Connie Alvarez, still reeling from the recent horror of realizing her beloved girlfriend Barbara is missing or possibly deceased, is now on the witness stand for the high profile case as it leads to a possible murder.
Testifying in court along with Barbara's father)about a series of strange and odd occurrences that happened prior to Barbara's disappearance, she tries to piece together the timeline along with the help of their mutual friends. Trying to tie together the scattered and broken pieces of her past and understanding the Barbara she knew may not have been exactly who she really was, it is a grief filled journey Connie feels she may not survive.
Connie had been in a deep, dark, cave-like sort of slumber, with no dreams at all—and now, she was stuck in the middle of a fresh, new nightmare.
Fresh, violet dipped night, cupping the moon, that was yellow and old and falling down onto a violet dusted cloud. Her mind whipped into a dark set of thoughts even as her poetic language was settling her thumping, violently pounding heart. She squinted to see ahead as she couldn’t believe her own eyes, as cliche as it sounded, it was --
Barbara was there, standing on a hillside, beckoning her to come over. Her dark blue eyes were glowing and somehow emitting their own light. Connie ran so fast, but her feet were stuck. The night was dead quiet, but Barbara was still there, waiting for her, alive and cheeks red and rosy, almost too bright to be real.
“Connie!” Barbara yelled, her brown curls so beautiful in the ...
Suddenly, the moonlight faded, the night turned pitch black, and she felt her insides twist as she saw Barbara covered in a white sheet on the hill.
Suddenly, she saw her own feet by the now still Barbara on the ground.
Lifting the white sheet with a shaky hand, it turned into a red, velvet curtain, and Connie was wearing a sparkly violet dress. Barbara was wearing a red dress and top hat.
She bowed. “Connie, my dear, would you kindly show our audience where our lovely pear tree is?” Barbara flashed a large grin, pointing to an invisible crowd.
Connie jumped as she heard a scattering of disembodied voices and applause She spun around and saw a bare youngling tree suspended upon a large stage.
Connie was standing next to Barbara on stage and felt winded, now holding her hands in the air in a showy manner, with a stretched out grin that felt forced, her body feeling as though there were strings attached to it. Like a puppet.
“Watch this young pear tree mature before your very eyes!” Barbara whispered loudly. “And then ...”
Connie smiled nervously, “Barbara, wait --”
“Disappear!”
Connie heard two voices now. Two.
She did a double take at Barbara and saw Jean was standing next to her. His hand on her hip. They paused and looked at each with some secret glance and moved their faces so close together. Barbara giggled, and Jean kissed the side of her mouth.
Connie, now on the ground, was watching the love of her life -- happy and seemingly in love with Jean. She watched helplessly with nothing to say. Nothing she could do.
Suddenly, there was a huge collective, “Ahh!” from the invisible audience.
Jean looked down at her and had a pear in his hand. “It’s real, eh, try one, Connie!” Jean winked at her and tossed it toward her. It fell, and she leaned down to pick it up.
Stars, too bright, as Connie looked to the sky.
She stood up, and the stage was now empty.
Barbara was gone.
She was dancing now.
Dancing with Jean.
On a cloud, lowly hanging along with the slivered milky moon.
A violet cloud cutting against the moon.
It was Jean holding Barbara’s waist, dipping her against the half-moon, disappearing into the night.
