Living for the Music
Prologue
The little girl walked carefully up the stairs, eyes on her mug of hot chocolate. Then, “Sophia!” a loud voice called. The girl stumbled as she tried to look around. Her mug fell, sending glass shards and hot liquid flying.
“Now look what you’ve done,” the voice sighed.
The girl looked up at her dad, lip trembling. “I want Mommy,” she whimpered.
Something flashed in the man’s red-rimmed eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “Mom’s gone,” he snapped harshly. “Now go get yourself cleaned up.”
Sophia almost ran into the kitchen, desperate to get something cool on her burning arms. The kitchen sink was too high for her to reach, even if she stood on her tiptoes. Finally, she ran out doors and buried her arms in the snow.
After a moment, the burning sensation had changed into a bone chilling cold. Sophia stood up and walked back towards her house. But when she pulled on the door handle, it didn’t open.
The girl waited a moment, then tried again, panicking slightly as she tugged on it. The door was always open! So why wasn’t it working? Finally, she gave up tears running down her cheek. She shivered in the cold winter and looked around, trying to find some way to get out of the wind.
She huddled by the fence, curled underneath a small pine tree. The wind wasn’t as fierce here, but the girl’s teeth were chattering. A small noise above her made Sophia glance up in time to see a pair of blue eyes staring down at her. The girl jumped slightly, sitting up in her shelter.
“Hi,” the boy said cheerfully. “Why don’t you have a jacket?”
Sophia shrugged warily. There was more noise on his side of the fence and the rest of his face appeared. “And where’s your hat? And mittens?”
The girl pointed towards her house. “Why’re they in there?” the boy continued. “You look cold.” Without waiting for a response, he continued on a different train of thought. “Were you crying? When I cry, my mommy makes it all better.”
“My mommy’s gone,” Sophia replied.
The little boy looked horrified. He opened his mouth to say something but a voice broke through the silence. “Seth! What did I tell you about climbing that fence?”
The boy disappeared, but Sophia could still hear him talking. “Mommy, there’s a girl over there and she doesn’t have mittens or a hat or anything!”
“What? But…”
“And she says her Mommy’s gone,” the boy announced.
A woman’s face appeared where Seth’s had been. “Oh,” she murmured softly. “What are you doing out here, hon?”
The girl pointed towards her house silently.
“Are you locked out?” Sophia nodded. “Where’s you dad?”
Sophia shrugged, glancing at her dark house. “Well, do you want to come inside?”
Sophia shook her head quickly. “It’s okay, hon. I’ll make you some hot chocolate and you can get warm while I try to find your dad.”
“Mom makes really good hot chocolate,” the boy – Seth – chimed in.
Sophia glanced between her house and the woman smiling at her before nodding quickly. She stood up and easily scrambled over the fence, following the others into the warm air.
“Now look what you’ve done,” the voice sighed.
The girl looked up at her dad, lip trembling. “I want Mommy,” she whimpered.
Something flashed in the man’s red-rimmed eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “Mom’s gone,” he snapped harshly. “Now go get yourself cleaned up.”
Sophia almost ran into the kitchen, desperate to get something cool on her burning arms. The kitchen sink was too high for her to reach, even if she stood on her tiptoes. Finally, she ran out doors and buried her arms in the snow.
After a moment, the burning sensation had changed into a bone chilling cold. Sophia stood up and walked back towards her house. But when she pulled on the door handle, it didn’t open.
The girl waited a moment, then tried again, panicking slightly as she tugged on it. The door was always open! So why wasn’t it working? Finally, she gave up tears running down her cheek. She shivered in the cold winter and looked around, trying to find some way to get out of the wind.
She huddled by the fence, curled underneath a small pine tree. The wind wasn’t as fierce here, but the girl’s teeth were chattering. A small noise above her made Sophia glance up in time to see a pair of blue eyes staring down at her. The girl jumped slightly, sitting up in her shelter.
“Hi,” the boy said cheerfully. “Why don’t you have a jacket?”
Sophia shrugged warily. There was more noise on his side of the fence and the rest of his face appeared. “And where’s your hat? And mittens?”
The girl pointed towards her house. “Why’re they in there?” the boy continued. “You look cold.” Without waiting for a response, he continued on a different train of thought. “Were you crying? When I cry, my mommy makes it all better.”
“My mommy’s gone,” Sophia replied.
The little boy looked horrified. He opened his mouth to say something but a voice broke through the silence. “Seth! What did I tell you about climbing that fence?”
The boy disappeared, but Sophia could still hear him talking. “Mommy, there’s a girl over there and she doesn’t have mittens or a hat or anything!”
“What? But…”
“And she says her Mommy’s gone,” the boy announced.
A woman’s face appeared where Seth’s had been. “Oh,” she murmured softly. “What are you doing out here, hon?”
The girl pointed towards her house silently.
“Are you locked out?” Sophia nodded. “Where’s you dad?”
Sophia shrugged, glancing at her dark house. “Well, do you want to come inside?”
Sophia shook her head quickly. “It’s okay, hon. I’ll make you some hot chocolate and you can get warm while I try to find your dad.”
“Mom makes really good hot chocolate,” the boy – Seth – chimed in.
Sophia glanced between her house and the woman smiling at her before nodding quickly. She stood up and easily scrambled over the fence, following the others into the warm air.
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Just an intro... time is gonna skip around for these first few chapters, then it'll settle down.More soon...