Chapter 1
Lucas
“Did you buy everything I asked you for?” Grandma was always so anxious.
I smiled, sliding the keys into the lock. I grabbed my jacket on the way out. “Yes, everything on the list has been bought. See you later.”
I loved finally being able to be free. After hours spent playing on the PC, between illegal porn videos and video games, I needed a bit of fresh air.
And besides, today at Tits & Tequila they had quite a show lined up.
There were so many interesting dancers, I certainly couldn’t pass up the chance.
It was as if everything I had seen through a screen came to life that night. I stopped being the loser still living with his grandma and turned into a man.
I was like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
I cut through a dead-end, dark alley.
There was a man, leaning against the wall with a violin on his lap.
He looked really out of place. When had there ever been room for such art in the Reef?
I found myself watching him, my hands tucked into the hoodie’s pockets, as I walked past him.
Then the bow blocked my way, resting against my chest.
“Hey, Paganini. Get the fu—”
He gave a smug little smile. His gray eyes gleamed in the shadows, lit only by the yellowish glow of one of the streetlamps at the end of the road. The bulb also gave off an annoying buzz, as if it were about to go out at any moment.
“Interesting comparison, allow me to amaze you. Just for two coins.”
I wasn’t really in the mood to waste time, but, resigned, I let him. The show wouldn’t start until eleven anyway; I still had a few minutes to kill.
The man smiled and adjusted the violin, holding it under his chin. Then a celestial melody began to reverberate through the street. My eyes widened, captivated by that magic. It was insane how all the notes blended together, overlapped, chased each other in an ever more enveloping musical trail.
I leaned my back against the wall, half-closing my eyes. It was like being rocked by the waves of the sea. I moved my head, swaying it from side to side, keeping the rhythm. I felt my lips curl into a relaxed smile.
Then the symphony sped up, became intense, like a race that would leave me breathless. I felt my heart leap into my throat; I couldn’t breathe. I tried to take a step, but my muscles were frozen. How was that possible? Deep down, terror was screaming at me to leave, but my mind wanted to stay there forever.
My legs were anchored to the ground, nailed in place by that heavenly music, bewitched by the violinist’s fingers moving with mastery, caressing the strings with the tenderness a lover would devote to the soft skin of their beloved.
And then I collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. A stabbing pain sent sharp pangs shooting through my skull. Yet I remained there, peeking at the glowing dots lighting up that fragment of sky, wedged between the rooftops of the crumbling houses.
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Hi, first of all I wanted to say that English is not my native language, so I apologize for any mistakes. Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy my story 💞
