I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep. I finally gave up and opened them to find I was no longer in my bedroom. Mist filled the air and I could hear the sound of gurgling water. I sat up, peering into the gray to see the silhouette of the fountain from that morning. I rose carefully to my feet, the ground hidden in the mist. It felt flat and firm, but I still stepped cautiously as I moved toward the fountain.
As I approached, the mist surrounding it cleared. A woman was sitting on the rim, trailing her hand through the clear water in the basin. She was slender and dressed in a silver, form-fitting dress that reminded me of a princess. Her long blonde hair trailed over her shoulder in a complicated braid. As I stepped forward, she turned, her bright green eyes catching me and holding me prisoner.
"Hello, child," the woman said. Her voice was clear and rang through the space like a silver bell. She smiled and motioned me to sit beside her. I moved hesitantly, still unsure of what was going on.
"Am I dreaming?" I perched carefully on the edge of the fountain. The water babbled and splashed, but somehow I didn't get wet.
"In a sense. You are asleep, but you are not dreaming. This is very real." Her light pink lips curled up in a gentle smile. Mist curled around our feet, the fountain was the only solid thing in this universe.
"Oh," I said matter-of-factly. It all seemed so natural to me. I took a deep breath. This felt real, but I knew it couldn't be. "Where are we?"
"An in-between place." The beautiful woman touched my hand. "We are in the Fountain of Love. You made a wish." She turned my hand over and placed the shiny penny into my palm that I had thrown into the fountain hours earlier
"Who are you?" I whispered, staring at the penny.
"My name is Diana. I created this fountain a long time ago," she replied. Her hand released mine.
"Does that mean that you're going to grant my wish?" I asked, my voice hopeful. I gripped the penny tightly in my hand, afraid that if I let it go, this really would be nothing but a dream.
"That's up to you, child." Diana's perfectly arched brows came together. "It is a larger choice than you think."
"But I could have Tony back?"
Her face relaxed into a soft smile. "I can send you back in time. Give you the chance to save him."
"Tony..." I whispered, not even meaning to speak.
"But there is a risk." She touched my cheek, turning me to look into her green eyes. They were magically vibrant, with shades of emerald, green apple, and evergreen. "Playing with time changes everything. Everything you now have will be gone. Choices unmade for better and for worse. You even hazard being written out of time completely."
"But I could get Tony back?" I asked stubbornly. She gave a solemn nod. "Then, yes. Whatever I have to do, I say yes."
"Are you sure? You risk all," she said. She waved her hand over the water in the basin. Images appeared in the water of my paintings, my apartment, my friends. They all faded into mist and then back to clear water. "You risk all that you are and all that you have by choosing this."
I looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Yes. I would risk everything and more to save Tony."
"You must also know that things may not turn out as you wish. It is a risk to change time." Her eyes searched mine, delving into my soul.
"I understand." I looked away from her gaze. I knew that I wanted this, that I would agree to this without hesitation. "I would rather live in a world where he existed, even if it wasn't with me, than in a world where he is gone."
"Then you shall go back." Diana stood, her silver dress pooling like water at her feet. "But know this. You must get him to go with you. If he sets foot in the place he died, he will not be able to escape his fate. Even if he knows it is coming. He must completely change his future in order for him to survive."
"I understand," I sai
d, nodding. I had to get him to run away with me then. "I want to go back to the day he left me. I have to tell him not to go."
Diana frowned slightly, but nodded gravely. "As you wish."
I stood up and faced the slim woman in silver as the mist surrounded us, obscuring everything. Diana's bright green eyes were the last thing I saw as the mist turned to darkness and I felt myself fall into it.
Chapter 9
June 9,1990
For the second time
I opened my eyes and noticed that the ceiling was different. I frowned for a moment before realizing where I was. My aunt's condo in Florida. With someone sleeping next to me.
I turned my head slowly, heart in my throat. There was Tony. He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling in an easy cadence. The pre-dawn light from the window highlighted his perfect features and made him look like an angel.