INTO THIS DEEP

She had been playing softly for a while, fingers moving effortlessly over the strings. The tune just slight of haunting, a touch of melancholy, but filled with beauty. She rests her soft cheek against the harps frame, her eyes were closed as she feels the music vibrate over her skin, sinking into her bones. Ears fully immersed and listening, the conversation around her like bees of Spring, busy and full of pollen. She had not heard their words though, not really. She could hear the sound of their voices, intermingling with the notes she played. There was a beat somewhere, just under the layer of melody. Like a babbling brook keeping in time with the birds, keeping in time with the wind, singing acapella with the trembling’s of nature.

nothing mattered then, accept the music that was created. she was literally giving birth on that small stage. Another short life span, ending at the hands of their applause. But when it lived. It was glorious! the golden glow filled the room, untucking dark corners, and exposing the void, that black hole, where things go to die.

Calloused fingertips pluck the strings as effortlessly as breathing, cascading across the sharp lines of the strings. And they sang out like a chorus of angel’s singing, the vibration trilling their high notes across the small stage. Into the thin atmosphere it sailed, begging to be heard, it lingers at table three. Deep into conversation with slurred speech and lofty notes of peeling laughter. It sails off to table eight and spins in melancholy and desperation. Table after table, a flowing changing rhythm compels its march on.

She rests her soft cheek against the harps aching frame, calling it back to her, she had been playing for a while now. The last couple gathering their material things and heading out, their bodies passing hazy through the smoke. Her tired eyes close and she takes a breath, the stale air almost choking her effort. Plucking the last string of the song. She sits a moment in the almost silence, the steady scrape of a broom reminded her it was closing time. And she falls back into herself, a small sound of applause is heard. And she sits up surprised and her eyes search the smoky gray of the room. Finally, something comes into view.

“Real nice job, sweetheart” her brows knit together as she tries to focus on the human just back a touch too far, the stage lights brighten just enough to block him out. Until he stands. His giant frame envelopes the darkness, silhouetting against the white drab wall. And she can make out that he was real. A small gesture of one arm moves the gray matter into what looked like him covering his heart with his hand.

She narrows her eyes to adjust more into the darkness and she speaks quietly “T..thank you, sir..” There was silence. And he didn’t move. Finally, he broke the stagnant moment with his words. “No. that is not how you talk…” he shakes his head “You filled this room with light, people left here smiling.” he shamed me with my thoughts “And that is power, that is a gift, do not bury yours” I could almost make out a sigh, my face illuminated full stop with the stage lights bathing me in their truth. “You don’t play for us anyway, you play for yourself, it’s not begging us to listen. It’s begging you..” a screech of a chair as he tucked it back into the table. Then the sound of his footsteps until the creak of the door with its familiar slap of the brass bell to announce his full departure.

“It’s begging me?” she starts to gather her stuff, mumbling an incoherent argument along the way. “Begging me” she slings her purse over her left shoulder, naturally she lays a protective hand over its leather as she moves to exit stage left. She stops, feet slowly abide. She turns. She stares at the golden stringed instrument that stood alone on the stage. “Begging me?” she says softly to herself as her gloved hand gripped the doorknob.

She stood there longer than necessary contemplating the meaning of the stranger’s words. She finally turns the handle and steps out into the air, the door ajar enough to send in a spiraling tornado of crimson leaves. She glances in quickly, thinking of sweeping them back out to where they belonged. But her eyes locked onto the harp, and a ghostly apparition sent the air vibrating with light! A haunting melody, sweet and beguiling, began to trickle through to the door. Her heart lurched within her chest; it was her song!

She was transfixed with the melody, how gloriously the woman played! How she made the song come alive! Her eyes welling up with the sting of tears. Then the strangers’ words again “don’t bury yourself” and “begging you to listen” so, she stood there, and she listened. She was spellbound until the ghost turned abruptly, and their eyes locked. It was her! Then suddenly the apparition faded. And the cool night air toyed with the leaves, blowing them back against her legs, startling her. She shuts the door hard, and it rattles its disapproval. Finger’s shaking, she grips the small key and turns the lock.

She was startled when her phone rang, she quickly takes it from her purse and checks to see who was calling. Mom. She sighs and answers “Darling!” her Mom’s excited voice, sending her back to reality “What..mom?” she says hesitantly back to her “oh thank god, you’re alive!” she was confused “of course I am alive…. what are you talking about?” the sound of her mom crying concerned her. “What is wrong?” she asks patiently “Your house, it …well, a tree fell on it. A BIG tree, the roof all caved in..” she sighs “You are usually home by now, and your car would be in the garage, and..” the relief was tangible “No, mom, I am still at the work, I was…just..” she sighs. How do you explain this? “Something stalled me, I was…listening.” A jolt of recognition, the male’s words, flooded her mind “they beg you to listen…and…Don’t bury yourself”

She gasps.

Her Mother’s gentle prodding “Darling? Come stay at my house. It’s awful windy and the power will be out soon” There was a loud pop that was heard in the distance, and the city went dark. I laugh, almost uncontrollably. My Mother begging me to settle down, made me laugh harder.

“Don’t worry Mom, I am fine. I will be there shortly” she smiles “I have something to share with you, light a few candles.” she grins and hangs up. Drawing her coat closer to herself she heads out quickly to her car. A mad wind tries to steal her away into the night before she slips in quickly to the seat of her vehicle. She starts the car and heads out into the street, catching a few trick or treaters by surprise as she honks her horn at them.

“Happy Halloween!” she yells out as she slowly made her way through the familiar path to her mother’s house.