Gardens of Shadows

"Melody Piper has lunch with her father, but an important question comes up."

Characters
Melody Piper

The Pied Piper

Story
Lunch is a very important meal of the day. A time where students and faculty needs a moment to replace the nutrients that the body needs; the energy that was used for whatever tasks they had that day, be it that of princessology or dragon taming.

For those in the creative arts; it is arguably that those that partakes needs it most, as the way they went about to create life as they did, it costed their minds, body, blood, spirit, the very essence that makes a person them – at least, if you were to ask someone such as Duchess Swan.

In the end, it didn’t really matter. Lunch was important, it didn’t matter who, everybody needed to eat – well, except for Cedar Wood.

Melody Piper made her way through the hallways of Ever After High. It was lunch time and she was carrying two trays of food in both hands; one was meant for her, the other for someone that was near and dear to her heart. She silently bobbed her head to the music of the beat as a new demo she had been working on was blasting through her ears.

On many days, lunch was supposed to be spent times with friends, and for Melody that would have been correct. On days like these, she would have probably been with Ginger trying out one of her new delicious treat for her web show; or perhaps she would have hung out Faybelle or one of the other villain kids. Why not? Everyone knows that villains have the best songs.

But this day was not like other days, today she had someone else important to eat lunch with, and with a smile she reached her destination.

Slowly, with her hands full, she kicked at the door. She waited for an answer; waiting for someone to open the door to let her in. It never came. Despite the blaring music ringing in her ears, she could easily pick up sounds coming from the other side of the door – they were not the sounds of someone coming to let her into the room. With a smile, she rolled her eyes and shook her head as if to laugh at herself. Of course, she thought.

Balancing one tray on the other arm, she carefully reached over at the door of the classroom to knock, hoping this time to be a little bit louder.

Still no answer.

Melody sighed as she reached for the doorknob, being careful not to spill the contents in her arms as she made her way into the Muse-ic room.

“Dad?” Melody called out as she walked into the large classroom. As was to be expected, there were no students in the room; as because everyone was eating in the castle-teria, as they should. But as was expected, the room wasn’t as soulless as it should have been.

Melody sighed as she shook her head in disappointment. Grabbing both trays in both hands again, she made her way to the desk in the front of the room, making her way closer to the only other being.

Carefully, she placed both two trays down onto the desk in front of her and started to walk around the table – closer to the larger man. She could hear his soft breathing as he rested on top of the music sheets he had probably written not too long ago.

Melody shook her head with a small chuckle as she heard her father snore. He may have been a musical genius, but the noise he was making right now would even give Sparrow himself a run for the loudest racket – thankfully she had her headphones blaring to drown out what little bit she could.

She tapped her father on the shoulder, “Dad,” she spoke softly, “It’s time to wake up.”

He didn’t budge.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">This time with a little more force, she started to ram her finger. “Come on, dad.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">He just snored.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Come on,” Melody started to forcibly shake her father, “you need to eat.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Finally, movement; his eyes started to slowly open.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Huh?” Piper spoke, “Melody…shouldn’t you be in class?” he said groggily, his mind was clearly not in the here and now.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Dad,” Melody answered in a soft tone, “Its lunch time,” she smiled, “You need to eat.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">With a grunt, her father did as he was told. He begrudgingly picked himself off of all of his unfinished musical sheets; he started to pop his neck as if trying to wake up.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Despite the father and daughter having completely different taste in music, the two of them still had the same mindset when it came to the creation process; that when writing music that they would tune out the world until they had completed their masterpiece - which they would skip out on meals and sleep until their song was completed. Melody was sure that if Ginger wasn’t her roommate, she would have starved long ago.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Scratching under his beard, Piper took one more look at his notes. The upcoming muse-ical concert was a big event coming up, so it was important to him that everything was perfect for it – but still.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Dad,” Melody cleared her through, “Food. Now.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Her father shook his head, looking back up at his daughter with a smile. “My apologies, Melody.” He said as he started to clear his desk, stacking his sheets into the corner. Smiling, Melody briskly walked over into a corner to retrieve a chair and brought it back to the desk facing her father on the opposite side.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">As Melody took her seat, she reached for the side of her head to remove her headphones. Placing them to the side of the desk, she looked at her father with a smile – her father, pushing away the last of his work to the side, returned her with a warm smile of his own.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">When it came to the Piper house hold, it is unsurprising that the small cottage would be filled with the sound of music – be one side filled with classical soothing music while the other shakes with the sound of techno; there was always one time during the day when the small home went silent.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It was the time when the two would gather together to eat; where all music would be turned off - Piper and his daughter sitting there in silence; enjoying one another’s company.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody stabbed another piece of lettuce from her salad. Taking a bite, she looked over at her father – her face twisted as she grimaced.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It was true. Some people liked their peas porridge hot. Some liked their peas porridge cold. The Pied Piper enjoyed his peas porridge that were in a pot, nine days old. Melody’s stomach churned as she watched as she watched her father gulp down another spoonful, with a smiled on his face - she could almost smell the expiration in the air; and her father was just smiling as if it was the greatest thing in the world.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She needed to get her mind off of “that,” so she cleared her throat. With mouth full of peas porridge, Piper looked over at his daughter.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“So, dad,” Melody spoke up, breaking the silence, “So, how are things coming along for the Muse-cal concert?”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Wiping away the bit of gruel on his lips, her father swallowed before answering, “Everything is… a little rough about the edges,” he spoke earnestly, “The first years are trying their best…but…” he started to trail off, “You know…it would be better if yo-“

