JillxSkye: To Catch A Thief 6

Chapter 6: Mantra

For the next few days I kept a wary eye out for Skye, but I never saw him. He must be laying low, I thought to myself. "Coward," I muttered. He knew that I could and would catch him one day or another. Skye's mistake was in thinking that my determination to stop him would fade over time. Rather, his lack of presence only drove me to wanting to end his antics even more.

That charming side of the thief was only an act. He was trying to get inside my head. I've seen it all before in the city, and I refused to fall captive to his smooth-talking. Harden my heart, I thought. That will be my mantra around him. I can't let myself succumb to his charisma. No matter how he made my heart flutter when… NO! Harden your heart, Jill. Do it! I sighed. This is going to be harder than I thought…

I decided to distract myself from my internal war by working even harder than usual. I cared for my animals more, gave extra water to my plants, and did additional odd jobs around town. My farm was looking better than ever, and the townspeople noticed my excessive, borderline obsessive, work habits.

The summer was coming close to its end, but the temperatures were still hot enough to cause sweat to rest on my forehead within a few minutes of working. One day was particularly hot. The sun beat down and there were no clouds to shield the valley from the harsh rays. The heat, however, did not stop me from sticking to my now regular, brutal routine. I still ran around the valley without rest.

As the day continued, I found it harder and harder to keep to my regular pace. I frequently had to wipe sweat from my forehead. More than once I had to stop and sit for awhile to catch my breath. But I still pushed myself. My reason? The more I worked the more sprites I would find. More sprites mean less work for me. Less work equals more time to capture Skye. And I wanted to capture Skye. Really, really badly.

I was pondering this logic as I sped past Vesta's farm towards my home. I ran across the bridge and down the path. "Hey, Jill!" a voice called. I turned around quickly to see Marlin approaching me. My head swam and I felt off balance.

"Marlin-" was all I managed to say before my vision darkened and I felt myself falling.

"Jill!" his cry rang in my ears. Arms wrapped around me and my fall halted. "Jill! Say something!"

"Nyeh… why are you yelling?" I cringed, covering my ears.

Somewhere between a laugh and a cry escaped his lips. "Because you just sort of fainted, maybe?" he said, returning to his usual attitude. But I could hear the worry under the words.

I blinked and my vision returned. I looked up at Marlin's pained face and couldn't help but feel bad. I made him this upset? Oops… "I… uh…" was my response.

"Jill, I'm really worried about you," he admitted, "I've seen you working harder than usual. Your body can't handle this much stress. You need to slow down and take care of yourself. I would know better than anyone else. Please listen to me, Jill?"

Marlin would know better than anyone else. He had been seriously ill as a child, and he has carried the affects of his sickness throughout his life. He had to know his limits, and I needed to learn mine. Well, I guess I learned one today.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Marlin," I whispered hoarsely. I coughed and stood up. His arms seemed to pause before letting me go.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded. "You sure?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing, "You look a little pale." I touched my face, as if that would allow me to see the unusual tone of skin I was sporting. "Jill, go home and get some rest," he practically order, running his fingers through his dark locks. "And remember, you can ask me for help anytime if you're struggling at your ranch. Okay?"

I nodded again. "Thanks, Marlin. I don't know what may have happened if you weren't there to look out for me." He smiled, a rare treasure.

"I'm happy to help you, Jill," he said, "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No, I'm fine! Thanks, though. I'll see you around." I replied with a wave, heading up the path to my house.

"Bye, Jill!" Marlin called, "Be safe!"

Laughing to myself, I rolled my eyes. "I will!" He lingered, watching me walk home, but then continued in the direction of Vesta's farm.

I was at the door of my farm when I realized I didn't need Marlin's help on my farm every day. I could easily get help elsewhere…

Checking my clock, I saw I had half an hour before six o'clock. The Sprite Tree would close if I didn't hurry up. Sighing, I dropped my rucksack; it would only slow me down. Then, I ran out the door.

I made it as far as the path to the Goddess Pond, right by the large plot of land there. I could see the Sprite Tree in the distance, large and emitting a subtle, sparkling light. Suddenly, my vision suddenly started to blur again.

Groaning, I slowed my pace, pressing my hands to my pounding temples. I staggered, trying to stay upright. Darkness pushed in from all sides of my vision. My chest was tightening, I couldn't breathe.

I reached for something, anything to balance myself. My hands found nothing. I couldn't think straight. Everything hurt, and I felt like I was falling again. The darkness at the edges of my sight consumed me until I couldn't feel anything.