Jackson couldn’t believe his luck, running into the exotic woman walking next to him whose name was Celine. She was a vision of beauty who seemed to have walked out of one of his best dreams of the perfect woman. Her thick raven hair curled seductively to her waist. Her emerald eyes sparkled with child like mischief. Her soft berry colored lips curved perfectly when she smiled. He couldn’t believe, by chance, he had run into her at the beach bar while waiting for his slacker friends to show up for happy hour. They had ditched him, all claiming “family priorities”. Whatever, he thought, their loss.

Anyway, had they WOULD have shown up he wouldn’t have been able to run into this beauty and had her all to himself. Not with Craig’s obnoxious one liner cheesy remarks, or the way John thought licking his lips seductively would get even Angelina Jolie to swoon. Naw, they would have scared Celine away and he would have lost his chance to throw out his scoring line; asking her if she walked out of heaven because she looked like an angel. She laughed, of course, and he was in!

Walking along the beach they held hands commenting on how the moon reflected on the water. Why was the sound of crashing waves so soothing? And realizing how much alike they were. Jackson mentioned how he was from Delray…Celine was too! Really…what part? Uptown she looked at him shyly. Me too! He was amazed at how close they had been this whole time but he would have remembered seeing such a lovely face. What school? Delray High. He was from there too! What class? About 8 years back. He was too! How is this possible? It was all too surreal.

Celine cast her eyes down, her long lashes obscuring their brilliance. She was an ugly duckling she sighed. He wouldn’t have recognized her no matter how hard he tried. He probably wouldn’t believe it was her anyway. Jackson tried to remember but couldn’t. He was popular, a true jock, so he wouldn’t remember anyone beneath him. Oh well, she was a swan now and that’s all he cared about.

They came to a pier, the waves resounding off the rocks surrounding its posts. They stopped at the edge and he pulled Celine toward his chest kissing her with yearning in the moonlight. She smiled seductively snaking her arms around his waist, playing with his belt loops. He smiled knowingly. “I had a sister there too you know. You knew her well.” She whispered. “Her name was Carrie. (Jackson had a flash of memory of a plain, quiet girl with a gap in her teeth). You teased her saying she was the ugliest girl ever. You and your friends called her Scary Carrie throughout high school. She couldn’t take the torture and the summer after our senior year she killed herself.” Jackson’s eyes flew open at the evil twisted smile on Celine’s face. He recognized the brilliant eyes and the slight resemblance to Carrie. “She was my twin. I hope it was all worth it; torturing her like that but don’t worry, your friends Craig and John will be joining you soon.” And with an deep evil rumbling laugh she shoved Jackson off the pier. He lost his footing and teetered backwards and fell his body breaking on the jagged rocks below.

“Sweet dreams.” She murmured bringing a delicate hand to her berry lips and blowing a kiss into the still, quiet night.