Midnight piano music by minyun
A bright and clean moon shines in the dark, starless sky. The clock strikes twelve, a piece of melancholic piano music wafts out of an old black house, hovering in the cold air, weaving in and out of the moon rays.
Dear David:
How is everything going? I have successfully found a job in the city! Now I am looking for a house to rent, Can I bother you to help me find a cheap one?
Yours
John
It was an early autumn morning. The air was light and slightly chilly. John put on his jacket and went out of the hotel to meet his friend David. He arrived at the meeting destination early. David was still on his way. He wandered around the residential area and stopped in front of an old black house.
A dull black color covered the walls of the two-storey high house. Under the soft sunlight, it seemed so detached from the lively, colorful world. Classical design of the structure made it look more extraordinary. And its ancientry made one wonder whether it was built in the last century. John was totally captivated and amazed by it. He just stared at it with a gap and couldn’t remove his eyes.
“Hey! What are you looking at?” David suddenly tapped John from behind.
“This amazing house!” John replied without turning his head.
Looking carefully at the house, David gasped with recognition: “This house!”
“What?” perplexed, John turned around and looked at David.
“The haunted house! People never came out once they lived inside! Others couldn’t find them! Neighbors always hear piano music coming from the house at midnight!” David shuddered.
“Nah! I never believe in ghosts!” John shrugged his shoulders, “Is it expensive to rent?”
“No. Nobody has rented it for a long time, it’s extremely cheap.”
“I have made up my mind. I am going to rent it!” John said, with determination and excitement. It was love at first sight for him.
Very quickly, John moved into the house in three days. Entering the house, John was astonished again! It was dark inside the house. Sunlight seemed to be unwelcomed guests in the black house. They were unable to penetrate the windows and light up the house. From the moment he entered the door, the only color John saw was black, making him a bit sad.
The clock struck twelve, it was midnight. A melody of sad piano music suddenly wafted from the top of the house and broke the stillness of the night. Puzzled and awake, John furrowed his eyebrows and gazed at the ceiling, wondering who was playing piano at midnight. Suddenly, he remembered the words David said three days ago. “Why not get up to have a look?” he jumped out of his bed as soon as his curious thought ceased to exist.
Mysteriously, the corridor’s light could not be switched on. John felt a bit nervous facing the pitch black darkness all around him. Hesitantly, he ventured into the heart of immense darkness, barely able to see the vague outline of the house and its objects. The night air was so cold that he was trembling. Walking along the dark corridor slowly and carefully, John could detect the fast thumping of his heart. The soft sounds of piano music mingled with the noisy sounds of his heart beat. His mind was confused. He could not think clearly. Instinct led him to the end of the corridor.
When he reached the end of the corridor, a shiny black staircase suddenly appeared, leading to the attic of the house. John widened his eyes and gawked at the staircase with his mouth open.
“What am I going to do? Go up or retreat? There might be unexpected danger in the attic!” John felt his throat very dry and swallowed hard. “But am I able to fall sleep if I go back to bed? There is no ghost in the world. There would be nothing horrible in front of me!” He tried to convince himself. His face was pale and taut under the dim moonlight.
Hesitating for a long time, he stepped up the staircase tremblingly, moving towards the attic in reluctant anticipation.
The door uttered a squeaking sound when it was opened slowly. John stepped into a shabby room and saw something unexpected. There was only a huge, beautiful, black piano shining in the moonlight! Unconsciously, John went near the piano and sat down on the bench. There was a piece of piano music score sitting on the piano. Without thinking further, John started to play it. John had never learned piano before. His fingers danced gracefully on the keyboards. They no longer seemed to belong to him. They were controlled by a very magical and powerful force! After finishing it, John wanted to have a rest. But the same kind of magical powerful force compelled him to continuing playing; and playing. He could not stop!
The next morning, John didn’t come out from that black house. Nobody could find him. Neighbors continued to hear melancholic piano music at midnight again!
