Crescendo

At last we meet the final member of the immortal trio!

I'm not a musician myself, so I'd love some feedback on the section of this chapter when Enid is playing her cello!

It's been really fun writing something that's quite a bit out of my comfort zone.

♫ ♫ ♫

Enid ran a hand down her rosy golden curls as she exited the history building.

The cold air whipping it across her face and staining her cheeks red.

Her winter coat pulled tightly around her as she made her way back to her dorm building.

The morning had been long, with a math class at eight followed directly by American History.

She was exhausted, her mind filled with equations and constitutional amendments.

Her bag was thrown to the floor as soon as she entered her warm dorm room.

She slipped out of her shoes and coat and padded over to her bed.

Slipping under the covers, she promised herself she would only nap for a few minutes.

Then she would get up and practice for her first meeting with her music advisor.

Enid awoke two hours later to the loud laughter of a raucous group outside.

She grumbled as she turned over, trying to hold onto the last tendrils of sleep.

Her eyes flew open.

A glance at the clock sent her heart rate into overdrive as she jumped out of bed.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." She yanked on her boots and grabbed her cello as she rushed out the door.

She was already five minutes late.

The usual twenty minute walk to the music hall took her ten as she sprinted across campus.

Her run garnered quite some attention as she swung her cello case along with her, accidentally hitting a few students along the way.

Hurried apologizes were called out as she rushed by, not having the time to stop and make sure her victims were okay.

She didn't feel the cold until she was climbing the steps to the hall, only now realizing she had left her coat behind.

Stepping inside the hall, she looked down at her rumpled leggings and sweater falling off one shoulder.

So much for a good first impression.

Straightening herself out, she walked into one of the most beautiful auditoriums she had ever seen.

Her verdant eyes taking in the grand chandeliers and the divine painting that stretched across the ceiling.

The sound of a throat clearing broke her from her trance.

"You are late." His smokey voice called her attention to where he stood near the stage.

For a moment she mistook him for an angel.

Bright gold curls rested across his forehead, accenting his chiseled jaw and cheekbones.

His fair skin was incandescent under the warm lights of the concert hall.

He was tall and lithe, like a dancer. Yet, he did not lack in muscles, his white button down stretching tightly across his muscular chest.

His ethereal image did not clearly showcase his age, but he appeared to be in his early thirties.

Brown eyes like embers glowed as she sheepishly made her way toward him.

Tremors ran along her hands and legs as anxiety raced through her veins.

How ridiculous was she, late to her first meeting with the man who was going to be her new instructor.

"I'm so sorry, sir," she murmured as she took her final steps toward him, "I took a nap and accidentally overslept."

His disapproving eyes softened slightly, and he nodded.

"No matter. You are here now. Please do not make tardiness a habit, though. It is an irritant I simply cannot allow." His voice had a hint of an accent but was mostly American.

"It will never happen again. I promise, sir." She gave him her best smile, trying to shake off the last of her nerves.

"Good. Well, let us make introductions quick so we can catch up on any lost time. I am Dr. Drewitt and you are Enid McCarthy, I presume?" His hand stretched toward her in an offer to shake.

She clasped it gently.

"Yes, I- Wait. Drewitt as in Alexander Drewitt?" She tripped over her words as she came to the realization.

It looked as though a faint twinge of red flashed across his sharp cheekbones, but it may have been the light.

"Yes. That is me." His hazel eyes searched hers.

Enid nearly passed out.

"Oh my gosh. Wow. I- I'm sorry, I'm just so excited. I love your work. I saw you in concert when I was ten at Royal Albert Hall. You- you were such a huge inspiration to me." Her words seemed to tumble out in excitement.

She couldn't believe the man who had been called a musical genius from the age of five was going to be her instructor.

He was certainly blushing now.

"Yes, well. Erm, thank you for the kind words." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

She gazed at him in awe for a few moments before she snapped out of it.

"I'm so sorry, that was so unprofessional of me. I'll just go set up now." Enid turned scarlet as she realized that she had just gushed over her professor.

She climbed the steps onto the stage and sat her cello case on the floor beside the chair that sat at the center.

Swallowing back her embarrassment, she focused on taking out her cello and bow and sitting with the perfect posture her father had taught her.

Her eyes glanced back to his and she found that he was staring at her.

His eyes held an emotion similar to the two professors that she had met the day before.

She thought back to the question that Dr. Easton had asked her the morning before about if she had Dr. Romano or Dr. Drewitt.

She was suddenly struck with the realization that he must be the last member of the immortals.

"I just want to get a feel for your playing today. My constituents who were at your audition were beyond impressed and were actually quite jealous that I was the one selected to mentor you. Feel free to play whatever you please." He gave her a comforting smile and sat in a seat in the front row.

Enid gave a shaky sigh as she lifted her arm into the correct position.

What to play? She wanted to impress him more than she had ever yearned to impress anyone before.

Even her father.

She knew that her father would love her performance even if she missed a few notes.

However, this man was one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Her second time playing to a stranger and it was to him.

A glance at his warm eyes sent her into a memory of rainy days and hot cocoas with her father.

And then the music came to her.

Her eyes drifted shut as she gave into the pull of the instrument, her body swaying as she flew from one note to the next.

It was a complicated piece, the cello sounding almost like a human voice as it wove its sonorous tale.

As the tempo increased, she held tightly to the body of the cello with her legs, trying to keep from slipping.

Faster and faster her bow slid across the strings, the song building higher.

Waves crashing and lightning striking, she was consumed.

And then just as soon as she began, it ended.

Her final note hanging in the air as her eyes remained shut.

She exhaled the breath she had been holding while she played.

As her eyes gently opened, she found him standing before her, towering above her seated body.

His face stricken, his right hand stretched out toward her as though to caress her face.

Her eyes meeting his seemed to awaken him as he pulled his hand back.

He ran his hands through his curls, cursing softly under his breath.

Enid's heart constricted. Was it that bad?

"That was- I don't know how I'm going to teach you anything." He said, turning away from her as he began to pace.

Her eyes filled with tears.

She didn't think she was the best by any means, but she hadn't expected such a negative reaction.

Quickly packing up her instrument, she wiped her damp cheek with the sleeve of her sweater.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Drewitt. I'm sorry for wasting your time." She managed to get out through her silent sobs.

She felt as though the angelic cherubs on the ceiling painting were laughing at her.

She flew down the steps and was to the door by the time his voice called out.

"What? No! Enid, wait-" His words cut off as the door shut firmly behind her and she burst into the main atrium.

Hair sticking to her tear-stained face, she left the building just as she had come to it.

At an all out run.

♫ ♫ ♫

Oh, how my heart aches for her.

We've now met all three of the immortals.

Which one is your favorite so far?

Comments fill my heart with joy.

All my love, Sappho ♫