Song of Sorrow

The ceiling fan rotated lazily above me in the darkness. The white blades were illuminated slightly by the alarm clock on my dresser across the room. At the moment, the clock was telling me that it was far too early to be awake. I could hear the low hum of the fan, but I knew that it wasn’t what had stirred me from my dreams.

It was my fourth night in this new place and I still wasn’t accustomed to all the noises that an old house could make. In general, I was happy with the place I had chosen for my fresh start, it was only a matter of time before I’d be sleeping through the night. As it was, I had been woken by something every night since I’d been here, and I was still unable to pinpoint what the source was. Agitated, I turned to my side and pulled a pillow over my head. If this kept up, there wouldn’t be enough coffee in the world to make me a pleasant person.

On the cusp of entering a happy dream-filled world, my eyes flew open as a single soft piano note played out. Panicking inwardly, I lay stiff and frightened in my bed trying to tell myself I had imagined it.

Da da dum da da da. The mournful tune floated down the long narrow hall leading to my bedroom door, which was cracked ever so slightly. Slowly, I pulled the pillow from my head and cautiously sat up, letting the comforter slip from my body exposing me to the chilly air of the early spring night. Mindlessly, I rubbed at the goosebumps on my arm and I knew I had a choice to make; close my door and hide like a sensible person until the cops got here or see where the song was originating.

I never said I was smart. I didn’t even own a piano.

Grabbing my robe, I slipped it over my tank top and flannel pajama bottoms before snatching up my cell phone from the side table. The eerie music continued to float down the hall, its sad tune tugging at my heart. Doing a quick survey of my bedroom and the piles of my belongings waiting to be unpacked, I snatched up a heavy wrought iron lamp without its shade. It wasn’t an ideal weapon, but it wouldn’t be fun to be hit with either.

Stepping carefully on the balls of my feet I slowly pulled my door open and prayed that it wouldn’t make a sound. Peeking my head out into the dark hall, I let my eyes absorb every detail they could. There was no sign of movement, so I ventured further out. The old hardwood floors were cold on my bare feet, and I wished I had thought to throw on a pair of slippers. I used the walls I had yet to decorate to guide myself to the end of the hall which led to a flight of stairs and the main part of the house. Every time a board groaned under my weight I froze and held my breath, but the music continued to play uninterrupted.

By the time I had reached the bottom of the stairs the music had grown louder, and the melody spoke to me as though it was pulling me forward like the siren call of the seas. The whole main floor was cast in shadow, with the only light source coming from the full moon filtering from the large windows. I inspected everything I could see before venturing forward. Furniture and boxes were scattered everywhere haphazardly as I hadn’t settled on where I wanted everything yet. It was unnerving, not recognizing my surroundings and I had to force myself to calm down as I searched for anything that didn’t belong. Once I was comfortable that nothing was amiss in the living room, dining room, or small portion of the kitchen I could see, I only had two places left to check.

Passing through the living room I looked out the window and cursed myself for moving to someplace so remote. Nothing but darkness and forest waited for me outside. The old house I purchased had appealed to me because it was so isolated. I couldn’t even see the road from the wraparound porch of the Victorian-style home. I had been excited at the prospect of being able to work on my art in solitude without the distractions of neighbors right next to me. Apparently, I lived here with my father as in infant, but I didn’t have any memories of this place. It was simply coincidence that it became available when it did. Now I was just thinking about how it would be months before anyone found my body if things went badly for me tonight.

Rounding the corner, I got a view of the rest of the kitchen and the attached greenhouse that I had been planning on turning into my studio. Th glass greenhouse was the most appealing unique part of the house and the main selling point for me. I couldn’t focus on anything else in the kitchen because my eyes were drawn to a light coming from the greenhouse’s double doors. One of the frosted glass French doors was open just enough to let a strip of light streak across the kitchen floor. Boxes of my art supplies sat stacked against the wall with empty canvases waiting to be filled. The greenhouse was the one room I hadn’t touched yet. I was waiting until the rest of the house was sorted so that once I began my work, I could focus solely on it. I hadn’t even put a lamp in there, which is what was startling me on top of the music that was drifting out of the room; it’s origins still unknown.

Tippy toeing across the cold stone tile of my kitchen floor, I stuffed my feet into a pair of mud boots next to the front door and quietly pulled a large knife out of the butcher's block in place of the lamp. Satisfied, I held my breath and snuck to the greenhouse doors. The music picked up in pace and the mournful tune became more intense as if building towards something ominous. From nowhere a violin and cello joined in and my heart drummed in sync with the new song they formed together.

I grasped the frame of the door that was ajar and pulled it back silently. The whole kitchen filled with muted sunlight filtered through thick greenery and my jaw dropped open at the impossible sight before me.

In the center of a forest clearing, a woman sat with her back to me as she played the piano. Her whole body moved to the rhythm of the song as her fingers slid over the ivory keys of the antique baby-grand that looked as though it had been there for so long it had become part of the forest. Moss ran up parts of the ebony legs and covered the lid and the music rack. Yet the weathered instrument played perfectly in tune. Dark silky hair flowed down the woman’s back standing out in contrast against the simple white dress she wore. Her two male counterparts had their backs to me as well, oblivious to my presence as their bows glided effortlessly across their stringed instruments. Both men were so large that the cello and violin looked like toys and it seemed impossible that they could play so flawlessly with all the muscles in their arms.  

I had been so enthralled by the sight before me that I hadn’t noticed my feet moving of their own accord and leading me further into the clearing. Tall trees towered over me, reminding me of the giant sequoia of Northern California but that would mean I had just traveled from the East coast to the West in the blink of an eye. I don’t know why that was what I was focusing on, considering I just opened the greenhouse doors off my kitchen to find three strangers playing music in the woods.

