Prologue
Hey guys this is a new story I'm writing it was a request from retro mania, it is based on a short 15 minute film called the fountain. This chapter will be the movie so anyone who hasn't seen the movie or hasn't watched it in a while will know what it's about so anyone can read it and not get confused.
Artie pov.
I stare down at the letter in my hand to make sure I've got the right place, the words scribbled in my hand writing describe the young lady sitting across from me on the park bench perfectly. I take a deep breath and approach her.
"Excuse me, are you Maddie" I ask her.
"Yes I am and you must be Artie" she says smiling.
"Yes, it's nice to finally meet you" I say.
"You to, so" she pauses not sure what to say next.
"It's a beautiful day do you want to go for a walk" I say to break the silence.
"Of course thank you" she says.
She stands up and we start to walk through the park side by side, we slip into easy conversation telling each other stories from when we were young, without even really noticing we leave the park and start to walk through the neighbourhood, soon enough as I finish telling her about college adventures and we're laughing as she calls me crazy I look to see we're at my house, I stop walking and turn to her.
"Would you like to come in for some tea" I ask her.
"Oh is this your house" she asks.
"Yes it is" I smiling.
"The flowers are beautiful" she says.
"I do a little gardening" I say.
"So you grew them yourself" she asks as we enter the house.
I tell her about the green house in the back garden as I serve the tea and some biscuits.
A few hours earlier in the same house.
Artie pov
"Artie" I hear Maddie call just as I enter her bedroom, I approach the bed and put the dying plant I'm trying to revive on the cabinet.
"What's wrong" I ask her.
"Could you fix my pillow" She asks.
I stand up and fix her pillow so she's comfortable, Old age has made her body so weak and frail that she is bed bound from the pain, when I sit back on the edge of the bed she glances over at the plant, putting on her glasses so she can see better.
"How romantic" she says laughing.
"Very funny, it's the draught, I brought this one in to give it some water" I say.
"Working in the greenhouse today then, this one has definitely seen better days" she says gesturing towards the plant.
"Well if you behave I might bring its younger sister in to see you later" I say.
She smiles at me then with a kiss on her cheek I leave her to rest, I take the plant with me and go back to the greenhouse, I look over all the dry and dying plants that were once beautiful fully grown flowers, I decide to replant some in the hopes that the healthy soil might help revive them, I grab my trowel and a pot, I start to fill it with soil, as I do this I take a minute to look out the window and wonder when the drought will end, since I'm not focusing on what I'm doing my hand slips and I cut myself, the sudden pain shocks me and I drop the trowel, it lands spade down lodging itself into the soil of the greenhouse floor, I leave it for now and grab a cloth to clean the cut, before I can start to clean it though the sound of rushing water comes to my ears, I turn to see water splashing up through the soil where the trowel has pierced it, I kneel down and try to dig in the soil to see where the waters coming from but some water gets into the cut causing me to pull my hand away from the sting, I decide to grab my watering can and fill it with the water, this is the first water we've had since the drought started so I'm not letting it go to waste, I put the can back on the shelf then pull the trowel out the soil, I grab the cloth again to clean my hand but realise the cut is gone, it just disappeared like it was never there, there isn't even a scar, I look back at the small puddle where the water came from, no surely water couldn't have healed my hand.
To test the theory I grab the can and pour a little bit of it on each of the plant's roots, then I stand back and watch, at first I think I'm dreaming then I realise I can't be it's far to real to be a dream, it has only taken a couple of seconds for each plant to grow and bloom into the most beautiful and healthy flowers I've ever seen, millions of questions fill my mind, what is it, where does it come from and what else can it do, to test it further I grab the can and go back to the house, entering the kitchen I grab a glass from the cupboard and fill it with the water from the can, I take it upstairs to Maddie, she's asleep so I gently wake her.
"Maddie I want you to drink some of this" I tell her.
"What is it is it time for my painkillers" she asks.
"No it's just water, have a drink" I encourage her.
"Ok" she says and taking the glass she sips it then hands it back to me.
I stand watching her for a few seconds as she settles back onto the bed, nothing happens and disappointment fills my heart, I walk to the bathroom and pour the rest of the water down the sink then place the glass on the side, I go back into the room and what I see nearly brings me to my knees, out of bed and standing beside the window is Maddie, this is the first time she has been able to get out of bed, the pain has been to much for her to walk and move around.
