Stolen

I wiped my wet forehead and sat down on a boulder in my field, and smiled. I have two 9x9 squares of each Spring crop, my two cows are feeding in the grass, safely fenced in with my lamb and chicken, and there's not a weed in sight. Perfect. Farming was exhausting, but I'd grown so fond of it. It was hard to believe that exactly two years ago on this day, the second of Spring, I'd arrived in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was clueless as how to farm, and for a season or two I was an utter failure. But, as all things go, I got the hang of it with experience.

I made plenty of friends, too. Nami, Lumina, Celia, Muffy, Flora- all of the women in town had their own unique and endearing personalities. There was Lumina and Muffy, who were childish and extroverted. Nami and Flora were inquisitive, yet kept to themselves more- tough to become friends with, but also the most interesting to befriend. And there was Celia, my best friend in this small town. She was quiet and shy at first, but as I got to know her I saw her giggly and playful side. Not to mention how great she was at listening. And over the past two years, they had all grown up and fallen in love. I remember all of their weddings: first was Celia and Marlin, which wasn't a surprise at all. Flora and Carter were married next, soon to be followed by Nami and Gustafa. Muffy and Griffin wed, which I found strange because of the age difference, but I suppose that love is blind. (And, apparently, oblivious of age.) The youngest, Lumina, was finally wed to Rock less than a season ago.

Am I lonely, you ask? No. I'm fine. Really. I have my animals, I have my farm, and I have my friends. I admit, I do get jealous from time to time when I hear of my friends' nights with their husbands, but there's nobody here for me to fall in love with. Honestly, I haven't even had the time, being so preoccupied with the farm. And… Maybe I lied. I am lonely, and I do fantasize about being married. Doesn't every girl? I sigh, sitting on my boulder, my work done for the day.

"Jill! Jill! Help, you've got to read this!" I recognize Lumina's high pitched voice, and hear her small feet running onto my farm. I look up, and she's standing over me waving a piece of paper.

I raise an eyebrow. "Calm down, Lumina! Is it a note? What's so bad about it?"

"Read it," Lumina commands, and I hear her voice shaking. I take the letter in my hands and unfold it.

Residents of the Villa-

Tonight, at midnight, I will be gracing your home with a visit. I won't leave empty handed.

-The Phantom Skye

I finish reading the note, and hand it back to Lumina. "That's confusing, who would warn you of a robbery? That's got to be a joke."

Lumina is still taking this very seriously. "You haven't heard, Jill?" She asks, her voice still quivering, on the verge of tears. Apparently, I'm missing something important, so I shake my head no. "There's a thief on the loose. He's been robbing people here and in Mineral Town, and he always sends a warning beforehand. He's never been caught! I'm so scared!"

I look at Lumina and flash a comforting smile. "Don't worry," I say, "I will definitely come up to your place around eleven tonight to check it out. Anyway, doesn't Rock know about this? I'm sure he wouldn't let a thief escape." Lumina calms down a little bit, at the mention of her new husband. Ah, newlyweds.

She takes a deep breath and smiles. "You're right. Rock will protect me. But I'd still feel better if you came, too. Do you promise?"

I laughed; Lumina could act like such a little girl sometimes. "I promise. What are friends for?" Lumina's usual perky attitude returns and she bids me goodbye. It's just now late afternoon, so I decide to shower before going to her house later.

After a shower and a meal, it's only 8:00 p.m., so I decide to nap for an hour. I need to wake up at six every morning, and it's going to be a late night tonight. I feel revitalized and refreshed after waking up, and prepare to head over on to Lumina's. Honestly, I didn't even think that a thief would visit; I still had this notion that the note was a joke. Nobody would tell someone that they're about to get robbed, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of stealing? It's ridiculous to believe that this 'Phantom Skye' is serious.

Right before leaving, I take a quick look at myself in the mirror. I looked the way I always did; I considered myself a Plain Jane. Short sleeved tee, jeans, brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. I didn't feel the need to dress up, considering I toiled on a farm all day, and there were no bachelors that were available. (Not like I had interest in them, anyway.) The only special thing I ever wore was a beaded bracelet on my left wrist, which my best friend made me when we were kids. Chelsea. People always thought we looked so alike, except for her stunning blue eyes that made my hazel ones look modest. She died a few years ago, of a terrible sickness, part of the reason I ran away and began farming. A day hasn't passed that I don't miss her, and I will always cherish my bracelet. I quickly fix my ponytail, and begin the long walk to Lumina's.

