Melody's magic (Response to Weekly Drabble Challenge #12: Music)
Woohoo, I've enjoyed this challenge so very much, because of the prompt. I've listened to some inspirational music and looked up useful phrases. So here it is: my try:) Comments welcome!
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Melody’s magic
Susan yawned. She walked the street, her feet recognizing every brick they stepped on. The signs, the front doors, the little corners and back alleys, she knew them too well. Peter walked alongside her, probably just as bored as she was. They could hear the music from miles away; they already missed the first symphony.
“Su, Su, we’re going to be late!”, Lucy said, and appeared at her right side.
“I know Lucy, but we can’t do anything about it, now can we?”, she said, and grinned.
She didn’t mind it at all, being late. Actually, she would have been the luckiest person on the whole planet if it turned out the whole concert was over already. But they were forced to go, because the professor had always told them: educational music is good for kids. The one thing Susan couldn’t understand. Edmund gave a beer can a kick, and the sound of it rolling over the bricks echoed between the rows of houses. She looked behind her.
“Edmund, don’t do that! You’ll wake people up!”, she hissed, but Edmund shrug his shoulders and ignored her.
He was still annoyed by the fact he couldn’t go back to Narnia. It seemed like ages ago, while it was probably only a few weeks. She tried to live with a broken heart, but it was getting harder every minute. She swallowed and walked on.
The concert building came into sight, and Susan wanted to turn back. But she didn’t, because the professor would be so angry with her. The entrance was empty, since everyone was already inside. A friendly looking man blocked their way to the concert hall.
“Good evening! You’re quite late, but go ahead anyway. Enjoy the music”, he said, and made a gesture they could pass him.
Susan smiled at him and entered through a pair of black, threatening looking doors. The concert hall, build in a round form, was packed with people. The last tones of the first symphony sounded and they heard men coughing and women talking. They sat down on four empty chairs and Susan putted of her coat, revealing a simple outfit which she loved to wear: jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket over it. Susan had to admit she was leading a quite simple life, now she was separated from the magical world behind the wardrobe. She held her hand before her mouth to not show another yawn, and a lady with a blue dress on her left, looked angry at her. Susan made a silly face and concentrated on the stage before her eyes. She saw a small choir and a huge orchestra. Violins, contrabasses and flutes were held by all kinds of people. There were young women, older men and a few children. They all looked so peacefully, like they loved being where they were.
A beautiful lady at the front of the orchestra began the next symphony. She had a violin resting on her shoulder, and a solemn look on her face. The low sound that came from her instrument, struck right through Susans heart. Her eyes widened and she didn’t understand the feeling she had inside. It was like something caught her attention. And that something, was the music she hated so much. All those concerts she had been to, all the different kinds of melodies, she loathed them. No melody could match to the one her broken heart sung. But this tone, this one sound that clung itself onto her brain, into her soul, touched her. Everyone was silent, and there was nothing but this magical woman. Her arm moved and she made another sound coming from the cords of the violin. A higher tone filled Susan with a feeling so light, she thought she could fly. Suddenly, a soft melody came into being. The woman moved the bow over the cords, and different tones followed up on each other. Susan closed her eyes and opened her mouth a bit. It must have looked stupid, but she couldn’t care less. The sadness of the melody made her eyes teary. She couldn’t look at this woman, with her magical instrument. Afraid to lose the feeling that became stronger. The feeling she was no longer in England, no longer in that rainy town with the unknown people.
The melody welled up inside her being, and took control of her. She saw fields, ruins and a coast she loved so dear. The land she couldn’t say goodbye of, even while she knew it was necessary to go on living. A lions face, big manes and friendly looking eyes. Aslan. Her heart could sing along with the melody that filled the concert hall, and the pictures followed up on each other as the tones did. Beavers, fauns and other creatures came into sight, and Susan smiled softly.
But then, an image appeared, that almost made her cry. The brave face, belonging to a true King and his dark hair came closer. First, his image was just another vision, but it became stronger and more real. He seemed to smile at her, and she knew a tear rolled down her cheek. She hoped her brothers and sister hadn’t noticed it; they would only laugh at her, out of ignorance. They wouldn’t understand what she felled, how close Caspian was to her. She felt anxious, afraid for what might come when she would open her eyes again. Her dream would shatter to a million pieces, like it always did. All would be gone, and she would be left wondering why her mind did this to her. Taking her so close, and then roughly pulling her away from everything she wanted. While breathing in Caspians smile, she opened her eyes, slowly. There he was, real as a human being on this earth could be. He stood right before her, and she could see nothing more than his body. She couldn’t see the woman with the violin anymore, since her view was blocked. But she could still hear the melody, that became faster, until it was a cheerful song. Higher tones were created, and Susans heart became lighter.
“How…”, she whispered, standing up.
“Does it really matter?”, Caspian answered, smiling at her.
She shook her head, more out of disbelief than as an answer to him. His arms found her shoulders, and he touched them. Susan tilted her head back, more than enjoying the touch. She blinked and looked at Caspian again. He was still there. Her mouth opened again, but no sound came out. Caspian came closer and kissed her lips. The melody reached a climax and her soul was lifted from her body. Nothing could hurt her, nothing in this crazy world could damage her. She pulled Caspian close and held him. The melody got slower and then, all was silent. But not for Susan. As she let go of Caspian, her heart was still singing, out of desire and luck.
“Why…”, she tried to ask, but her voice was lost halfway her throat.
Caspian seemed to have understood.
“You’re coming with me. Narnia is your home, our home”, he whispered, and his head came closer again.
She touched his nose with hers, and they just breathed for a while. Did they notice people were staring at them? No, because these two people found what they were looking for all along: each other. So this story ends with a phrase that one should keep in mind and think about when the lights of the city go down and one feels like life is a circle without an ending, in which every day begins and ends the same, and in which miracles don’t happen:
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~Berthold Auerbach
-- The End.
