Chapter Text
I brushed the keys of the piano softly and like the touch of an infant. Curious and caressing, the notes rang out unsure but clear. It was a simple tune, just using my right hand. It wasn’t time for the left hand, not just yet. The melody continued slowly, gaining and growing as I gained confidence and pressed the white and black keys harder on the old wooden piano. Soon the melody was ringing out with the tone of an old music box, it echoed in the empty music hall making the ginormous room seem impending and hollow in a sad lonely kind of way.
I slowly lifted my left hand, and pressed down a chord and the simple melody repeated. The music reverberated against the marble walls and wooden paneling. The floor to ceiling windows seemed to light up as the stars twinkled and danced to my melody.
I know it is silly to think that my little private piano solo could cause balls of gas and dust to dance several light-years away, but the stars seemed to wink and twinkle in time to the music. As if it was a ballet between them and the cosmos. The moon shone in onto the hard wood flooring of the dark music hall, creating the atmosphere perfect for my lullaby. The song swelled and soon I was banging away carefully at the piano, rolling my hands and pressing chords playing for the stars to waltz to.
My eyes were closed, I didn’t need to see the keys on the piano to play my song, seeing as it was so familiar to me that one could say it was the song of my heart. I smiled to myself as I realized how cheesy I sounded, the song of my heart? Now all I need is to swoon and stare dramatically away from the windows.
I continued playing, and smiled quietly to myself. The joy I felt of pressing very note correctly, of having every single chord and sound come together perfectly, was absolutely intoxicating. I was building a little sanctuary, and I was almost finished. I rolled my shoulders and opened my eyes, and watched the stars. The peaceful quietness, the one beyond my realm of music I was playing into existence, gave me a sense of security and purpose. I felt safe. I felt safe in the fact that I was alone, and that I was okay. I was alive and the stars were there, painting away at night sky just like how I was painting the silence with sounds. I closed my eyes again, and swayed in time to the music. Lifting my hands, stroking the ivory keys with reverence and finesse.
The song was almost done, but I wasn’t ready to be finished. I didn’t want to stop, so I paused for a moment and then resumed again from the beginning. That is when I heard it. The resonating sounds of a violin, playing in time to my piano. My eyes flew open and there I saw him. A stranger standing in front of the window, playing the violin. His black hair swaying softly and almost playfully in the moonlight as his bow embraced the strings, pulling out the softest and sweetest notes from the instrument. His eyes were closed behind black glasses, and he had his brow furrowed in concentration and a small smile dancing across his lips.
I almost stopped playing, taken by surprise at how breathtaking he was. He was preforming with my music, together we were creating a symphony of consonances and dissonances that harmonized and played on each other. We were creating a world together, not just a sanctuary but an entire dominion. The melodies melded together, pulling together and apart. It was so…beautiful. My thoughts were not coming together, I was too muddled by the situation.
We continued playing together, him swaying under the stars pulling delicate melodies out of his violin and me caressing the keys of the piano. Together we created a little world, a little world of sounds and emotions, a place of beauty and peace.
And sadly as all good things do, the song ended all too soon and silence shrouded the music hall.
After a while, he spoke softly, as if he felt guilty breaking the silence. “That was amazing.”
“It was.” I divulged even quieter, completely awestruck. Who was this stranger, I wanted to know. I looked at him curiously for a moment before I lost my courage and stared back at the piano keys before me.
We sat comfortably in the silence, seemingly scared to break the atmosphere.
“Phil.” He whispered quite suddenly.
“Sorry what?” I asked.
“My name is Phil. I heard your piano solo as I was heading to bed, and thought I would join.” He looked down at his shoes, scuffing them against the hard wood floor. “I hope I didn’t ruin the mood, or intruded on your moment. It’s just… It is an incredible lullaby, did you write it?” He questioned. He looked up at me with giant blue eyes.
It caught me off guard. “Ummm…”I stuttered. He looked at my expectantly, then chuckled and looked out the window. His bow and violin were hanging by his side, resting and awaiting for the next chorus. Phil waited my answer patiently, and once I had my thoughts together I spoke softly.
“Yes, I…I wrote the song.” I pushed my hair out of my face, nervous at the fact someone had entered my domain and was now asking me questions. “My name is Dan. I come here to get out of my own head. I loved your violin playing, how did you know how to harmonize with me?” As I asked Phil, I got up from the piano and walked over to look out the window with him. The stars were even more hypnotic closer to the window.
He laughed under his breath, “I have been playing for years, and I recognized the key signature and chords you were using the first time, so when you played again I couldn’t help myself.” He turned and looked at me and smiled. “Dan huh? Sounds like Spam!” He giggled at his own joke and turned back to the window, looking up at the stars.
I just looked at him, and scoffed, “Spam?” I was horrendously confused, did he just call me spam? He just looked at me out of the corner of his eye and smiled before returning to gazing at the sky. I snickered under my breath and looked up at the sky with him. We stood like that together, just enjoying each other’s company and the quiet solstice we had created.
“I always liked night more than day, so much more to see.” Phil commented suddenly.
“Yeah. It’s quiet and allows one to think over how truly tiny we are in this universe.” I replied.
He looked over at me, turning so his whole body was facing me. I turned my head and looked at him, cocking my head just a bit. “True, we may be small but at least that will be an adorable factor for when the aliens come to take us!” He giggled and raised his bow in the air, as if he was leading an advance in an army.
I laugh quietly, there was that crazy sense of humor that I was slowly becoming addicted to. “Oh so we just look up at the aliens with big eyes and suddenly we are saved?” I inquired.
He nodded quickly and turned to put his violin away. Phil kneeled down with his back to me, and in front of the black case. He opened it up and set the wooden instrument down with such care and reverence, is was mesmerizing to watch. He cradled it and touched it gingerly, strapping it down to secure it in place. I could tell he cared a lot about his violin, the look in his eye was tender and almost borderline adoring.
“My mother gave me this when I was three. It’s been an old friend, something to rely on for as long as I can remember.” Phil recalled in a somber tone. He sounded sad, almost distant. I was startled by the sudden change of character, he went from joking around to being sad and subdued all within an instant. I waited for him to continue, unsure of how to respond.
“Thanks for a fun evening Dan, who knows maybe we can do this again.” He thanked in a muted tone. He stood up carefully, violin case in hand. He then gave a backwards glance and a short wave before disappearing.
I was left reeling.
I wanted to call after him and ask for him to continue, maybe play another song with me, but he was gone and I was too nervous.
The silence settled, and I turned my attention the stars. But it just wasn’t the same. I was left pondering about alien and spam.