"I haven't played since I was a kid, but I was pretty good with a flute.”
Julie couldn’t contain her glee at hearing that news. “Really? Could you play for me, Sharon?”
“Well, I don’t know. I’m really out of practice.”
Julie clasped her hands and crossed her legs, putting on her best begging face. “Pleeease? For me?”
Sharon shrugged. “Why not? It’s a strange day, anyway.”
You don’t know the half of it, sister, Julie thought. It’ll make sense soon. I promise.
Sharon adjourned to the attic (still in only her robe, to her surprise) and retrieved her black flute case. After bringing it downstairs, she wiped a thick layer of dust from the case.
“I wonder if it’s still playable,” she said idly, unlatching the lid. “The reeds are probably moldy, and...”
Her eyes widened in shock when she opened the lid. The flute within was in pristine condition, bearing a bright luster and not a hint of storage mold or tarnish.
“Unbelievable,” Sharon gasped. Julie just grinned mischievously, knowing where the spit and polish had come from.
Sharon readied her flute, and mentally reviewed the notes in her mind. Just before playing her first note in years, she looked past the instrument at her friend and roommate. “Don’t be disappointed.”
Julie shook her head. “I won’t be.”
Sharon’s first breath struck a smooth, even note, and every one thereafter continued the flowing symphony. She normally stayed seated during practice or performance, but now the emotion of her notes swept her to her feet. Sharon danced around the room as she played, shaking the sash loose from her robe as she made her graceful strides.
Her chest (slightly amplified from the evening prior, though Sharon had yet to notice) bounced free of the open robe with her movements; she was dancing exposed in front of her roommate and the neighborhood and she couldn’t have cared any less.
Julie relaxed on her side, lost in her beautiful notes. The satyress was the first to notice the strange effect Sharon’s music was nurturing...
Sat Aug 24 19:57:55 2002