The strange but sweet melody rings through my ears, echoing with every note. It speaks to me, almost as if it were its own language.
Telling me how to play the song, though I’ve never played it before.
An image starts to appear in my mind. I sit on a bench by the water, the moon shining over the sea as the city lights fill the sky and outshine even the brightest of stars.
Nobody is around, except one person. A lady. She stands on the edge of the stone bricks surrounding the water while her long lilac coloured dress, laced along the edges, flows in the wind. She looks at the side of her shoulder, noticing me instantly and smiling.
The wind steals away her clear robe, revealing her pale arms as she walks towards me. A Masquerade ballroom mask covers her face, giving a mysteriously charming look. Just like the melody, something about her seems so wrong but feels so right.
“Dance with me, mon cherie” she says, holding out her hand.
Without thinking, I take it.
Step, step, step.
We dance to the beautiful melody, my chest touching the back of her narrow shoulders. She takes off her mask, not yet uncovering her face.
The waves get heavier and start to crash against the border.
Step, step, step.
She takes out her perfectly tied up bun, letting her long black hair flow.
And that's when she turns around. I let go of her, trembling in fear.
“What's wrong mon cherie? Don’t you want to dance?”
I fall back, her smile gets bigger, reaching her eyes.
“I-I…”
“DANCE MON CHERIE!”
Vines come out of her back, each one grasping me stiff as steel. She comes closer. Her mouth opens wide, ready to devour me.
Her shark-like teeth are exposed as they glow in the moonlight.
How do I save myself?
Most people would say, “stop playing the song.”
But what if I can’t?
What if my hands won’t stop moving?
What if I can’t escape back to reality?
Does that mean I'm trapped in this endless Nocturne forever?

Inspired by a piano song I'm learning:
Nocturne in c sharp minor (No. 20)
- Chopin

© joelleviray