I Remember

Lullaby

Soft, gentle light filters in through the dusty windows, the built up grime casting long shadows into the small, cramped room. The room is stuffier than it usually is, no doubt due to the recent heat wave, and you long to open the old window. The breeze would do good to clear your mind- you've been quite troubled as of late. However, like most days, you cannot bring yourself to move from your current position, and the room remains suffocating.

The sound of footsteps echoes from the creaky stairs leading to your small existence, and the noise stirs a memory from long ago inside you. A faint melody arises in your head, a lullaby long forgotten, and you begin to quietly hum along.

"Hello? Is someone there?" a quiet voice calls from the other side of the door. At first it seems to belong to a stranger, though you are quite certain you have heard this voice before. You hum your tune louder in response, just loud enough for her to hear.

The door slowly opens, and a girl in her teens enters the room. A vision of a young child in a pale pink dress and carefully braided pigtails enters your mind, and though this girl is wearing jeans and lets her long hair cascade freely down her shoulders, you recognize the way she walks and how she carries herself. Yes, this is the same girl.

A look of confusion crosses her face upon hearing your quiet rhythm, though after scanning the cramped room she notices you in the corner and gives a soft smile. Soon she is gently swaying to the lilting melody of your song, and within seconds she is able to put words to the tune. Her voice is beautiful and warm, and the sound vibrates throughout the small space, enveloping you and bringing a sense of security and happiness that you have not felt in a long time.

"Do you remember

From times long ago,

Our worlds not complete

Only starting to grow..."

She begins to waltz across the rough wooden floor, her feet falling into a familiar rhythm as her worn slippers leave trails in the dust that has accumulated over a period of several years. You wish to join her, but you never were much of a dancer, and you fall into your usual role of humming the song as she sings and dances. Soon you are lost in the beauty of the moment, her movements mesmerizing and her voice captivating.

"When we'd meet over there

In our childhood meadow..."

Sunlight that is streaming in from the windows illuminates her honey-colored hair and creates a halo around her delicate face. In this moment, she is an angel, and you are her harp.

"When we'd speak of things

Which we didn't know,

When we'd confide in each other

And share every woe..."

The song has reached its climax, and her dancing takes a sharp turn. It speeds up, becomes more complex, and it is only now that you realize how much you have missed the company of this girl, and, though you are both older, it is as if nothing has changed.

"Because it's been some time

Since we've shared our hellos,

All this time I've waited

Hidden mid shadows..."

The end is near, you can feel it. She begins to slow, and you are subconsciously becoming quieter, straining to hear her graceful voice as she prepares to deliver the last few lines.

"Calling out to someone

A friend I used to know."

She comes to a stop, head bent, arms over her chest, as you hum the final notes of the melody. As the sound fades away, a soft, airy giggle escapes the girl, and you find yourself giggling with her, your melodic laughter mixing with hers and causing you to laugh even more.

"I remember you!" Only now does she address you directly, her emerald eyes not quite meeting your bronze ones, as if she is not aware where they are. "We used to play together all the time!"

You hum in response. She is right in front of you now, close enough to pick you up, which is exactly what she does. You smile as she wipes the dust off your silver coated surface, polishing your painted ballerina face. You feel her wind you up, and the notes of the lullaby come spilling out of you as she begins to dance once again.