Honesty," she announced.

Her slightly shaky voice echoed through the dark assembly hall. the single word and the long silence after it made the students in the audience sit up a little straighter in their seats. Then Gabriella began to recite:

"I see you there in front of me-
Your face, your hands, your eyes.
I hear you talk, I hear you tell
Your hopes, your dreams, your lies.

I walked with you, a sunlit trail,
Together hand in hand.
Then twilight came, and you were gone,
And now alone I stand.

The woods are cold, the trees are black,
The dark is closing in.
And you have gone away from me,
Your faultless light has dimmed.

Betrayal is an empty space,
Raw night, cold room, alone.
And no one can redeem your face,
Sweet knight, safe light, you're gone."

Author: Alice Alfonsi