One Touch by ReyeD33
This story was inspired by the enchanting music from the upcoming film industry release, “Piano and Strings Edition“, a collaborative album created by brilliant composers Michael Maas, Martin Hasseldam, David Christiansen, Sandro Schmidt and Stefano Fasce.
For details on how to contribute your own music-driven tale to the Illumination collaborative flash-fiction challenge, click HERE!
Listen to the featured track, Remember me (feat. David Christiansen) in the sidebar music player.
Written for my husband, capturing the moment we first met…
A web of luminous strands pulsate in a riot of vibrant color, a thing of beauty only I can see. I weave in between the connections, each one a different shade of love, a different song resonating in its core.
The restaurant is alive with the sounds of a hundred conversations, plates scraping, glasses clinking, laughter and music. Not the music that trickles from the ceiling, but the songs that spill from their hearts, flowing through the threads that tie them to another, a thing of beauty only I can hear…
In a corner booth, a frustrated mother endures yet another battle of wills, the sticky strings binding her soul to her children burning the brilliant white of unconditional love. A choir of children’s voices can be heard playing along the web of a families’ deep-rooted affection.
Friends, laughing over sips of plum wine are wrapped in the glistening gold of understanding and camaraderie, their comfortable song an inviting guitar being plucked and pulled to match their banter.
An elderly couple sitting at the bar shares a plate of sushi, their iridescent blue cord humming with the steady wisdom of piano strings and a steadfast bond that time cannot touch.
Young lovers embracing near the window exude a fiery passion that glows in ruby tendrils, licking at their hearts with the intensity of a violin.
Behind the scarlet flames sits a pair I almost miss, the subtle sounds of their heartbeats slipping into silence, the drumming pulse of their connection fading. Like the yellow flower centered between them, the petals of their song have dropped, one by one, until there’s nothing left but the stem–a wilting memory of the music they once shared.
They have forgotten me…
A crackle of energy pulls me to yet another table. I watch, entranced as I’m drawn to a pair meeting for the first time. The woman’s mane of auburn curls cascade down her back in ribbons of anticipation, her crimson dress matching the flush that floods her cheeks. The young man’s chiseled jaw restlessly works to calm his nerves, his striking cerulean eyes dart from her eyes to the menu, his leg tapping a nervous rhythm underneath the ebony table.
I edge closer.
Their eyes meet. The man smiles.
The smile steals her breath and swallows her heart whole.
In that instant, a flood of silver sparks erupt between them. The music is deafening. An entire orchestra surging with the flame fiercely burning through their hearts.
It is a love they shared long ago. They may not remember the lives they once lived, but they remember me.
I am a thing of beauty anyone can see, anyone can hear. I am the whisper of possibility, the promise of connection, the passion that drives creation.
Remember me.
I am Love.
© 2013 Samantha Redstreake Geary
WriterlySam 
Beautiful! The words and music melt and meld as though made for each other!!
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Thanks, Ruth! I absolutely love this composition–it was a pleasure to write to!
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wow…the lyrics are good and meaningful.
loved it!
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Thank you, Ruchira! I do hope you’ll write to the music as well:)
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This was so beautiful, Sam. Loved how you described this scene, it was real treat to read with the music. (:
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I appreciate that, Elise!! This song is so haunting–it was easy to envision the scene:)
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Rich and vibrant!
Lovely piece Sam.
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Many thanks, Michelle! So glad you enjoyed the tale:)
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Gorgeous, so evocative. This is a piece I’m looking forward to writing to as well, I can’t wait to see all the interpretations!
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Thanks, Lisa! Oh, I can’t wait to read your stories!!!
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Brilliant, Sam. Simply brilliant. I LOVE how you assigned the colors to the different “shades” of love we experience. I was (am still) crying as I read it. Some of my threads are pretty frayed with a couple of (used to be really close) friends and this hit me at the core.
Tina @ Life is Good
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I’m glad it affected you, Tina! There are many friendships that ebb and flow, but the one’s that matter will always find their way back to you…
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Wonderful embodiment of love.
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Thank you, Alex! I was channeling my inner hopeless romantic:)
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I love this line: “The smile steals her breath and swallows her heart whole.” It captures the essence of the scene so well.
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Thank you, Christy! I’m glad my scene resonated with your poetic senses:)
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And through the cacophony of chatter, the sounds of life, of emotions, within the restaurant, a moment captured and recalled and the moment speaks of love.
Your story, your words, doth resonate. Beautifully written, Samantha.
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Thank you, Gary–I wanted readers to be able to identify with one or more of these emotional scenes…
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Haunting music, great writing. Perfect fit!
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Thank you! xoxo
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Oh Sam. By the time I reached the last line my eyes were full of tears. This is so beautiful. Hugs!
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I love to hear I pulled at your heartstrings, Vidya! My work here is done:)
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Love coming in all shapes, sizes, ages and colors is splendid. Beautiful, Sam.
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This piece had lovely imagery and ended on perfect note. 🙂
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Your words made me teary, Sam, especially with the music playing. Awesome job.
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