“Madam, please, can I have you for this dance, I’m afraid it might be my last for a while. How droll if I pass up this chance with most charming lady in the whole gathering?”. “You are one to sweep a girl off her feet aren’t you?”. “ It is the most deserving one, who is at the discretion of the luxuries of complimentary words, and I believe you are of choice to my eyes”. The beautiful girl smiled. Her Beautiful green eyes were in contrast to her lavishing light cream dress. It fit her tight and accordingly, but flowed out from her hips down. This dress was of elegant and possibly expensive design. Her dress however didn’t impress me, it matched the whole ballroom after all, there was nothing of contrast when it came to what she was clothed in, but still impressive if observed. It was her face, so craftily carved into such a favorable shape. Her hair was bleach blonde, however unintelligent she was not. She was simply crafted from the most favorable essences of a human being and placed in flawed and mass enigma of a world, filled with corrupt men. I should know better than anyone else.
My hands were stained with blood where ever I walked, I carried this agony on my shoulders. I only saw the world as a piece of paper, a currency, a material of wealth. God doesn’t exist in my world, neither does beauty, only lead and money. This night however, is my end. My contract was terminated and as ordered, I am too, or will be. This was an elegant night of celebration for a lot of events, but most of it was dedicated the end of me. This was hidden under the mask of intentions. Death was real, however in bitter sweet bliss of a killer, death is a person walking down the street. Death is the shoes you put on, death is the routine I live and was nothing more that.
However, in the corner I drenched sorrow, I drenched anxiety in the oh so heavenly nectar of alcohol. I sulked, and in utter disappointment , I isolated myself from the droll party of the attendees. It wasn’t until I saw this woman sitting in the table in front of me. She was conversing with a woman maybe of older age, judging from instinct probably a mother. Irrelevant. Also an elderly man was talking amongst them. Also irrelevant. It was the woman they were talking with. She was something else. Any language couldn’t detail. It was a being history couldn’t have repeated. Who was she? What could she be described as in my world? I couldn’t speak such a word that wasn’t monotone or pessimistic. There was a word I remember from when I was a boy, it was radiant. This was a hyperlink into adjectives and finally I found the word I was looking for. She was Angelic. Beautiful, radiant, light, breathtaking, and perfect. I have seen promiscuous women of bars, women of streets, women bought and sold. This was the life I lived in. I had many pretty women to spare, but none of them worth feeling. They were simple tools to help screw the bolts holding the door to my agony. This was the life of a Hitman.
This woman of a million beautiful adjectives grasped my full attention. No Matter how many blows I took, bullets and fists alike, nothing stunned me like her. Could you imagine such a monster admiring the most beautiful of workmanship? Incredible. With my mind traveling in so many thoughts so fast, I grasped her hand. Mine was bloodstained and cold, hers was radiant and warm. She didn’t know the difference from a cold hand and the hand of a killer, and I was even more foreign to such a warm hand. Ever so gentle I led her to the middle of the ballroom. Every step was that into a new world. The notes from the organ playing sent my mind into trance. The ever so expensive floor design put me into bewilderment, but most astonishing of all, was the gullibility of this woman. She didn’t know me, but still bestowed a smile on her face. Maybe I am the fool. Maybe she knew me better than her own gentle hand? I could not say, this is ever so foreign.
The cows! The droll people of ignorance and arrogance! So many of them crowd the dance floor. They are so easily entertained. In a flash of white heat I was frustrated by these peasants crowding the hall, they are so useless. Never the less, I could still lead this woman into the middle of the dance floor. Finally we entered our arena of secret communication. The music stopped however. The music ended before we could get through. I took the opportunity to examine the Ball. The Dance floor was housed by a dome made of glass and gold framing holding it up. The ceiling was a rich white colored marble is gold décor trims where the wall meet roof. The Floor was marble. The floor has designs of the earth in different rotation periods lined up in a circle. The Earths were lined with gold and colored with different marble colors. The earths circled a crest. Looked like maybe some family Coat of Arms. The Stars shined from the dome unto us all, mixing with the well designed lights. This was a place that the woman deserved.
The Music man announced his next song. It was the one I requested. Toccata Fuege in D Minor by Bach. It was so fitting to the scenery. Not only the scenery, but the characters as well. She, the most beautiful and complex section of the music, and I, the sinister and monstrous octave. The peasants left the dance floor. Complaining the music was something you couldn’t dance to but something you listen to. The Woman, previously wondering into space, was called to attention by my selection, and said to me “How do we dance to such an Enigma of a Song?”. I smiled. “ Music comes from feeling, do as you feel, and it will be Dance. This a form of communication in which you and me will be interpreting each other”. She took it as flattery but responded accordingly
“ If I didn’t know any better sir, I would say you are very, how should I say, enthusiastic about my company?”.
“You are the lavishing gem in this romper room”
“I must have your name sir.”
“That won’t do until you reveal yours.”
She giggled at the childish game I set for her.
“Annabel Lee”
“Solomon Reed”
“That’s a Very interesting name Mr. Reed”
“Please, Solomon will do, Ms. Annabel Lee, from the sea”
A smirk. I loved it, I loved to see I could entertain her.
“An Edgar Allan Poe Fan?”
I smirked at her knowledge, not women of such beauty could impress me.
“Irrelevant, but yes.”

