Elizabeth looked at him and heard why she is being nice and looked at him and put the spoon down and looked sad "I know what you said to me when I talked to you before but I knew you were a lost soul." Elizabeth looked at him with her dark blue eyes "My father left my mother a few years ago and I always helped people and I know you need help and I knew you played the piano as well I know i might take you back to the hospital but I want to help you what happen to you and Alice if you let me." Elizabeth wants to help him and in some way to cared for him and didn't want him to go to the hospital again.

Michael nodded slowly, accepting what Elizabeth said. He also used to be that sort of person, the one who easily offered a hand to others in help. It's how he met Alice in the first place. He who had a personality like sunshine attracted those in the shadow and he reveled in peeling those shadows away and leading others into the sunshine. He never thought he'd be the one lost in shadows one day. He looked down at his hands, suddenly longing very much to play the piano. "I understand. So...are you a musician then? I'm surprised someone knows me, but I guess people must talk in hospitals, sharing all the good gossip? I would have been great. People like to talk about tragic stories..." Strangely, he didn't find the fact that bothersome. He accepted it as mere fact.

Elizabeth looked at him and heard about him and her and Elizabeth smiled at him softly and said "yes I am I am working hard my teacher said I'm her best student." Elizabeth got up and then went to get some papers and came back with music and shows him "I have been writing music for the year but this music is for my concert in a few days." Elizabeth looked at him and sigh "well I heard about you cause I love your music but I didn't know know you were in the hospital." Elizabeth looked at her music and looked said "but no one as heard my music what i have been writing."

Michael smiled as best he could and took the sheets of music. He didn't need to be near a piano to hear the notes written on the page. One glance over and his eyes glazed with a wistful look. He heard the notes dance. For now he felt no jealousy that he couldn't touch these notes as a pianist should, but only appreciated the beauty of the song. "It's lovely. Maybe you give me a little pre-concert before then? I'd love to hear how the writer intends for it to be played," he said as he set the pages back down. He was happy that Elizabeth knew him for himself, not for the sake of gossip. "You've got a lot of talent for writing."

Elizabeth looked at him and watched him touching her music notes and when she heard they were beautiful and he wanted to hear the music she had written and Elizabeth smiled but her face turned a little red no one as ever wanted to hear music besides her friends and teachers. Elizabeth said "okay I will." Elizabeth looked away a bit and said "you know since i was a little girl I always wanted to play and write music, in high school the teachers loved my music but i wasn't good enough for other people but truth is my mother never heard my music." Elizabeth looked at him and smiled "you are the first person who will listen to the whole music I never show this to my friends or my teachers yet." Elizabeth looked at him and she remembered listening to his music for a while and she loved his music and made her calm how to write her own music.

Michael's heart soared up with happiness and pride to be 'special' in some way. To hear Elizabeth's music before others. For a second, he felt like his old self again. He found a bit of himself in her. Sitting huddled on the floor in lamplight, writing music in his secret space. No one could hear what he kept to himself and he, the keyboard, and headphone were the only soul in sight. Then one day, Alice stumbled into the closet in the music room, her red curls in a mess as she panted. He let her hide in his closet. Silent. He not willing to play in the presence of another even with the keyboard muted. Suddenly Alice burst out, "Do you know Fur Elise?" His fingers found the keys and he played the song for her without thinking.

The memory pulled at Michael's lips so that he fought back his frown. "Actually, you should share your music with someone else. That person who hears a heart's melody in a solo concert should be special. You don't even know me."

Elizabeth looked at him and smiled softly and then heard about she should play for someone else then him and then looked at him still and stare at him a bit and said "Micheal I might not know you but I listened to your music it made me safe and calm and I was happy." Elizabeth smiled at him and she took his hand and took him to a piano in her living room and then sat him down on a chair next to the piano and she started to play one her favorite pieces. Elizabeth started to play moonlight sonata Elizabeth played it perfectly and beautifully. The moon shines on her through the window and Elizabeth had her eyes looking somewhere but she was lost in the music.

Michael still felt surprise at Elizabeth's wish, but he let her lead him to the piano. Happiness and darkness warred in him as he got nearer to the instrument. Happy longing won over though. His fingers twitched, trying to hold her hand properly until she started to play. As always when near music, his eyes slipped closed and he let the notes wander through his mind. The familiar melody of Moonlight Sonata washed over him like a sea of purples and blues. When he opened his eyes, something stabbed through his heart. She plays like I used to. Elizabeth wore that familiar expression he used to catch in the mirror. She played with emotion rather than technicality.

