KEYS

Chapter 24: Facing the Odds

The sound of the wind moaning echoed around the silent and empty house. Ross was sitting on his single brown chesterfield couch staring at the black grand piano that was standing in front of him. It felt to him like the piano was staring right back at him trying to speak. Ross rested his elbow on the arm piece of the couch and his head in his palm. He was scratching his head and thought about his current situation. He knew now that he had no one left to turn to. Everyone he once knew was dead because of him. Ross thought about the promise he made to his mother in the dream he had the night of Mr Holder's social gathering. 'Loneliness is a person's worst enemy and sometimes leads to death. I need you to promise me that whatever happens, don't take your own life.' Ross found it really difficult to focus on the promise he made for he fell into a deep depression and did not have the emotional strength to continue with his life. He got to his feet and walked over to the CD player standing in the corner of the room. He paged through his collection of albums and came across his first ever album he released, the one that got him rich and famous. He pushed it into the CD player and left the room. This was the first time Ross listened to his own music willingly without him actually playing the piano. The beautiful sounds of jazz piano music filled the house from corner to corner. Ross could still hear the music playing from the kitchen as he poured himself a glass of whiskey with ice and water. He stared out the window and noticed that it was beginning to rain and the skies darkened above. He turned around and picked up his glass of whiskey and left the kitchen. As he moved down the hallway and back to the living room he noticed that the living room had a light shining which was odd seeing that he did not switch on any lights before he left. He peeked around the corner to see where the light was coming from. To his amusement he saw that a small group of men and women were sitting in his living room each smartly dressed in suits and tight fitting dressed holding a glass of wine and whiskey while socializing pleasantly.

"Oh look he is here to join us." Said a large man with a shining hairless head and a cigar in his hand to the woman with blonde hair sitting with her back towards Ross.

"Why hello there Mr Victor. I am so glad you could join us at last." Said the woman with blonde hair and a tight red dress on as she turned around elegantly with her glass of wine held close to her mouth. The other members of the group leaned forward and stared at Ross with a disturbing smile on their face.

"What... what is going on here?" Ross said in a terrified manner.

"Nothing is in particular is going on Rossi, said another woman with curly dark brown hair also wearing a red dress and got to her feet. He red lips touched the wine glass softly as she took a sip of her wine.

"You are just under a trance that is all." Said the man with dark hair and skin who was sitting next to the woman with curly dark brown hair.

"This is sort of the way we felt the moment we were high in the hypnotic state." Said the large man and puffed on his cigar.

"I pretty much did not feel a thing. All I felt was a pierce and blood running down my shirt." Said a tall pale man who was sitting on the far left couch.

"I do not understand? Why am I seeing you guys? You are all dead!" Ross said hysterically and stared at them with wide eyes.

"Because of the music of course. The music is playing with your head. Have you ever made time to listen to your own music? Did you ever take the time to think what went through our minds when you murdered us by means of your music? " Said the woman with blonde hair Ross knew as the late Lourissa King.

"She is right son. Apparently your sister though I was a bag that had to be slashed open to free something the moment she first heard your music." Said the man with dark hair and skin Ross knew as the late York Victor.

"And for me it felt like I was floating in the clouds for some reason the first time I actually sat down to listen to you play the piano." The large man said Ross remembered as the late Mr Pibels.

"What are you all saying to me then?" Ross said as his eyes started filling with tears.

"Rossi, your music is putting you into a hypnotic state. This is why you are able to see us and this is more or less how we felt the moment we got hypnotized by your music. Then afterwards we killed ourselves or killed someone else not even noticing what we were doing until we realized we are dead or someone lying dead before us." Said the woman with curly dark brown hair Ross knew as the late Rochelle Victor.

"This is how it feels my friend. Now you know how those other people felt the moment you started playing piano and why everyone loved your music so much. It was like a drug for them. They could not control anything they did because of you." The pale man said Ross knew as the late Trevor Brown.

"So what you all are saying is that, I am being hypnotized by my own music?"

"That is correct you handsome man. Come sit with us. The spirits of the diseased does not bite unless they feel threatened." Lourissa said and pulled Ross by the arms to come and sit with them. They all sat down together and stared at Ross.

"You do not have to be afraid son. We are not here to hurt you. We are actually really happy where we are now. I can't believe I let money rule my life all of those years. That I murdered the only woman I loved because of money that messed with my mind." York said and took a sip of his whiskey.

"The same goes for us." Lourissa and Mr Pibels said at the same time.

"I do not have any more pain in my head ever since you euthanized me back in Germany. I am enjoying myself much more now." Rochelle said and she flipped her hair across her shoulder.

"I am sorry for what I did to you all. I really am. Especially you Trevor. You did not deserve to die. I became so obsessed with fame and fortune that it made me lose my mind. "

"On the contrary, my sole was exposed to many dark forces throughout my life and let me just tell you, I have entered the light and I can't be happier." Trevor said and lifted his glass towards Ross's direction. The entire room except Ross lifted their glasses and made a toast to Ross. A woman looking very much similar to Rochelle appeared behind Rochelle and York. She placed her hands on both their shoulders and smiled at Ross.

"Do not let it control you my son. My spirit has left your body the moment you were hypnotized by your own music, and I will not be there to help you anymore." Silvia said as her voice echoed through the room. Ross felt a gash of wind passing through his hair and saw a green light surrounding the guests.

"Do not let it control you." Said all of them together and smiled at Ross disturbingly. The group of people started fading away as the song came to a slow and gentle end. Ross felt his heart beating slower and slower with every note.

"Tell us how it feels when you die when if we see you again soon." Lourissa said and let go of his hand.

"Just remember son death is not always and option and sometimes we are lucky enough to choose whether or not we want to die or not." York said and faded away completely out of sight.

"Everything will be just fine my dear friend." Trevor said and winked his eye just before disappearing into thin air. Ross felt his heart beating even slower that before and the song ended. The remaining group of people all disappeared simultaneously. He took one last look at the glass of whiskey that fell to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. Ross felt his heart stop beating completely and everything went dark. His head gently fell backwards and the song ended with a soft single note.