Moonlight Sonata

•12 - Garden•

Garden: a piece of ground adjoining a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables.

•He•

I didn't know where I was.

"Home," She whispered, and I stared at Her with empty eyes.

"It doesn't feel like it," I replied, as my hands glided over the smooth white keys.

"So what does?" She asked.

"You do," I said.

She smiled the sweetest smile ever, before sitting down in front of the piano. "One day," She said, "nor will I."

I remained quiet, as the reality burned my face like the scorching sun. Suddenly, an acute dizziness took over, and I stumbled on my own feet. She ran over to me like a frightened rabbit, and I held Her tightly as I stood back up.

"No," I replied, to Her response about home. "You will always be."

She didn't say anything, but let me go all too soon. I watched Her walk to the piano again, and then, She played a single tune.

"Do you remember even a tiny bit?" She asked, anxiety dripping from Her voice.

The sound in my ears was unclear, and so was my view of everything around. And yet, among all the blurry things, She and the piano somehow stood out. I knew it was my mind, refusing to let those two go, but how frustrating it was, to be able to see the piano but not play a note.

"I don't think so," I honestly replied. "But where did you learn to play that?"

"Oh, I just learnt," She said. Then, a little while later: "from you."

"I don't remember teaching you," I said.

"You didn't," She replied. "I figured out what you meant, when you talked about feeling the music. Every note here forms a colour, and every colour, together, a rainbow. And if every feeling has a colour to it, and every mood a string of feelings and thoughts, why, the rainbow that I see, is nothing but the music that you play, and if I can trace the colours of the rainbow, I can trace the music too, I'm sure."

"Trace it for me then," I pleaded, and as soon as the thought escaped my lips, I heard the loveliest sound.

"How does that make you feel?" She asked.

"Ecstatic," I remarked.

"Can you see well around you?"

"It's all hazy, but I still see you."

"Close your eyes, then," She instructed, "or keep them open if you wish. Train them on anything you want, just don't train them on me."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Take you to my secret garden," She laughed.

And before I could ponder further, a beautiful tune overcame all. Hitting my mind with a dash of shimmer, it took me to a different world.

I didn't know if it was Her thoughts I'd tried to follow, but over here, the grass was yellow. The trees stood tall and looming, as if guarding me against what lay beyond. There were flowers and birds here, but their voices seemed to be long gone. The waterfall sprouted dead weeds, and there was no water around. With a frightening realization it dawned upon me: this was not where I was supposed to be. This didn't seem like thoughts, or rosy, distant dreams. This seemed too close, to something I had already seen.

A sudden jerk, and white flashes later, I was back to where it had all begun. And when I focused my hazy vision on Her, I was profoundly stunned.

How madly She was banging the keys, throwing Her body on the wood, and Her soul out of this world. Her hands burned with a feverish zeal, and Her eyes, though closed, shone like hot cinder. As I scrambled across to Her, I was met with a blinding blow - such a cold gust of wind, how, from a body so aglow?

The music soared higher, and aimed for yet more, while I stood stupefied, as blood began to flow. It leaked from Her cheeks, Her lips, Her arms, Her bare neck. Her fingers, as She touched the keys, streaked with blotches of red.

And then, She started to speak.

"The grass is so fresh today, She whispered shakily. It's tickling my feet. And look at the trees - swishing lightly, welcoming us to what lies beyond. The waterfall is so full and gay, and the flowers and birds dance and sing. But you, my dear stranger. You are the reason for all these things. You touch me once, and my skin curls up, like a flower rudely shaken awake. And yet, for this tantalizing touch, I could leave everything else at bay. The blood that drips is so cold, it itches my burning self. And yet, I could die for this blood, I could die to feel this pain."

My eyes weren't so dizzy anymore, and an ancient mistake knocked threateningly on my chest. I hadn't done it with wrong intentions, it was only to protect what was dear. But as I stared at my beloved now, everything became crystal clear.

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