Starry Night

“Get lost before I use the pot you god damn bastard!” Mrs. Cecelia shouted at me.

Today had been awful. I wasn’t paying attention while I was sweeping and had accidentally tripped one of the usual plump customers, who had landed directly in the pile of glop which I had just recently recovered from under the numerous tables.

The man had been so angry, his face turned beet red and I had to stand there as the man threw swear after swear at me, before finally smashing a glass on my head. It had left another cut in my scalp, which once again was bleeding profoundly, but Cecelia didn’t care. I was her only employee, and had to do what ever she said, so if I did something even the slightest way wrong she could punish me however she liked with out worrying about me quitting like everyone else had done.

I was glad to be cursed home. I needed a brake. It had been a week since that first dream about the strange room with the balconies. I’ve had it each night since. And each time I was engulfed by that same mysterious shadow. It would take me there just as I was on the brink of crying, and bring me back just as the sun began to rise each night.

That other world seemed so real to me, but I knew it was a dream. It had to be. What else could explain it?

And tonight would be the same. At least, that was what I figured.

Arriving at the shack, I grabbed some of the sheets I used as blankets and wiped the blood from my face. Once it stopped, I climbed up to the roof and allowed the tears to come.

Even if it were a dream, it was a nice dream unlike the nightmares I usually had. I didn’t want it to stop.

Just as I figured, the shadow appeared. It approached me just as slowly as it normally did. The first few times I had tried to run from it, only for it to engulf me immediately, so I learned that it was faster than me and that I could not escape it, even if I wanted to.

The world fell away to darkness, then the room appeared and I was back in the tower with the instrument and balconies.

Ever night so far, as I came here, I would either look out over the beautiful city, watching the handsome men below me, or gaze into the stars, but what I liked to do the most was play that strange instrument and sing.

Yes, I said I like to sing. I began singing as I played the instrument on the second night I came here. And I looked forward to it. Though when I sang, I didn’t use words, simply because I never could think of any. I would just ether hum or sing in and ooooo sounding way.

So, once I got my fair share of the landscape I went up to it and began playing again. The notes came easily and I began to go faster and faster. I loved the sounds it made and had recently learned that the buttons above the holes made ringing sounds, while the holes whistled, and the tabs ticked.

I loved it, and wanted to make it a more complicated song, but just did not have the number of arms to do it.

Then, the notes picked up. The song began to go as fast as I had wished it to. At first I thought that perhaps it was my wish coming true, but instantly came to realize that wasn’t the case as a handsome man stood beside me, also holding his hands out over the holes, pushing buttons and flipping tabs.

His hair was short and jet black, his eyes were green and he wore a dark blue suit. He was so handsome, it made me jealous. I wished I could look like that.

But then I snapped back to my senses and realized that I was playing a strange instrument with a strange man. Even for a dream, it was different. I liked being alone, having this person here simply made me feel as though I were being invaded by an alien presence.

Not letting the man know I was unnerved by him, I continued to play. A number of minutes passed as we played together. I tried to get absorbed in the music like I normally did, but this man was just too much of a distraction.

“Are you not going to sing tonight?” The man suddenly asked.

It made me jump and loose rhythm, so I stopped but he continued to play.

“You play beautifully, but the melodies created by this device are nothing compared to you’re voice. Won’t you please sing?” He then turned, and smiled a perfect smile at me.

That was enough for me and I ran.

I didn’t know where to go but to the other side of the room, so that’s where I went. The music stopped as I made it half way there, and once at my destination I turned to find the man looking at me with a surprised expression on his face.

For the first time I wanted to leave this place. I didn’t want to wait till the sun rose, I wanted to go home now. There was no telling what this man was up to. Every time any one was ever nice to me was because they wanted to hurt me, and I didn’t want any bad memories from this place.

“Wait!” The man shouted as I turned to run towards the balcony.

I wasn’t planning on doing what he said and ran anyways. Outside, I had to stop at the railing otherwise risk falling off. I then turned, and closed my eyes willing myself away. Upon opening them, I was back on the roof of my shack. The sun wasn’t coming up yet, so I obviously had woken up sooner than usual.

Shaken, I climbed back down and crawled into bed for the first time in a week, with the question, ‘who was that man?’, ringing through my head.

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Author's Note: next Chapter should have more interaction between Jack and this 'mysterous stranger'. I promise!

Please read and review! Tell me if you find something wrong with my grammar or with the story line, corrections and suggestions are appreciated!