Jangled (292 words)

Two years had passed since the gypsy dropped her earring in my glass and whispered "You're glass, it will never be full again, nor will it be empty, nor will it be half full or even wet near the middle third unless ..." "PLEASE stop, I get the point" I said. "Who wants to hear the truth all the time, let alone the future - it's not that important." But it was and she was right, very right, and I should have let her finish.

Each scarf she wore was made of its own magic like a wildly colorful periodic chart of the elements. They whirled and twirled as if they were in charge of her - leading her in a ritual dance.

Another year had gone by before I discovered I had a full coverage tattoo on my back. The Oncology nurse made a comment to the Doctor when she placed the stethoscope on my back, "WOW... look at this artwork - I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it? " I asked.

"It... it's moving... she's moving" said the nurse.

"WHAT?" I said.

The nurse began narrating "It's a beautiful gypsy girl. She's dancing around. And she's blowing handfuls of sparkles all around you."

"She's pulled one of her scarfs and now she's waving goodbye."

"No, I don't think so" said the doctor "she wants him to come home."

The wounds were long healed and the scars were well set yet I hardly remember a day gone by that I had been in her care. I thought her best magic was in healing me but it wasn't. She put a curiosity spell on me. The power of her spell was in it's simplicity; if I left, I would never know anything else about her.