The Throw-Aways

Friday night and I sighed. The air was just below moderately warm, so I had bundled up with some gloves that had the fingers cut off. A wind had picked up and chilled the night atmosphere. I had to be careful tonight, like every Friday. My dad always visited Arestino at his bar at this late time. They talked about everything from politics to how his Saint Bernard dogs are doing.

Slipping on my entirely black outfit, I started out the door. Even as a “ghost”, I always took my phone with me and put it on silent. It was for emergencies, if my father came home early and asked where I was.

So I stole away, just a few minutes before midnight, and ran out of my house to the church. No one was on the road, but I saw light of a large vehicle in the distance. It was too far away and too dark out for us to make out the other’s form, but I booked it to the south side’s emergency entrance. It was the side opposite of the road so no one could see me. Although it was a little more challenging to get in to, it came in handy every once and a while.

As I crawled into the main body of the old building, I saw a single ray of moonlight glisten against the cracked body of Blest. The pews sat abandoned and waiting for others to attend a service that would never happen.

For my invisible crowd that cheered me on, I walked up to the piano and sat down. Going through the usual ritual of adjusting the bench, pulling up my hood, and finally running my fingers lightly over the cracks and worn paint, I began to play.

I warmed up with some soft exercises that sounded like water dripping over a stream bed. The prop kept the lid of the instrument peaked and open for the soft sounds too float away. With the piano sitting so that I could look over the opened top to see to the front doors, I saw the lights passing from the road and sighed as they disappeared.

As soon as my fingers were done warming up, I started with I See Fire, the new piece I had memorized. I sang a little softer than normal, still getting a feel for the words and the keys.

When I was finished, I sighed with relief and played with the strings of my jacket. It hadn’t gone as bad as I thought! But even though it wasn’t too terrible, I could almost hear Jay’s voice taunting me to give up. It was like she was standing right there, yelling nasty insults in my ear.

I just need to snap out of it! Let’s start with some good old OM&M! Yes, maybe that’ll help me get out of this funk! I thought happily. Blest seemed to even glow in the brilliant moonlight at the thoughts of the good pieces.

So as soon as I got the first song I wanted to play in my head, I imagined the scene that went with it.

We had just finished Warped Tour, and we’re now moving onto Denver to do another concert! I was pumped to be playing once again in my home state! Our group bounced onto the stage in front of hundreds of screaming fans. Every time this happened, I felt my energy increase. The solid, flat floor felt cool through the soles of my Vans. Nothing could take away this moment as I stepped up to the keyboard.

With a deep breath, I waited for Austin’s cue as we started You’re Not Alone. It was a piece we played often, but it never lost the familiar feeling that buzzed in my chest. At every moment, I felt the excitement heighten my senses.

The keys shifted easily under my weight as I pressed down, adjusted the volume, and clicked the keys on the laptop. Wasn’t I so lucky to be up here? As I looked to meet Tino’s eye from the drum set, I grinned.

Turning to the crowd, I helped pump them up by jumping and raising my fist to the beat. I scanned each of the awestruck eyes through the strobe lights. A single figure caught my eye.

It was Jay, out in the crowd. She looked pissed.

I basked in her glare as I bounced on the stage.

It was time for me to be famous, time for me to finally prove Jay wrong about us Throw-Aways. It was time for me to help show her that we COULD be popular. She only glared even harder, like her gaze could burn me to ash on the spot. The crowd jostled her and as Jay grew frustrated, we started to end the song.

We ended the song waving to the crowd. They yelled and whistled back.

As I snapped out of my vision, the final notes trickled across the keys, as easy and melodious as flowing water in a stream. This was my element, my personal escape. This old instrument in the field away from the old road was my key to serenity. Out here, no one was around so I was free to sing away the pain as my fingers graced the old and chipped ivory. I was free to imagine the future that I wanted for myself."That was beautiful." A voice murmured from the back pews.

I keep my head down, but flickered my eyes up to meet the three outlines that stood at the very back of the sanctuary. Shattered glass from the long ago destruction littered around their feet. I had been too absorbed in my fantasies and singing the lyrics to hear the front door open and the three figures enter.

It was too dark to see the faces that were attached to the dark outlines. I sure hoped that they couldn’t see me.

So yes, this had happened before, only once when some foolish boys from a cabin they owned up in the mountains had wandered down here to check out the local legend. They stumbled upon me singing and I had to act the part I played to scare them away. As “punishment” for people coming to the church while I was singing, I didn’t play for a week. It basically broke my brain not being able to touch the keys for an entire week, but the talk of the town was of the stupid boys and their actions. Everyone then knew not to disturb the Singing Specter.

These must be travelers, not residents.

The figures went in order of average height, average height, and then SUPER tall compared to the others. I hesitated a moment at the keys, making sure my face was well hidden before leaping up on the piano bench.

If Blest was a person, she would’ve beat me for doing that, and killed me for what I did next.

To be a ghost and scare them away, I had to act the part!

So as I stood on the piano bench, slightly hunched over, arms held a few inches away from my body, I curled my fingers and twisted my head, as if inspecting the new people in a threatening manner.

Just imagine, only for a moment, you’re standing about thirty feet away from a dark figure who was menacingly hunched over the piano that was played on. The mysterious figure with supposed supernatural air about her was now hunched over with fingers curled like she wanted to claw your heart out.

The three figures took a step back towards the door. I don’t care if one said that it was beautiful, I just wanted to escape! My brain went into panic attack mode, feeling like an animal trapped in a cage.

“Hey, we didn’t mean-“ Another voice trembled. I cut the male voice off mid-sentence as I leaped up onto the backboard, swiftly kicking the prop out from under it. Blest trembled and shivered under the vibrations.

But it had its use. The piano made a loud SLAM and the keys bounced with a few stray notes floating into the dead air. I think I had offset two or three hammers that would need to be put back into place tomorrow.

Two of the three figures booked it out of the doorway as I stepped onto the top of the old grand piano. Little wails in fear trailed in their wake. The tall figure remained, slowly backing to the doorway.

I stood there, the Singing Specter scaring away the three intruders, but one still lingered on. I was tempted to yell, to scream to get out, but I couldn’t. Instead, I didn’t wait for the figure to leave. I turned tail and ran through the hole behind the piano, up the stairs, and through the hole in the roof.

I never stopped to look back.

Notes

O_O

I bet you know who those three intruders are....

EXCITEMENT NEXT CHAPTER!! I AM SERIOUS OH GOSH THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS ARE MAKING ME ANXIOUS TO WRITE THEM!!!

(Oh and P.S., I'm doing one shots!!! Just message me if you want one! :D)

So keep reading, don't forget to comment, and stay beautiful!