"You fixed the roof on the greenhouse" she says.
"Yeah last February" I say walking towards her.
I put my hands on her shoulders and turn her round, I hug her tightly and she gasps in surprise, when we pull apart I ask her.
"Would you like to dance with me"?
"What" she says laughing?
"Dance with me" I insist and she smiles and shrugs.
Minutes later we are dancing through the house, Maddie has changed into a white dress with flowers on it, she holds the watering can in her hand and is watering the plants we have in the house, she turns to me and laughs.
"How is this happening" she says.
"I don't know" I say.
She spots a plant on the window sill that is merely a small twig poking out the soil; the drought must have stopped it from growing any further.
"Looks like you could really use some of this" she says and gives it some water.
Instead of growing like the others, it disappears back into the soil.
"Oh my is it dead" Maddie asks.
I dig into the soil and find the seed, what I find is truly remarkable.
"It's like it's never been broken" I say.
"Maybe we should drink some" Maddie says coming up to me.
"I don't know what too much of this will do to us, you're out of bed that's all I wanted" I say.
"Artie, you're my whole life, what ever happens we'll always be together" she says.
I sigh deeply still not completely reassured but I agree, I get a glass from the kitchen and fill it with the water from the can, we sit opposite each other and I hand her the glass, unlike before she takes a big drink this time instead of a sip, she puts the glass on the table and we wait, it doesn't take long for the effects to start, she brings her hands up to cover her face, I can't see much of her now except the skin of her arms and hands as well as her hair.
I gasp as I realise her hair is turning brown at the top of her scalp, the brown travels down all the way to the very ends of her hair until there is not a single grey strand left, her aged skin has smoothed out and she looks slightly taller to, she uncovers her eyes and puts one hand on her forehead, I can see she's breathing deeply, the skin on her face has turned fair and she has a slight glow on her cheeks, the crinkles in her eyes have been replaced by smooth skin.
"Are you ok" I ask her.
"A bit dizzy" she says.
It's now that she opens her eyes having had them closed all this time and looks around the room, she looks shocked as she stands and looks around, she reaches up and takes off her glasses, her vision must be restored as well.
"Where am I" she asks.
"You're home" I say getting up and following her.
"This isn't my home" she says.
"Don't you remember who you are" I ask her.
"Yes I'm Maddie Coleson" she says.
"Where do you live" I ask her.
"I live with my mother and father" she says.
There's a long silence as I slowly start to realise the consequence of the water, it gives you youth but it also takes the memories you have after you're past the age you have gone back to, Maddie only remembers the last thing she did at the age she is now, which means me and her life with me has been erased.
"Did we meet in the park" she asks.
"The park" I ask confused.
"Yes at the fountain" she says.
"Yes we did" I say realising that must be the last thing she remembers.
"You fainted, I brought you here for some water" I say.
"Oh ok, well I was supposed to meet someone there" she says, and looks at the clock.
"I better get back" she says and walks to the door.
"Thank you for your help" she says and leaves.
I stand there for a few seconds not sure what to do, I gaze around the room looking at the memories we had together, my eyes land on the clock and I see the time, then it dawns on me, she has to meet someone at the fountain, she's the same age as she was when we first met and the time it's coming the same time we arranged to meet on that first day, her last memory must be the day she met me, waiting for me to show up.
I look down at the can, we can still be together, we can through our whole life together again, fall in love and have adventures together all over again, I grab the can and pour some into a glass, I tip it to my lips and almost take a sip when I remember that my memories will be erased as well and what if I'm different, what if my memories don't erase as far back, or go to far back, then I'll never meet her, I quickly walk to the desk against the wall and take a seat, I take some blank paper along with a pen and start to write.
Artie go to the park, sitting at the fountain is the most beautiful young lady you will ever meet, her name is Maddie, if you don't believe this you will when you see her, she will be the girl of your dreams.
I fold the paper and write on the blank side read this note in big bold letters so I'll see it, I pick the glass up and drink, dizziness comes over me and everything I know fades away.
When I open my eyes I feel like I've been asleep, what happened I think, something catches my eye and I look down to see a letter, I read it and although I'm reluctant to believe it, whoever wrote seems pretty sure, so I head of to the park, I expect to find nothing but when I arrive there she is sitting at the fountain just like the letter said.
"Excuse me are you Maddie" I ask her.
"Yes and you must be Artie" she says.
We smile at each other.