The Sounds of Silence

Silence fell over the auditorium, and the sense of anticipation was palpable. All the seats had been filled, and people sat motionlessly as if in a trance waiting for her to begin playing. She took her time to get comfortable. She enjoyed this part just as much as performing itself.

The second her long, slim fingers touched the piano keys, her body took over. Music flooded from her like lava from a volcano, an unstoppable force. Her performance continued undisturbed, and she forgot that the audience was even there. They didn’t matter. Now, only the music mattered. When Diana played, time lost its meaning. Her body told her when she was done performing. She had no list of what she would play and she never rehearsed. Instead, she simply gave herself to the music, a mere puppet ready to perform.

As she left the auditorium, colorful bouquets of flowers in hand, she enjoyed the memory of the night. She could still hear the echoes of her admirers' cheers. People who said that it was only about the art had clearly never experienced a standing ovation. There were few things as powerful and as electric. A big smile was still spread over her beautiful face as the car made impact.

Flowers flew through the air and drifted back to the ground in no real rush, landing softly as they decorated the ground in shades of pink, red, orange, and purple. Diana Levington, however, fell on the ground with a fatal, loud, bone crushing thump. Soon people all over the world would mourn the death of one of music’s biggest gifts.

“This isn’t what I signed up for,” the nervous doctor said in a hushed tone, looking around as if the walls had ears and loose tongues. He was sweating profusely and his mouth felt dry.

“You owe me, Doctor. We both know it,” the cold voice replied. There would be no negotiation. Sighing with defeat, the doctor went back into the room and completed the treacherous task that he would never forgive himself for.

A few months after Diana’s tragic death, a rumor began spreading amongst the people of Vienna. A scientist, Dr. Matthias Krohn claimed to have created a machine called The Neuroloop, and it was able to play Diana’s music from the grave. The concert was called Diana’s Requiem.

People were divided. Some longed to hear her play so much that they had faith in The Neuroloop. Others felt that the scientist was a fraud, taking advantage of those who loved and mourned the pianist. Those who were curious were more than enough to fill the auditorium. They paid insane amounts of money for the honor to witness the debut of The Neuroloop.

As the curtains opened, the silence that filled the room was different. This time, it was combined with tension and a hint of disbelief. In the corner of the stage, Diana’s favorite piano stood. People waited for a person to take the stage, but no one came. Instead, a strange, black box stood boldly on the piano.

A low murmur ran through the audience as the music began. Some closed their eyes and enjoyed the presence of Diana once again. Others stretched their necks in efforts to see more of the stage. After two hours of world class music, the curtains closed and the lights went on. The show was over. People were still confused by what they had witnessed.

As the audience made their way out of the auditorium, they all seemed to be in a daze. Over the next few days, their behavior became erratic. A woman who cried during the entire performance strangled her husband in his sleep. When questioned, she had no explanation why she did it. A politician who was known for being tough, burst out in tears mid-speech because he missed his childhood years. A young prodigy burned the skin of her fingertips with a flame torch because they itched.

Every single person who had gone to Diana’s Requiem was never the same again. Due to the sensational success of the performance, the scientist began advertising the performance worldwide. Pretty soon the biggest auditoriums in every massive city of the world had a date booked. People could not get enough of Diana’s ghostly encore. Dr. Matthias Krohn never did a single interview. He never explained how The Neuroloop worked. He didn’t need to. The music did all the talking.

As the months passed and the performances continued, violence around the world spiked. Dr. Matthias Krohn began to feel a dark presence within himself. He had never been someone who was frightened easily, but now, every night he closed his eyes, he heard the music play, and he was terrified. Filled with greed and a desire to be unforgettable, he announced one last performance simply known as The Last Movement. The tickets were so ridiculous, that only the world’s most powerful and wealthy could afford to attend Diana’s last concert. It sold out in under three minutes.

When the curtains opened, the crowd applauded in excitement. The silence that had always fueled Diana’s passion had been replaced by noise. There was nothing familiar about the music that came from the piano that night. From the very first note, it was thunderous, brutal, and beautifully violent. The audience sat motionlessly once again, but not because of the beautiful symphonies this time. Dr. Matthias Krohn stood behind the curtain, eyes fixed on the black box. As the final notes echoed on the stage and the curtains closed, the lights flickered and he was certain he saw a figure move towards him.

Dr. Matthias Krohn was never seen again, and neither was The Neuroloop. Those who had attended the concert prayed for silence to return to them, but it never came. Every day was filled with the chaotic melodies they heard that night.

If you ever wonder whether the melody you hear is simply your imagination, wish for the pleasure of silence to find its way back to you once more.