Chapter 8
The Miracle
The next night Jack went to the Goddess pond.
He had heard a rumor that if you threw a crop into the goddess pond, she would appear.
He threw in an eggplant that he had saved from fall's harvest.
Suddenly, a beautiful woman emerged from the pond and looked down on him.
"Hello my child. I have been watching you since the first day you set foot into this village. You have been troubled with thoughts of your once precious Hailey"
He nodded, looking up at her.
"Now look into my pond, and I will show you what she is doing now as we speak."
He looked into the pond and saw Hailey sitting on her bed.
She was holding a gold-framed picture, and seemed to be sobbing, and as he peered closer to see it better, he fell in.
He was falling, falling, falling, and then he landed in Hailey's room.
"Hailey!" he screamed in joy.
She didn't move at all.
He walked in front of her.
"Hailey! It's me! Jack!" she didn't respond.
"Hailey?" he said one more time.
Suddenly he heard the goddess's voice.
"Do not waste your efforts; you are but a mere spirit. She cannot see nor hear you. I only transported you here so you could get a better look."
He walked over and saw that the picture Hailey was holding was just like the one he had left behind on the ship.
She still missed him that much.
He wanted to embrace her, and tell her everything would be Ok, but he knew he couldn't.
Just as he was about to break down in tears from seeing her like this, everything went black.
Jack awoke in his bed the next morning with a throbbing headache.
Had it all been a dream?
Then he looked down, and in his hand was a note.
It said,
Dear Child-
Tell nobody about last night. It must be kept a complete secret. And remember, I am always watching over you.
-The Spring Goddess
So it hadn't been a dream.
Now he knew what he needed to do.
He sat down with a piece of paper and a pen, and a few minutes later, read over the letter he had written.
Hailey-
Hey, it's me, Jack! I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for not writing you a letter sooner, but I'm doing great in my new home. I miss you a lot. But Hailey, please try not to linger too long on the memory of me. You can't just cry for the rest of your life. I'm sorry, but I can't hold true on what I told you before I left. I have a new life here, and I wish it could include you but sadly-it doesn't. Please don't be mad at me, and make sure to write back! Maybe you could come visit soon? Well, I hope to see you!
-Jack
Jack ran outside, and he was just in time, to see Harris, walking in.
He ran up to him and handed him the letter.
"Can you deliver this?" asked Jack.
"Well not directly, but I can get it there." he said, looking at the address.
"Anyway, I'm glad you came out, I dropped you an invite in the mail but I wanted to invite you personally to Miss Maria and my wedding."
"I'd love to come!"
"Great! Like I said, invite's in the mail."
After the wedding that Sunday, Elli and Jack were walking to Jack's house.
They then came to his door and Elli turned to leave.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow I guess, Jack" she said with a touch of disappointment.
"Wait Elli."
She turned to him.
He then pulled her towards him, and their lips touched.
It was brief, but it was their first kiss together, and he was happy.
A few days later, Jack got a letter in the mail.
It had no signature, and no return address, all it said was Summer 1.
Jack was puzzled; he had no idea what it meant.
He just discarded the note, and thought nothing of it.
He started to the ranch, and saw Ann alone.
"Hey Ann." he said as he approached her.
"Hi Jack!" she said, beaming.
"Why so happy?"
"I found out this morning that I'm pregnant! I'm so happy Jack!"
Jack smiled a genuine, true smile.
He was happy for her.
"That's great Ann!"
"Yeah I know!"
"Well, I have a few more things to do; I just wanted to swing by to say hi!"
"Ok! Oh, and hopefully your relationship with Elli will turn out better than you one with Popuri!" she called as he walked out.
Jack winced.
Ann was a great friend, but sometimes her words were a little too direct.
~~~~~
A/N: Ooooh, what's with the mysterious letter? Will Jack's relationship last? Will Ann's baby be a boy or a girl? Why was this chapter so short? Why do I have so many questions? Find out in the next chapter!!!!