The music man struck his first scale on the organ. I felt I was stepping into another realm. He was indeed a master at the arts of Bach, but still, this is not what impressed me. I checked my watch. Futile, I didn’t know when the end to my earthly plane would start, however, I could make an estimate. It was when I put my watch down that I notice, me and Annabel Lee were the center piece to this Ball. We were stared at by many eyes of optimism. How would we pull this off? The Music man stopped his glorious scales and started a rift. I grabbed Annabel’s hand. This was like taking the steering wheel to the new reality. She bestowed and ever so subtle, so gentle smile, and I returned it. I stood up right, and we began to dance to the beat.

It wasn’t hard, and she got the hang of it was well. She learned my movements and steps, to slow, and then to speed up. It was a flow with perfect communication. It was as if we were the music. I focused on the ever so miraculous gems imbedded in her eyes. They were so green and everlasting. I had a feeling for her. It was a like, but one in which was more powerful. I liked my gun, I liked money. This? What was this? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. There was something there however, and through those gems we call eyes, she said it too.

The Organ was so strong. I thought for sure such changes in music would create a pandemonium in the senses, but me and Annabel Lee were ever to in traced. Such an aura contained us in a bubble of bliss and un affected by anything but the passing of the sweet melodies of the music man. He was the catalyst to a matrimony of passion. The consent of such an unspoken passion was sponsored by his organ. Our eyes never left each other’s and not a word was spoke, but a million images were shared. A world we shared in our minds, to strangers, spending minds content. Incredible! Her face showed me compassion and mine asked for more.

It seemed such time has passed until the music man finished. The Organ Stopped, and almost as immediate, so did we. We took a break from gazing into each other to look at our environment. People had still been watching. Watching in awe and admiration. A Roaring applause was heard from our outstand performance. Me and Annabel Lee Smiled and graciously received the applause. Encore we heard. Encore! Encore! Encore! Annabel Lee stared at me and said ever so radiant “ You know, it doesn’t have to be the last dance, I couldn’t think of such a man I would rather spend this Encore with Mr. Solomon”. How could I refuse? She Had me.
“This Time it will be to my harmony Solomon”
“Oh? I have no doubt you will impress me with your sophisticated musical taste”
“You, sir, are much to dashing and charming to be Earthly”
“You, dear, are much to pure to be mortal”

She requested Fur Elise. Beethoven was one of my favorites. In this time of rapid decline of music, how could one beat the God of music? Rap, rock, blues, all rubbish and for fools. Classical was that of perfection. The Music man nodded as he staged himself on the piano and prepared himself for the music. Like instinct, Annabel Lee and I rose are hands to dance at the same moment. Carefully, and ever so gently, I took her hand. The music man began.

