Viola transfixed her eyes on the approaching dawn outside the window in front of her. Her body enveloped in a large, almost repulsive, dress that spun around her body like a spider-web. Viola’s cold, hard breath fogged the window as her breath became quicker as dawn was coming closer.

Viola’s fingers traced the outline of her necklace that her mother had given her. The locket attached to the necklace had an impression of a heart stamped on it. Inside the heart-shaped locket were the initials of her mother and father: “T & D.” The necklace had been around Viola’s neck for about twelve years now. Being twenty-two years old now, Viola had felt the necklace to be apart of her own flesh.

Finally, as dawn broke out over the sky, Viola untwisted herself and stood on her feet. Dim blue and blinding orange colors spilled over the new born sky like liquid. A ghost of a breeze blew by, rustling the dissipated leaves all over her front yard.

Viola swirled around, her long dress becoming waves in the wind. Viola scurried up the stairs, her feet like soft pillows on the cold and hard flooring. She held up her dress so she wouldn’t trip over it as she made it to the top of stairs.

Her brother’s room, Mark, door was ajar. Faint candlelight leaked from the crack in the door and nipped at Viola’s ankles. Viola gulped as she feared Mark might be up, ruining everything she had planned.

Viola was running away with the love of her life—Tom Gordon. He was a farmer’s son, heir to nothing in this godforsaken town. Viola’s parents were filthy rich, practically eating money daily. Her parents forbid her from seeing Tom, nonetheless loving him. She couldn’t help but turn from her parent’s wishes and leave with Tom…forever.

Viola slipped through the crack in Mark’s door, her dress mangled by the floor, and stripped off the dreadful dress. Quickly, she put on her brother’s clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. Even in the dim candle glow she could still pinpoint her brother’s facial features within hers. The pursed lips, drawn back cheeks, glistening eyes, they were all matched with Mark’s! The only thing Viola had to herself was her dark chocolate brown hair that resembled her mother’s.

Tom had prearranged a hunting trip with Mark this morning at seven. But Tom was actually coming in a few minuets to take Viola away forever. Viola was only dressing like Mark so that people wouldn’t see her with Tom and report it back to her parents. Viola’s heart pace quickened and her breath cut short as she heard something echo downstairs.

Silently, Viola pulled back her hair into a pony tail, like Mark would wear it, and left his room. It was much easier for Viola to move more fugitively through her house. She picked up a rucksack filled with clothes and other items as she passed her room and headed back downstairs.

Viola opened the same window she had previously leaned against and threw her rucksack through the tight space. She stood in silence for a couple seconds, making sure nothing stirred…nothing was alive. The grim howl of silence crept behind Viola, beleaguering her from all sides.

Viola inhaled a sharp breath before attempting to squeeze through the small crack in the window. She was surprised that her tight body slid like air through the space and her feet landed softly on the ground.

Wet, soggy grass tickled Viola’s toes as she skimmed the ground, her body moving like a ghost. Fog hung like branch above the ground, nipping at Viola’s ankles as she walked through it. Rays of sunlight began to break through the thin layer of darkness that refused to fade from the sky. Viola knew that it was a good ten minuets past dawn and was growing worried that Tom wouldn’t come, their love not strong enough to last.

In the distance Viola heard the muffled sound of hooves beating against the loose gravel. It grew closer, becoming almost deafening. Viola’s heart leapt with joy as Tom appeared from the fog, almost like magic.

Tom’s dirty blonde hair fell against his firm cheeks, grazing his lips. The new-born sunlight caught his olive tone skin and intensified it with color. Viola couldn’t help but sigh with pleasure, her whole body becoming a single beat of anxiousness and love. Every breath that escaped her mouth was a breath of life, of love. Viola now felt confident in running away with him forever. Never to return home again.

“You look so lovely Viola,” Tom whispered in her ear as he kissed her neck and made his way to her lips.

“Don’t tell me you enjoy me in Mark’s attire!” Viola exclaimed.

Tom held Viola by the torso, taking her to his horse. He had her close to his face, looking deep into her eyes. In any other situation Viola would be completely mortified, but this soothed her. The closer Viola got to Tom, the more she felt safe.

“I would love you even if you dressed like my father, or a poor woman on the street. It’s not the clothes that I love of you, it’s your smile, your voice, laugh, its everything. Everything that lives inside you is what I want,” Tom said with a stern but easy voice.

Viola held her breath, held back the tears that were begging to fall from her eyes. Tom pulled Viola to him and kissed her gingerly on the lips. For a second Viola felt their love for each other unite like a combining force, and merge together as one.

Tom helped Viola on the back of his horse. Before Tom and her rode away into the fog, Viola glanced back at her house. She could see the silhouette of her mother in the same window she was staring out of earlier. She could tell her mother knew that she was running away with Tom—she always knew! But Viola also knew that her mother was content with that, knowing that love can never be restricted.

Finally, the horse leapt to life and Viola rode into her new life with her love. She only hoped that it would all end happily ever after in the end. As they rode off into the raising dawn, Viola’s fingers traced over her necklace. The heart on her locket was cold on her skin and sent shivers down her spine. But as Viola kept her fingers on the heart, she felt the single beat of life reverberate throughout the heart and her body.