I arrive a little before eleven, and Lumina rushes me into her home. "Okay," she begins, "Rock and I are going to be right inside, okay? You'll be stationed out front." I nod, still thinking this was a prank being pulled by the Witch. Ever since I had freed the Harvest Goddess a few seasons ago, the Witch had been feistier than ever. You never knew with her…

Rock appeared upstairs, and walked down the spiral staircase to meet with us. "Hey, Jill! Did Lumina tell you our plan?" I nodded, and he continued, "Sorry you're all alone… Lumina is really scared." He rolled his eyes when his wife wasn't looking, and I laughed. She's scared, but I know you'll want the time to make out, too. Rock was quite the player before Lumina began dating him, and some things just never change. "Ready?" He asked, and I nodded. Lumina grabbed his hand, looking to her husband for protection.

I step right outside, and pace by the fountain gracing the lavish front lawn. I look at my watch, and realize it's midnight, on the dot. "Hello?" I call out, squinting to see in the darkness.

Suddenly, I feel a human hand on my back, and before I can let out a yelp, there's another hand covering my mouth. The skin is soft, and the hands are large. A man's voice, low and smooth, echoes in my eardrum as this mysterious person's warm breath whispers near my neck. "Don't be scared, beautiful. I came to rob this house, but I'm thinking I may take you instead." I feel myself being led away from Lumina's house, and I try to look at the man who's taking me, but the hand on my shoulder keeps me facing forward. Eventually, we end up near the Goddess's pond, and the hands are removed.

"What the hell? Who the hell are you? What are you doing? This is shit!" I start ranting, unaware of what I'm saying or what I want to say. The man chuckles softly and moves from behind me to in front. I gasp. He's… beautiful. Silver hair, bright in the moonlight. Blue, catlike eyes gaze into mine, and he's at least a head taller than me. His outfit is ostentatious, purple pants and a leopard print shirt, but he's definitely got style.

Words can't make their way from my brain to my mouth, so I stand there, awkward and silent. His voice fills the gap, saying, "I haven't seen you around here before. Tsk, it's a shame. You're more gorgeous than the light from the full moon."

"I'm not going to fall for your sweet talking!" I finally yell, and ball up my small hands into fists. "Tell me who the hell you are, and why you took me!" I was almost mad at myself for getting in this boy's face, he was so… Mesmerizing. But he practically kidnapped me!

The silver-haired wonder gave a coy wink and replied, "Phantom Skye. Nice to meet you…" His voice trails off, subtly asking for my name.

"Jill." I give as short a reply as possible, and turn away.

A slender finger tickles the bottom of my chin, and angles it upward so I'm looking into his eyes again. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he muses, and I can't help but blush, as corny as he is. "Dearest Jill, shall we ever meet again?"

I snort, pulling myself from his charming trance. "Yeah, right. You're such a cocky son of a bitch. And just so you know, sweet talk won't get you anywhere with me. You probably say this stuff to every girl you meet, I'm nothing special." I turn my back to this Skye, but he quickly shuffles so I'm facing him yet again.

He bends so he's at my eye level, and whispers, "You are special. I may have stolen an object, but you've stolen my heart. I hope I do see you again. But, for now, it's farewell." He then turns on his heel and swiftly walks out of the area, probably out of the town.

He thinks I'm beautiful. He thinks I'm special…! The hint of a smile plays on my face, but it fades just as quickly as I furrow my brow. He probably says that to every girl, just to get away with stealing things. For all I know, he's some broke man-whore who gets his kicks from talking his way into a girl's heart. I couldn't trust him, that much I knew. I walk, alone, back to my farm, figuring I'd explain to Lumina the next day what had happened. It was far too late to go back to her place now, and I could feel my eyelids getting heavier with each step. Finally, I'd made it to my house, and eventually my warm, soft bed. Sleeping never felt so nice…

Fidgeting in bed, after I hurriedly undressed, I instinctively feel around my wrist. Chelsea's bracelet… It's gone!