The Song Place

The next day Thea woke up with the shivers, being that it was mid- October it was always cold in the mornings. Yesterday had been a real drag, I hope today is better, Thea thought. When Thea had gotten home last night, she didn't come home to Pete, but a note saying he was out on a spidren hunt and wouldn't be back for about a week. So Thea had just ended up working out and having supper by herself then went to bed worrying about Pete. Thea hated it when he went out on a hunt without her but he always slipped away because he didn't want her around the danger without the magic to help protect her. Not for the first time did Thea wish she was battle gifted, but the only talent she had was singing.

Reminded of the singing Thea hurried up and broke her fast while saddling Shadow, her always over-eager mare. There were still some hours before dawn but Thea had the long ride, and she didn't want to be late for Minthros's Mass. In the two years she had been singing in the mass on holy day, she had only missed it about ten times because she was to sick to get up. Thea usually looked forward to singing, but not today, not with everyone and their cousin going to be there. Oh well, Thea though, a promise is a promise after all. The priests had made her promise to be there to sing when the king was there.

As she rode Thea wondered what the priest would want her to sing about today. She hoped it was a happy song cause she needed a happy energy charge to get her worries off Pete.

Thea got to the temple early, only to be reminded that the mass was going to be on the manor lawn. This made Thea sigh with despair. She hated the manor. Baron Jeffery Barnapple was a mean, vial, and disgusting man. Everyone knew what he did to the maids in the manor. It is highly disturbing knowledge. The worst thing about it was that the town's people couldn't do anything about it. It was law in Dragon's Box that if you live there whoever the Baron wanted to have working in the manor had to work there or get thrown out of the town. The Barons son was worse so even when the Baron died the villagers would still have to try and hide their daughters. Try, being the key word there, thought Thea with a shiver unrelated to the cold. The Baron had once tried to make Thea "work" at the manor but being that she didn't live anywhere near Dragon's Box he couldn't make her.

As Thea waited for the mass to near the end, to when she sang, she though about what she was going to sing. The Priests said it was up to her. She had no idea what to sing for a bunch of strangers, then decided to sing whatever came to mind not what she though they might like. Then Thea spotted Lila Pettycomb and decided then to sing for the children. She hadn't sung for them in a long while. After asking permission from the priests Thea went and told the people who played the music for her the song and then took out what looked like a stick from her pocket. It was her amplifier; Pete had spelled a small stick to amplify a voice like on the battlefield, so she could use it to sing with when in crowds.

Thea had never sung in front of so many before but she wasn't nervous. She never was when it came to singing, because she always went to a different place when she sang. Thea called it the Song Place. When she went to this place Thea felt what she was singing, she was part of the song. When she was singing a happy song, her eyes turned that rare green that means she's happy. Only sometimes does this place fail her. For an example when Thea is really sad and tries to sing happily it comes out sounding like she is at a funeral.

The priest ended the end prayer and the musicians came to the front of the crowd and sat down. The new people looked around confused but the villagers started smiling and cheering, they knew what was happening. The music started and Thea came forward and started to sing. The people from the progress gasped when the saw her, but they were soon mesmerized by the singer and her song.

When the song ended and Thea came out of her peaceful song place and looked around. The whole crowd was silent and all the children had come to stand right in front of her. They all look so happy, just like I feel, thought Thea as she went up to the first child she recognized. It was Lila.

"Tell me Lila, what would you like me to sing about for my last song?"

Thea always sang two songs so she decided to see what one off the children wanted to hear since she was singing for them.

"Umm...Butterflies!"

"Okay, I'll get right on that," said Lila who was thinking of a song that had butterflies in it. But as hard as she could think, she could not find one so she decided to wing it. She told the musicians just to play some tone and she would make up the words as she goes along. She started the song:

"She remembers when she first got her wings, and how she opened up, the day she learned to sing. Then the colors came, erased the black and white, and her whole world changed, when she realized... She's a butterfly, pretty as the crimson sky, Nothings gonna bring her down. And everywhere she goes, everybody knows she's so glad to be alive, She's a butterfly..............." (Song goes on)

When she was done the Villagers where clapping and cheering at hearing a new song, but the other people just sat there in a daze.

This is it Thea run now before they come forward to start asking you questions, run now before you have to deal with the strangers. As Thea thought this she knew she could not leave. There was someone she had to talk with. Thea's gaze searched the crowd, made eye contact with Gabi and tilted her head to the left.

Gabi got the message and looked around for a place to slip away. When Gabi looked back Thea was gone. Gabi hurried, wanting to talk with her long thought dead friend. When she got out of the billowing crowd that had just awakened from its daze. They were all looking around for Thea.

Gabi started walking to the left, to the place where the eight-year-old Gabi and Thea used to meet almost everyday. When Gabi got there Thea wasn't there so she sat down at the edge of the small stream and waited. When she started wondering if maybe she had gotten the silent message wrong there was a noise behind her, a voice.

"Hello, Gabi"

Thanks for the Reviews!!!Even This-is-Not-a-Flame for showing me my mistakes. Also i disclaim any charaters that belong to Tamora P. the others are mine though. Also none of the lyrics for any of the songs in here are not mine, i'm not creative enough to be a song writer.