Stellina

Mozart in the Attic

Pain vibrated throughout her entire body as she was slammed into the glass door of what smelled like a pastry shop. The world collapsed as her cheek met the cobblestone. Faintly, the German accent drifted into her ears. "Get inside, Lina! Go!"

Lina lifted her face from the street, rubbing her throbbing cheek. It seemed like only an instant, and then he was gone. The tangerine flash of a dress and the pianist filled with mystery and sorrow--disappeared. Trembling, Lina dug her fingers into the crevices, cool mud seeping beneath her cracked fingernails as she lifted herself off the ground. She pressed open the door. The little tinkling sound tapped the air, yet it was muter, more distant this time.

Her stomach growled as she stumbled to a lonely little table in the corner, far away from the window. She could practically taste the half-eaten, flaky croissant on the old woman's table beside her. Inhaling, she buried her head into her hands, attempting to collect the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind, yet all she could think about was Luka. Where was he now? Did he escape the wrinkly hands of Madame Riviere, or does she have her arm around his throat this very instant?

A sudden chirp interrupted her thoughts. "Lina!" Cerise gasped, her damp curly hair clinging to her face. "Thank goodness I finally found you. Here's the books."

Lina ran her fingers through her hair, allowing the sweet aroma of lavender to permeate the room. Her eyes widened as Cerise dumped the pile of books on the floor, producing a large thud. The scent of ink and dust swirled in the air as Lina scrambled to pick them up, tenderly placing them in a sack Cerise had picked up from the streets.

"How did you find me here? And how did you run with all those books?"

Cerise collapsed in the chair, provoking curious stares from others nibbling on their pastries. "I saw that wicked old lady chasing you and Luka. And as for the books, well, let's just say it's a miracle I didn't crash into some bicycler," she chuckled, then glanced around the coffee shop. "Hey, where is Luka?"

Lina's heart sank. Her gaze fell to the dusty floor before glancing back up as she surveyed the room. The old woman beside her got up to leave, the half-eaten croissant long gone by now. "I don't know. He pushed me in here so I wouldn't get caught. I really hoped he'd be back by now."

"Well, are you going to do anything?"

"What is there to do? It doesn't make sense for both of us to get in trouble; it was his doing," she wrote. Lina's mind raced back to Madame Riviere's accusations. What exactly did Luka do?

Cerise furrowed her eyebrows as she read the note. "Well, isn't he your friend? Friends help each other out. I would save you if some insane lady was trying to attack you."

Lina bit her lip, the words numbing her. She paused, twiddling with the pen in her fingers. "I guess, if he comes back here, he could stay in my apartment building. You know, since I don't think he has the best of homes to live in and people aren't exactly thrilled with him right now." Lina hesitated, instantly regretting the words as she saw Cerise's eyes light up when she read the note. Lina shook her head. To have him live so close to her mother after she'd threatened them like that...

But before she could change her mind, however, the little bell tinkled wildly on the door. A cool breeze slapped Lina in the face as she looked up to find him bent over, gasping for air. Dried blood crusted his skin, yet nothing new appeared to blemish it.

Lina suppressed a smile, beckoning for him to come join them.

"Luka! You're back!" Cerise said, wrapping him in an exuberant hug as Luka furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Perfect timing, too. Lina has something she'd like to tell you."