09 - When the Clock Strikes Twelve - Hansongirl
Moonlight Sonata
The silver moon looked as if it was suspended in the night sky, casting off tiny stud-like stars onto the black velvet sky. The hall was illuminated by the moonlight, which shone through the east window, giving a kiss of silver on everything.
He walked down the hallway, trying not to disturb the girl at the piano who was filling the room with the dramatic notes of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. She played on, not noticing him, playing with all her emotion. Her hair was white in the moonlight, and she was wearing a long white gown that brushed against the floor as she played. Her skin was porcelain white in the moonlight.
He continued walking towards her, and finally stopped upon reaching the piano. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, watching her play, marveling at her beauty and at her skill.
As she finished with the first movement, she finally looked up at him, and gasped. He froze. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and pain, such pain that he had never seen before.
"Who...who are you?" He asked shakily.
"Who are you?" Her voice seemed to be a breath of air, soft and delicate, and ghostlike. She looked so very ghostlike and mysterious. She intrigued him very much.
"I’m Taylor. Hanson." He said. How could anyone not know who he was?
"That...That’s a wonderful name." She whispered, the pain in her blue eyes cutting into him like a knife.
"What’s your name?" Taylor asked.
The clock struck twelve and the girl’s eyes grew wide with fear as she got up and slowly backed away, looking around her. "I...I have to go now."
With that, she turned and ran.
"I don’t even know your name!" Taylor yelled after her, but she was gone. He sighed and started walking back to his room. When he had first started wandering the halls, he couldn’t sleep at all. Now, he was dead tired. Taylor slid the key card in the slot and turned the handle. He undressed and climbed into bed, wondering who that girl with ghost-like beauty was.
The Music of the Night
Night-time sharpens
Heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and
Wakes imagination
Silently the senses
Abandon their defenses
Taylor walked down the moonlit hall once more, following the sound of the voice.
Slowly, gently
Night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it
Tremulous and tender
Turn your face away
From the garish light of day
Turn your thought away from
Cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night
He turned the corner and saw her singing, and started walking closer to her.
She caught sight of him and the note died on her lips.
"Don’t stop singing, you have a beautiful voice." Taylor said softly.
Hesitantly she started again.
Close your eyes
And surrender to
Your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts
Of the life you knew before
Close your eyes
Let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live
As you've never lived before
Taylor smiled, knowing every word by heart as he watched her sing.
Slowly, deftly
Music shall surround you
Feel it, hear it
Closing in around you
Open up your mind
Let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which
You know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night
Let your mind
Start a jouney through a
Strange new world
Leave all thoughts
Of the world you knew before
Let your soul
Take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me
Taylor was stunned by her beautiful voice and by her astonishing beauty. It was all so strange to him.
Floating, falling
Sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me
Savour each sensation
Let your dream begin
Let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write...
The power of the music of the night
Taylor clapped, smiling. "That was really good! You have a really great voice!"
"It's nothing." she said softly.
"What’s your name?" Taylor asked.
"Jadeite."
"That’s a...beautiful name. I once knew someone name Jadeite...She died though..."
"I’m sorry."
"It’s okay...It’s been a long, long time."
There was an odd moment of silence.
"What brings you here?" Taylor wondered out loud.
"An old, old friend." Jadeite replied.
"How long are you going to be here?"
"As long as it takes."
"Um...okay."
A few more minutes passed with no one talking.
"If you don’t mind me asking...How did Jadeite die?" She asked.
"Oh, um...If I correctly remember, she was murdered by some teenage boy." Taylor said.
"In her own room. She was only ten." Jadeite whispered.
"How...how did you...know?" Taylor asked, startled. The Doable Case was kept confidential to the public. The clock struck twelve, and her eyes grew wide with fear.
"I...I have to go now." Jadeite whispered.
With that, she turned and ran down the hall.
"How do you know?" Taylor yelled after her. When he first went down to meet her, he was wide awake. Now, he was dead tired. Taylor sighed and started walking slowly to his room. He slid the key card in the slot and undressed quickly. Then, he crawled into bed and was asleep within two minutes.
