Song, Wing, and Blood

Author's note:

I decided to start a new short story inspired by the song Hallelujah written by Leonard Cohen.

Enjoy!

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"What a handsome devil," a youth crooned to himself as he lanced at his refletion in the glass sliding door. He and a friend were on the balcony of their shared apartment. The star were out and winked back at them, diamonds against the deep navy sky. The moon too shined on them.

"And a conceited one, as well," snorted his friend a little belatedly.

The two sat in the companionable silence that followed. The first, called Drakir, held a guitar. Its lacquered finish glinted faintly, but the inlaid mother of pearl glowed with the same soft light of the moon.

Drakir began strumming the guitar, ocassionally stopping to jot down notes in the notebook his friend held. He was composing.

Drakir's friend, Bronson scribbled lyrics. His scrawl was barely visible in the low lighting, but it was there.

"Try this," Bronson directed, holding the notebook for his companion to see.

The cool night air ruffled Drakir's sandy hair. Once completely brown, his hair was bleached by the sun. It hung in his face, long and shaggy. His hair defined him, and the ladies liked it.

Drakir played he guitar for a short while, then his voice rang out in song, "In the darkest hour of the darkest night, I hold her close. She's my only light."

He continued, "The path I toil is long and hard. So when I come to her, tired and scarred, she takes the pain away. And I say..."

A lovely voice hummed along. Bronson was nodding in time to the music, even though those few lyrics were all that they had so far.

Drakir knew they weren't alone.

He looked to his right, and atop the a roof a few buildings down he saw the shapely silhouette of their accompanist. She seemed to be done taking a bath behind a screen. Their music faded as the humming ceased, leaving the crickets chirping away at their nighttime song. The girl stepped out from behind behind the screen wrapped up in a short white towel. For a fraction of a second, Drakir stared at her beauty in the moonlight.

If you asked him what color her eyes were or the color of her hair, he wouldn't be able to tell you. He was

in total awe at her.

"Hello?" she asked hesitantly in her heavenly voice.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your song, I just heard the music and I..."The girl looked down at her pale feet, flustered.

"You've no reason to apologize," Drakir replied in a warm tone he did not recognize.

She gave him a little half smile before turning away and disappearing.

She went down to her apartment, he mused.

"Hello?" Bronson muttered, waving a hand in Drakir's face, "you spaced out for a second, Drake."

"I...did you see that girl?" Drakir said helplessly.

His friend looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Must be the crack. I never saw any girl, Drakir. Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, I-well, never mind." the guitarist said reluctantly.

Maybe he was losing his mind. It is hard to tell, with Drakir. I suppose he lost it long ago. Perhaps he did when he first met me.