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 Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 6:29 pm
As Keichi floated past, Sakurai followed him, trying not to trip over some of the mess while he walked. He had to admit that he was a bit glad to be here. If he never came here, he wouldn't know that there was actually someone here, though Keichi was a ghost. At least Sakurai didn't need to worry anymore about the floating candelabra that the town's rumors were constantly focused on. Though his kind host hadn't said much, if anything, about the candelabra, it seems that he was the one controlling it.
It was then that he wondered about his parents. They must have been worried sick about him, especially since he hadn't come home despite the storm. If only there was a way to tell them that he was perfectly okay. He'll probably have to think of an explanation as to why he was gone for at least a night. Well, if the rain stops tomorrow so he can go back home.
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:09 pm
Keichi led the way to a guest bedroom. "You can stay here until the storms stops. " The ghost placed a hand on the door but it didn't move under his touch. He frowned and the candelabra flared back into blue and greens, but still the door didn't budge. He gave a tortured sort of laugh and let his hand drop. "I can't go in there."
He seemed rather surprised and a little sad at his inability to open the door. The spirit shook his head, "You are welcome to make yourself at home Sakurai. If you need anything just ask." He seemed rather hesitant all of the sudden. Keichi absently scuffed the toe of one shoe against the floor, or rather a few inches above the wooden floor. He wasn't really sure what he should do next, even alive he hadn't been that great at relating to people. The result was his hesitation here. He backed up a few more paces and began to fade.
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 9:17 pm
Sakurai wanted to say something, but whatever words he wanted to say were caught in his throat. He wasn't really sure if there was anything he would request anyway. All he could do was watch as Keichi began to fade. Of course he knew it wasn't like the ghost was going to disappear for good, but he couldn't help feeling a bit sad.
How long had Keichi been living alone? Sure, according to the rumors, the owner of the house wasn't seen for about fifty years, but that couldn't be near his age, right? It doesn't seem possible, but it could be. If only Sakurai knew what he could do to help. Now that he knew there was nothing to be afraid of in this house, he was already beginning to think of how sad Keichi must have been to always see someone run away from his house.
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 9:32 pm
Thunder rumbled close enough the the glass in the windows rattled, and lightning flashed brilliantly outside. Keichi actually started and looked up, his candelabra hitting the floor with an odd ringing sound as he vanished. He hadn't really done more than disappear from sight, feeling a little foolish at allowing himself to be startled by something as common as thunder.
The spirit hung motionless as he tried to recover enough dignity to pick up the fallen candelabra. It wasn't as if he needed the light, he'd been raised in this house. As a child and later as a teenager he'd roamed these very halls in the dark of night without aid of a candle to warn the servants or his parents of his escapades. It was as if the candelabra was the focus of his being here. He wasn't sure why but he was always nearby this particular one. It was familiar to him, much like a security blanket to a toddler.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 5:59 pm
Sakurai had entered the room just before the lightning struck, but he still heard the sound of something dropping. For a second, he wanted to go back outside to see if something was wrong, but he remained in the room. It wasn't like he would be able to do much anyway, though he still somewhat wished he at least peeked outside to see if anything was the matter.
Maybe the sound was just a part of his imagination. Maybe Sakurai was just still in a bit of shock and the lightning was just very sudden. He didn't know what the problem was for sure, but he knew he couldn't just linger around it. It wasn't anything important, so all he needed to do was let it go. All he heard was just a hallucination. That is, if it wasn't Keichi just making an accidental sound.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 6:24 pm
When Keichi was certain he was alone, he stooped to retrieve the candelabra. He was still uncertain what to make of the boy's sudden appearance in the storm, but something told him that he could trust him. The candles flickered to life after a moment or two and the spirit drifted down the upstairs hallway, thinking as he slipped into a path he'd traced every night since he died.
Maybe, just maybe this occurance would spell an end to his being bound to this place. He shook his head as he drifted into the upstairs music room. A grand piano stood in one corner of the smoothly polished wood floor, half covered by a sheet. The bench had been half pushed away from it as if there had been someone playing and been disturbed. A harp stood nearby, its outline masked by the protective sheet over the top of it. The long windows lit up as another flash of lightning sent long shadows across the room followed by another window rattling crash of thunder. Keichi sat down on the piano bench and ran one finger lightly along the dusty keys.
It was no surprise to him that his finger made no impression on the dust that blanketed the piano keys. He set his ever present candelabra beside the music stand. He put both hands to the keys and began to make the motions of playing the piano, even though the keys didn't move at first soon music began to play. As was his usual concentration at this point, he didnt notice the candelabra come to hover behind him and that the keys did begin to move, seemingly on their own.
