The flickering light of the candle danced around the spinning figure in the middle of the small, dingy room, creating an eerie atmosphere. Long limbs swayed limply at her sides as she spun round and round to the haunting tune of the flute that reverberated throughout the space, mingling and harmonizing with the loud thunder and lightning from the storm raging outside. She spun, she swayed and she moved with halted steps. She danced and danced. She danced and she cried.

Except from that dancing figure, another hid in the shadows, a flute held tightly on his hands and his lips latched onto the wooden instrument. His glassy dark eyes followed every move by the dancer, drinking in the sight of the swirling skirts rising up to reveal her long, shaped legs that were shaking with fine tremors, the way her limp arms swayed in an abnormal way; her shoulder joint was probably dislocated and her blood shot eyes that flashed through her disarrayed long hair. Her pale face, though mostly hidden behind her hair, was like translucent paper, lips dry and blue. She resembled a ghost, a ghost of the girl she once was.

His eyes gleamed as he caught the rising and falling of her chest slowing down and her eyes dimming. Her breathing become shallower and shallower and something flashed in his eyes as he finally played a long, soulful note and snatched the flute away. As if on cue, her body crumpled down on the floor into a heap. He rose on his feet and the flute was placed safely on his pockets.

The girl was reduced to nothing but a lifeless carcass.

The musician finally walked into the field of the candle light and his handsome face was revealed. His angular jaw, high cheekbones and long cut nose was emphasised by the dim light, as were his dark brows and eyes. He was beautiful but the coldness in his eyes and his thinned lips along with his set jaws made him look exceptionally cruel. His blood red lips parted and in a sing song voice he whispered,

‘That’s what happens when you wrong the pied piper.’

Sparing her a last look he walked to the candle and blew it out, vanishing into the darkness just like the light.

The lightning flashedand her lifeless eyes stared into the place he once was, the pied piper.