It’s already sunset by the time I finally leave the Music lab and head to the cafeteria. I’d been in there since noon and couldn’t wait to get out. As it’s the second semester, the time I’ve been spending in there had decreased. Only this time I’d had to stay a little longer to work on a duet. The girl on the violin wasn’t used to working with a partner, and she always had a way of drowning out my piano. Usually I would have partnered with Benjamin, as he has such a way of control over his cello that at times it’s hard to remember that it is not actually a part of him.

If we hadn’t been assigned partners by our lecturer, I would definitely would have partnered with him. Not only does he have an uncanny ability to always know what needs to be done to make our renditions flawless, but his smooth baritone perfectly matches my mezzo soprano.

My assigned partner, Mary, however has such a meek voice that I always have to rein in my own so that she can be heard. Although her singing voice isn’t going to matter much if she goes into classical music professionally, she needs to realise that will we still be graded on our vocal control.

She doesn’t put as much effort into training and strengthening her vocals as she puts into her violin lessons. I have warned her on numerous occasions that it will be to her downfall in the future, but it’s useless as she only pays attention when someone is complimenting her.

I guess I could understand her annoyance at me telling her what to do. I have been playing the piano since before I even turned two, and had been proclaimed as a child prodigy. Someone like me, in her opinion, wouldn’t know what it’s like to be like her and actually have to work hard to achieve the skill she has. I might not have as much trouble as the next person when it comes to learning a new score, but I still understand the pressure of having to perform at perfection.

After all, when you’re a child prodigy everyone expects you to perform as if you are some kind of super human. A single mistake, or not even a real mistake, maybe seemingly not having enough emotion in your performance will be seen as a failure.

Prodigies are supposed to be perfect.

Its only as I’m crossing the field to the cafeteria I notice how empty the grounds are. The sun had just gone down and there was no one else in sight. I shiver and take my beanie out of my pocket, pulling it down over my ears. The nights have gotten colder as winter approaches and my breath condenses in the air as I breath.

Just then, I see something out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn around nothing is there. I pause, wondering if someone is pulling a prank on me, but when I don’t see anything I carry on.

I must be way too tired if I’m seeing things, all these late nights are messing with my imagination. I wouldn’t admit it to Jin, but I’m actually glad that I don’t have to go to work tonight.

Wait. Again. That sound.

I turn, my heart a hummingbird in chest, and look around trying to see what it was. Trying to see who it was.

“Hello?” I call out, “Hey, whoever you are this isn’t funny!” I get no response as I squint trying to see into the shadows.

The field is lined by a row of aspens that are breathtakingly beautiful in the day, but are extremely eerie at night. The light from the floodlights hardly breaks the darkness of the corpse of trees. I don’t know if I’m imagining the rustling in the branches but I don’t wait to see what’s there.

I turn around and walk faster to the cafeteria, hardly breathing as I try not to break into a sprint. 

Again. The sound. It’s there again. Faster this time.

Closer too.

This time I don’t turn around.

I just run.

I’ve hardly covered half the distance when suddenly I’m struck from behind. The force of the blow sends me to me knees with a scream. I try to get up, blood running down the back of my head from the trauma, but before I can get to my feet and start running, I’m hit for the second time. Harder this time.

My thoughts slowly swirl out of focus as I collapse onto the ground.