A Musical Fantasy: The First Test

Chapter 4

Everything looked exactly the same.

That was the only thing that rumbled around in my head as I stood up and looked around some more.

Was I in a dream? This can't be real.

I pinched myself. Ow.

Everything stayed the same.

This is scary.

Wait, if everything looked exactly the same, does that mean...

A dark shadow loomed over me.

Yep.

The dragon, dirty as ever, stared down expectantly at me.

Wait, that sounds wrong.

Oh well.

So?

So, what? 

Wait.

What just happened? 

I thought I heard something...

Are you going to do anything about me?

Who's saying that?

Helloooooo...

I looked up. The dragon, with the slightest hint of amusement, stared back at me.

You finally realized, didn't you?

The dragon can talk! 

But... not out loud, just in my mind...

Yep, you got it.

I gasped. Can he read my thoughts too?

No... you're just saying this all out loud...

Oh.

I felt embarrassed. "Sorry, it's just that... this is probably the first thing that isn't exactly the same from my recurring dream."

Dream? What dream?

"You don't know?"

No...

That's strange. "Never mind, then. I have to clean you or something, right?"

If you want to see beyond these gates, then―

"I have to clean you with music. I already know that."

So I grabbed a flute and started playing random notes, letting my fingers freely press random buttons.

AHH!! Stop it! STOP! This noise is utterly UNBEARABLE!!

I stopped. What?

I stared at the dragon. None of the dirt had come off.

It was as dirty as ever.

Why does that sound so wrong?

Anyways... why isn't this working?

I'm pretty sure that you were supposed to play some MUSIC, not noise!!

"Um..." I thought I was just able to play some random notes and the dirt would just fall off.

Anyways, it's not working.

"Shoot." I sighed. "Does that mean that I'll have to play real music? With the dynamics and the correct tempo and the ornaments and the extremely long ritardando and the accelerando and the―

Yeah, I think we all get it.

"Yeah. Um, I'd rather not. So if you could just show me how to get out of here?"

The dragon had a sympathetic look on its face.

I had a bad feeling about this. "What's wrong?"

I don't actually know of a way to get back to your home, other than to pass this gate and do whatever quests they have for you on the other side.

"Who's 'they'?"

Uh, you'll know... once you―

"What quests?" I interrupted.

Uh, you'll know... once you get past this gate.

I guess there's no going back, then.

Since I still hated music and can be really stubborn when it comes to situations like this, I decided to play probably what was the easiest piece in all of musical history.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

C, C, G, G, A, A, G—

F, F, E, E, D, D, C.

G, G, F, F, E, E, D—

G, G, F, F, E, E, D—

C, C, G, G, A, A, G—

F, F, E, E, D, D, C.

When I finished, I looked up. The dragon, all clean and sparkling, was staring at me with amusement. 

You have completed your first task, Sophie Veronica Winfield.

On the outside, I just smiled and thanked the dragon. On the inside, I was doing a little dance, thinking I was done with music for the time being.

What I saw beyond the gate was completely unexpected.

I thought I would see a paradise, like what seemed to be past the gate in my recurring dream.

Instead I saw destruction.