Excerpt: Starlight Serenade

The crimson sun beat down on my back, harsh and exciting. I was in a flower filled field surrounded by trees so high I could barely see the tops. I inhaled slowly, deeply, letting the savory scents of daffodils, roses, and lilies fill my nostrils. Leaves rustled like wind-chimes as a soft breeze soared over me, through my hair, around my outstretched arms, between my fingertips. Birds - vibrant with colours I had never seen - sang songs sweeter and more melodic than anything any human could ever imagine. Underneath a nearby tree lay a guitar, perfect in every way. I sat down, leaned against the tree, and strummed the guitar once.
The effect was magical. Everything around me seemed to mimic the music. I closed my eyes and took in the sounds, listening to the beat of the crickets chirping in the grass. Then I began to play. I did not know the song, or where it came from, or even how I knew it, but it was if I had known that song my entire life. It was a part of me...it was me. Somehow I not only knew the music but controlled it as well. Inaudible voices from the wind-blown grass rose up as the symphony pick up the pace. Soothing rhythms from the crickets matched that of the birds, whose voices harmonized with my soul song.
Out of nowhere, a violin entered the symphony. The soft music melded into the harmony with surprising ease, adding new life to the song, so it seemed perfect...complete. Pulse quickening at this new discovery, I opened my eyes. A girl, the most beautiful in all the world, stood, head daintily bent, eyes closed, an ornate violin tucked safely beneath her chin. Her fiery red hair, illuminated by the now setting sun, swayed as she played her violin with apparent ease. She slowly looked up, a smile lighting her face. Without hesitation, but with the same slow manner, she opened her mouth: “Layla.”
Her voice was like a lullaby. With that one word, one single breath, I lost control of the music. Everything seemed to be playing to her melody now. The music was her. Dazed, I gently put my guitar down and stood up, barely noticing that it kept playing. The girl stopped playing her violin, but still the music continued. I walked toward her, captivated. When I had almost reached her, she curtsied and held out her hand. I grasped it and immediately, my whole being was on fire. Completely mystified, I was pulled into a leisurely paced dance. As our hearts quickened, so did the music, and then the dance. Our dance. There came a point where we could not move any faster. We slowed and I spun her around, her white knee-length skirt flowing gently. She threw her head back and laughed the laugh of an angel. The sun set and I pulled her close, swaying to the music as fireflies lit around us.
Thunder cracked and the clouds opened, dousing us in rain. Hands clasped, we ran toward the nearest tree. As far as we ran, the trees never seemed to get closer. Lightning flashed a few feet away and I stopped running, frantic, looking around for some relief. Lightning struck inches from where the girl stood. We jumped back as the ground cracked and opened where the lightning struck. We backed up, but not fast enough - the beautiful red-headed girl fell into it, screaming. "LAYLA!" I reached to grab her to no avail - her hand slipped out of my grasp and the earth swallowed her whole.