She ran. Tears stung her eyes as they blurred her vision. Breathing hard due to the constant burning in her lungs, she kept on advancing; reaching a familiar place she used to go whenever she felt like crying.

The stars shone in the sky as they danced in its darkness. The bright full moon was the only thing lighting the path that led her to her little shelter.

The little rocks crunched under her black converses as she passed the always open gate. The quiet of the place was suddenly broke by her sobs. As she wiped away the endless water flooding like a fountain from her eyes, she slowly sat down on a firm wooden board, taking hold of the old ropes passing through holes on each of its side. Pushing through the sand with her sneakers, she gave herself a slow swing. As she gained height on the seesaw, stretching her toes to their maximum as if to reach the stars, she then again took in the sky's splendid view.

Millions of little white spots were sparkling all around that immensity of nothingness as she was getting lost in its infinity, bracing herself with the slow movement of the seesaw. The dried salty water covering her puffy cheeks left a weird sensation on her pale skin, something bitter.

The argument with her parents had yet again ended with her running away from them as they tried breaking her dreams one after another with the cruelty of what they called the real world. The memory left goosebumps on her arms as the fresh air of the night bit at her skin.

Breathing softly, she felt remorse urged her to go back home, to apologize. But, the rebellious side of herself told her to stay, to fight for her passions and dreams. She already knew anyway what was awaiting her at home, more yelling, more crying, and maybe the end of her music classes.

She wasn't ready to face that.

As the seesaw came to a halt, she pressed her palms against each other and prayed for her parents to understand, for her passion to take part in her fantasy and their reality. Dropping down the seesaw, she came to a halt as small rays of sunshine pierced the darkness surrounding her.

The break of dawn

Amazed, she glared at the small amount of light emerging from some far away grounds. As the sun stretched, ready to start the day, her eyes started closing in extreme slumber as she started walking back home, the reassuring warmth of the sun against her back comforting.

Silently entering her house, she felt relieved nobody was up yet. As she climbed the stairs quietly, she entered her little cavern and fell asleep holding tightly her plushies.

-X-

Madeleine awoke to the sound of her cellphone. A soft music was playing, feeling the place with some sort of peace. Rubbing her eyes, she sat in her bed breathing calmly as she prepared herself to confront her angry parents.

Grasping her admission in a special music program, she quickly made it to the kitchen as she heard her little sister talking happily about her plans to get a pricy job. Madeleine looked at her parents, as she saw sparkles of joy whenever they looked at her.

Madeline coughed to make her presence known and noticed the happiness changing to burning anger as their eyes met hers. The little flickers of joy had slowly vanished and left the place to empty dark holes piercing through her whole soul.

"I got accepted in my music program" she quietly said and quit the place quickly, stealing a full box of cereal she would probably eat in her bedroom without even an ounce of milk.

Slowly closing the door behind her, she let herself fall onto her comfy bed and waited for her parents to go to work leaving her alone with her sister that would soon go at some friend's house.

Procrastinating in bed, she finally glanced at her violin resting peacefully between her nightstand and desk, hiding from the wrath of her relatives.

Madeleine picked the wooden instrument and started playing a tragic melody talking about broken hearts and healing through music.

She played the whole day.

Hearing a familiar entrance door opening, she slowly placed the instruments back at its place and went down the stairs greeting rapidly her relatives and quickly went back upstairs.

A while later, the family reunited at the dining table, an awkward silence weighing on their non-existent conversations. Not truly hungry, Madeleine mostly picked at her food, moving it sideways in her plate, barely eating. She could feel their eyes upon her, sending her warnings about what had yet to come.

"It is out of the question." Her dad said flatly expecting her to take in the bad news and move on to science as he wanted her to.

A storm of words where making their way through her mind, ready to slip on her tongue, but she doubted it would make any difference in their final decision.

"You have to understand the difference between a hobby and a career" Her mother added on that same desperate yet formal tone.

"That, I have already figured out. This is why I chose that program, as I have already told you for a million of times before" She said, trying to hide the edges in her voice the best she could.

"And we have told you a million of times that you would end up in the street pursuing a career as a violinist. We love you too much to see you suffer." Her mother tried.

"And if you did love me as you pretend, then you would let me pursue my dreams and let me make my own mistakes. If you always overprotect me, I will never do anything good in life. Plus, I'd rather end up in the street because I tried than not have given a shot at what I love." Madeleine answered, the conversation already starting to heat up.

"That is complete nonsense" Her father screamed.

"You want to know what complete nonsense is? Forcing me to do something I hate and not giving me any alternatives." She talked back

"It is for your future" He responded.

"What future? What if I died today or tomorrow? You never know what can happen." She yelled back.

"Don't say horrible things like that!" Her mom panicked.

"Anyway, it isn't as if somebody would miss me! I'm not hungry." She said leaving the table.

"Where are you going? This discussion is not over." He inquired

"That is not what I call a discussion. That is named dictatorship." She sneered as she made it to the front door.

"Where-are-you-going?" He repeated

"That is none of your business." She answered

"It is as long as you are living here at home."

"That is not home, its jail. Where there'll be music, I will feel like home." She said smiling.

And with that she left.

-X-

The park came into view yet again, but this time, tears were not at the corner of her eyes. Anger was combusting her from the inside. She wanted to punch them both in the face for their closed minds.

But even though she wouldn't admit it to them directly, she knew that their speeches held truths. If she didn't achieve in this domain she could indeed end up in a bad situation such as living in the streets or in a small apartment with the worst conditions. But to give it a shot, she was ready to risk it. After all, she could still come back to school afterwards.

If she succeeded, she would prove them all that they were wrong.

As she looked yet again at the stars as she regained her place on the seesaw, she prayed yet again, this time for a chance at music, at a career.

"Please, send me somebody that could guide me, a sign" she said ending her prayer with the usual Amen.

As she opened her eyes, she heard voices.

Could that be the sign I am looking for?

She turned her head around, trying to find where the voices were coming from.

She stopped dead.

There was a hooded figure sitting on a nearby bench, alone… Interpreting diverse voices as different roles…