Bass Case

Chapter 1: The Performance

      I can hear my heart pounding in my head as I watch the high school that we are hosting perform. They're flawless for a High School. Dragon East High School. It made sense since they were a descendent of Dragon West Performance Academy, the college I attend right now. Only the most elite players in the country can go here, and I'm one of them. Well, for now at least. I barely made it through auditions....barely. It was a point two difference between me and some violinist. Man am I glad that violas stay beneath that screeching monster of an E string. That's what docked her the points that allowed me to pass.... But just because I passed doesn't mean I'm safe.

      This school has a monthly testing system. More like a re-audition for the school. I've managed to make it past the last two auditions, also barely meeting the requirements. If I slack even a little bit I'll be kicked out. That's the way of this school. Only the best can perform.

      The bows stop moving and their instruments sit on their laps. They rise up from their seats and take a bow. Adrenaline pumps itself into my head causing my breathing to become uneasy. We're up next. I close my eyes in an attempt to calm myself. I open them again to be in the same heavy state as before. I remember our conductor, Mr. Forte, yelling at me before we came out here. He got mad at me for missing the low first finger in the last measure. It was a simple mistake that I had only made once, but now it's getting to me. What if I do it again?

      I walk onto the stage in my tuxedo with my viola in hand. I follow the last person in front of me and notice that there is an open seat in front of where I sit. I don't take time to think it over and instantly replace my stand partner Josh who was suppose to be sitting there. He wasn't gone; he was sitting directly in front of me. Someone else must be gone. I quickly glance over the section to see that Anika our section leader was gone. Panic flushed my expression for a moment. I really hope that Derek can lead the section as well as she could or else the whole section would be in the hot seat.

      I listen to the announcer introducing us to the audience. I take a deep breath. This is my last chance to calm down. You won't mess up Daniel. You Won't mess up. I release one last heavy breath, and then our instruments rise. Mr. Forte counts us off with a wave of his baton and we're off. The song started out in a slow chain of eighth notes before transitioning into a slightly faster chain of sixteenth notes. The intensity of the music crescendoed as the notes grew faster. Then came the part that seemed near impossible, the ten measures of thirty second notes. The long stream passed in seconds. Nailed it!

      I looked up at our conductor, intensely watching his baton wave up and down, side to side. Realization came to me that I hadn't looked back at the page in a while. I should look back. Crap where am I?! Then I slip up, merely for a second. It wasn't noticeable right? Panic seeps into my brain once more. Calm down Daniel. Calm down. Don't over think. I'm fully aware that the judges are watching us, but it's not the judges that I'm afraid of. Nor am I afraid of the hundreds of people watching me right now. What I'm afraid of is Mr. Forte.

      I look up at him, fully expecting to be stared at by death itself, but there was nothing. He simply continued to wave his miniature stick. Maybe he didn't notice. Some mild relief came over me, and then the piece ends. We put our instruments down and turn the page. Only two more to go.

      The piece started off slow. Majestic. I submerge myself into the music. I feel as if I'm in flight. I can picture the soft rain falling upon the green needles of grass. I can image the softness of it. The gentle pour of the rain upon the land. The basses and cellos are the thunder, the violins are the rain, and I am the gentle wind. The wind that flies between it all. Then the sun comes out and the violins sing as they morph into the sun. The basses fall to the soft ground bellow and become the earth. And I remain the wind. The happy tremolo in between. Then the day turns to night and we all fall silent.

      Relief engulfs me. And for a moment I feel at peace. Then I realize that I'm still on stage. Still in the back of the ensemble. I let out a sigh. One more song. One more song, and then I can truly be at piece for the night. I know that it's short. Time to use up my remaining energy. Mr. Forte waves his baton. Go!

      I watch Derek in the front as he leads the section through the fast paced opening. All that I care about is that my bow is matched with his. I'm perfectly on point. I see Josh falling slightly behind in tempo in front of me. I want to yell at him to speed up, but I can't. He seems to realize that he is trailing behind and presumes to catch up. Mr. Forte looks in our direction with a slight hint of annoyance at his error. Oh man I hope that Josh will be alright. I lift my bow three times and bring it down into the string in a fast burst of power. The intensity increases. The lower tones of the C string mix with the low tones of the G string. Then comes the tremolo. The crescendo builds and builds, and I see the last measure approaching. Don't mess up! I plant down my low first finger nice and firm and role my bow across the strings for one final powerful roar. Then our bows hover for just a moment until Mr. Forte's arms come down. He gives us a slight smile and tells us the stand.

      The audience's applauds echo throughout the large hollow theater. Relief finally truly takes me, and I feel at peace once more. I feel my heart still pounding inside my chest trying to slowly return to a normal pace as if I had just finished running a marathon. I follow behind Josh who looks petrified from the mistake he had made. I pat his shoulder and assure him that he'll be fine.

      I enter the white orchestra room and waste no time to find my case. It was just a normal hard plastic looking viola case, nothing special. "Way to mess up viola." I heard someone say from behind me.

      "Hey, it was a simple mistake Dana!" Josh yelled in defense.

      Dana, our concert master, flipped her black hair in disgust. "A simple mistake! You were falling three beats behind! Tch. I shouldn't be surprised since you're nothing but a violist after all."

      I let out a laugh as I closed my case, "And you're nothing but a demanding violinist." 

      "At least I get all of my notes right and keep tempo. Along with the rest of my section." she smirked.

      A twinge of fear struck me. Did she hear me when I messed up? "Well not everyone can be a natural talent like you now can they?" I said, trying to not pick a fight.

      "Hmm. True." she stated with another quick flip of her hair. Then she proceeded to play a random song off the top of her head. I simply continued to smile at her, trying to hide the annoyance in my smile. Man is she a prick.

      Then Brenda, a bassist, suddenly backed away from the bass rack screaming. Everyone rushed over to her aid only to be pushed away by Mr. Forte. I ran up to the crowd along with Josh and Dana, and I froze at the sight. The case was completely soaked through in a crimson substance. A pale arm was extended from the case. The case fell open as Mr. Forte tried to open it further only for the girl to fall from her coffin. I recognized her bright blue eyes and light brown hair instantly. My throat became tight as a single tear trailed down from my blue eyes. Anika.