5:17 am.

Charlotte gradually lowered her body onto the damp grass of the park and stared up at the pitch black sky. Her eyes wandered freely along the vast canvas of the heavens, soaking in the distant beauty of the luminous stars. Each seemed to wink at Charlotte, dancing endlessly above her head. She sighed audibly and pondered to herself about how such beauty could only allow itself to be seen while the world slept away through its presence. Charlotte gave a weak chuckle and recalled asking her mother something along those lines when she was younger. She remembered her mother's answer clear as crystal in her mind: "I'm not really sure baby, but I know that when they aren't shining up in the sky, they are shining in your eyes." Positive that her eyes hadn't been the home to any stars since then, she glanced up at the sky one last time before bringing her thoughts back down to Earth.

5:19 am.

Charlotte's heart began to thud dully as she relived the events of the night. She cautiously dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out the stack of stolen money. Charlotte cupped the bills gently in her hands, as if they were sacred drops of water she couldn't spill, trying to process her actions of the past five hours. She painfully returned it back to her pocket, too afraid to count exactly how much she now possessed. She felt her face tense up in confusion and shame as she tried to determine whether robbing the diner was a heat of the moment choice, or if she truly had this demon inside of her all along.

5:20 am.

Charlotte rolled onto her side and curled into a compact ball on the grass. Her body felt limp and heavy, as if it were made out of hunks of frozen metal. Tears welled furiously in her eyes as she scrunched her eyebrows softly in disbelief of her immaturity. If she hadn't lost control of herself earlier, she wouldn't be lying in wet grass in the middle of a cold, winter California night. Her eyes wouldn't be begging to be shut, eyelids droopy and weary. Her stomach wouldn't be tied in excruciating knots, strung with guilt and fear. She pounded her fist into a section of grass next to her, and yanked out a generous handful of the plant. She squeezed her fist with all of her remaining energy, her jagged fingernails digging into her frigid skin. After a moment, with her strength expended, the blades of grass began to fall out of her trembling hand and drifted away with a soft breeze. Just like everything, she thought meekly as she relaxed her hand completely, they slipped away, slowly but surely, out of her reach.

5:21 am.

Charlotte stood up and paused for a moment before proceeding to walk to the tattered swing set in front of her, her path illuminated by the moon's gaze overhead. Her legs felt tight and cramped with every step, her feet sinking slightly into the grass under her weight. She reached out and put one senseless hand on the metal chain of the swing and rested herself comfortably on the chilly seat. She stared at the faint shadow beneath, almost waiting for its permission to allow her to move. Charlotte sat still, not changing her focus at the dark shape, and realized how truly alone she was.

5:24 am.

Charlotte's hair raved in the wind, flying carelessly every which way as she swung up and down rhythmically. She ignored the rigid goosebumps forming under her sweater as she soared higher and higher in the air. Her thoughts seemed to have vanished while she swung, retreating to their safe haven in the back of her mind and allowing her senses to take over. Taking her loneliness as a temporary blessing, Charlotte savored the harsh coolness of the night's touch on her face and the refreshing scent of pine in her nose. The slight creaks of the aged chains and the muffled whispers of nature were an invited treat to her ears. Amidst the overwhelmingly new sensations, the feeling of her forgotten suitcase lingered in her chest. She couldn't rid herself of the blurred memories of the warm embrace of the diner air, the rich scent of fresh pancakes, the clanging of heavy silverware being set on tables. She couldn't turn off the vague sound of running footsteps haunting her ear drums. Most of all, she couldn't shake the feeling of utter emptiness without her belongings, her items of personal importance, the things she knew she couldn't live without – all of which sat neatly in her suitcase back at the diner.

5:26 am.

Charlotte carefully hopped off of the swing and took a short moment to recollect her thoughts before moving. With her feet back on the ground, her thoughts surged rapidly once again in her mind, colliding furiously with one another. She dizzily walked over to the defaced wood bench near her and rested the back side of her body vigilantly onto the arctic surface. Entranced once again by the wonders of the night sky, Charlotte's mind seemed to instantly clear, mimicking the cloudless night.

5:27 am.

As Charlotte finally allowed her exhausted teal eyes to rest, she knew that she had no choice but to return to the diner and somehow retrieve her suitcase.