Epilouge/Prolouge

Daniel walked quickly through the thinning crowd. The sun was going down, casting soft golden light into the street where he walked. He shouldn't have been out so late, he need to go home and study. How was he ever going to become a doctor if he didn't keep his grades up? But when he walked past the park he just had this urge to cut through, just that once, even though he knew it would take him much longer to get home. It had seemed so peacefull and quiet compared to the bustle of the streets. He shook his head and mumbled something about needing to sleep

Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. A sound hit his ears, a melody gently rolling through the air behind him. He shook his head again. He need to go home now! But the melody wouldn't let him. It pulled him around until he was facing the complete opposite direction of home.

He was surprised by what he saw: a girl, about his age, was standing in the shadow of a building, looking at the screen of her cell phone. She was wearing a light pink dress and a blue jean jacket and her soft white hair was pulled up into a pony tail. A hat covered the top of her head and shadowed her eyes.

She was humming.

Daniel stared at her for a moment, transfixed against his will, then she flipped her cell phone shut and began to walk the other way.

Impulsively, Daniel followed her, quickening his pace until he was directly behind her. Just like he didn't know why he needed to go through the park, he didn't know why he needed to stop her. Maybe it was the song he was humming. He had never heared it before, but it seemed so familliar, like he knew it from another life. He reached out to touch her shoulder, to get her attention.

The humming stopped.

She turned around. At first she was looking down, then her face lifted to look at his and the shadow over her eyes lifted. Daniel stared as she blinked up at him. They were the colour of golden honey, gentle and soft, and bright.

"You look like an angel..."

"What?"

Daniel struggled as he mentaly slapped himself for his verbal slip. What on earth was he even doing?

"I'm not an angel... Can I help you?" The girl asked. Her voice was smooth and a litte bit quiet, just like the rest of her seemed to be.

Daniel shook his head, and, suddenly feeling rediculous, he shrank back into himself. He couldn't tell her why he had stopped her. He would have to make something up about being lost or something. "No... Uh, I mean... Yes..." He fumbled for the right words. Why had he stopped her? Why? "It's just... the song you were humming..."

"Oh? I didn't realize I was humming..." the girl said, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Do you know the song?"

"No no. I've never heared it before in my life. It's just that it sounds so familiar..." Daniel looked away. He was about to appologise and walk away and forget about this encounter when she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry. I don't know the song either. I don't know where I remember it from, but I do remember it. It's like it's written on my heart or something. When I close my eyes I can see the notes in my head, I can feel them ringing throughout my entire body."

Daniel stared. Here was this perfect stranger who he had stopped because of a song he thought he knew, and she was putting into words exactly what he couldn't.

He nodded. "I feel the same way. About the song I mean. It's like I know it from a past life."

"Strange that we both know it then." She smiled and her shoulders shook a little as she giggled. It was a tiny, sweet, closed lip smile but Daniel couldn't help but smile back. "Maybe we met in this past life."

"Maybe."

Silence. The street had cleared, leaving the two alone on the street.

"Well, I guess I'll be going..." Daniel turned to walk the way he had originally intened to go, feeling his face grow warm from blushing.

"Wait." The girl stopped him. It was one little word. Not really a question, but not really a demand either. It was more like a statement of something she wanted.

Daniel stopped.

"I was going to the bus stop, but since your going that way anyway do you think I could walk with you? Please?"

Daniel felt his face get even hotter and he looked down. "Sure, if you want."

"Thank you."

He turned to walk again, only this time the girl followd him. Daniel regained his composure in silence, glancing ocasionaly at the girl. It was strange, but for some reason he really did feel like he had met her before, and it wasn't just the song.

"My name is Daniel Sonata." He said, remembering his manners for the first time.

"My name is Melody Tompson." She replied, looking straight ahead.

"That's a beautiful name." Daniel told her.

"Thank you." She said simply.

After that they walked in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Daniel kept glancing over at her, wondering if she would do the same, but she never did. She kept a steady gaze directly ahead of them. He wondered if he should say something, make small talk or start a conversation, but nothing he thought of saying seemed right.

But she kept looking out of the corner of her eye.

She saw him looking at her.

She saw him blushing when he realized he was staring.

She felt like she knew him from long ago.

And she smiled.