Melody

She slipped her blouse under the black pencil skirt, took a deep breath and made her way to the bar. Her eyes flitted to the clock above the door. Another hour, she thought. Enough time to have a beer. In her clear mind, she couldn't survive all this. She had never fallen deeper.

The corridor of the staff was surrounded by flaking wallpaper and wall lamps, half of which were flickering. In some places the plaster was crumbling. Dark, almost black stains, on the once green carpet, now it was yellow, puke yellow, disgusting. She didn't want to know what else was hiding between the fibres. The polish on the parquet was completely worn away. It was ridiculous compared to the rooms of the paying customers. Complete decadence that dazzled the eyes with pure gold.

In the past, Elodie would have called it tasteless. Now she wondered how she could remove the gold from the walls without getting caught.

Far away, she heard soft, delicate sounds, whispered by the wind. She closed her eyes, wallowing in memory, just for a moment. This melody... too much time... almost forgotten, only fragments that sprouted. But the feeling remained, the longing for a person. She couldn't express it. It had always been there. She no longer knew who had played it for her in the past. But it had left an aftertaste...

Lost, she set herself in motion, followed the sound of the piano, passing closed doors, dancers in their colourful costumes preparing for their show, stage staff, waitresses? Everything passed her by, she was enchanted.

As she descended the stairs to the cellar, she discovered a door, only one slit wide open. A cone of white light gathered at her feet.

The room was at first glance recognizable as a storeroom. Rows of old wooden chairs piled up on the walls. A thick layer of dust stretched across them. Mobile coat racks filled with shimmering stage costumes were blocking the view into the hall. Gently Elodie tipped the door open, stepping in quietly. The air was heavy and stuffy. Milky dust waved through the space. In the middle of the room she discovered a covered harp. There, in one corner, stood the old grand piano, and next to it was a girl. She recognized a slim back, humming to the sound of the music. Delicate white hands flew over the yellowed keys. The melody was full and powerful, filling every corner of the hall. But still every single tone was crystal clear, as if formed from thin glass. Elodie's trained ear knew there was a talent sitting at this instrument. She was not able to recognize the melody.

Lily was seated barefoot beside the grand piano. Wearing washed-out jeans that fit tightly around her slim legs. A grey T-shirt loosely dangling around her, almost drowning under it. Her black chucks stood neatly next to the piano stool, her socks sloppily on top of them. Her brown hair tangled wildly around her head, as if she had just tumbled out of bed. Elodie had to giggle.

Immediately the girl paused, turned around on the stool and blinked into the light. "Elodie?" She held her hand over her eyes. "Is that you?"

Elodie grinned. "Yes. You have talent." She moved closer to the girl. Lily bit her full lip, her eyes fell on the instrument. Carefully, she closed the fallboard."A little," her voice went up a few octaves, sounding shrill. Her eyes sought the distance. She nibbled at her lower lip.

Elodie had to grin. This girl couldn't even hold a candle to her four-year-old boy. She was a really miserable liar.

Elodie was able to read it from the tip of her nose. It was something new that Elodie had learned about this strange girl today. So she joined her on the stool. A light scent of fresh flowers was in the air. Gently Elodie opened the fallboard, her fingers stroking the cold keys. It was a strange feeling after a long time... not a bad one... rather something familiar, maybe even a forgotten longing. Automatically her fingers found the keys, funny, Chopin's third piano sonata arose out of the instrument. She actually liked other pieces more than this one. Then, another pair of hands wandered over the keys beside hers. Harmonious. Despite the mistakes she made, Lily overplayed them, perfected the imperfection."Why don't you play in the orchestra and only serve? The musicians on stage earn more than those dancers."

"I'm satisfied just the way things are." Lie. Her voice betrayed her. The tone, the hesitation, the loss... Elodie couldn't figure it out. Allowing Lily to have her space. She wouldn't force her.

She wanted to get to know the girl. That strange girl. She couldn't put it into words... that feeling. In time, Elodie would get to know it, alongside the girl.

"What are you doing down here," she asked Lily instead.

"I wanted to play it one last time." her thin fingers lovingly stroked the keyboard. "Before he will be forgotten, down here, all alone."

"You speak of it as if it has a soul."

Grimly, the girl looked at her. "Something that can make such beautiful sounds cannot have no soul."

"That's right!" Elodie chuckled.

"Think of me as crazy. I believe it!" Lily glanced at her for a moment. She was young, very young. Elodie believed she hadn't even reached her 20th year. But behind her deep blue eyes a story was hiding. An age that didn't correspond to her appearance. Perhaps she was drawn to the girl... because she was also lost in a past story. Softly Elodie stroked a lock behind Lilys ear. "Why one last time? Won't you play it again?"

"I do... but I can't play it anymore."

"...anymore?"

Lily smiled. "They probably won't let me play down here any more after I've just quit," she laughed, completely relieved, before jumping up and pulling her mobile phone out of her trouser pocket. "I think you need to get ready for your shift."

"Really? So late already," she muttered dazed.

Lily nodded as her curls swayed up and down like a bush of spring feathers. Then, the girl reached out her hand to her. "It was nice to meet you."

Suddenly there was this feeling of losing something. She didn't even know this girl. But there was this loss. Dazed, Elodie reached for her hand. She was small, fragile, familiar. Elodie wanted to scream, beg her not to leave her behind. It was absurd. As Elodie didn't do it, she pressed her lips together, no sound could leave her lips now, she would lock it away, deep down her chest.