The Jewel Box Ballerina

In a secret crystal world I dance in a silent dream. Like a jewel box ballerina I twirl between sparkling gem crusted fish. I dance forever on point. Spinning, spinning, spinning. Sometimes fast and sometimes slowly. My hair floating around my head like a golden cloud, my skin as white and cold as the finest porcelain. I am hidden from the harshness of the sun in my secret sapphire world. Sometimes I look up at the soft glow of the sun above me, but no warmth ever reaches my hidden chamber. How I long for the warmth…

I dance alone. My dance is one of loneliness and of longing. It feels like I have been in my prison for eternity. I dance for my love, I wait for my love and I will dance and wait for him until the end of time. How cold it is in my glittering cage, how I long for the touch of my loves warm lips on mine.

As I twirl gracefully for my fishy audience I try to remember how I came to be trapped in my jewel box. I have been here so long my feet firmly fixed to the pedestal that keeps me pirouetting, from which I cannot break free. My dear one loved to watch me dance, so I dance for him now even though the music is heart-breaking and I dance alone.

I try to remember my loves face and find that my memories are like sea spray that vanishes as soon as it has touched the cheek leaving only the ghost of coolness. I remember the warmth of his touch and the softness of his hands. Oh how I need to feel his warmth again, I am so cold in my beautiful cage.

The music never stops and I dance on and on and on. I dance in the same place, it is always the same dance and the music haunts the soul. I remember the last moments with my love, how his warm lips touched mine, how he held me close and said that he would return soon for me and his unborn child. I was not afraid; the future would be bright and warm. My love was leaving that witch behind him and taking me and the child into the future. I remember the bitterness of the wine we drank together; I remember the sweetness of his kisses. I remember him saying that he would be with me soon and then darkness took me away.

When I awoke I was in my jewel box and I was dancing. I danced for him, waiting for him, knowing that he would soon come for me and take me away. As I danced the sunlit world above me faded away, the child became a dream. The reality was my sparkling diamond jewel-box and the knowledge that my love will come for me soon.

I become excited when someone visits my magical world, drawn to it by the siren song of the music and a glimpse of my endless dance. My heart has leapt with the thought that it is my love returning to take me away. The men that trespass in my jewel-box are poor creatures, weak and cold. When I hold them the struggle and flail, when I kiss their warm lips they become cold and bloodless. When the fight is over they are gone and once more I dance alone.

If only I were free. How I wish to walk in the sun again, to feel its warmth on my body. I am tired of this endless dancing, how I wish I could sit down and rest. I have forgotten how long I have been dancing. Has it been a day, a year…a century? I am so alone and so cold. Why does my love not come for me? The music plays faster and I twist and turn the jewel fish glow and sparkle in my twilight home. I call out to my love and pray that he hears me. Has my love forgotten me? Has that witch stolen his heart away from me with her filthy spell?

I remember the final moment, my loves promise to always be with me. Why am I struggling to breathe? Why does my blood burn like acid? Why is the world spinning before my eyes like a drunks dream? Help me! Something is wrong! Save me! A flash of light brighter than the midday sun and then blessed darkness. I awoke in the cool sapphire blue chamber in which I have danced for my love. His face has faded from my memory all I remember is his name.

I wait for him; I call out to him from my crystal world as I pirouette. A shadow above me, he has heard me and come for me. The shadow moves closer. It is a man, it is my love. I reach for him and take his hand and put it against my heart. It is so warm against my icy skin. My love tries to pull away but I hold on with all my strength and pull him closer and closer until my lips touch his. How warm and sweet, I wrap my arms around him pulling him so close to me that our bodies are merged. I feel life pulsing through him, how I crave that life. I kiss him with all my passion and will trying to draw that life into my cold body.

My loves stops struggling suddenly. His lips are cooling. This empty shell is not my love. It is another imposter. How long will I wait for my love to fetch me? How many times will I be disappointed? It does not matter, the music plays softly, hauntingly; a song of love, of eternity and despair. Our song…In the cool blueness of the water where I was cast so long ago I dance for my love like a jewel-box ballerina.

Word count 995

The End