an open invitation

The beauty of the new-born day was overpowering. Almost.
The empty, burning feeling in the pit of his stomach could not be swayed or dissuaded, it was immovable, and driving him forward.
He watched the cracks in the sidewalk disappear beneath his feet, the cold satisfaction of motion. Horns honked in the street as he crossed, paying no attention to traffic, not even hearing the angry shouts.

She wore green.

The building loomed ahead of him, a monolisk, walls of reflective glass, towering over the city. He paused, just for a moment, to take it in.

She wore green, the color of life, of rebirth.

It pierced the blue sky, a towering black knife. They even designed it with what, from the ground, looked like a razor sharp point at the top. A foreboding presence, in the middle of the bustling serenity of the waking city.

She smiled at him, from across the room, the skyline, the entire world, just her backdrop. She wore a green dress, while everyone else was in black. She would have stood out no matter what she wore.

He could feel the chill, as he stepped into the building's shadow. There was a statue, standing in front of the tower, beckoning him forward. The pavement, sparkling, cold, and dark, had red in it. He stood, next to the statue, staring at the ground. Men and women in suits, on their way from one unhappiness to another, passed him by with unseeing eyes. He stood in the shadow of the giant, staring at the red in the concrete.

She smelled of flowers and purity and beauty. She smiled at him, from across the room, and he could not help but smile back. Someone had opened the window behind her, and the cold night air caught her hair, swirling it around her face. A strand stuck to her lips, and he wanted nothing more than to softly brush it aside.

He walked toward the door, still staring at the red in the ground.

He walked toward her, the drink

The door was cold in his hand, as he pulled it open

The drink was cold in his hand, the ice chiming as they collided with glass, the music of his movement, toward her

He walked directly to the elevator, towards its gaping mouth, and pushed the button, the 34th floor.

The windows behind her gave a view of the entire city - but his eyes could not be pried from her. He walked toward her, slowly, putting his drink down on the nearest table.
The smile vanished from her face, almost as if it had never been. Their eyes stayed locked, hers suddenly filled with a hopeless longing and a cruel understanding of the unhappiness of destiny. The sorrowful wind grabbed at her dress, as she slowly took a step backwards, towards the fantasy of night. Someone had opened the window earlier, it was a hot night. Even up here, high above the world, they could not escape.
She took another step back. He stopped his motion, watching, helpless. The burning in his core, the emptiness of longing and understanding filling him. Their eyes, both filled with tears, their mouths devoid of words. Words could do no good here, anyway.
Someone turned up the music. They didn't hear it. No one else in the room noticed the two, staring at each other from across the room.
She was wearing green.
The color of life.

The elevator rumbled to life, slowly ascending the mountain

She took another step backwards. She was on the balcony now

He closed his eyes, seeing the red on the pavement

She smiled, weakly, breaking his heart in a way no words could ever describe. Words could do no good here.

He smiled, as a tear ran down the length of his face, falling, falling, falling

The elevator rumbled ever upward, every passing second bringing him closer to the closure his heart was seeking.