Looking around, I noticed that even though the trees reminded me of sequoia’s, everything else about this forest looked foreign and strange. Ferns taller than me sprouted at the base of the trees. Spanish moss hung from everywhere, but the color was more blue-purple than the green I was familiar with. Thickets of brush had bushes full of flowers and berries I had never seen before. Even the smell of the forest was different, reminding me of freshly turned earth, chocolate, and honey.

Caught up in my inspection of the enchanting forest, I had taken my eyes off the three intruders, which was just another thing I could add to the long list of mistakes I had made tonight. I hadn’t even noticed that the music had stopped and had been replaced by the sounds of exotic bird calls until I brought my focus back to the musicians to see them all staring at me with smiles plastered across their faces.

“We’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.” The dark-haired woman said.

It took me a few seconds to piece together the words she spoke in a foreign accent. I was entranced by her face which was more beautiful than any I had ever seen before. Perfect wouldn’t even begin to describe her pale creamy skin, full heart shaped red lips, and unnaturally wide dark eyes rimmed with long thick lashes. Her face was narrow and elfish, giving her a look of innocence that contradicted the wisdom in her eyes. She raised a perfectly shaped brow in response to my delay.

“What? Who are you?” I said, unable to hide the wary edge in my voice.

“Who we are doesn’t matter. You are the important one, and we are here to escort you to our King.” She said while standing gracefully from the moss-covered piano bench in one fluid motion. She took a small step towards me, and I diverted my attention from her long enough to notice that the two massive men by her side had put down their instruments and taken a protective stance.

I hadn’t forgotten that I still held a knife or my cell phone. I didn’t like my odds against the two behemoths if they chose to take me against my will, but I wasn’t going to let them know that. “Listen, psycho, I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m calling the police right now.” Looking down at my phone, I swiped the screen to begin to dial when I noticed that I didn’t have any bars. My heart rate kicked up a notch and I glanced over my shoulder and prepared to run.

The door that led to my kitchen was nowhere to be found. In its place was nothing but dense, wild, unfamiliar woods.

The woman took one more step forward and raised a hand in an attempt to calm me. “You need not fear us, Calli. We mean you no harm. You should be excited to meet the King. After all, you’ve been betrothed to him since the day you were born.”

That statement had me forgetting about my escape problems and I started coughing in surprise. Shaking my head, I backed away slightly. “How do you know my name? You’re clearly mistaken, I’m not the person you’re looking for. Now, if you just show me the way out of here, I’d like to go home.”

The raven-haired woman’s smile turned sad, “You are the one, Calli. It’s time to come home where you belong.”

Backing away I felt my body press against something large and solid. The feel of cool metal penetrated through my robe and I felt a prick at my neck. Before I could fully lift my hand against the searing pain, I grew dizzy, The last thing I could recall before my world went dark was two strong arms sweeping my off of my feet, and bright kind eyes looking down at me with concern.

I woke to the sound of music playing in the distance and the feel of a hand brushing back my disheveled hair comfortingly. The gesture reminded me of my father after I’d had a bad dream as a child, and he’d sit with me until I fell back asleep. I let out a sigh of content, enjoying the moment until reality hit home. My father was dead. The forest, the piano, the musicians, it had all felt so real…was it all a dream? With a start, I opened my eyes and pulled away from the hand giving me solace, only to find a stranger sitting at my bedside. The light of the early morning streamed through my windows, providing just enough light for me to make out his features.

His skin was like caramel and his head was covered in a riot of long dark brown curls. Several days of stubble covered his broad face but it wasn’t thick enough to hide the dimples in his cheeks. He had a straight narrow nose and piercing grey eyes that showed nothing but concern.

Scrambling like a crab, I rushed to the other side of my bed until I ran out of mattress, and promptly fell on the floor. It would have been comical if it wasn’t so damn scary.

Daring to pull myself up enough so I could see the intruder, I pulled my robe closed and asked, “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?”

The man frowned but remained where he sat, even going as far as making sure that his hands were where I could always see them. He was dressed in fine clothes, made from rich fabrics. I could instantly tell by the old-fashioned style and ornate stitching that he didn’t buy them at a local shop. On top of his clothes, he wore light armor cast in silver. The chest plate held a symbol I had never seen before carved into it, yet somehow it called out to me as though it was familiar.

“My name is Thoron. I am so very sorry about earlier. Narian had been telling the truth when she said that we had been waiting for you for a long time. We thought you would have been informed about your past when you came through the passageway though. We didn’t intend to frighten you.”

Scooting forward, I propped myself up on my knees so I could get a better view of Thoron. “Well, you did a lousy job of not scaring me. What do you mean ‘informed about my past’? And, not that I’m complaining, but what am I doing back in my room?”

Thoron tilted his head and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch as he held back a smile. “I gather this means that your father didn’t tell you the truth of your lineage.” Sighing he added, “Your father came to our world a very long time ago and married the princess of our neighbor and closest ally. My father and your grandfather formed a treaty shortly after your birth and in their wisdom, they decreed that we were to be wed. Following your first birthday, your father disappeared with you and you were never to be seen again. Our kingdom is in peril, Calli.” Thoron pinched the bridge of his nose and when he lowered his hand, his gaze locked onto mine. “I know you must have many questions and I understand your fears. You know nothing of me, your past, or our people. But I must ask…will you return with me? I won’t let any harm come to you, and I don’t expect you to honor or engagement. If you wish it, I will bring you back here any time you ask. I’m asking you to trust me though. Please come with me.”

Sliding off the edge of the bed, he rounded the end to where I sat propped up on the floor.

His honest eyes pleaded, and he held out a hand. I had a choice to make.

Hesitantly, I took it. The moment I did, I knew I made the right choice.

The piano stopped singing its enchanting tune. I had answered its call. I was going home.