ANATHEMA

chapter eight: truce

"So," I start. "How many instruments can you play in here?"

"Well," Tyler said, looking around the room. "I can play this thing," He tapped the piano and then pointed across the room. "And I can play that bass and that ukulele."

"You play the ukulele?" I ask.

He nods, laughing to himself, and says, "Yeah, I know it's a less common instrument to play."

"Well, since we're here," I say, looking down at the keyboard. "Will you play something for me?"

"Oh, I-I don't know, I don't think I'm that good," Tyler tried to say, scratching behind his head. "I've just, uh, messed around on it, wrote down some chords here and there, but I don't-"

"Oh, come on," I insisted. I took his hands from his lap and dropped them on the keys, creating a loud clunk of random keys being pressed and Tyler laughed, making me laugh, too.

"Alright, fine," Tyler sighed sarcastically. "But, only if I can teach you in the process." I smiled at him and nodded, raising my hands and leaving them in the air.

Tyler gingerly took them and placed them on the keys. He tapped on my palms to poise them in the correct position. He then gingerly covered my hands with his, mirroring above mine. He had to scoot closer to me to see, and I instantly somehow felt...safer, with his warm presence next to me.

He looked at me once, brown eyes swimming with a hundred different emotions, then looked back down to our hands. He pressed on a finger, another one, a different one. I closed my eyes and let the slow song drift into my senses; it kind of felt like I was playing it by myself, since Tyler's hands were so light on my own.

The melody was beautiful, really. It was gentle and filled you with a feeling like home should supposed to be.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Tyler had closes his own, as well. He had lost himself in the music, most likely forgetting I was even there.

It was the first time since I had arrived that I could get a good look at his face before he either he or I looked away.

I don't know what it was, but with Tyler, I actually felt something. I don't know if it was good or not, because I'd never felt this feeling before. Anytime I would even come close to trying to have a relationship, romantic or otherwise, Strings would interrupt and make me look crazy in front of that person, and they'd run away.

But, Strings hasn't showed up when I was with Tyler.

Is that a good thing?

Will they pop out of some hidden panel and try to scare me, ruining everything?

Would Tyler run away if he knew how bad I could get?

These thoughts and others were soon flushed away, however, for the song Tyler was playing sounded like it came to a close. I looked away just as Tyler opened his eyes.

"Wow," I sighed. I looked back up at him in awe. He was blushing.

"Did you like it?" he asked quietly, looking down at his hands. I practically cooed at how cute it was.

"Yes, yes, of course I liked it, how could I have not?" I said in wonder. After thinking for a split second, I asked, "Tyler, did you write that? I haven't heard anything like this before."

He looked back up at me, the same blush and smile still present, and nodded. I shook my head in bewilderment.

"Did you write any lyrics to it?" I asked.

"Um, y-yeah, yeah, I did," he stuttered, looking to the notebook he had left on top of the piano.

I gasped, a sudden thought breaching into my thoughts, and asked, "Will you sing it for me?"

"Oh, n-no, I can't, I-I don't think I'm that good of a singer, I just write the stuff. I can't - I don't - ah - no, no," he stuttered, a hand scratching at his neck and the other clenched in his lap.

I sighed, knowing it would be too good to be true. I tried to stand, but Tyler's hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, his eyes pleading for me to stay. I cocked my eyebrow at him, but the look just got more desperate.

He reached for the notebook and flipped through the pages. As I was looking over, I saw that every single one had some sort of writing on it. Some had drawings, some had writing, but they were all written on in some way.

Eventually, he came to a stop. He looked at me, then back to the book. He took a deep breath, then presented the book to me.

At the top was written, 'Truce' in loopy scrawl. There wasn't much written, only four paragraphs, but I suspected it was all sung slowly, with piano in between.

'Now, the night is coming to an end. The sun will rise and we will try again.

Stay alive, stay alive for me. You will die, but now your life is free. Take pride in what is sure to die.

I will fear the night again. I hope I'm not my only friend.

Stay alive, stay alive for me. You will die, but now your life is free. Take pride in what is sure to die.'

"Wow," I said for the second time. "Tyler, you just continue to amaze me." I look up at him to see him blushing again. I handed him his book back and sighed. "I don't think I'm creative enough to write songs like those."

Tyler just shook his head at me, saying, "It's not that hard, really. You just take what you're thinking and write it down. If you want it to rhyme here or there, fine, but other than that, it's just poetry with music behind it."

I smile and lazily trace the lines separating the piano's keys.

"Time for bed!" we heard a guard yell from outside.

"It's 9:00 already!?" Tyler exclaims, standing.

"How long were we in here?" I asked incredulously.

"Apparently, straight through lunch and dinner," Tyler said. He looked down at me and held out his hand. I took it and stood, as well. "I'll walk you to your room."

"Tyler, no, you don't have to do that, I can go by myself," I tried to protest, but he just shook his head.

He lead me down a series of hallways and dropped me off at my door.

As I watched him walk away, I felt my heart sink a little. I'm not sure why.

I entered my room and laid in bed.

I ignored Strings' attempts at scaring me. I know they aren't real. I know they can't hurt me.

Thoughts of Tyler sang me to sleep.