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Not happening.” Melody shook her head with a wave, declining the offer before it was even put on the table.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Of course,” Piper chuckled to himself as he picked up another spoonful.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">For the two whom seemed to be on different levels when it came to their love of music, the father and daughter duo had both appreciated what the other was doing. While sure, Melody’s music first started out as a type of “rebellion” against her father for putting so much “classical” style on her at a young age, It was her father himself that was there for her first Techno concert – despite the fact he couldn’t “Pop and lock it,” his words not hers, he was supportive of her from the very beginning. She was very appreciative of that, and if it wasn’t for his teachings she never would have gotten as far as she did.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">As a single parent, Piper did everything he could for his daughter.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It made her think of a lot of things - especially about them.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">For a moment, Melody just sat there, looking at her plate – her mind lost in thought.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Piper, catching onto this sudden tone change, looked over at his daughter, “Everything alright, Melody?” he asked, watching as she started to roll a small tomato around on her plate.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Yeah…” she lied, not really wanting to look her father in the eye – she was ashamed to have such thoughts coursing through her head at times like this, when it was supposed to be their very important father-daughter moment.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody put her fork down, “Hey dad,” she looked up at Piper, “What were my mother and father like?” she asked, “My biological parents?” Piper stopped, taken back.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">He placed a fork down by his porridge, as he looked at his daughter. “Honey,” he said with concern in his eyes, “Where did this come from?”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody turned her eyes away from her father, and why not? She had heard the story several times in her life – why did she need to hear about it again? There were many legacies in Ever After that was complicated to explain, hers was just the most…difficult. “I…I don’t know…” she admitted, “I guess with Parent’s Day coming up, I guess I just…” but her voice trailed off in thought.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Piper took notice of his daughter’s worried expression, he sighed as he sifted back into his seat – as if he had this type of thing on playback. He removed his glasses, “I don’t think I have ever met your biological parents, Melody.” He admitted. “At least, never from anything from ‘afar,’”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It was as if in that moment, it felt like Melody’s heart sank – though she wasn’t exactly sure “why,” it was the same thing she always heard.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Piper continued, “As I was playing out my story, I had to go through more than a hundred villages and towns to build a name for myself.” He said wiping his glasses clean, “So to pinpoint your birth place is impossible to do.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“It was one night when I was dancing with the children, that I took notice of a young boy. When I approached him to see why he wasn’t dancing, I noticed in his arms was a little baby with pure white hair – as pure as her soul.” He looked at his daughter, noticing that she had looked back at him when he said that. “When I saw the baby, I couldn’t help but reach out to her, and it was at that moment that it was as if destiny had intertwined us for the rest of our lives.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">The tale reminded her of the story that “Nana Pied” would tell her, about the night that she had found Melody’s dad in the arms of a child – and how founding him was as if it was fate had given him to her; a child whose voice had synced with her own musical tune.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It was how the legacy of The Pied Piper worked.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody scratched at her neck, a bit of goosebumps running up her neck.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Piper smiled, “And you know what? It was the greatest moment in my life.” He smiled at his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It was the perfect ending, my perfect happily ever after.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody looked up at her father; looking at that overly goofy smile she couldn’t help but to feel happy herself, to feel loved. “Yeah,” she smiled under his gaze, “thanks…”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Now, you need to eat,” Piper said almost in a mocking tone from earlier. “Lunch is about over.”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Yeah,” Melody laughed to herself before picking up the fork.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">And the two of them ate in silence.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Ever After High’s legacies always seemed to have some complications when it came to their stories. Charming’s never had to be biologically related to their previous - such as Darling was never releated Apple’s father. Hansel and Gretel was another example as Helga and Gus’ parents were twins born under their grandfather Hans.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">The Pied Piper story was another one. Such a fascinating story; with such a mystery that none had the answer. There is one theory, that all children that were “chosen” have shared DNA and being descendants from the original Pied Piper acting as the original “Adam” to his legacy – though, there just weren’t even solid evidence to one theory or another and that the mystery may die with the legacy.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">The only connection between them all is a mysterious child carrying the baby that would then become the next Pied Piper. Just another mystery added on. Who was the carrier? Was it just another child trapped in the musical tunes of the Pied Piper, or were they acting on the way of fate?

