although the young adults around her were dancing like crazy, having an enormously good time, Tabitha could only hear deafening music, and see blinding lights. As always, she sat as far away from life as possible. The wallflower perched herself on one of the blue chairs near the windows. With her hand on the back of her neck, and her elbow on the space below the window pane, she looked outside, watching the people enter. She would only have to sit in this position for two and a half more hours until the prom was over.