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Sunlight beamed into the room and kept it almost unbearably warm. The AC was working hard but not hard enough for the children in the room. Kel’s complaints were silenced by a gentle nudging from Hero. Kel responded by slamming himself into Hero’s arm with little to no success in knocking over his older brother who just laughed sheepishly as he tried to focus on what was going on in front of him instead of his younger brother. Aubrey, while burning up, kept silent and respectful. She was looking forward to the little show. Basil wasn’t there. He was helping his grandmother with something.
Basil walked with Aubrey to Sunny’s house. His heart felt heavy and there was a lump forming in his throat that was just getting harder and harder to swallow. His skin was pale and it looked like he had seen death itself. Aubrey was confused by this and asked if he was alright. He dismissed it each time she asked. She asked quite frequently on the way there. It honestly made her feel a bit anxious. She shrugged it off, maybe he was nervous for his friends having to perform in front of such a big crowd. They made it to Sunny’s house.
The big duet was tomorrow and the siblings wanted to show off their skill as well as practice in front of an audience before the big day. They wouldn’t get a chance to rehearse again tomorrow so it was best to get it out now. Sunny seemed bored, he’d rather watch tv than be forced to perform again. They already had gotten everything down so why did they have to do it again? Mari on the other hand seemed rather excited to show off all their progress even if it did spoil the awe slightly at the actual duet.
Hero and Kel took their time in heading over considering they lived right next door. It had been a hectic morning but Hero was sure all the stress would be worth it when they saw that beautiful performance. Kel was determined that now was the time to show his most prized talent. Something he declared was much better than piano or violin. He knew it was his moment to shine when he showed off that he had the loudest clap in the auditormion. His applause would simply be the best! Hero just gave his brother a pat on his back as they reached the front steps of Sunny’s house.
Mari seemed confident albeit a bit nervous. Hero reassured her that the two of them would do great. Sunny seemed bored and rather disinterested. That is until he got Aubrey’s support. Sunny fiddled with his hands and seemed a lot more adamant on getting their little performance started. Mari and Hero looked at each and shared a small laugh before the siblings got into position. Mari sat down on piano and let her fingers rest against the cool keys. It made her feel grounded. Sunny picked up the violin and bow then rested it on his shoulder the way Mari had showed him. Sunny felt rigid.
The four of them rang the doorbell. Nobody opened the door. They rang again. Nobody came. They rang a third time. They were getting nervous. Hero took out his extra set of keys. Mari and Sunny’s parents had given Hero an extra set since the two boys often took care of the house when the family was away as well as the families were close and felt they could trust the brothers (the older brother more specifically.) There was a heavy weight in the room that all but one couldn’t explain as they walked in. They called out the kids' names as they knew the parents were already at the auditorium waiting for them. They were growing scared.
Mari’s hands glided across the keys as a beautiful sound filled the air. Her actions felt so flawless and smooth that the others couldn’t help but be in awe of their friend’s skill. Sunny was the only one who wasn’t entrapped. To him, it was his sister, not anything special or new. He wasn’t really listening to the beauty of it but rather listening for his que. He counted down in his head so he wouldn’t miss his part. When the internal counter got to 0, he joined in as he moved the bow up and down in a practiced motion.
They heard a muffled cry yet had trouble locating it. It was Basil who pointed out the source of the sound. It was coming from the backyard. The four of them made their way outside to join Sunny. And what they saw.. It was something they’d never forget.
The song went on for around 2 minutes yet it felt all too short yet all too long. A song that stretched for eternity yet only lasted a second. Somber and delicate yet full of life and pride. A goodbye and a hello. It invited you with warm arms to listen yet covered your ears with its overwhelming sound. It was graceful yet clumsy. The song was indescribable. Only one word could start to capture its essence. Beautiful.
Her silky locks of raven hair flowed in the soft breeze as she swayed back and forth. She wore an elegant white dress that hung heavily against her frame. Her white socks seemed ruined with dirt yet it couldn’t dare take away from the beauty that was Mari. Her pale white skin glowed beautifully as the sun shone onto her. Hero choked and covered Kel’s eyes. The rope embedded itself into her throat, restricting her airflow and snapping her neck. Her body was covered in bruises that contrasted against her pale skin. Her hair covered most of her face except for one eye that was opened widely in a haunting expression. Aubrey let out a scream.
Mari felt out of breath when she stopped playing. She was so entranced in the song that she had to take a moment when her part was finished. She blinked for a moment. It felt almost like when you opened your eyes from meditation. The music still continued to play so she turned her eyes to Sunny who was finishing up the song. His previous rigid structure had disappeared as he closed his eyes and truly lost himself in the song. As much as he hated the hours wasted by the duet, he could never deny that it had become a part of him by then. It was something he could lose himself into just as much as Mari.
A young boy knelt down by her hanging corpse. He screamed and cried into her legs as he held onto them desperately. Almost as if he was begging her not to go, as if he was trying to drag her back down from the heavens. His screams were agonizing as he begged for his sister to wake up. Yet his sounds were deaf to all of them. Kel felt scared as Hero covered his eyes. He desperately clawed at his big brother’s arm. Hero’s arm didn’t budge, his grip on Kel’s face just grew tighter the more Kel tried. Aubrey stood there in shock. She felt like her knees were going to collapse. A loud sob left her lips as she forced herself to look away. Her eyes were screwed shut as she tried to wipe away the never ending stream of tears that just kept coming. She refused to look at the horrible sight for even one more second. Hero couldn't do the same. Tears ran down from his cheeks and fell onto Kel’s head. He couldn’t look away from the sight of the love of his life hanging there. He wanted to. He wanted to look away so bad but his body just wouldn’t move. Basil’s mouth felt dry. He looked away and fidgeted with his hands. He shifted from one leg to another and couldn’t seem to find a comfortable pose. His body was shaking. He wanted to run.
Sunny slowly set down his instrument as he finished. He had a similar experience to Mari as he slowly brought himself out of the trance of music. The room was quiet for a moment before it broke out into the applause of the others in the room. The two siblings looked at each other with hearts full of pride as they were showered in praise from their friends. They felt confident with their performance and with themselves. For once, they had a feeling that they had something special. They felt like they were on top of the world. Like nothing would ever be the same again.
Everything was going wrong. The world seemed to spiral out of control. Screams and cries filled the air as the loss of their friend truly settled it. None understood why such a tragedy would have to occur. It shook them all to their very core. Everything they had worked for was gone. The sisterhood between Aubrey and Mari was destroyed. The love between Hero and Mari could never grow again. The teasing relationship of Mari and Kel had shattered. The gentle support with Mari and Basil was gone. The duet that Sunny and Mari had worked endlessly on was useless now. The friend group that once stood so strong, built from the ground with all of their efforts, collapsed with a single blow. They felt like they were at rock bottom. Like nothing would ever be the same again.