She was nothing less than a hero. She saved lives, and put others who had blown their chance at honesty in jail. She was a hero. Not even Sally knew how much people loved her, and she never would. She never thought that in twenty years, they'd be telling her to hang up the scanty costume, and let her daughter take the spotlight.
Dear Miss Sally Jupiter, You may not read this letter, and disregard it like many of the fan letters you get. You may never read this for all I know. Forgive me for saying this. I knew that one day, the time would come where the diamond lost its sparkle. That time is now. Your daughter, Laurel Jane, will make an excellent replacement, and shine just the same you have. Show her the world you knew, and the world that is now hers. Love and gratitude,
I've watched you through the years, and been inspired by your strength. From busting criminals to providing the public with one of the brightest smiles on this side of the US, you're a diamond. Myself being a Minutemen fan, I learned to love each and every one of the group, and desperately tried to find a way to come in contact with any of you. Today I hope, is my one and only chance.
A Serious and Admiring Fan.
Seventeen times she read that later and would continue to read it throughout the morning, and three times more into the afternoon. By five o' clock that night, the last paragraph would be stapled into her memory. It would also be permanently placed in Sally Jupiter's brain that her fans were no longer wanting her to shine and shimmer. They didn't want her because she had gotten old. Her skin wasn't as tight, and glowing as it had been in all the photographs of newspapers with Silk Spectre Busts Criminals With a Smile! Sally Jupiter does it again!
She was old. She was old, and though she wouldn't have expected it, the fans were beginning to see it too. She had made the wrong choice by continuing to live her glory days out, despite having been out of the Minutemen for years. She should have left while she was ahead; done something that would immortalize her in the eyes of her fans as the young, raunchy, and sexy Silk Spectre. But, she pushed the dwindling modeling jobs and interviews, forcing the public to look at her one more time until they could do it no more.
Hours later, the sun had gone down, and Sally leaned her head against the wallpaper. She couldn't stop thinking about the fan's words and how it was sent with the best of intentions. The sides of the paper curled and the oil from her fingertips had made it grungy and worn. She would fold it and slip it between her breasts, pushing it deep into her cleavage within the hour, thanking that her assets hadn't faltered in the years. One thing on the board.
She had one last fleeting thought of remorse as she pushed herself off the bed, sliding towards the edge and sliding her fingers under the hem of her shirt. A zipper slid down, and a skirt slid down to the floor. Sally stepped out of the fabric circle, inhaling. There was no one in the apartment, no one to tell her that her sex appeal had faded. A pair of fishnet stockings were pulled out of a dresser drawer and pulled over silken legs. In two minutes, she'd walk into the living room, and pull the yellow costume off the dress form.
That night, her heart would break in two. Tears would gather at the corners of her eyes as she slipped into the cab, pulling the fur coat around herself. This would be the second time tonight she'd realize she made a stupid decision.
Hello Darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again.