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">The day went by just like any other day. After the end of school, Melody Piper found herself laying down on a park bench in bookend, something she often did when she needed time to think to herself.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She couldn’t help but remember to times of her childhood when it was just her and her dad. She remembered one time when she ran away from home at the age of find to go find her biological parents, of course she didn’t know where to go nor did she have the money, she ended up just crying in a park until her father came to get her out of the rain.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She remembered back in school, back when students would often look at her with pity – outside of the “Ugly duckling” she was the only child she knew of that was “adopted” into a legacy and not be born into like majority of others. She knew other students felt sorry for her, as if she was not happy with her life, but she never understood why? She had a parent that very much loved her like no other; and blood had nothing to do with it. Sometimes, blood was just blood.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She loved her father more than anything.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">But…it wasn’t like it wouldn’t be nice to know where you came from.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody scratched her head in irritation; she needed to find a way to clear her head. Then she looked down at her backpack; she reached out.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Her father had always been there, both physically and mentally. She always knew he would be there for her. Even now, he was there in spirit. After all, she was to be the next Pied Piper.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody reached into her backpack, searching for her good luck charm that she had carried to all of her concerts; and even now, she knew the love that it contained.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She pulled out a flute; the family legacy flute that her father played, the one her grandmother played. How many generations had it passed to be in her hands right now? She didn’t know. It was proof of a family that didn’t need blood.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She stood from her bench and brought the flute just outside of her lips reach. True, she may be more into “modern” music, but even she appreciates the classics.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Then she started to play; a tune started to echo through the air.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">It was a tune that Melody remembered Nana Pied playing for her to help her sleep at night. It was a score, which to Melody, brought back memories of days long past. It was something that she remembered hearing before she even having memories.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She could feel herself swaying to the tune - back and forth, back and forth, in a rhythmic motion.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She remembered the lyrics, the lyrics her father would sing to her, as it would ease her troubled heart as she slipped from the day’s excitement and into the night’s cool embrace. Words she felts were ingrained into her very soul.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">As Melody continued to play her tune, she started to sing the lyrics she was taught. She started the song that was passed down the Pied Piper legacy.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Come little children, I’ll take thee away.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Into a land of enchantment.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Come little children, the time’s come to play.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Here in my garden of shadows.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">As Melody continued to play, her feet started to move. Losing herself to the music as she started to hop around, dancing to her own tune.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Follow sweet children, I’ll thee the way.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Through all the pain and the sorrows.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Weep not, poor children, for life is this way.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Murdering beauty and passions.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">At this point, just like any musician, Melody had finally lost herself to the music; dancing around to the rhythm that coursed through her blood and veins - a nostalgic tune. She couldn’t stop.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Hush now, dear children, it must be this way.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> To weary of life and deceptions.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Rest now, my children, for soon we’ll away.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Into the calm and the quiet.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody finally brought her song to a close, a soft smile on her face. She looked down at the flute in her hand, playing her favorite song was always a way to calm herself.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She felt something tug at her skirt. “Ma’am”

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody jerked to see who it was, only to have to look down at the little person standing behind her.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">“Are you done playing?” the child spoke up. Melody had only seen her only a couple of times before, she was one of Coral Witch’s friends from Spellamentary School, her name was Femme, and she was the “Daughter of the ‘Boy who cried wolf.’” She wasn’t the only one that was there.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Melody was looking at a group of kids behind her, apparently each one had come running to listen to her song. Several kids she doesn’t think she had ever met came to see her play.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">Each one was looking at her with eager gaze, waiting to see, or hear, what her answer was going to be.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">As Melody looked at the small children, she couldn’t help but feel that something about the children’s gaze just seemed so…right. She had always found that children were more…how could she put it, they felt more “honest” then most people her age. The way they looked at her was more on curiosity as they looked at her with their pure intentions. It felt like they were incapable of lying even if they wanted to.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">In a way, the gazes they were giving her almost felt familiar, like shadows of the past – white orbs looking at her as if enchanted.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She quickly shook off that thought for the moment. Then she looked back at the children; each one still staring at her, hoping to hear her answer.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She said nothing, but she smiled at the children, and they smiled back.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">She played her flute.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);">The children danced.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Come little children, I’ll take thee away.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Into a land of enchantment.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Come little children, the time’s come to play.

<p style="outline:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:15.12px;font-family:"LucidaGrande","LucidaSansUnicode","GNUUnifont",Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;list-style:none;margin:1.286emauto;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(42,42,42);"> Here in my garden of shadows.