Lonely Violin

All alone. All alone in that small room. There was no one to quell her fears; no one to wipe her tears. She was all alone save for her precious violin. She knew she mustn't touch it for they would come if she played, but oh how she longed to hold it; to rest its polished wood under her chin and stroke it's lovely strings with the elegant bow, but it was cursed.

She had given so much to have it in her possession and even after it continued to take from her. She gave time, money, and eventually her soul, but the seller never told her it would take her health...her life shortly thereafter. They never told her she would be bound to it’s accursed tune. It had passed through many hands, each one tossing it away after she revealed herself. She had to scare them. She didn’t want it to claim another victim. She was the only thing standing in the way of certain death. The only one who could prevent their families from feeling the heartache of loss, but she was also the cause of the demons leaking into this world.

The curse that cost her a long life would call out to her begging her to play, but with every solo concert they would come. How they would tempt and threaten her in the dark to stop playing. It was only in the darkness they could get her as they had in the past and it was only the power of the violin that could keep them at bay. It’s haunting tune was a siren call to the demons, but also a ward against them.

It started calling to her; quietly at first as the sun had just set, but growing louder and more urgent as the night went on. Her fragile will began to crumble. She couldn’t help but stroll over to it without stretched hands feeling the strong need to caress it. Entranced by its silent song she held it and soon she was playing the song that had marched her to her death. It was the only song the cursed violin would let her play, the devil's song.

By her music they came. Hordes of them were crawling out from the shadows taunting her with insults and beckoning to her with her heart's darkest desires. Even offering her a second chance at life. All of the demons in the room wanted her to stop playing, so that she may join them in hell. A few became frustrated and began to grab at her, never hurting her ghostly flesh, but slowly tainting her soul. She wept, for she knew this would have never happened if she hadn’t bought the violin with her friend’s money. She would still be alive and well. Not dead and fighting for her after life with demons. Not forced to be a silent protector for other musicians whose greed would lead them down the same path.

She grew so weary, but she mustn't stop until dawn or else they would win. She looked out the window and begged the sun to rise; for those golden purifying rays to grace her presence, and to her joy it did her bidding. The sun’s rays streaked across the floor vanquishing the demons to piles of ash or forcing them into the shadows. Like cockroaches they scattered hissing at the dawning of a new day. Then all was quiet. The violin was no longer calling to her and the demons were gone. Once again, she was all alone in that small room. All alone save for her precious violin.