It was snowing. It was a night like in the picture books or fairy tales that my mother had always read to me as a child. The hilly landscape outside my window even reminded me of them. I couldn't sleep. -Like every night. I slept through whole nights with hate. Hate for him. Hate for Ramon Light. I smiled madly as I let my imagination run wild, savoring the most exciting scenes in a horror movie almost immediately as chocolate melted quickly on my tongue. I would have my revenge. The day would come. Soon I was well prepared. There was just one thing missing. Her. The pianist. I had to see her.
The chauffeur, Aurel Mauntierre, let me out of the car. He looked at me with a smile. He looked as charming and handsome as ever. He loved me. I knew it from Johannes Widder. My best friend's boyfriend. But I didn't reciprocate the feeling in the slightest. For whatever reason. "Au revoir mademoiselle." "Goodbye," I slammed the door shut. It fell into the lock with a thud and I turned and walked in the rain towards the soaked alleyways to the tower. Our meeting place.
She was already waiting. "Hello," she said with a smile and took a pleasurable drag on her cigarette. I wanted to shake her hand in greeting but she made no sign of returning it. "Up here," she said with a smile and glanced down the tower. "And a beautiful view," she took another drag on her cigarette and looked down at the sea. "I loved being here as a child. Just like you," she gave me an affectionate look. Even though Aunt Elizabeth Stone knew me very well, she didn't know what was hidden deep inside me under the mask I put on every day. The wind made the water ripple. "A storm is coming. Let's go," she said, wrinkling her nose. Elizabeth hated storms, not to mention romance movies. In both situations, she had disappeared as silently as she had arrived before anyone even noticed her. "I want to tell you something, Auntie," I kept my eyes on her, even when she exhaled with an annoyed hiss. "Then I'm curious." "I want your piano." She looked at me in horror. The storm was now howling through the beams of the tower. Elizabeth wheeled around, hurried towards the stairs and disappeared. I stood still, laughing. I threw my head back and laughed heartily. "I knew you would! You are," I mumbled. Drenched, I finally caught the next bus. Aurel was already waiting outside the park. I got on the bus. "Well, ma jolie," Aurel winked. I slowly turned around. I had already noticed him from a distance. "Bonjour madame," he said seriously. He gently took my hand in his. "Où sont la pianiste et la violoniste?" he asked softly, stroking my fingers tenderly. "Where are they?" His French accent was unmistakable. I shivered at his touch. "The violinist and the pianist are currently in Berlin," I said quietly. Our eyes met.
To be continued.
Rebecca Wolff
