Frozen in time

I watched in horror as the footsteps came to a complete stop and the doorhandle began to rattle.

The sound of the screaming I could finally distinguish were that of children.

It felt so disturbing and raw,

I couldn't take it.

I pressed my hands on my ears and tried to muffle the screams, rocking myself back and forth as I stared at the ground, ready to surrender.

"Please let this end faster".

That was when I finally heard it again.

With each second growing stronger,

it was the same familiar melody, the same music,

I had heard it before,

but I couldn't remember now, my mind now felt fuzzy and everything around me started to wither away like dry paint.

I felt numb to all-over.

My surrounding started to fade out of existence and the distant melody continued to flow in the air,

fully enveloping me and drowning out everything else, like a soft and heavy blanket, comfortable.

I was numb I couldn't really feel my body, was I floating in the air? I couldn't tell.

Closing my eyes, I relished in this feeling.

After a few seconds I noticed the shift in the air,

it felt warmer, less heavy.

The smell of fresh lilies, wafted in the air and I opened my eyes slowly taking in my new surroundings.

I was in a valley of flowers,

as the breeze gently danced through my hair, it rustled through the leaves.

I reached down and plucked a white lily, the petals seemed so delicate.

The sweet scent soothing my nerves.

I looked up at the sky,

the sun was almost set and the sky, different shades of yellow and orange merged into each other rather meticulously,

like they were painted by the world's best artist.

"Am I dreaming? Where am I?"

I racked my brain trying to find answers.

This had never happened before.

At this point I wasn't sure if I was dreaming now.

It didn't make sense; my dreams never ended this way.

The scenery slowly started to change again,

the colours merging into each other and morphing into different shapes and before I knew it I was standing in front of a wooden door.

The only source of light seemed to be emitted from under the door, glimmering faintly in the surrounding darkness.

The music continued playing, repeating, though muffled still resonated from under the door.

Without thinking I gently pushed the door open and stepped inside soundlessly.

There was a man, his back towards me, he sat in a dark room in front of a majestic grand piano as the dim light of a single candle sitting on a stand casted shadow on the walls and created faint outlines of his silhouette.

The large window in front of him displayed the raging of an angry storm outside as the sound of thunder rumbled in the air and lightning flashed.

As if lost in a daydream or reminiscing a distant memory,

he seemed fully detached from his surroundings, his head lowered,

he continued to play a melancholic and calming melody.

Something about the music was soul-soothing and nostalgic, though also tragic.

It seemed to tell an old tale full of pain, longing, and betrayal.

The frail light seemed to fight the darkness in vain as the candle burned and finally went out leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Uncaring, he continued to play,

as if that was his sole purpose, to exist at this moment in time forever.

He seemed to be a part of this place, he belonged to this darkness.

He blended so well into the surroundings yet at the same time stood out so strikingly,

like a single rose left in a garden of ruins,

he too was now lost and forgotten.

Intrigued I slowly tiptoed closer, oblivious to the pain of what felt like small pieces of wood and tiny pebbles piercing my foot.

Afraid that any small movement could startle him I decided to sit on the cold and damp wooden floor leaning against a wall.

I closed my eyes, feeling an otherworldly sense of calmness and tranquillity for the first time as I slowly fell into a deeper state of trance and the music grew more distant as it lulled me to sleep.

The last thing I faintly remember was a small drop of tear escaping my eye and landing on my hand.