Chapter 1

Where is the haunting melody?

 

Playing the piano came to me naturally. Since I was but a little child, I would play on my wooden piano hour after hour, and I would even play when I was called for dinner. And in my sleepless nights a beautiful piano piece would play in my mind, its tune lulling me to sleep.

Life then was simple, and as time passed, it seemed surreal. The music in my slumber had already ended, just as the peaceful days did.

 

Classes ended at the sound of the bell. Everyone in his or her perfectly pressed uniforms stood up and hurried out the door. They all had somewhere to go, something to do. School was second to where I wanted to be. The first was sitting in my living room, playing my favorite piano pieces. People always believed what they see, and so I rose up from my seat like they did and rushed out the classroom, pretending I had a reason to leave too.

Today was like all the days before it. I walked home, taking my time. The streets of Farrow were always warm during sunset, but after that, it would be cold. And when the cold came, a fog would always follow. Today’s streets were washed in an intense orange sunset, and a strumming from inside me started to play.

I began to run.

It was during this sunset that I used to play piano pieces in. Back when it was just my father and I in the living room, and further back when my mother was still at home. It was only in this magical hour that I was able to pretend I was truly happy. And even when I couldn’t pretend, because it was more difficult than lying, the piano melodies would tame my thoughts.

 

I slowed before the familiar olive house. Its closed curtains revealed nothing of what lay waiting inside. I entered to see an empty home, just how I liked it.

 

Schubert’s Impromptu played in the hollow home. My fingers had long memorized the song, and my heart was already one with the rhythm. A peace rolled over me, as if I could breathe again. I tried to hold the moment as long as I can.

 

The lock clicked. My parents were home early.

So hard I tried to hold the moment, and it finally worked. Even when their loud voices threw harsh words at each other I muffled it with louder music. And before long the song enveloped me again. Its powerful highs and reverberant lows captured my soul.

There was only music playing.

It was too late before I became aware of my father standing behind me. His arms were about to swing down, a metal bat in his hands.

I leaped off the piano chair and backed into the wall. My stepmother was screaming in the background. What was happening?

“LILY - HOW – MANY – TIMES – DO – I – HAVE – TO – TELL – YOU – TO – BE – QUIET!!!”

With each word he swung down into the wood, and with each swing he released more of his anger. I stood there watching my father obliterate my only solace.

He was done, and my stepmother tried to hold back sobs. I still stood, my joints felt as if they were all locked into place. All that dictated my mind was the battle between my anger and fear, but it turned out to be a stalemate.

 

Fragmented light filtered through the water-stained living room windows and danced along the broken wood of what used to be a piano. Splinters and remnants of the dusty piano littered across the grayed carpet floor, mixing with trash from weeks before. The yellowed walls only echoed music that used to decorate this ruined home.

Author's Note

Anything weird, just tell me =] Thank you. Anything weird or plotholes or thoughts in general, please comment!

Reviews

[Clouded in Hopeful Illu..]

Oh my goodness. I love this story. It is so beautiful it rattled my heart. I love it. It is so sad that someone who just wants peace must always be surrounded by pain and violence. It's just so beautiful. I do have a few comments, but as the author, it is your desicion as to whether or not you will use them.

"Piano playing came to me naturally." --- Piano playing sounds kind of weird. You could try something like Playing the piano.

"Since I was but a little child I would play on my" --- Use a comma after child.

"and I would play even when I was called for dinner." --- "and I would even play when I was called for dinner"

"And in my dreams a beautiful piano piece would play in my mind, its tune lulling me to sleep." --- This part confused me. You say that the piano piece is in your dreams but it lulls you to sleep. In order to dream, don't you already have to be sleeping? Or do you mean a daydream?

"It was in this sunset that I used to play piano pieces in." --- The in at the end of the sentece is redundent because of the first one. It makes the sentence sound weird.

Thank you for sharing.

[Andromeda]

you have beautiful word choice. the last sentence is amazing