We have a large piano in my house. My whole family just looks at it as if it were nothing more than just that. My mother, masterful with the ivory keys, finds peace in the sounds it makes. My brother just hits the keys like a child, though he is just that. I see it as a beast.

You may be thinking, Beast? A piano? How ridiculous! I understand. People see things differently. My mom didn't understand when I tried to tell her. She just stopped her melody and looked at me with that "You're insane, Emma," look. I can't tell you to understand, but I can help you.

To me, the piano is a beast. Not the kind with long claws and beady eyes that make things go bump in the night. Like a horse. A wild horse. Untamable. That's how I see the piano, untamable. I understand how it works, scientifically, but I can't seem to make the keys sing like my mom does. The ebony and ivory just look at me with teasing, tempting eyes, but I just can't.

I awoke to a noise in my room. The distant echo of a tune familiar, but long forgotten. Nostalgic would be a word that came to mind. I almost drifted back to sleep when I shot up in bed, realizing that I was supposed to be alone.

I crept into the dimmed halls towards the piano. The happy tune turning dark did nothing to calm my nerves. I peaked my head around the door just as the music followed a dramatic crescendo.

At the piano sat a girl, or rather, woman with a short, blue, satin dress that greatly contrasted her fair skin. It drooped off one shoulder with the carelessness only a person who was completely enveloped in their one world could achieve. Her chestnut hair almost matched the color of the piano, only emphasizing how well she seemed to merge with it. She was too fixated on the paper in front of her to notice me.

Just as the piece came to a crashing end I build up the courage to make my presence known.

"You put your hands on the C major." She gingerly placed my hand on the correct keys. I hoped she couldn't see my hand shaking. I tried to savor the feeling. Her hands were warm and soft.

"Then do this," She instructed. Her hand drifted over the keys, pulling together random notes to make them a song. Her song. She was teaching me the melody. I attempted to do what she did, but my fingers turned her elegant dance into a stumble. She snorted.

"Right keys, but like this." She played her beautiful dance. I nodded. I took a breath and played what she did, just clumsier. She nodded.

"Better."

The crowd never saw the curtain open. It didn't open. It stayed closed. It was part of the mystery. Everyone who walked in wondered why it stayed closed, but no one tried to see. The music was so beautiful that maybe they just forgot. The music was undeniably beautiful. It wasn't even muffled by the curtain.

It was definitely for the best that the curtain stayed closed. Otherwise, no one would come. The theater wouldn't make any money, and it would starve. I say It because It changes gender whenever the one before dies or refuses to play. It never escapes alive.

Right now it was a she, though you couldn't tell. They kept Its hair shaved so that It couldn't pull it out. The first It pulled out all his hair after the thirteenth performance. They killed It.  The next one died after 20. Then 17. Then 18. 15. 19. 16. 12. 15.

This It was only on her tenth. She was probably concerned about the chains around her wrist and ankles. Who wouldn't be? They kept her to the piano and bench, that way she couldn't escape. It was fascinating to watch. It's a shame they'll have to kill her soon. I really like her. 

"That's outlawed." He whispered as I pressed play. The sweet sounds drifted from the jailbroken school laptop. I closed my eyes and spun in my chair. The instruments I had never heard before made me feel at peace. The lyrics were so... true. My best friend looked at me, too worried to relax.

"Just chill. Thay can't find us here." I said. He didn't relax. He started pacing the room. I paused the music.

"Where did you even find this?" He whispered harshly.

"I downloaded it from a discarded flash drive called 'Alternative' a few weeks ago," I replied. "Mike, chill. They can't find it."

"Yes, they can. Do you know how many people get arrested a year for having outlawed music? I don't, but I'm sure it's a lot." He ranted.

"Mike, shhh. No one gets arrested for a few songs. They have bigger problems." I whispered. He looked at me like I was crazy.

"No Allen. You chill. You chill this flash drive in the frozen lake three miles from here." He popped the flash drive out of place in my computer.

"Mike, No!" I shouted. He held it away from me.

"Allen, it's for your own good." He stated. That's when we heard it.

I pretended not to hear the door creak as I played the violin. I made a metal tab at started mt composition again. The stairs creaked under the weight of whoever was coming. The stairs always creaked, and this was a light creak, so it wasn't a meatheaded goon.

I continued to play, counting the steps. Soon the visitor was at the top step. here was still a door between us. I paused, trying to see if it was the man himself, sure enough, the footsteps stopped. No assassin, it was The infamous.

I turned. "Well hello there," I said.

The two were hilarious. The entire symphony shippes them. It was the two best flutes. They always sat opposite each other in the chairs, despite our teacher's protest. Apparently, they race each other down here. They have also never spoken a word to each other. Just a language of smirks, glares, and the occasional middle finger. The best part is probably the pranks.

It started when Aaron stole Kye's sheet music and hung it in the bass's strings. Things escalated pretty quickly. Next thing you know, Aarons foot joint is hanging from the ceiling. No one knows how he Kye did it, and he refuses to tell anyone.

I think everyone's personal favorite was when everything in the class was in perfect order. Aaron, who sits in the back, had left Kye's instrument and music alone. Kye raced in the room, surprised to find that his case and instrument untouched. It wasn't until he went to his seat that he realized what happened. His seat was gone, moved right next to Aaron.

"What the hell is that?" I heard from inside the piano, laid flat with a blanket to muffle the strings.

"I dunno, that little rat must be in there though," Someone else said. I heard the steps come closer. I heald my breath as they explored the room.

"Anything?" The first asked.

"Nada," The second replied. They both stopped moving.

"Hey, would ya' look at that. A piano," The second said. I heart stopped. "Can ya' play?"

"Of course I can play. Unlike some people, I am educated," The first replied. The second must not have understood because he didn't reply.

"Can ya' play me something?" The second asked. I bit my lips to keep from screaming.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to." I almost sighed.

"Aw, how come? Are ya' lyin' being able to play?" The second asked. The first scoffed and walked closer to the piano.

"No, I'm not lying. I'll prove it to you," They sat in the bench. "Song?"

"Ah, Fury Lisa." The second said. I could almost hear the disappointment radiating off the first.

"Did. You. Mean. Fur. Elise?" They asked.

"Ya. That's the name." The second said. The first cleared his throat. A hammer slammed on y finger.

"Ow!" I shouted. I gasped as I realized what happened. There was silence.

"I think we found our missing hostage." The first stated.

Another prompt list thing. Some of these are kind of long or mostly complete as 'flashes of fiction'. Welp, hope you enjoyed. Sorry for spelling errors. Darn you, homeland security. JK, at least I know you're doing your job.