text: Miriam looked to the familiar sights of Disney as she walked down the deep red cobbled pavement of Main Street. Looking down she placed her feet, one in front of the other, following the near hidden lines of the train tracks like a ballerina on her toes. The crowd was alight with excitement and frenzied movement as the brightly clad cast members marked off the streets with bright yellow tape. She closed her eyes breathed in deep, the smell of slow cooked turkey legs, began to waft towards her. Jonathan saw the red of the ice cream umbrella and his hand entwined in hers pulled her towards it. The eager line moved quickly and they picked up their favorites before continuing towards the glisteningly pink Castle. Jonathan began bouncing on his toes as the crowd gathered around them to get a view. Miriam curled under Jonathan’s arm as the crowd got close. She jerked back when the lady next to her touched Jonathans elbow. Miriam shot the woman a look of pure disgust and loathing, then she moved to stand in front of Jonathan as he wrapped his arms around her. The music queuing the characters entrance began and Meriam turn her head up to look at Jonathan’s big goofy smile. His blue eyes flashed at her, twinkling with mischief. Mickey was the first out in his tailed tuxedo, he tried to “sneak” onto stage and whisper to the audience, waving his gloved hand around. He was asking for volunteers to come on stage. The audience, already bursting with excitement, exploded. Jonathan lifted Miriam’s little frame up by the hips and threw her up into the air! Yelling at the top of his lungs as he did so!, Mickey looked right at her and pointed, waving for her to come up on stage! Miriam's eyes widened and her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson as she grabbed at Jonathan’s hand to bring him up on stage with her. She began parting the crowd not caring who she hit (in the face) or stepped over (on) to get to the front. As she began to take the steps in 3’s onto the stage her hand left Jonathan’s briefly as she was met with an embrace from Mickey and the whole gang of characters and dancers as they simultaneously ran onto the stage. Two dancers adorned as princesses grabbed her hand and sat her down on the bench at the corner of the stage and placed a pink pair of mickey ears with a tiara, on her head. Miriam then was whisked into the action as the dancers began to dance and twirl, around her the flashes of golden yellows and bright reds. As the characters began their script, they whisked her away into the realm of glittery fairy tales and true loves first kiss. Miriam was caught up in the moment, until her gaze made a full lap around the stage and she didn’t see Jonathan. She then turned and put on a smile (on cue) and looked into the audience. Still, she could not find him. Trying to enjoy herself, but uneasy, her heart began to race. Before the fireworks, but after she’d become seriously agitated, Jonathan appeared, across the stage from her. She squinted her eyes, and blink a couple times, unsure of what she was seeing. He was in full costume, dressed head to toe like a prince, and he stepped right in time with the dancers. Miriam sat on the bench cautiously moving to the music. Her faced was slightly askew with confusion. Not knowing what was going on, or that Jonathan could dance. As the music began to wind down, then ramp up for the powerful final notes. The dancers and characters lined up facing the audience and stood her up, Jonathan ran to the other side of the stage, and in time, ran and slid on his knees across the stage before stopping in front of her. In a suave and calm motion he reached into his pocket and got up on one knee. Grasping her right hand he said, “Miriam will you marry me?,” opening the little black box, to a shining ring. His voice seemed a whisper after the volume of the show. Miriam gasped, and covered her mouth with her off hand. She had been expecting a proposal, but her daydreams couldn't have created the splendor Jonathan had brought into being. The audience was quiet. Miriam was catching her breath, her eyes were eager to glance all around the audience and the stage team awaiting her answer, but his eyes remained locked on her. Her heart pounded against her ribcage. “Yes, I love you, Yes!” Miriam wiped her eyes and took the ring. If I could tell you thank you, And for a minute you'd look at me And possibly somewhere deep in Your heart you'd believe me, I would, and I'd want to because You were the first time I'd been In love, wild and reckless love The way I fought for your heart I battled down those walls you held Til finally for me you fell I was at a loss, so emblazoned With this heart and love so alight I would do anything for you nothing you did was ever anything But perfect in my eyes Miriam walked down the quiet hall to the door of apartment #30 with her handbag and got out a singular brass key into the lock, turning the deadbolt slowly to the left and opening the door with the twist of her other hand. She walked in, with a graceful and calm walk, not bother closing the door behind her. She dropped the key on the floor and used the light from the hallway to grope along the walls for the light switch. The shoebox apartment was barren from floor to ceiling. The unpainted walls had taken on a murky grey. She walked into what had been the living room, and put her bag down on the dusty wooden chair in the middle of the room. She took the couple of steps to the sliding glass door that opened to the patio. It overlooked the rest of the apartment complex, and Miriam pulled the blinds back. Her cloudy eyes counted each of the lights that were still on, and accounted for anyone out on their patio. She flipped the light switch to the chandelier hanging above the chair and walked back to her opened her bag. She removed a razor and a pair of sheers placing them on the chair. Miriam stood up and began to unbutton her white collared shirt, starting under her chin working her way down. She leaned back and let the shirt fall off her shoulders to the ground. She reached back and unhooked her bra, and let it slide off her arms. Miriam stood and her pale exposed skin reflected the harsh light above her. She leaned over and repeated the process with her pants and underwear. Then she folded the clothes and placed them in her bag. Walking to the bathroom, she plugged in the sheers. She turned it on and placed the sheers on her forehead using her other hand to keep a close steady line. Then she slowly pulled the clippers through her long dark hair hesitating at her forehead with every stroke.and watched it fall to the ground around her. Again she put the clippers to her head and shaved the long soft strands of hair, following them with her eyes as they fell to the ground ticking her butt, and falling softly against the backs of her legs and around her feet, like wet feathers in a soft puddle around her. Miriam shaved off every hair. She turned on the shower and left the pile of hair on the cold tile floor. She stepped into the shower while it was still cold and proceeded to shave her legs, and her entire body, even her eyebrows, while the goosebumps were still smoothing. When she had finished, she turned off the water and stepped out, razor in hand. She had not brought a towel. She brought the razor with her to the sink, and began taking it apart. The individual razors fell onto the white marble of the sink and she picked one up, pricking her finger. She watched the red liquid pool on the top of her finger. Her steady hand put the razor to the skin of her chest, above her breasts and with slow and careful motion carved in two words, then on her stomach she wrote one more. Miriam did her best to keep her face taut, but slight winces broke though. She saw and she began to feel the warmth of blood running down her body. A hint of a smiled touched her lips as the flesh around her letters rushed with a bright crimson color sharp contrast to her pale skin. When she finished, she put the razor down in the sink, and walked towards the living room. Blood dripped from her body, and soaked hands onto the wood floors as she walked up to the chair. Miriam inhaled deeply, and exhaled as she stepped up onto the chair, and carefully turned around looking out the sliding glass door. She put her head through the rope hanging down from the chandelier and tightened the knot around her neck. She kicked the chair out from under her and didn’t struggle. She became a beacon for the message on her chest. “The other woman.