Fountain of Youth
The first time I saw her, she was wearing red. She had on this little red sundress, too deep of a red to really be called a sundress, too red to be innocent any longer.
She was standing by the Goddess' Spring, it was a night so bright that everything was illuminated, from the crystalled flowers, to the trees surrounding it.
"I can hear you, whoever you are," she called out. "I'd prefer it much more if you'd talk to me." I stepped out of the shadows I was concealed in.
"I'm Jill. You are...?" She looked at me, with those lavender eyes, so bright in the moonshine, that I forgot my name for a moment. She stood waiting, playing with her gobs of necklaces loaded around her slender neck. She was a Mardi Gras queen; she had bracelets, all up her arms, anklets, and rings.
"Skye, erm, Phantom Skye."
She blushed a pretty pink, it stood out on her bronzed face. "I've heard of you, but I never really thought I'd meet you..."
I smirked. "Consider yourself blessed, to meet the Prince of the Stars," She regained her composure. "I should be going, see you later Phantom Skye." Jill crouched over the Spring, and dropped something in, and the tribal tattoo wrapped around her ankle flexed. She turned to leave.
"Wait!" I yelled. She stopped and laid those violet orbs on me. Jill tilted her head. "When will I see you again... Jill?" She giggled, it was a cute sound. "I go to the bar a load,"
She said.
I saw her a few times over the next few weeks, but it was always at night, and she was usually on her way to a clients', once she was even... on the job. I saw her maybe twice at the Spring, though, and it calmed me just to see her peaceful.
I really saw her one night at the bar. I stepped in, and everybody went quiet. Jill turned. She had on a tight little black dress, and a tie around her neck. Someone had just finished work...
"So you finally decided to meet me again," she called brazenly. "..Yeah, I guess I have." She smiled that sarcastic, saccharine smile I'd grown to love.
"Well, don't waste time! Have a drink wiv me!" She slurred. "Jill... One more shot, and you're out, baby cake," Muffy winked at me, "You'll be able to get her home safe, yeah?"
I felt my face darken. "You know what?" piped in Jill from the floor. "Yes?" She sat up and stretched her long arms. "I think I'm ready to go - bye Muffy, Griffin."
She walked outside, long hair tumbling, bare feet stumbling, bracelets, rings, and necklaces jangling. Jill dressed only in what could be described as gypsy rags.
I grabbed her arm, just before she fell down in the dirt. "Is the beach okay?" She stretched her lithe form, she was such a cat! "I've never really been at night, but I'm down."
She ran to the beach, and by the time I reached it, she was standing in the surf, arms wide open, as if she was waiting for the ocean to swallow her whole. I sat down on the sand, watching. It was a balmy spring-verging on summer; night, and she dived into the water, dress and all.
Jill surfaced moments later, smoothing her hair back. "Skye, what are you doing? It's gorgeous!" The moon shone down, lighting up her tanned shoulders. "I'm not into swimming..." She came out, to drag me in. She splashed me a bit, then we floated on our backs.
"Jill..." I started. "Phantom Skye."
"Skye."
"What?"
"I mean, call me Skye."
"Well, Skye."
"I think I like you."
"I think I like you too..."
"More than most?"
"A lot more than most, actually."
I got out of the water, and laid on a towel. She walked up, and stood above me, dripping wet. "Jill, do you know how to dance?"
She blushed. "I've never been taught, no." I placed my hands on her hips. She jumped back, frightened. "W-what do you think you're doing?!" I laughed. "Dancing sweetheart," She reddened more. "O-oh... Where do I put my hands?"
I put her hands on my shoulders, we swayed gently to the lapping of the waves. It soon turned into a quick nova, and then almost a tribal dance, with Jill moving wildly and me holding onto her closely.
"Skye!" she sang into the rising sun. "Yes, Jill, yes, what is it?" I laughed. "Never let me go!" She "Don't ever let me go!" I blushed and held her closer as she danced around me. "I could never let you go, beautiful!"
She twisted and turned, and shimmied and shook, until I was sure I could see her fatigue. But she didn't stop. All I could see was her hair flipping, her feet blurring, her hands waving; all I heard was her humming an unknown song, her bracelets clanking, her rings singing when she clapped.
It was 4 in the morning, when she finally stopped. "I have a client in a few hours... I should go."
My heart deflated. I was sure that after everything we'd been through, and then this, she would stop street-lighting, stop selling herself.
"Why are you going? Let them wait."
"Skye... It's not that simple."
"Jillian, it is that simple."
"I need the money."
"There's other ways to get cash."
"Yes, but I don't know many."
"Jill, don't go."
"Skye, this is an important client!"
Her voice raised.
"Jill, nothing's more important than your happiness."
"I'm happy with my life!"
"No, you're not!"
"Skye, I have to get ready, I'll see you 'round."
She flipped her hair and left.
I saw her lots after that, we danced, we talked, we loved. It was a good two seasons of us, just being. The summer was the most wonderful time I'd had, until the day of its end.
The last time I saw her was the day she got married to Kai, the summer beach vendor from Mineral Town. She wore a tight lavender dress that matched her eyes, and black heels, 5 inches high. Her eyes were ringed with eyeliner and bags, lips glossed with the deepest red, and her hair curled and teased.
After the ceremony, they got on Kai's boat, they were travelling the world, and as it left, she shouted my name, and sailed away, the love of my life, the very bane of my existence, forever lost to the strange, hot shores where Kai wandered, deemed unfit for village life, taken to the distant cities he occupied.
Their boat sank after 5 years. She had no children, no family besides Kai. When I got the letter from the city closest, I was listed as her sole heir to all her worldly possesions, most of which she left on her ranch.
I might've cried. I don't remember, but I do remember that I always wondered what she dropped into the water the first night I met her, that she had a weakness for pineapples, that up until now, I dreamt of her every night, missing her, getting angry at my head for seeing her, but not being able to touch her or hold her.
I married a local girl eventually, Karen. But I still loved Jill, and she knew. I've loved Jill forever and a day, the day ends today, on my bed, surrounded by my children, my wife, my friends.
I get to see my sweet, sweet Jillian again. Maybe Nirvana had done her good, maybe she'd be my young Aphrodite once more, and there could be a beach, and a full moon every night, and we could dance until we couldn't feel our feet, like we used to.