Fantasia

XXVI

For the rest of the day Eddy played the violin most of the time. He did a bit of work and went groceries shopping, but looking up some old pieces he'd played, recreating Brett's sweet, melancholic melody in between every now and then and letting the muscles of his fingers rediscover the patterns was so much fun he could barely stop. He played till his fingers burnt. He played until his arms and eyes got tired and the notes blurred within his sight. He played until the smile on his face just wouldn't vanish and when he looked at himself in the mirror during a toilet break, he couldn't help but wonder where that excited guy with rosy cheeks had been all those years.

And of course, Eddy found himself on the other side of the mirror yet again, in Brett's world or however one wanted to name this vast building place.
"Hey!", Brett greeted with a small smile. There was a hint of excitement mixed in the comfortable familiartity his voice carried, like he was already used to Eddy naturally appear next to him at any random time.
"Hey", Eddy said back and couldn't help but let his features burst into a wide grin when he finally saw the other. The subtle longing he'd felt the whole day was wiped out, his shoulders sagging in relaxation.
"It's real good to see you", he blurted out, sat up and looked around. They were still on the bridge-like walkway, but there was something profoundly different.

Eddy froze.
"What is that?"
"The music you mean? Awesome, right?"
Yeah, there was music! A violin and a cello for sure to be precise. Maybe a second violin?
"Wha... but you're not playing!"
"Nah!", Brett declared and held up his violin and bow as proof.
"Who is then?"
"I'll show you!"
Brett reached out one hand, Eddy took it, relishing the warmth the other emitted, got up and followed closely after the shorter. The music got louder with every step and it wasn't long, until Eddy saw them sitting on chairs on each side of the walkway in small alcoves that hadn't been there before. Or at least without Eddy noticing.

There were two musicians, a violinist and a cellist. The red light around the walkway gave the whole scene a warm and yet dramatic kind of vibe.
"What... How is this possible?", Eddy asked incredulously, his eyes wide and mouth fallen open to a round O.
"Dunno", Brett just shrugged as if Eddy had just asked him why a bubble tea place had closed down. "They suddenly appeared. Like you just did. And they've been playing ever since."

Eddy listened intently. The tune they were playing seemed to be some kind of variation to the one Brett had been playing and which had drawn Eddy in. The sweet, melancholic melody Eddy'd tried to play by ear at home.
This one was more playful though, joyous even, with lots of pizzicatos sprinkled in.
"It's so nice", Eddy breathed while he managed nothing more than to blankly stare at the musicians.
"Right? Finally some other people here. Other than you, I mean."
"Have they said why they're here?"
Brett shook his head. "Nah. I tried to talk to them, but they're immersed in their playing. Or at least they're very good at pretending they don't hear me."
"So they just kinda appeared and had been around ever since?"
"Yeah."
"And they always play the same thing?"
"Yeah..."
"Isn't it real similar to what you played?", Eddy remarked, to which he received a small, wonderous nod.
"So you think so too? Sounds like a different movement from the melody I played, doesn't it?"
"It sure does..."

They both stood there for a while, whipping their bodies lightly to the rythm as they watched and listened to the musicians, who acted like Brett and Eddy weren't around at all.
"What does it mean?", Eddy asked Brett at some point.
"You mean them appearing or them playing some variation of what's looping in my head all the time?"
"Both."
Brett mirrored his motion from before and shrugged again. "No idea. Also the piece... it's not something I've heard before."
"Hmm..."
Brett threw a curious glance at Eddy. "Did you do something?"
Eddy's head spun around in an impressive speed. "What? Why me?"
"I don't know. Maybe your actions have some influence on what is going on here? Like, when you play the violin when you're awake, you're able to come here?"
Eddy lowered his head while he pondered about Brett's question. Could it really be? Like Brett had said, him playing the violin did have something to do with entering Brett's side. But would Eddy be able to change even more?
"I did play a lot today", Eddy mumbled eventually, "I looked up some old pieces to play..."
"Maybe that's it? Maybe you played so much those guys appeared?"
"But why...?"
"Beats me."

"Oh!", Eddy suddenly made upon thinking of another discovery he'd made in the morning.
"What?", Brett asked, his curiosity clearly audible in the tone of that one short word.
"Remember how you played Beethoven's Romance before I... vanished?"
Brett looked dumbfounded as he said a simple "Yes?"
"I didn't know this piece before I heard you playing it. So, when I woke up, I was wondering if this piece really exists."
"What do you mean, really exists? Of course it does!"
"Well, I wasn't so sure if that'd be the case in the..." Eddy hesitated. He kind of didn't want to say "the real world", because by now he wasn't sure anymore, what was to be considered real and what truly wasn't.
Brett took over though. "Outside world, you mean?" He didn't seemed bumped or annoyed, even though one could consider this version of him "unreal" if one would ponder over it. Eddy bobbed his head once.
"Yes. I thought if everything in here really is just me dreaming, there is no way I can think of a piece I don't know in that detail."
"And?"
"I looked it up. On IMSLP."
"Oh, the site is great, isn't it?"
"It sure is. You've once talked about it when we were younger."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Anyway, it's real! It exists!"
"The piece?"
"Yes! Just like you played it. Every note on the music sheet!"
Brett looked as deadpan as ever when he simply commented, "I told you it does!"
Eddy could simply marvel over the unwavering state his friend was in. "Don't you know what that means?"
Brett frowned. "What?"
"It's proof that you exist here all by yourself. Me or my dream has nothing to do with you being here."

For a moment, the piece the violin and cello were playing seemed overly loud, as Eddy watched Brett's expression change slowly. His eyes started to shine, the characteristic spec in his left eye seemingly floating. He leaned back on the marble handrail, the red light making his otherwise white, spotless skin glow in a mystical colour.
Beautiful. The thought popped up in Eddy's head unexpectedly.

It took Brett a few minutes to respond, in which Eddy half listened to the music and half watched his old friend with concern.
Eventually, Brett ran his hand over his mouth before he said, "I mean... it's not surprising, really, isn't it? I've been around here way before you turned up."
Eddy nodded slowly. "True", he agreed. Brett had always been convinced that he wasn't just part of Eddy's subconscious. Eddy guessed it made sense that all this wasn't news to Brett.
"Still doesn't answer the question why I'm here", the smaller sighed and looked down at his violin while plucking the strings as accompaniment to the melody.
"True...", Eddy said again, not knowing what else to respond to that.

But then, Eddy saw the glistening in Brett's eyes and he knew, that Brett wasn't as unfazed by what he'd just heard as he wanted to make it appear.