Short Story: "Who's that girl!?"

[Orlander]

Not sure where to post this. So, if it's in the wrong section please move. Hope you enjoy the following short story.

 

 

My girlfriend and I decided to travel and enjoy a day at a very ancient and remarkable city. We arrived on a warm and bright summer day. As we walked, I caught a brief glance of "her" while crossing one of the brick lain side roads that led to the heart of this small, quaint old city. Just for an instant, I saw "her" high up, near the rampart of the old fort that overlooks and guards the whole of the city. Her hair, long, dark and curly, as I remembered it, flowed with the wind, giving it a life of its own. She wore a dark yet shimmering sleeve-less top with a greecian bracel on one arm and a tattoo on the other. She was tall and lean and her skin sparkled in the sun. She called out to me, her velvet voice blanketing the city.

 

"Who's that girl!?"

 

I turned to my new love. By the calm, bright smile she gave me I knew she didn't see or hear. We held hands and kept walking. Around the corner now and into the heart of the old city we saw people from all walks of life busily bobbing along the brick paths into and out of the various stores, cafes and museums. I continued to look around for "her".

 

I heard a voice again…"Who's that girl, running around with you?"

 

There, several feet from us, I could see "her" sitting on the ledge of the porch of the bed and breakfast we knew far too well. Memories came back too fast, too easily. She stood.

 

"Tell me. Who's that girl running around with you??"

 

She approached me, gracefully, quickly. Grabbing my wrist, she put her other hand on the side of my face. She looked deeply into my eyes.

 

"I really want to know who she is." She said.

 

I couldn't speak. Looking over to my new love, I saw a bewildered look, but before she could open her mouth, I took my hand back and said "It's ok." When I turned around, no one was there.

 

"Who's that girl?" I heard again.

 

I knew where it was coming from. I knew what I had to do.

 

"Who's that girl running around with you?" she said again. Her voice getting louder and more commanding.

 

I took my girl's hand and said "Let's go to the fort." She nodded and turning the corner, I could see the fort, the sun shining brightly behind it. The day had grown long and shadows began to flow from the buildings and empty into the streets.

 

We paid the admission and crossed the old moat, now long since turned into a garden. I saw "her" shadow among the flowers. I looked up. There she was, staring at me, intently looking at me, and expecting an answer.

 

We made our way past the crowds and onto the second floor. Coquina and brick all around us. The sun was setting fast. I began to look around. There she was, near the opening to a familiar hallway. I turned to my girl and said "Take some pictures, honey. I'll be right back." With a smile and kiss on the cheek, she gave me an ok and I was off.

 

I moved cautiously into the hallway and down a few yards ahead, I could see "her" profile in the room.

 

"Who's that girl running around with you? Tell me!"

 

It was a cold, damp room. It was long and dark. Once, long ago, it was used to store ammunition for the cannons. It was the biggest room in the fort. It was sectioned into different areas for different types of munitions. To get to where I needed to go I had to climb a short wall and duck under another. No one came here, this far, into the fort.

 

Making my way into the final section of the room I saw her by a faint light that poured from a crack in the ceiling.

 

"Who's that girl running around with you? Tell me!"

 

She looked beautiful, just like the day, long ago, where we shared our first kiss here. On her arm I could clearly make out a tattoo of two sets of footprints. They represented our feet, walking through life together.

 

"Who's that girl? You are so foolish" she said.

 

I took her by the arm. She started crying and hugged me. I pulled back. Holding her arms I looked into her eyes. I smiled and said "She's my girl, darling. You have to let go. I love her"

 

"No!! I'm your girl! You can't love another. You can't bring another here, to this place of all places. Do you know how painful it is to see you two here?? All the memories of this place? All the times we shared here? The love we said we would always have?"

 

"Who is this girl anyway? Who is she really to you? Does she love you like I did? Does she kiss you like I did? Hug you, hold you, make love to you like I did?"

 

"I had to come here." I said. "It's been a long time since we came here. A long time since we held each other, hugged each other and made love to each other. It's time to let go."

 

Touching my face she moved in close to me, our lips nearly touching. She looked radiant, beautiful, like I always remembered.

 

"This is the spot, right here, right where we are standing, where we had our first kiss. Tell me that you would rather be with her than here with me, kissing me again like all those years ago!" she whispered to me.

 

"I came here to say goodbye." I softly told her. "You left me a long time ago. You left my life to follow your own path. Our time is over, darling. You are just a ghost and I can't love you and my current girlfriend at the same time. Please let me go."

 

I ran my hands over the tattoo on her arm. The ink became wet and began to run. I gently wiped it from her arm. Kissing her on the forehead and holding her head, I said goodbye. I looked deeply into her eyes and turned. She didn't say another word. I didn't look back.

 

Making my way under the sections of wall and finally out of the room, I came into the light of the afternoon sun. The sky was colored red and a light breeze began to flow accross the top section of the fort. I saw my girlfriend watching the sunset. She was waiting for me. I came beside her, reached out to hold her hand. She looked at me, smiled, gave me a kiss and said "I love you."

 

I never heard from "her" again.

 

 

 

Inspired by the Eurythmics song "Who's That Girl"

[sumguy]

As both a reader and writer of Short Stories, I enjoyed this. A good theme for this website, nice descriptions of the fort city, and a nice display of emotion.

 

Though I'm not really sure of eNotalones policy on short storying, you might like to try link removed, signup is free, and it has a lot of helpful tools for short storying. =)

[yeawutever]

Wow, that was one of the most well written and saddet poem of all, who eevr that writer was, is very creative!!!!!!!

[Orlander]

Thank you, Ailec1987. I actually wrote that. I wrote it today during my lunch hour while listening to the Eurythmics. I'm glad you liked it. I can't read it without tearing up and almost losing it.

 

Thanks for the link to link removed, sumguy. I have some fiction work to read now.

 

 

Orlander