Think of Me
Think of me, think of fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me, once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find that once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me
Taylor walked down the hall cautiously. Why did she always have to leave at twelve? Who was she? How did she know about his Jadeite?
We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me...
Think of all the things
We've shared and seen
Don't think about the things
Which might have been
Taylor peeked around the corner, watching her sing.
Think of me, think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Imagine me, trying too hard
To put you from my mind
Recall those days
Look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day when
I won't think of you
Once again, she caught sight of Taylor and the note died on her lips.
"Who are you, really?" Taylor asked.
"I am who I say I am." Jadeite said softly, turning paler than she already was.
"Really." It was more of a statement than a question. How did she know all the songs that his Jadeite used to sing to him? What was going on here?
"Yes."
"Why do you always leave at twelve?" Taylor asked.
This question seemed to hurt her.
"Please don’t ask me that question..."
"Why not?"
"I can’t answer questions like that..." she whispered.
Taylor nodded and sighed, looking down at his feet. Jadeite placed a hand lightly on his cheek. He looked back up. She moved her head closer to his, to the point of which their noses were brushing.
"On March 14, 1983, two babies were born to this world in St. John’s hospital. These two babies both had blond hair and blue eyes. One was a girl, the other a boy. They were born in the same room. Their mothers were longtime friends. They shared the same room and slowly they grew up together. But that one night of Halloween when the ten year old girl was getting ready to go trick or treating, a boy came to her window. She wouldn’t let him in because she was changing so he broke in, then raped and murdered her. This case was known as the Doable Case. The police never found out exactly who the boy was, but they knew he was a teen by the way the DNA structure of the semen was." She said softly. Then, she pulled Taylor to her and pressed her lips against his just as the clock struck twelve.
Taylor’s eyes flew open in shock of the words. He closed his eyes again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. When he pulled away to look at her, he saw that a tear was glistening silver on her cheek.
"You died six years ago." Taylor whispered.
"It was Isaac." She whispered then disappeared before his eyes.
Taylor couldn’t believe what he had just seen and heard as he slowly turned around and trudged up to his room. His own brother could do something as horrible as this...He couldn’t believe it but he knew it was true. Why Ike? Why her?
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once my guide and guardian
You were my friend and brother
Wishing you were somehow here again
Not knowing how to say goodbye
Sometimes it seems
If I just dreamed
Somehow you would be here
Taylor felt a tear slide down his cheek as he headed towards her.
No more fighting
No more silent tears
No more gazing across the wasted years
If I could say goodbye
Teach me how to say goodbye
"Taylor," She cried out and ran to him. She threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"No more talk of darkness," Taylor sang softly. "Forget these wide-eye fears, I’m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you..."
His voice trailed off as he pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his breathing unsteady as he felt a second tear roll down his cheek.
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night. And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." Jadeite sang shakily.
Taylor kissed her softly, stroking her hair. He knew this would be the last time he would ever see her.
"Say you’ll not forget me now and never," Taylor said, ad-libbing the words as he went along. "Look down from above once a while. Say you’ll be waiting for me up above, say you love me,"
"You know I do..."
"Love me, that’s all I ask of you." Taylor sang softly, trembling slightly.
The clock struck twelve.
"I have to go now. They’re waiting for me," Jadeite whispered. "For six years I followed you, for six years you never saw me. I’ve been waiting so long for you to finish the song, and now that you have, I’m not wandering anymore."
"Please don’t go..." Taylor whispered.
"I must. I love you Tayles." Jadeite whispered, smiling as she kissed away one tear from his cheek. She backed away from him. The path of moonlight shining into the room seemed to turn white-blue as it grew wider to create a stairway to heaven. Taylor took her hand and he pressed his lips against it.
"Anywhere you go let me go too..." Taylor sang softly.
"Love me, that’s all I ask of you..."
She smiled and slowly walked up the path of moonlight. When he couldn’t see her anymore, the stairway became the silvery moon beam that just illuminated the room. Taylor sighed, smiling. He turned and headed back to his room. He would have a...talk with Isaac the next day.
Strange things happen when the clock strikes twelve.
Musical credits to The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber