Of Masks And Roses

The Red Music Box

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter! A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, kudo'd, and bookmarked this story! It means a lot that you guys like it uwu.

Also, the title of one of the songs in this chapter on YouTube it is BBC Proms 2010 - Bach Day 1 - Toccata and fugue in d minor bwv 565. Just look it up in the search bar and you should easily find it!

XxX

I sighed as I stared down at the scuffed up red Coby MP3 player in my hands. A day had passed since the funeral ended and I truly didn't know what to do now. It felt good to say one final goodbye to Simon, but when it was over there was still an aching feeling inside of me. All the people who came up to me to congratulate me on my playing, or pat my shoulder in pity, had seemed to be a blur as the day passed, feeling like an empty shell. Now I was back in the Populair, sitting on my bed and staring at the closest thing to home that I had. It had only appeared on my desk a couple weeks ago, but I had yet to turn it on and listen to the music it held. I used to always have it on, the music playing in my ears wherever I went, and I had been doing that ever since I was a teenager. But since it had appeared I could only stare at it, and I hadn't laid a finger on it since the day it arrived.

I glanced over at my notebook on my desk and sighed. I hadn't drawn in quite a while, but I couldn't bring myself to even lift the pencil. Instead, I finally felt like listening to music. Using my thumb I turned my MP3 player on and slipped both headphones in my ears. I carefully searched around, looking for the right song to listen to. Finally, I selected We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn, then sat back and closed my eyes, relaxing as the sound of trumpets and drums met my ears.

"We'll meet again.

Don't know where,

Don't know when,

But I know we'll meet again,

Some sunny day.

Keep smiling through.

Just like you always do,

Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds,

Far away.

So will you please say hello,

To the folks that I know.

Tell them, 'I won't be long.'

They'll be happy to know,

That as you saw me go,

I was singing this song.

We'll meet again.

Don't know where,

Don't know when,

But I know we'll meet again,

Some sunny-" Suddenly I was interrupted when I felt a tap on my shoulder making me jump, my eyes snapping open. I quickly pulled out my right earbud and spun towards the intruder. Erik stood over me, staring at me and the object I held in my hands in both wonder and confusion.

"What?" I gasped, looking up at Erik's wide eyes.

"Well," he started, sitting down next to me, "I was going to ask how the funeral went until I saw that you were occupied with... that," he nodded towards my music and stared at it with a worried look on his face. He tilted his head, "What is that exactly? Is it something from... from your time?"

"This?" I asked, holding it up, "Yes it is. This plays my favorite music." I said, nodding.

His eyes lit up when he heard the word music, and he quickly grabbed it from my hands, "Really?" he wondered, holding it close to his face, "You can just listen to music on this? At any time? How does it work? Is it like a music box? How do you open it?"