I'd never known anyone quite like her.

She could be miserable and irritable, and even violent at her worst, when she didn't feel like the social butterfly she so often pretended to be.

But on her good days, she was brilliant and colourful, forever throwing her head back in laughter, or singing at the top of her lungs with her hands resting on the edge of the car window, although she never allowed them to stray farther than the threshold.

"That's how people's hands get chopped off", she'd frequently say, waggling her finger in a mock-authoritative gesture, but smiling all the while.

She could light up the world with her smile, shine bright rays on the rest of us that are nothing compared to her.

I am nothing compared to her.

I like to think of her on her good days, when we went out to some scenic location, the sun giving her auburn hair a gorgeously angelic tint. Her throwing her head back, just to look at the sky.

Of course, she looked at the sky on her bad days too, but this time with misery and sorrow, guilt and distress a heavy load on her heart.

What is so admirable about her though, is that she rarely let her despondency impact those around her. She'd plaster on a smile, choke up a laugh, and no one would know any better.

But underneath, there was so much more. All the pain and powerlessness that she suppressed so well, bubbled up deep inside of her, begging for a release.

She was so strong.

I wish she knew.

A/N: Little sneaky preview of my book-in-progress! Still a lot of writing and editing need to go into this, but I've been desperate to share this for a while! 

So, what do you think? Honest opinions please!

Lots of love,

Safi31