The Piano || 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬

|77|

The first few nights were calm. Ashley barely dreamt of anything, which was a comfortable new normal. But all good things had to end, and not much later, she could feel the cool stone floor only seconds after falling asleep.

Oddly enough, the only thing she felt was relief. An unsettled feeling she had never even noticed was brushed away, and she let out a slow breath before opening her eyes.

Everything was just as she remembered – the pots, the plants, the leaves, the lights. But Ilse wasn't standing at her usual spot. Ashley frowned and walked further. Her eyes were blurry, and the room was filled with shadows, but nonetheless, she frantically looked around, trying to spot the woman somewhere.

Afraid that she might wake up any second, Ashley found a path through the rows of plants, and she suddenly stood at a small coffee table covered in a beautiful green and blue mosaic. And she wasn't alone.

Ilse's familiar features seemed troubled when Ashley took her seat across the ghost and laid her hands on the table. Where she got these mannerisms from, she didn't know, and it didn't matter. All that mattered were Ilse's hands softly brushing over her knuckles.

Despite her tense expression, everything about Ilse seemed more striking than Ashley remembered. No memory could truly capture the vibrancy in each movement of the woman – which was ironic, considering she wasn't technically alive. At that moment, this didn't matter, and Ashley just admired the woman across her. She really was beautiful. Soft skin, full lips, high cheekbones, and a nostalgic sadness behind her warm brown eyes that made Ashley want to tear up.

Ilse took Ashley's hand. The second she held Ashley, it felt like she didn't weigh anything. With cautious movements, she slipped a ring on her finger. A beautiful ring. Ashley's ring.

Ashley's eyes flicked up, just in time to catch Ilse smiling. Her lips moved, and for the first time, she could hear her voice. Not only feel or remember it, but actually hear the melody of Ilse's words.

"Don't lose it."

Before she could promise not to, Ashley blinked.

Confusion spread in her hazy mind as she tried to comprehend her surroundings – the floor was almost as cold as in her dream, but this was real. She reached out her hand, just to hit it on a hard surface. A soft curse slipped over her lips as the realisation hit her.

She was standing in the kitchen. What the fuck?

Carefully feeling down the walls around her, she found her way back to Colby's room without having to turn on a single light. But the feeling of utter confusion and slight worry didn't leave her until the next morning, when she had more important things to take care of.

Like packing away the last suitcase she'd used and making sure there weren't any hidden surprises in the casing.

A feeling that could've been anything between relief and nervousness stirred in her stomach as she stuck her hand in one of the front pockets and her fingers hit something cold. Swallowing thickly, she closed her fist around it and pulled it out.

She'd known. She'd known all along that the ring was still somewhere with her. The memory of her setting it atop the piano was clear in her mind, but that didn't matter. She'd known it was still with her, felt it deep inside her.

For several seconds, she just looked at it, the urge to put it on her finger almost overwhelming. But that could wait. Quickly – as if anyone would notice what she was doing anyway – she stuffed it in her pocket and closed the suitcase to store it away.

For the following day, it was as if nothing had happened. Sam and Colby were still getting used to having a girl roommate, though it wasn't that much of a problem. Ashley was used to living with a boy, and everything was going smoothly. It couldn't have been better.

Even the dreams couldn't ruin her mood. The opposite, actually; whenever she dreamt of Ilse, the following day her mood seemed to be higher than usual, even during her period that came and passed barely noticeable.

Her fans quickly noticed she wasn't "home anymore", mainly because she'd never before used a greenscreen and always been very in favour of a natural background. Now that she had suddenly begun streaming without any indication of where exactly she was, suspicions began to arise. Both she and Colby knew they'd eventually have to tell the truth, but they were in a silent agreement to do that later – neither wanted to deal with the sudden attention again.

It was a Thursday when the boys left to film another video for their channel, and Ashley was home alone for the entire day. Ashley started humming a distinct melody as she put her phone into her jeans' back pocket. It was only eleven pm, and she knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep yet even if she tried, so she needed to find something better to do. The problem was, there was no work left for the day.

The apartment was quiet and empty, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. Ashley strode down the hallway to her and Colby's room, slightly brushing her fingers along the wall. Technically, she could prepare some content for herself. Practically, she was way too exhausted. Exhausted, but not tired. Ready to lie down in Colby's arms but not able to fall asleep alone.

She stepped into the room and turned on the LED lights in a comfortable dark blue tone. At least some of her online friends had to be online right now. Ashley turned on her computer, setting the phone down next to it. For a moment, she debated texting Colby to check up on him, but investigations were sacred to him, and she knew that he wouldn't want her disturbing him. After waiting for the dark screen to light up for a few moments, she listened to the emptiness of her stomach and walked back to the kitchen to get herself a midnight snack.

Returning with a bowl of goldfish, she opened Fortnite on the computer, logging into her private account and checking whether her friends were online. Her phone was face down on the table, and she picked it up to post a quick selfie on her Instagram story – her makeup still looked good from the afternoon so there was no reason not to.

Continuing to hum the same melody, she joined a lobby and was greeted by her friends' voices. A smile quickly spread over her face, and she felt how she immediately relaxed, only now realising how tense she'd been after spending the entire evening alone.

The game started and she soon had her first few kills, laughing and joking with the others.

It was after a few rounds that a sharp pain filled her head, completely without warning. Ashley's hand shot up to press against her temples, her breath picking up as she tried to adjust to the stinging sensation.