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Melody’s magic
Susan yawned. She walked the street, her feet recognizing every brick they stepped on. The signs, the front doors, the little corners and back alleys, she knew them too well. Peter walked alongside her, probably just as bored as she was. They could hear the music from miles away; they already missed the first symphony.
“Su, Su, we’re going to be late!”, Lucy said, and appeared at her right side.
“I know Lucy, but we can’t do anything about it, now can we?”, she said, and grinned.
She didn’t mind it at all, being late. Actually, she would have been the luckiest person on the whole planet if it turned out the whole concert was over already. But they were forced to go, because the professor had always told them: educational music is good for kids. The one thing Susan couldn’t understand. Edmund gave a beer can a kick, and the sound of it rolling over the bricks echoed between the rows of houses. She looked behind her.
“Edmund, don’t do that! You’ll wake people up!”, she hissed, but Edmund shrug his shoulders and ignored her.
He was still annoyed by the fact he couldn’t go back to Narnia. It seemed like ages ago, while it was probably only a few weeks. She tried to live with a broken heart, but it was getting harder every minute. She swallowed and walked on.
The concert building came into sight, and Susan wanted to turn back. But she didn’t, because the professor would be so angry with her. The entrance was empty, since everyone was already inside. A friendly looking man blocked their way to the concert hall.
“Good evening! You’re quite late, but go ahead anyway. Enjoy the music”, he said, and made a gesture they could pass him.
Susan smiled at him and entered through a pair of black, threatening looking doors. The concert hall, build in a round form, was packed with people. The last tones of the first symphony sounded and they heard men coughing and women talking. They sat down on four empty chairs and Susan putted of her coat, revealing a simple outfit which she loved to wear: jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket over it. Susan had to admit she was leading a quite simple life, now she was separated from the magical world behind the wardrobe. She held her hand before her mouth to not show another yawn, and a lady with a blue dress on her left, looked angry at her. Susan made a silly face and concentrated on the stage before her eyes. She saw a small choir and a huge orchestra. Violins, contrabasses and flutes were held by all kinds of people. There were young women, older men and a few children. They all looked so peacefully, like they loved being where they were.
A beautiful lady at the front of the orchestra began the next symphony. She had a violin resting on her shoulder, and a solemn look on her face. The low sound that came from her instrument, struck right through Susans heart. Her eyes widened and she didn’t understand the feeling she had inside. It was like something caught her attention. And that something, was the music she hated so much. All those concerts she had been to, all the different kinds of melodies, she loathed them. No melody could match to the one her broken heart sung. But this tone, this one sound that clung itself onto her brain, into her soul, touched her. Everyone was silent, and there was nothing but this magical woman. Her arm moved and she made another sound coming from the cords of the violin. A higher tone filled Susan with a feeling so light, she thought she could fly. Suddenly, a soft melody came into being. The woman moved the bow over the cords, and different tones followed up on each other. Susan closed her eyes and opened her mouth a bit. It must have looked stupid, but she couldn’t care less. The sadness of the melody made her eyes teary. She couldn’t look at this woman, with her magical instrument. Afraid to lose the feeling that became stronger. The feeling she was no longer in England, no longer in that rainy town with the unknown people.
The melody welled up inside her being, and took control of her. She saw fields, ruins and a coast she loved so dear. The land she couldn’t say goodbye of, even while she knew it was necessary to go on living. A lions face, big manes and friendly looking eyes. Aslan. Her heart could sing along with the melody that filled the concert hall, and the pictures followed up on each other as the tones did. Beavers, fauns and other creatures came into sight, and Susan smiled softly.
But then, an image appeared, that almost made her cry. The brave face, belonging to a true King and his dark hair came closer. First, his image was just another vision, but it became stronger and more real. He seemed to smile at her, and she knew a tear rolled down her cheek. She hoped her brothers and sister hadn’t noticed it; they would only laugh at her, out of ignorance. They wouldn’t understand what she felled, how close Caspian was to her. She felt anxious, afraid for what might come when she would open her eyes again. Her dream would shatter to a million pieces, like it always did. All would be gone, and she would be left wondering why her mind did this to her. Taking her so close, and then roughly pulling her away from everything she wanted. While breathing in Caspians smile, she opened her eyes, slowly. There he was, real as a human being on this earth could be. He stood right before her, and she could see nothing more than his body. She couldn’t see the woman with the violin anymore, since her view was blocked. But she could still hear the melody, that became faster, until it was a cheerful song. Higher tones were created, and Susans heart became lighter.
“How…”, she whispered, standing up.
“Does it really matter?”, Caspian answered, smiling at her.
She shook her head, more out of disbelief than as an answer to him. His arms found her shoulders, and he touched them. Susan tilted her head back, more than enjoying the touch. She blinked and looked at Caspian again. He was still there. Her mouth opened again, but no sound came out. Caspian came closer and kissed her lips. The melody reached a climax and her soul was lifted from her body. Nothing could hurt her, nothing in this crazy world could damage her. She pulled Caspian close and held him. The melody got slower and then, all was silent. But not for Susan. As she let go of Caspian, her heart was still singing, out of desire and luck.
“Why…”, she tried to ask, but her voice was lost halfway her throat.
Caspian seemed to have understood.
“You’re coming with me. Narnia is your home, our home”, he whispered, and his head came closer again.
She touched his nose with hers, and they just breathed for a while. Did they notice people were staring at them? No, because these two people found what they were looking for all along: each other. So this story ends with a phrase that one should keep in mind and think about when the lights of the city go down and one feels like life is a circle without an ending, in which every day begins and ends the same, and in which miracles don’t happen:
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~Berthold Auerbach
-- The End.