It was a sad peice of music, seeming to hold the ghost's loneliness and the faint hope that somewhere was someone who had missed him. The music was as intricate as it was sad and seemed to take all of Keichi's concentration. Here was talent that would have made favorable impressions on royalty and commoner alike, wasted by an early ill timed death. He played on oblivious that the music drifted down the hallways with an almost eerie quality.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 7:13 pm
It wasn't long before some faint music was heard. Curious, Sakurai left the room and walked toward the sound. He had never heard something like it, so he wanted to know what could be causing the music. He probably wouldn't be surprised if Keichi was the one responsible. There had to be something he could do to relieve the apparent loneliness that had lingered in this house for half a century. Of course, Sakurai was only making a guess.
It seemed a bit strange to him that he wasn't out of this house yet. He once was convinced that a single sound a ghost would make could scare him to death. If anything, tonight's encounter really proved him wrong. Actually, Keichi didn't seem much like a ghost to Sakurai at all. He seemed more like a person who wanted someone to talk to. There was definitely no problem with that, even if the lonely person wasn't exactly human. Everyone needs somebody to talk to once in a while.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 7:38 pm
Keichi didn't seem to be aware of anything else as he played. He was silent as the first piece of music drew to a close. After a moment he started another song, this one as wildly eerie but with a certain toe tapping quality to it that reminded the listener of some Irish jigs and reels. There was still a certain loneliness to the music still but lively. The ghost wore a faint grin on his face as he played on, the music was challenging to him and his one true joy even after death.
The dark haired spirit didn't pay any mind to the odd effect he was having on the room, even the storm seemed muted as if the clouds themselves listened to the music he played. A few flames of spirit fire danced around behind him, seemingly in time to the music he played. This was perhaps the only thing that had kept him sane since his spirit had been caught up here.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 7:51 pm
Sakurai stopped walking just a few feet away from the source of the sound. Sure enough, Keichi was playing the piano, but, at the same time, not exactly. At a closer look, the keys didn't seem to move, and yet music was coming out of the piano. Maybe this was something that only happens to a ghost. Was playing piano a hobby of Keichi's? Perhaps a way to pass the time?
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:11 pm
Keichi paused as the song drew to a close. He was abruptly aware that there was someone in the room with him. The ghost turned slowly and looked at Sakurai. For a long moment he said nothing, the flickering spirit lights making him look slightly creepy. His face held a note of loneliness almost to the point of madness. When it dawned on him that he wasn't alone, his face changed to something like a normal persons.
"Was there something you needed?" He didn't rise, the spirit flames flickered once and died. The ever present candelabra settled on the piano beside him. "Did my playing disturb you? I can stop."
Keichi wanted to talk but he wasn't sure where to start or even what he could talk to the boy about. He looked down at his hands uncertainty reflected in his posture. The spirit looked up and gave a wary smile.
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:50 pm
A bit surprised that he had been discovered so soon, Sakurai stepped out of where he was supposedly hiding. "I'm sorry," he said quite guiltily. "I wasn't disturbed at all. Actually, I just like the music and wanted to listen to it." He then blushed a little, embarrassed at having to say this, but it wasn't such a bad thing to say. In fact, he really meant it as a compliment. "Anyway, do you know any other songs?"
Sakurai stepped just a little bit closer to the piano, hoping to see Keichi's fingers move again and thus hear music again. Of course, if the ghost decided not to play the paino anymore, then it was his decision.
Just a little while ago, however, before Sakurai stepped out, he was sure that there was an aura of loneliness. It could be expected if the aura came from Keichi, but it was still troubling. If only there was something that Sakurai could do to help the ghost...
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:02 pm
The ghost turned and faced the keys again with a half smile. He did like playing and if he had an audience at least he wouldn't be alone for awhile. "What would you like to hear?"
Fingers poised over the keys, he ran a quick light arpegio (sp?) on the keys. "I know most of the modern music." Of course, modern to him was about five decades old. "Of course if you like classical music I can do that as well."
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 12:44 pm
Sakurai nodded only slightly. "I guess classical music is preferable," he said with a smile. "Are there any tunes that you like to play?" Even the ghost had to have some kind of favorite music, right?
He didn't know what Keichi thought, but Sakurai somehow wanted to hear something from Sergei Prokofiev. The way that man composed different kinds of music was amazing, since he had used different tunes to identify characters. Somehow, it had all blended into a complete story.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 4:40 pm
Keichi smiled and straightened. He was playing for an audience now after all. The ghost chuckled, a strange sound, almost self depreiciating and began to play music from the Pirates of Penzance. It was far from being classical but it was the first thing that popped into his head. He shot a look back over his shoulder as he finished the first song to judge how his music was being received.
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:14 pm
Sakurai now became still as stone, careful not to do anything that would distract Keichi in any way. He was afraid that if he made any sudden movements whatsoever, the ghost would stop playing and wonder what was going on. Besides, just standing and listening seems respectful.
Feeling a bit lost in the music now, Sakurai let all his worries go away. He almost forgot who and where he was, but that's just the effect music has on him. In a way, he was somehow glad that he had gotten lost in the fog.
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