"Ok, here we go."
I rest my fingers on the keys and begin slowly playing the sheet music I copied from Cecil. Leea stands behind me, listening silently.
Something thumps onto my shoulder and I almost lose the beat. It's Flame. I can feel it staring at my hands while I play confused. I suppose it recognises the tune. I sink back into the music and it sucks me in.
The sheets end and I stop playing, savouring the last long note. It's not until then I notice Flame is singing. My eyes widen and I try to turn to look at Flame, bit since it's sitting on my shoulder, it turns out to be quite close to impossible. Instead I look at Leea. She's staring at Flame with her eyes wide open and hers lips slightly parted.
It's beautiful. It is the most beautiful music I've ever heard. It's also weird. It's unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's even more... more. Than the voice Flame used to talk to us when we first found her.
I think I understand the lyrics, even though I don't understand a single word. I don't even know where a word ends and the next begins. I don't even know, if there are words. Something in me just understands what the small creature wants to say.
It takes both me and Leea a while to realise Flame has fallen silent. Neither of us still knows what to say.
A sound comes from somewhere. Somewhere close. It's a harsh sound.
Leea's phone. Wait... have the sounds of phones sounded so rough before? Leea already has the phone in her hand.
"It's My," Leea says, reading the message she'd just gotten. She looks like she got over the shock faster than I did. "She wants me to go help her buy a dress for the school Christmas ball.
"What kind of girl doesn't have a dress for that yet?" I try to joke, but my voice sounds empty in my ears. Leea glances at me with a raised eyebrow. I shake my head.
"Anyway...." Leea says and gets up, "I gotta go. I'll see you later?"
I nod. Flame jumps from my shoulder to the arm chair next to me. Leea scratches her behind the ear.
"I'll see you later, too," she says to Flame. She then heads to the door and waves at me before disappearing behind the corner.
I turn back tot he piano in front of me. I'm wondering if I should try to play the song again. Mom and Tony will be home in twenty minutes or so, and I don't want to accidentally be out here playing the piano with a magical singing creature because I didn't pay attention to the passing of time being lost in the music. I look at the sheets of notes for a while and then sigh. I can't risk it. I'll play more later.
I grab my notes and Flame and walk to my room. I throw the papers onto my desk and collapse onto my bed. Flame jumps off of me just in time to not get squished under me.
Before realising I've even fallen asleep in the dark room I start dreaming about singing, and some choir practise, and the first concert I ever went to. I have a dream where I'm driving a car along and empty, dark road, but I don't feel alone, or scared or lost, even though I have no idea where I am.
My phone buzzes and I wake up with a startle. I try to find my phone and fail. It buzzes again. It's under my stomach.
"Yeah?"
"Were you just sleeping?" asks Leea's voice on the other end of the line.
"Uh. Yes. I think so," I say, sitting up.
"Ok, anyway," Leea says, "We found the dress and agreed with Nick we'll meet at My's place in a half an hour to talk about the carol. Again. Since I said we maybe have something."
"Yeah, ok, I can do that," I say. I walk to the door and switch on the lights. I rub my face, trying to get the sleep out of me.
"Great. See you soon. Bye now," she hangs up and I stuff the phone into my pocket.
What do I need? At least the sheet music to the song, I suppose.
I start walking around the room, grabbing things I have to take with me. In ten minutes I'm rushing down stairs. Mom and Tony are back home, and from the smell of it they're cooking something.
"Oh, you're home," mom says when she sees me, "I thought you're out somewhere with your friends."
"Yeah, I apparently fell asleep," I say, "But now I am going out. To My's. To talk about the carol. It's going to be great."
I grab a banana from the counter and start munching on it.
"Well, okay. Do you need a ride?"
I look at my watch.
"Nah, I think I'll walk. It'll wake me up enough to not be still half asleep when we start to work on the carol."
"Ok," mom says and turns back to the chicken frying in the pan.
I stuff the last of the banana into my mouth and go get dressed. Another few minutes later I'm walking down the street and humming to myself, my breath steaming in the cold air.
~x~
"Oh, hey!" Leea comes to open the door at My's place and lets me in, "My is trying on the dress."
"She didn't try it on in the shop?" I say and begin to undress.
"Of course she did," Leea says and disappears into the living room.
I hang my coat on the coat rack, pick up my bag and follow her. Nick's already there and My is spinning in her new red dress, showing it to him.
"That is pretty beautiful," I say and sit down.
"Thank you," My smiles at me, "I think I'll go change out of it now."
A few minutes later she comes back wearing jeans and a t-shirt, pulling her hair back to tie it out of the way.
"You said you had some idea for the new carol?" she asks. Me and Leea glance at each other.
"Yeah, we have some sheet music written down that might work for the tune. We took what you were humming the last time and worked on that for a bit," Leea explains.
"Ok, well, let's hear it!"
I move to the piano and take out my sheets. I arrange the papers in the holder and begin playing.
____________________________________________________________________
Ok, so there.
Your topic for tomorrow is Ring.
~matu
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