Rising action

Charles

After I met Odessa, life took a turn for the better: the colors were brighter, and the air was cleaner. Everything seemed to pass in a happy blur. Odessa did indeed pay my rent, and I got another show scheduled. Mr. Benson had managed to promote the concert so well that all the seats were sold out. I secretly hoped that Odessa and her brother were coming so I could see her again. We hadn’t actually met face to face since ‘the incident’, but the memory of her face was enough to keep me hopeful.
“Are you listening?” A hand waved across my vision.
I blinked hurriedly, and broke out of my reverie. “Huh?” I asked, looking up at Mr. Benson.
He sighed. “Charles, I was just telling you about the up-coming concert”
“Oh” I looked around. I was standing on the concert stage, and holding my violin by my side. I shook my head, trying to clear the vision of Odessa from my mind. Whenever I thought about her I seemed to go into some kind of trance, and I would only wake up from it once someone shook me awake.
“Now please Charles, listen. We’ve been through this before, but I just want to make sure you remember: the duke is going to be in the audience, so please have stage presence”
“I do have stage presence!” I argued.
“Right,” Mr. Benson said critically. “Just don’t jump off the stage, or throw your violin at the audience”
“Do I ever do that?” I asked.
“Well, if you were thinking about it: Don’t…alright, that’s all I wanted to say: you can keep practicing”
I nodded, and turned back to the empty seats, trying to imagine a full house. I began to float my bow over the strings, soft notes playing sweetly in my ear. As the song began to take place in my mind, I felt like I could see the notes floating softly across the stage, like a strange river flowing under my feet, looping playfully through the shadows, and dancing gracefully over the red velvet seats. Suddenly a face appeared in the seats: she was beautiful, with ivory skin, that looked softer than silk. She had long wheat blond curls, and soft honey-gold eyes.
Suddenly the music fell flat, and I was once again, woken rudely from my daydreams.
“What was that?” Mr. Benson yelled, coming back out onto stage. “Are you trying to make me deaf?”
“I’m sorry” I whispered, and turned away. I started playing again, letting the music flow freely once again, but visions of Odessa kept creeping into my mind. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. “You can do this” I whispered softly to myself.
I tried again, but once again the music wouldn’t flow smoothly. The notes weren’t soft, and sweet, but suddenly bitter, and sharp.
I tried once more, but still: nothing.

I tried over and over and over again, but still the same result.
“Is this how you’re planning to play for the duke?” Mr. Benson asked in his usual pompous manner.
“I’m sorry” I mumbled.
“You know what, just go home, get some rest, and stop messing up”
“Thank you” I sighed, and started to pack up my violin. It was no use to try and play when visions of Odessa kept floating across my imagination. It was probably better if I just went home, and took care of some things.

Odessa

William had punished me when I came home. It was the worst night I had ever had in the mansion. I had managed to convince Charles to leave me before we got to the house, but I had a horrible feeling that somehow William would figure out that another man had been with me.
I was miserable while I stayed at the mansion, and the only thing that could keep me happy was remembering how I had felt when Charles had been close by. Even that brief moment I had been talking to Charles I had been so joyful…
So that was why I was waiting by the theater: I had to find Charles again, just to see if that happy feeling would return. May be the feeling had been a post-trauma reaction, but I couldn’t be sure until I saw him again.
I wasn’t even sure if I would find Charles here, but it was the only place I could think of. Charles had been very secretive of where he lived: even when I had given him money to pay off his rent, he hadn’t allowed us to meet face to face, instead he had very forcefully instructed me to leave the money in the care of Mr. Benson: the theater manager.
Suddenly the theater doors were thrown open, and a man walked out.
I recognized Charles at once, but there was a moment of confusion, where I wasn’t quite sure if I was really seeing him.
“Odessa?” Charles asked surprised.
I blushed, “I’m sorry I just wanted to…” I paused, trying to regain a proper manner, “I just wanted to see you again”
He nodded, “I was actually hoping I would get to see you”
“Oh…you were?” I asked. The joyful, weightless feeling had returned, and I felt almost certain that if I wasn’t careful, I would float right off the ground.
“yes, I was”
“So…how is your music going?” I asked, casting my mind around, trying to find a topic of conversation.
“It’s going great actually, Mr. Benson has got me another concert, and it’s all sold out…and I wrote another piece of music” He looked embarrassed.
“Can I hear it?” I asked eagerly.
“Very well” He paused, “But may be somewhere more private” He suggested.
I knew that I would get a beating if William knew I was with him, but I didn’t care about any of that, all that mattered was being with him, and hearing his sweet music.
And so I went with him.
Charles led me to a small house close to the theater. It was tiny, barley three rooms, and hardly enough room to stand up straight.
He told me to sit down on the couch, and I did as I was told.
He took out his violin case and opened it carefully, pulling from it his violin and bow. He rested his chin on the violin, and raised the bow to the strings…
Suddenly the sweetest music filled the room. There are no words to describe how beautiful the song was. It’s sad, sweet melody entranced me. I held my breath, for fear that I would breath too loudly, and ruin the music.

Charles

For the first time that day I was actually able to play well.
I let the silver notes dance across the walls, and swim through the shadows. The rest of the world didn’t seem to matter, only the music was real.
I let the song finish up, and looked up at Odessa. “Did you like it?”
She looked shocked, lost for words almost. “I-I…” She shook her head. “It was beautiful”
“I wrote that song for you” I whispered.
“You…you…” She stood up, walking over to me as if in a trance. “Wrote that for…” She reached me, and stretched her soft fingers out to touch my cheek, but stopped about an inch from my face. “Me?” She seemed incredulous.
I just nodded.
Her fingers trembled, and her eyes searched mine, as if trying to find some trace of falsehood.
“I wrote it because I thought I would never see you again, and I wanted something to remind me of you, and I knew that if I played that song you’d be there, and-” I stopped talking, in face I think I stopped breathing altogether, because at that moment Odessa’s rosy lips were rested lightly on mine.
She drew back, and looked shocked. “I’m sorry” She looked horrified. “I’m so sorry…I have to go”
“Wait, will I see you again?” I called after her.
She shook her head. “No”