"Beautiful..." he whispered when she finished. "That's one of the first pieces I ever taught myself. My favorite Beethoven was always Fur Elise though." Too many fond memories belonged to that one piece of music.

After Elizabeth finish the music she just played she looked over to him and smiled softly but looked sad and then stood up and pushed in the chair from the piano and walked over to him and said "it was the first piece that I taught myself I always thought it made me happy but then when my father left my mother and myself I just went sad all the time in the music I played so I wanted people to hear the music that made me happy but sad as well." Elizabeth looked at him but smiled still "thank you for listening to the song it is a beautiful piece and sometimes it is sad." Elizabeth looked away a bit and then the moon came through the window and the mood shines on her.

Michael nodded with understanding. "That's the thing about music. The artist's fingers add soul to it and even if the same person plays the same song ten years apart, it can sound like a entirely different piece. I think that's why I've always love it. Self-expression, just like any other form of art." For a second, he sat in silence with Elizabeth. With the song still echoing in his head and the moonlight dancing across the piano and turning her fingers pale against the keys, he thought he could stay in this moment forever. As always though, distant laughter called to him inside his head and that flash of fire-red hair. He stood and backed a step away.

"It is a sad piece of music," Michael whispered. "I think it's about time I went on my way. I have some...thinking I need to do." Really he just wanted to be alone. Alone with just him and Alice, in the dark where he could fall into her ghostly arms.

Elizabeth looked at him and heard him talking and she stood up while he kept talking and Elizabeth felt sad for him and knew the meds will wear off soon. Elizabeth looked at him and he wanted to be alone and knew he is not well for that but she had to let him and with a sigh a bit she just with a smile on her face but she forced it "okay I will give you time for yourself." Elizabeth walked past him and knew he missed Alice but knew she was gone and maybe in his mind she is alive. Elizabeth tried not to cry and wanted him to be safe and be well but knew it won't happened.

Elizabeth went to clean up in the kitchen and then she started to hum a bit while cleaning up. Elizabeth cleaned the kitchen and wonder how long does he had left.

Without saying anything, Michael slipped out of the house when Elizabeth left. He glanced back into the kitchen, letting his eyes linger on her. But he didn't belong in this world. Outside, Michael had to wander around to find his way. Eventually he did though and before he got too tired. It turned out he didn't live too far away. The neighbor who kept his home did a good job. The little yard in front must have been mowed every few weeks and a few of Alice's flowers still grew. He'd have to thank Virginia for that. Once home, he lay down with a sigh. This felt comfortable--the smells, the sights, all a little of him and her. Michael fell asleep with thoughts of Alice on his mind.

Elizabeth finished cleaning the kitchen and sigh she was tired. Elizabeth left the kitchen and went up to her room and had to sleep a bit before she can study for her next class. Elizabeth slept for half hour but she then she woke up and kept having dreams of a girl looking like her and listening to her talk. Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and went to her desk and went to study for her next class. Elizabeth looked at the clock and she was running late. Elizabeth went to the bathroom to get changed for her school she came back and got her bag and her music sheets and put them in her books and got her key. Elizabeth went down and locked her door and sigh and walked down the street and saw some people looking at a house and saw someone was in. Elizabeth was running late and then saw the flowers and smiled "they are beautiful my favorite flowers." Elizabeth looked the clock and knew she was late. Elizabeth ran past the people and head for her school to get to her class.

Michael woke the next morning with a warm feeling. He rolled over, still half in his dream. Next to him, he saw a halo of red hair on the second pillow. "Good morning, Alice," he whispered. She smiled as he wrapped one curly strand of hair around his finger. The coil tried to burst from his hand in the way that very curly hair always did. "I missed you. I'm so glad you came to visit."

Her bell-like laughter rung out. "I missed you too." The pink painted nails she wore when he last saw her trailed along his cheek. Alice then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the same spot. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay for long. Promise you'll wait for me?"

"Of course, always." No matter what, he'd never love another. If Alice asked him to, he'd never move from this spot in his life. "Won't you stay for breakfast though? Just let me get changed." When Michael returned from the bathroom though, Alice was already gone, the bed covers on the left side as perfectly in order as if she never laid there. Sadness hit him, but he let the feeling pass over. She did say she couldn't stay, but Alice would be back. So he just made a bowl of cereal and dressed for a warm afternoon. He headed for the door, intending to spend the day at the part like he and Alice used to.