03 April, 2021

The Cellist #AtoZChallenge C

 


The Cellist stopped midway through pulling on her coat. Her keys were in her hand. She was at the door, but she shrugged out of the coat with a sigh.

A small whine escaped her mouth. Not now. Not today. She had places to be. 

"Okay, fine," she said to the empty house, "But I have to make a couple phone calls." At least two calls. She didn't know how long this would take. Time evaporated when the voices took over in the Cellist's head.

"Stop!" she insisted as she called up the first contact on her cell. Her sister would have to eat breakfast without her today. A text. She should text instead of call. Her nosy sister would want to ask a bunch of awkward questions. 

The text was sent before the Cellist reached the second floor of her spacious house. She was already dialing her accompanist. Not sure how long the voices would keep her today, he deserved a heads up that she might be late. "Shut up! I'm getting there!" she exclaimed as she waited for him to pick up.

Pacing down the hall to her studio, the Cellist left a voicemail - thank God he didn't pick up. She'd call when all was finished, whatever time that ended up being.

A tiny groan of annoyance escaped the Cellist's throat as she turned off her phone, ignoring the vibrating that was probably a complaint about being ditched for breakfast. She'd read her sister's guilt-message later. Meanwhile, her phone could rest silently on the table in the hall while the Cellist gave voice to the voices.

She opened the studio door and locked it behind her. The cacophony in her head crescendoed in chaos as she turned on the video camera, picked up her cello and took her seat.

Sometimes the voices gave her gold, so she always recorded these sessions. Just her and her instrument. No music, no music stand blocking the camera from the Cellist. The Cellist alone, face to camera, embracing the musical love of her life between her arms and legs.

The Cellist closed her eyes and went into her mind, picking out each discrete voice for the strongest start.

This one.

Not opening her eyes, the Cellist clearly heard the voice she'd chosen. Just one voice now. She played what she heard until the voice went silent.

Selecting another voice, she repeated the process. Again and again. Eight times through until the clamor of voices lay dormant within.

Inside every successful artist is an element of insanity. She'd read that somewhere. Or was it one of the voices that said it?

Spent, the Cellist went to the mini-fridge in the corner and took out a bottle of water. She drained it smiling at the blissful silence, turned off the camera, and unlocked the door. Later tonight she'd watch the tape and see if it came together into anything decent. For now, she had a rehearsal to go to.

Thanks for visiting my #AtoZChallenge! All month I'll be writing flash fiction, with the theme "Audience Participation".
My "The Cellist" story came from a video prompt provided by Liz A. of Laws of Gravity, in a comment left on one of my A-to-Z Prep posts, here

The video prompt, which led me down a fun little musical rabbit hole, is here:

My tale is fiction, and is in no way intended to imply that the cellist in the YouTube video hears voices! Rather, I marvel at the kind of gifted musician who can create these recordings.

Now it's your turn, lovely reader. Do you have a writing prompt to suggest? Don't worry about choosing a letter of the alphabet: just leave me a word, a thought, a place, a concept... anything! and I'll add it to the list.

20 comments:

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    1. I like to think she's functionally crazy. I like functioning alcoholic or functionally depressed.

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  2. Loved it, creation is insanity given life. I am hooked and will be reading more. Thanks so much for dropping by mine.

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    1. Also, a prompt for you given the weekend that's in it... 'The Egg'

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    2. I'm so glad! They are literally random based on each day.

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    3. "The Egg" makes me immediately think of an indie movie I saw recently. "Save Yourselves" I think it was called. I'll have to fend off space-invader ideas to keep it new.

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  3. So much goes through an artist's mind!

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  4. Prompt: An artist or writer encounters a series of symbols, incidents, snippets of dialogue throughout the day that suggest a theme for the next work. Do they recognize it - and if so, at what point? Do they ignore it or rebel against it? Why? Do they dive in and follow where it leads? Where DOES it lead, exactly?

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  5. I enjoyed your story, by the way. We are all a little mad. It's a gift, for some - a curse, for others. As a writer, I find that if I try to "stage direct" and tell my characters what to do, they plod along all wooden and sullen. I can only get out of their way and take dictation.

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    1. I usually have to plan out the story to an extent. I can't go the whole way following the characters, but in each scene, I'm sometimes surprised by the volatile emotions that spill out!

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  6. I too marvel at the musicians who can play such music, and I think we are all a little mad - some just hide it better than others! Good story again.
    https://iainkellywriting.com/2021/04/03/the-state-trilogy-a-z-guide-c/

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    1. Like the Cheshire Cat said, "We're all mad here." Just a bit. Sometimes more.

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  7. The perfect video to illustrate your story. I enjoyed the tale and quickly recognized the genius within the madness of the cellist.
    https://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com/
    theme: Novel Research

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    1. Thank you! The video was the inspiration. Although, as I said, I don't think the real-live cellist hears voices!

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  8. I can't play any musical instrument, so this story fascinated and intrigued me!

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    1. I play piano, but I can't improvise. I have to have music in front of me. I don't know how a musician hears music before it's written!

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  9. I had completely forgotten I gave that video as a prompt. Now I'll look at her videos differently ;) That would be one way to compose music.

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    1. After looking at your video prompt, I watched several of her other videos and ended up subscribing to the channel. I love the pseudo-costumes she wears to go with each one. Thanks for the prompt!

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