The Harp

A sharp gasp escaped Jack’s lips as his eyes swept over the spring he stumbled upon. So it’s all true, he thought, it’s all really true. He had grown up on stories of the spring, and the harp that had always been there. His mother told him that the harp kept the spring alive, and enchanted its waters. She told him that this spring was where the myth of the Fountain of Youth originated. He didn’t doubt that- the spring was beautiful, and judging by the size of the trees, they were here for a very long time. He took a step towards the water, but stopped dead in his track when one of the bushes started moving.

A man- one that couldn’t have been older than eighteen- stepped out. His curly ginger hair was slightly shaggy, his torso bare, and his legs covered by fur. Jack rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands before getting a better look at the curly haired man. His legs weren’t covered by fur- he had goat legs. That’s a satyr, his mind whispered, half goat and half man.

Laughter sounded from around him as the satyr approached the harp, but he seemed unfazed. Jack watched with awe as a girl appeared to step out of a tree. Three more girls appeared from the tree line as Jack watched, but his eyes soon wandered onto the water. Three girls appeared from the depths of the water, their skins various shades of grey. Two girls had blue hair while one had pure white. Jack wasn’t sure what to think of the unfolding scene in front of him, and could only stare in wonder.

The girls that appeared from the trees had various skin tones- some the color of bark, and some that resembled the white ash wood that made up his mother’s kitchen table.

“You’re not very good at playing hide-n-seek, Nolan,” One of the girls that had appeared from a tree playfully chided. The one she called ‘Nolan’ simply chuckled as he gently tapped her nose.

“Good thing I wasn’t playing, young one,” He told her softly.

“’Young one’?” She said distastefully as her nose scrunched up, “I’m three hundred and seventeen, my good sir!” This caused laughter to escape those around her.

“That’s young for us, Rowan,” said a girl from her left. She swung an arm around the girl’s- Rowan’s- shoulder. Rowan’s fair skin stood apart from the other girl’s darker complexion. Rowan pulled away with a small pout on her face as she tucked a red curl behind her ear, and joy lit up her brown eyes.

“Then what are we waiting for? None of you are getting any younger,” She said, and a smile grew pulled up the corners of her lips. Laughter sounded through them again at her words, and they all gathered around the harp.

Jack watched in fascination as Nolan sat down, and slowly begun to play a beautiful tune. Jack didn’t recognize it, but all of the girls did. He watched as they held onto one anothers' hands, their bodies slowly swaying before they spun in circles. His eyes widened when the spring begun to glow brighter- as if there was a miniature sun at the bottom. The sight stunned him, and he moved to get a better look. As he moved, he accidentally stepped directly on a twig. Rowan flinched as the snapping sound reached her ears, and all of their eyes immediately focused on Jack. Nolan stopped playing his music, and the spring stopped glowing as well. The girls in the water huddled closer to shore as the ones who stepped out of the trees crowded behind Nolan. He stood tall as his eyes narrowed on Jack, he stepped forward as if protecting the girls behind him.

“What do you think you’re doing here?”