Me and Annabel Lee, again journeyed swiftly across the dance floor. Like fluid we danced. This was what was seen on the outside of world. We were dancing of that on a professional level. To us, we were not dancing. We were not at the Ball. Me and Annabel Lee were together. She saw it as I. I spent nights with her. I traveled long distances to find her. I wrote letters of passion to her. Many months we spent together. Stories we had lived together until finally, I fell to my knees and committed my life to her. For whom else was so graceful as this maiden? She took the ring and cried. We shared such innocent happiness together. We walked amongst the church bells ringing. We rode in that Limo Ride to the Reception. We part our old droll lives and enter the lives of each others. Years went by, and we had a son. Annabel Lee was Annabel Reed. She was the holy water absolving the sins of my past. What can cure such a dreaded abomination but with such a mass and density of perfection? Annabel Reed. We both saw it. In this dance.

Years were parting. However, I couldn’t help but let my attention be torn away by our mass audience. They were staring at us. The antagonist and protagonist of Fur Elise. It was nice getting so much attention in a good way, I wasn’t use to it. The attention I received prior was always that from an authority chasing me. Ha-ha. You can imagine how different this kind of attention was. For that matter, how different this experience was.

I conjured the word. After intense observing, I realized that I was yet another cliché’ fool. It was love, at first sight but of course. I found it in one of our travels, that me and her had been going through. Odd enough, when I first conjured the word she spoke to me. “ Mr. Reed, is this love, that I feel for you?”. In shock of such a question, I didn’t know how to respond. She knew better than I about love, but I must lure her in, I can’t lose this, what is the answer I must say? I couldn’t think of one, I followed what was being screamed at me. “ I feel it to, Dear Annabel Lee”. She smiled “I’ve never met such an entrancing man before; you have gripped me into a world I couldn’t describe to you into any story”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. “ Then, Dearest Annabel Lee, we are two of the same”.

Again, something gripped my attention in the crowed, however this time it was more direct. More precise. I see it now. A stranger. He was not smiling like the rest. He was in a stare, a completely different thought than that of the group in which he resided. Completely oblivious to the festivities, he was plainly dress, yet suited to the occasion, but yet seldom, and isolated in mind. My attention was drifting in an out of this man, the music, and Dearest Annabel.

I could feel Annabel grasping for the return of my attention but something bothered me about this individual. I tried focusing on her. I noticed the music picked up. A sudden burst of manic tension came about me. The man approached me in a slow walk. What was he doing interrupting my dance with Annabel Lee? It wasn’t until midway of his arrival that I noticed his intention. There was no escape. Bliss is not forever, and I was most undeserving. I looked at my Dear Annabel Lee.

“There is a world much better than what you have seen at this Ball Annabel Lee, a world better than the outside to, where its not so melancholy and unappreciative of your beauty”. Annabel was confused and inquisitive in what I said. I didn’t listen to her when she questioned however. I simply spoke again. My tone was that to the rest of Fur Elise, ever so gentle. “I love you” and I kissed her. We have always been this, for years to come, it was the outsiders like you that could never have seen this.

I branched off from Annabel Lee and walked towards the approaching man. The music was playing. Still Fur Elise. It was at the very end, but still playing the main rift. Me and the man met. The man unveiled a snub nose revolver from his black as sin suit jacket. He lunged it into my stomach. He said. “It is with your elimination Mr. Reed, that I graduate from trainee in our organization, it’s nothing personal, It’s just Business” “Listen here Kid I’ve been in the business longer than-”

Immediately after that awkward key in Fur Elise is hit, 3 rounds were placed into my stomach. It didn’t Hurt, not in the least bit, but it was a struggle, keeping consciousness. The Music man stopped playing, but upon falling to my doom I heard the everlasting tones of Beethoven. I stared at her, as I was falling, gazing into those heavenly eyes between the blood floating in the air with me. Ironic enough, the music I heard picked up.

My Annabel Lee, It was Edgar that lost you, but this time, it was you that lost me. Oh Annabel Lee, through love of sight, through love of mind we spent an eternity. Darkness closes my vision Annabel Lee, regret of time haunts we. Annabel Lee of the Sea, never forget me.