Elle and the Mysterious Beast (One Direction)

Chapter 6 - Stay

I’m not at all surprised that Shane left, but I thought he’d at least try to get me out if he thought it was dangerous, perhaps the piano playing was enough of a secure for him.

I turn back to the beast, who’s eyeing me closely. “Why did you come back?”

“I want to understand.”

“You can’t.”

“I can’t or you don’t want me to?”

He shrugs, he looks confused.

“How long have you played piano?”

“Um, awhile.”

I look around the room some more, it’s definitely a music room. There are two guitars near the piano, one acoustic and one electric, though that one probably doesn’t work anymore. There’s also a drum set, it looks so cool, all shiny silver and blue paint.

All across the wall opposite the windows are large framed posters, must be of musicians.

“What are all these?”

He slowly steps out from behind the piano but doesn’t come any closer. “They’re my favorite artists and bands,” he responds slowly.

“From what time?”

“The early 2000’s.”

“Really?” I ask, even more intrigued. “So you were alive during then?”

He nods.

“Excuse me but how exactly does… whatever you are become interested in music? And how do you play the piano with such large hands? Did you teach yourself? Are there more of you?” Before I can even help it questions just start spewing out of me.

His thick eyebrows close together as he thinks about his response. “I wasn’t always this way.”

“Y…You mean you used to be human?”

He nods slowly. I guess I’m not really surprised, he has too many humanistic tendencies not to be.

“But how…?”

He shakes his head and looks back over at the wall of posters. I decide to change the topic, I want to keep him talking, I don’t want him to run away like last time.

“Who’s she?” I ask curiously pointing at the first picture, nearest him.

“Her name was Adele,” he smiles. “She had an incredible voice, could sing absolutely anything.”

“And him?” I ask, referring to the next one over.

“Drake, a rapper. Awesome guy. These guys were a band called 5 Seconds of Summer, they tou-“ he stops himself then moves on. “This is Katy Perry, she was always so beautiful, so nice, and so funny. A real joy to be around. This guy here is Ed Sheeran, he was a good friend.” He pauses and smiles as if recalling memories. “These girls were Little Mix, also friends. Cher Lloyd, Maroon 5, I liked them a lot, Bruno Mars, The Script, The Black Keys.” He pauses again and skips over the poster dead center and moves on, “Michael Buble, great guy, Rolling Stones, Eminem, another rapper, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Fun., The Beetles, Chris Brown, Conor Maynard, and The Killers. That’s not all of them of course and not all of them are from that time but most are.”

“Who are these guys?” I ask, pointing to the poster in the center of five young boys, all very attractive.

His face twists into an odd expression, like he doesn’t want to talk about it. “One Direction.”

“Why’d you skip them?”

“They were good friends, brothers.”

Before I can say anything else he turns and leaves the room. He doesn’t do it as quickly as I know he can though so I take that as an invitation. “You were one of them weren’t you?”