The Miracle
The next night Jack went to the Goddess pond.
He had heard a rumor that if you threw a crop into the goddess pond, she would appear.
He threw in an eggplant that he had saved from fall's harvest.
Suddenly, a beautiful woman emerged from the pond and looked down on him.
"Hello my child. I have been watching you since the first day you set foot into this village. You have been troubled with thoughts of your once precious Hailey"
He nodded, looking up at her.
"Now look into my pond, and I will show you what she is doing now as we speak."
He looked into the pond and saw Hailey sitting on her bed.
She was holding a gold-framed picture, and seemed to be sobbing, and as he peered closer to see it better, he fell in.
He was falling, falling, falling, and then he landed in Hailey's room.
"Hailey!" he screamed in joy.
She didn't move at all.
He walked in front of her.
"Hailey! It's me! Jack!" she didn't respond.
"Hailey?" he said one more time.
Suddenly he heard the goddess's voice.
"Do not waste your efforts; you are but a mere spirit. She cannot see nor hear you. I only transported you here so you could get a better look."
He walked over and saw that the picture Hailey was holding was just like the one he had left behind on the ship.
She still missed him that much.
He wanted to embrace her, and tell her everything would be Ok, but he knew he couldn't.
Just as he was about to break down in tears from seeing her like this, everything went black.
Jack awoke in his bed the next morning with a throbbing headache.
Had it all been a dream?
Then he looked down, and in his hand was a note.
It said,
Dear Child-
Tell nobody about last night. It must be kept a complete secret. And remember, I am always watching over you.
-The Spring Goddess
So it hadn't been a dream.
Now he knew what he needed to do.
He sat down with a piece of paper and a pen, and a few minutes later, read over the letter he had written.
Hailey-
Hey, it's me, Jack! I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for not writing you a letter sooner, but I'm doing great in my new home. I miss you a lot. But Hailey, please try not to linger too long on the memory of me. You can't just cry for the rest of your life. I'm sorry, but I can't hold true on what I told you before I left. I have a new life here, and I wish it could include you but sadly-it doesn't. Please don't be mad at me, and make sure to write back! Maybe you could come visit soon? Well, I hope to see you!
-Jack
Jack ran outside, and he was just in time, to see Harris, walking in.
He ran up to him and handed him the letter.
"Can you deliver this?" asked Jack.
"Well not directly, but I can get it there." he said, looking at the address.
"Anyway, I'm glad you came out, I dropped you an invite in the mail but I wanted to invite you personally to Miss Maria and my wedding."
"I'd love to come!"
"Great! Like I said, invite's in the mail."
After the wedding that Sunday, Elli and Jack were walking to Jack's house.
They then came to his door and Elli turned to leave.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow I guess, Jack" she said with a touch of disappointment.
"Wait Elli."
She turned to him.
He then pulled her towards him, and their lips touched.
It was brief, but it was their first kiss together, and he was happy.
A few days later, Jack got a letter in the mail.
It had no signature, and no return address, all it said was Summer 1.
Jack was puzzled; he had no idea what it meant.
He just discarded the note, and thought nothing of it.
He started to the ranch, and saw Ann alone.
"Hey Ann." he said as he approached her.
"Hi Jack!" she said, beaming.
"Why so happy?"
"I found out this morning that I'm pregnant! I'm so happy Jack!"
Jack smiled a genuine, true smile.
He was happy for her.
"That's great Ann!"
"Yeah I know!"
"Well, I have a few more things to do; I just wanted to swing by to say hi!"
"Ok! Oh, and hopefully your relationship with Elli will turn out better than you one with Popuri!" she called as he walked out.
Jack winced.
Ann was a great friend, but sometimes her words were a little too direct.
~~~~~
A/N: Ooooh, what's with the mysterious letter? Will Jack's relationship last? Will Ann's baby be a boy or a girl? Why was this chapter so short? Why do I have so many questions? Find out in the next chapter!!!!