The Pianist Next Door

(PLAY VIDEO ABOVE AS YOU READ AHEAD)

I woke up to the sound of piano. I glanced at the side, to where my clock sat and it signed midnight. I rubbed my face and let out a frustrated sigh, thinking about when this will end.

Well you see, my neighbor, Amy, was a musician. And she especially loved to play the piano. She does this every night, every midnight. She always played Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu because that was her most favorite... she even taught me how to play that piece.

She was playing that piece at this very moment.

When I was a child, I wasn't much into piano until Amy moved in. At the age of seven, she was already at the same level as a virtuoso. She was bubbly and carefree while I, on the other hand, was a snob. You could already guess who made the first move on how we became best of friends.

Amy and I competed through various piano competitions and I always savored the bitter taste of defeat. Of course, winning those piano competitions didn't matter that much to me, I was only like her apprentice after all. And of course, I was also very happy every time I get to see those beautiful radiant smiles of hers.

I bit my lip as I reminisced our good memories, tears brimmed my eyes in the process. I'd do this every time I wake up to the sound of her playing the piano... it's like she refused for me to forget why she's who she is right now. And I'd always blame myself, too. At first, I was always terrified to sleep or even close my eyes because of those thoughts clouding my mind. But then the people around who loved and cared for us convinced me that it wasn't my fault that her path was rewritten. Their words helped, a little bit... just enough for me to allow myself to fall asleep...

She and I are at different places now... different worlds. And it was my fault she's walking into a different path now... the reason we won't be able to be together ever again.

Fantaisie-Impromptu continued to play on the background and it was just then that I realized that I was already getting sick of waking up to it every night. I pushed the covers off me and got out of my room to escape from the melody echoing in my room. You see, Amy's piano was at her room, which was next from mine... so my room was always filled with her music...

As I walked my way to the kitchen, I passed by the old grand piano that Amy had given to me on my ninth birthday. It was hers... she had given me her piano when I learned how to play it. I've always wanted to throw it out but then there's this force that's preventing me from doing it... now I realized what it was all along... it's my conscience.

I stopped on my tracks as I heard it again... Fantaisie-Impromptu... playing on my old grand piano. I slowly peered over my shoulder and saw the back of a girl... her black hair messy and white cocktail dress stained with blood. Her bloody fingers were pressing on the keys of my grand piano, which were getting stained by her blood as well. It was dim in the living room and her back faced me but I'm sure it was her... because she was wearing that dress when her face was smashed by her killer.

Her fingers froze on the keys and then I heard her... I heard a sob came out of her mouth. She buried her face at the palm of her hands as now her wails replaced the melody of the piano.

"A-Amy..." I whispered in a broken voice and her cries were also the cue for mine to fall and roll down my cheeks. "Amy, I'm so sorry..."

She didn't answer. And I hoped for her not to.

"I should have been there when you needed me... I should have been there to help you... You had given me so much and I'm the idiot and gave you nothing. I... I even let you get killed... I'm so useless, Amy, and I'm so sorry..." I wiped my tears but more kept coming but Amy still didn't budge from her position. "But it's been half a year since you died... please... you need to find peace, Amy. You've been through so much."

Amy was killed on Christmas Eve. She took part in an annual piano competition and she was really widely tipped to get the first place. She played her usual favorite piece, Fantaisie-Impromptu, but it was very unusual for her to get an error in her performance and that prevented her from getting the first place. That same evening, a psychotic fan of hers invaded her home and killed her by smashing her face with a hammer. And since then, I couldn't live in one piece and regretted the things I could have done to save her.

"I miss you, Amy... but this has to stop..." I said to her and then her cries ceased. Her figure became disorientated, to transparent until she was finally gone. The grand piano was now clean, like she hadn't touched it with her bloody fingers. But I was sure she was real, I wasn't just imagining her.

I wasn't afraid of her, she was my best friend. And I'd do anything to see her again... but not like this.

I will forever wonder the what ifs.

What if she didn't play the piano after all?

What if her family didn't move to this town?

What if we hadn't met?

But then again, that last thought of mine was rubbish and absurd... because if we hadn't met... I'm sure I could have been still the same old snobbish brat who's incapable of feeling emotions.

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I know I'm still on hiatus but I just have the feel to update again... so bear with a short 'horror' story for the time being. :3

Don't worry, I have a few prewritten chapters of EHC and Philophobia. All there's left is to proofread then publish it. It's just that school is demanding more attention :( Next update is by the end of the month, which is the end of my first semester.

Btw, what do you think of this short story? I swear I got goosebumps as I type those XD thank you for reading! Don't forget to share your thoughts or vote :) That will be very much appreciated. :)

- much love from Lyn <3