The Melody of My Life

Every day a timid young girl would hurry through the crowded corridor of her school, moving lithely against the flow of students toward the opposite direction her classmates gleefully stormed after the long-awaited bell rang, signalling the end of another long day of school. It was exactly 4:20 p.m. when the girl reached the music cabinet. It had become a habit of hers to visit the exact same spot at the exact same time for the past three weeks. She didnt dare to set a foot into the small room which only had space for a majestically black piano.
Not a second too late the slow yet striving music emerging from the keys filled the dusty air between her and the girl responsible for the breath-taking chords. If it wasnt for the tiny gap the open door left, she wouldnt have noticed the tender figure of the girl in front of her. Her slouched back facing the now frozen girl, who quietly listened to the music. The music didnt simply call out to her, she couldnt describe how it made her feel, but she wouldnt want to miss even the slightest of sounds. She was like hypnotized, leaning against the wall she closed her eyes taking in every note solely relinquishing the pure feeling. She let herself loose and for a moment forgot everything around her. It was only her and the melody resonating from the walls. She could see the other girls fingertips making contact with the ebony and black piano keys, eliciting a sound ever so beautiful than the one before and combining them with such accuracy to a heavenly play only the gods were able to create.
She had been standing there for more than 10 minutes, her heart riding a rollercoaster, captivating her. Only when quietness filled the room again after what felt like an eternity - which was still too short for the young girls liking – she let out a long breath she didnt know she was holding. This was her cue to leave before the girl on the stool would notice her presence. She quickly took her bag and left through the now empty halls.
The next day shouldnt be any different, the girl made her usual way to the music room as she had been doing for the past three weeks. At 4:20 p.m. she was at the door, placing her bag on the floor, daring not to make any sound as she did so and leaned against the wall. She looked at the clock, the large pointer soon crossing past 21. She was waiting for the familiar melody that didnt come that day. Her hands started to sweat and forced her tense body to move. When she finally took up all her courage to gape around the corner to see the cause of her anxiety a small gasp involuntarily escaped her mouth. The silence occupying the space suddenly felt heavy on her shoulders. And when she caught a glance into the room, the emptiness of it confirming what she had been constantly afraid of for the past three weeks. The girl wasnt there, the chair empty and the piano abandoned. The sight that greeted her was almost sad. The usual shiny surface of the piano looked dull as if it had lost its glance after the mysterious girl stopped playing it. Something was wrong and she certainly wouldnt wait any longer to find it out. Hastily she grabbed the bag and ran along the plank walls, rushing down the stairs before coming to a halt in front of the principals office. Her feet dragging her all by themselves. No one of her classmates was in school anymore and the principal was the only one she could think of. She knocked one time, then a second and before she could lift her hand for a third time the door opened as if he had sensed the urgency at this hour. Without any explanations, she asked what she was unable to voice out aloud a few seconds ago.
»Wheres the girl in the music cabinet?« The principal looked at the rapid-breathing girl in front of him, failing miserably to hide his surprise.
»Who?«
»This girl, she- I dont know her name nor what class she visits but I believe she is part of the music club. Every day at 4:20 p.m. she stays past school hours to play on the piano in the music cabinet. You must understand she has never skipped a day since I first heard her melody, which has been almost a month ago, Sir.« She frantically responded, rattling down the words he could hardly understand her.
»The music cabinet you say?«, he asked, a frown visible on his forehead »it has been abandoned a long time ago, I cant recall anyone using it for such purpose.« He continued, looking clearly dumbfounded at the girls statement.
»May I check the list of all the students attending this school?« The girl asked pestering further, not wanting to acknowledge what he had just said. The director let out a heavy sigh but led her farther into his office and handed her a pile of documents he kept stacked up in one of his drawers below his desk. They were a lot, and it would certainly take some time, but the girl wouldnt give up so easily. She was convinced this was just a misunderstanding, it just had to be, but deep down she had an uneasy feeling making her cringe involuntarily. Getting caught up in the moment she kept her focus on every single picture, observing familiar and unknown faces alike but none looked like her. Turning page after page the clock only seemed to fasten its pace almost hitting 5:00 p.m. After turning the last page and not finding the person she was so desperately looking for she closed the thick book and looked up to the principal who grew weary after observing her for a while.
»Are these all the students, Sir?« The girl finally asked with what little hope she had left.
»Without a doubt. Theyre all.« Came his quick answer.
»But she wore our school uniform. There got to be a trace of her«, being in deep thought the girl muttered more to herself than anyone else.
»As Ive already said. The cabinet hasnt been occupied in years and we have no record of that student youre looking for. You said she vanished? Maybe she didnt even exist in the first place.« It would have been a lie if she said this very thought didnt occur to her as well. It was as if deep down she had known all along but was avoiding the truth. The unknown girl was like a ghost who didnt want to be seen but her and now that she was gone it left her empty-hearted. Without saying anything she left the principals office and stormed out through the door almost breaking its laces in the process. It was at this very moment that she realized something, something that would change her life greatly but before she could think about it the halls went dark consuming every bit of light that was left. She wasnt afraid of it, not the slightest. Still, she didnt dare to stop running as if the devil himself was closing in on her heels. Without looking back, she kept moving forward.
After this day she never saw the girl again.

The End