Anchored (unfinished - on hold)

Chapter 1

Nora

Nora knew she shouldn't be here.

There were a thousand things she could be doing and about a thousand places she should rather be. But she was there regardless.

She had left home that night compelled by an invisible force that pulled her out of her bed, into the shower and out of the door after putting on some clothes she found lying on a chair. Dark hair in a messy bun and no more makeup than a light trace of black eyeliner, she stared at her pale reflection on the club's mirror.

"Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit." She grabbed onto the sink like her life depended on it.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she finally let go of the smooth surface. She looked at herself one last time and turned around. As soon as the bathroom's door closed behind her, she felt overwhelmed by the crowd of people moving in, chatting animatedly, looking for their sit or heading down the stairs to the narrow space reserved for standing. She knew this venue like the palm of her hand, she had spent many nights dancing her worries away. But today was different. Today, what she knew as a club was prepared for hosting a concert. It was not a big venue, and the artist was not that well known outside the more alternative circles, but the place was surely packed.

She stepped into the crowd and let herself be dragged by it, with small but quick steps, trying to locate her seat. It took her only a few minutes, and as soon as she let herself fall on the chair, she felt creeping up the calmness she had been craving for days. Weeks, even.

She shouldn't be there, but she was. So she might as well enjoy herself.

Rolling her shoulders backwards, she let go of the last bit of uncertainty. And just like that, perhaps born out of a magical coincidence or perhaps because she felt no longer wary of her surroundings, the crowd started muzzling down and settling in.

All lights were suddenly shut down, one single spotlight partially lighting the venue.

Heavy steps echoed through the stage giving way to the shadow of a man with a black acoustic guitar strapped to his broad shoulders. He didn't stop to admire the crowd, to let his eyes roam around, he just kept walking until he reached the center of the spotlight. He came to a stop right there, closing his eyes briefly while clearing his throat lightly.

Nora was about to reach for her phone to check if the program had changed, she thought that the man must have been a guest artist she didn't know about. But right when her hand was about slip inside of her bag, her arm stretched, he started singing. Nora froze, every movement ceased, all her attention drawn to that man on the stage.

He soon started accompanying his voice with the guitar, everything about it natural. Organic. So absolutely in sync. The chords like an extension of his fingers. His voice rich and a tone so deep it seemed practically impossible for a voice to reach those notes.

There wasn't a single noise in the entire venue. Any murmur that could be heard while he had made his way to the microphone was silenced by his voice. By the music that he was creating only with his vocal chords and the strings of a guitar.

It was magic. She knew this didn't happen often. It was rare for a new artist to silence a crowd like that. Without a band behind, with nothing but himself. People were not even taking their phones out to record him and post the video on whatever social network was popular at that moment. Everyone was living in that moment, or letting that moment live in them.

Nora wasn't different. She couldn't look away. She could barely move.

She was enthralled.

He was so lost in his music, in his own voice, in the moment he was creating. He looked like he was galaxies away from that stage. She couldn't know if he had taken everyone in there with him, but she sure had followed. Nora was gone. All awareness of the world dissipated. All Nora cared about was taking in every note and every texture his voice was twisting and playing and shaping in that beautiful way. The movement of his fingers and the soft manner his shoulders were swaying kept Nora anchored to the moment. To him. His frame tall and broad, his hands ending in long fingers. Hair dark and fair skin, all dressed in black denim. He looked unreachable in that stage. He seemed untouchable.

She wished she was the only one there, she wanted to keep this just to herself. Wrap herself in the cocoon of that moment. His voice made her forget. For a few minutes her worries flew away, emptying her mind. The anger, the tears, the agony. Everything disappeared from her head. The pain was barely noticeable.

God, had she ever heard something this beautiful? It was mesmerising.

The crowd erupted in applause. She found herself standing up from her sit, and one would thought she was going to clap as hard as her hands would allow her. But she didn't. She could hardly articulate a thought. She was just gravitating towards him. Craving more, wanting a few more minutes of bliss.

He looked up, finally back from whatever place his mind had fled to during the minutes the song lasted. And he smiled to the crowd. It came slowly, taking over his face progressively. It was not a full grin and rather a shy smile. But it reached his eyes giving his features a softness that was not there seconds ago.

Nora felt something shifting in her chest and found herself smiling back at him even if he couldn't possibly see her.

Songs came and went, each of them receiving the same ovation. His repertory was short, merely 5 songs, she couldn't really tell, but definitely not nearly enough.

At some point, the crowd started shifting, restless for the upcoming main act she seemed to have forgotten about. He finally left the stage with words of gratitude and appreciation, his deep voice losing all the confidence he showed while singing.

Her gaze followed him all the way across the stage until she could not see his frame anymore. Instantly, some of her earlier uneasiness crawled back in, feeling the urgent need to check her phone. As soon as she pulled it out from her bag, she regretted it. Missed calls and texts flashed in the screen.

**Where are you, Nora? I can't believe you would do something as selfish. Not today of all days.**