Dainty echoes travelled through the air, each beat followed closely by yet another. Reaching out in long tendrils to all it passed, filling their ears with color, through sound. To most, the harmony was just a oh-so-typical sort of thing, something of naught importance. But occasionally, one heard more than just the traditional hum, and rather heard every little detail, played with each note in their head like a favorite toy. And of course, today was one of those days. Just in range of this noise, faint music tickled the ears of one little girl called Millie. A petite girl, she was, with wide emerald eyes and dark chestnut hair, often in a state of fear or confusion. Rather grungy, her clothes, and fairly knotted was her hair. But little Millie had never let the disgruntled stares effect her desire to continue on, find some place where she could just be. Where this place was, she didn't know, and nor did anybody she would ask. So Millie just walked, searching for some place. While the quiet little girl- ten years old, at most- seemed a little peculiar, most didn't question it, assuming a mother or father was trailing leisurely behind. Millie let them think so. The less they knew, the better. The last time she'd uttered just a small word, Millie didn't recall, for she hadn't ever been one to speak much. The sound, to her, was a breathtaking craft, one that must've taken years to perfect. Millie had never heard music. Sure, she'd heard a few notes, but never had the music sounded so graceful, so clear. She stood frozen, glancing around to examine the source. But no source was found. She took a step forward, back, to the left, and to the right. The sounds didn't falter. She stepped forward. And she stepped forward again. And again. And yet again! The music was increasing, like a little bumble bee drawing closer and closer. Millie's eyes sparkled.
Dum dum dum! Dum dum dum!
The sounds were like a bell, clicking over and over, drawing Millie's feet forward without her knowledge. The high-pitched bell sounds seemed to be calling her, pleading her to just take another step towards them.
Come closer, Millie!
She heard them say. She parted her lips and whispered back. "I'm coming," just a faint whisper, but a sound nonetheless. Her steady footsteps pacing increased with the volume, excitement bubbling and popping in her stomach like Snap, Crackle, and Pop from the Rice Krispies cereal.
Step, step, step, come faster! Hurry!
Begged music. Millie broke into a jog. "I'm coming!" she whispered once more, louder this time. She was near the sound, and her legs began to carry her even faster, as the sounds grew and exploded in her ears! "Wait, wait, I'm almost there!" she whispered again, entering the area it was coming from. "Oh no..." surrounding her were many buildings. Grocery stores, chiropractors, salons, bagel shops, restaurants, and even a pet store surrounded her. Emerald green eyes flashed around the lot, attempting to locate the source. But now, as of where she stood, it wasn't just music whispering in her ear. Sights and smells invaded her inexperienced mind, begging her to follow them, to meet them! The silent lot was filled with sounds from the whispering wind, carrying Millie's little feet this way and that. Millie commanded her feet to follow the noise, but her feet truly were not listening! Before long, she found herself singling out the wrong senses, following the wrong things, and stranded in the middle of a near-empty parking lot.
"Are you lost?" interrupted a high-pitched voice from across the way. Millie nodded her head violently. "I thought so! You're feet are moving like you're stand on red-hot coals! And I didn't suppose you were dancing." confused as of what to respond to the unfamiliar term, Millie settled on a half smile and a low grunt. The girl was too far away to hear her, but took the half smile as a welcome. "I'm Izzy, short for Isabelle, White. I'm part of the dance studio here." She headed over to Millie, who feared the girl just an ounce. Clothed in a solid green tank top and boy shorts, the girl approached quickly. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she seemed surprise once she was close enough to recognize Millie's raggedy appearance. "We're on break. What's your name?" Millie couldn't decide whether or not to reply. The music played, but focusing on it was hard with the pearly white grin invading her vision. Just as Millie was about to give a curt nod and vanish, the tones ceased. Worry on her face, she looked at Izzy.
"Where did the sounds go?" she asked softly, just loud enough to hear over the flapping of a nearby butterfly's wings. Izzy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What, the music? Miss Jasmine turns it off during break time," she pointed out casually. "It plays again. Where are you from? I haven't seen you around. And what's your name?" she repeated.
"Millie from Nowhere," Millie responded quietly.
"Millie from where? Speak up!" Izzy insisted. When Millie didn't say anything, Izzy shrugged it off and continued. "You look awfully tired. If you'd like, you can come in the dance studio and watch us practice? There's little screens for the moms to watch if they want." Millie nodded her head vigorously. Whatever the studio was, the noise was being radiated from there, so Millie blocked out the smells and followed Izzy, confident that she would find the source.
And the "Music", "Miss Jasmine". Izzy had mentioned them. Miss Jasmine had to be a person, and Izzy referred to the sound as music. Music was the beautiful sounds she was hearing! Izzy was rambling on about something, but inside her head, Millie's brain was overflowing. The wide doors pulled open, and Izzy stopped talking. The smell was minty like peppermint, and very fresh. Millie's eyes darted around with wonder, and Izzy said something she didn't hear, waved, and disappeared down a narrow hallway. Two woman and a girl around six sat in cushioned chairs, watching TV screens as other girls dressed near identical to Izzy filed into a room, chattering with each other joyfully. Millie watched from the doorway, transfixed, until she was jolted from her thoughts by a lady behind a desk.
"Sweetheart? Oh, good. Are you in the jazz class with Fiona?" confused, Millie nodded her head up and down. "Ok." said the receptionist. "She's in the second room on the left when you just go down that hallway. This is a just your trial class for today, so your guardian doesn't have to come in, but I would really like if I could meet them next time." she added. Millie nodded again, then cautiously took steps into the hallway. Second room on the left, a jazz class. Jazz? What was jazz? Then the music came back. Not from the second room on the left, but further down. Millie scurried quickly towards it. She was so close now! Then, she was there. The music was right by her ear, filling her ears with sounds of instruments working together. She peered into the window and saw at least twenty girls, smiling faces, commanding attention with graceful movements in synch. Millie stood, mesmerized, watching. There was Izzy, in the third row back, leaping through the air like she was flying. Upon spotting Millie in the mirror, she made a waving gesture with her hand that was out in front of her, as if she were clutching a ball in her arm. Millie smiled back, unable to resist, as Izzy continued flawlessly. A tap on her shoulder brought her out of yet another fantastical moment.
"Second door on the left, hon," the receptionist whispered into Millie's ear, gesturing towards a different door. Reluctant to leave the beautiful image and song, Millie turned around to enter the room. She did just that, and saw five other girls sitting around, and a woman in the front taking notes on who was there. Millie looked worriedly around the room, and entered nervously. Five heads turned, and stared at her. Millie bit her lip in fear as the receptionist shut the door as she left. A couple waved kindly, but then they all returned to the previous conversation.
"What's your name, sweetie?" asked the lady in front.
"Millie," Millie replied instinctively, crossing her arms, frightened.
"Good morning, Millie, welcome to the class. Ok, ladies, let's get started!"
And that they did. Millie found more music filling her ears, more melodies, different ones. Maybe she even liked them more. The teacher told them all to copy her, and as Millie did just that, a sense of freedom stole over her body. It was like she couldn't control her movements, she just let her body take her where it wanted. Leaving was bittersweet. While escaping the stares from her peers, wondering why she was dressed in such apparel, it was painful knowing she wouldn't be able to ever feel the same freedom that she had that day. Yanking open the door, Millie returned to her journey, the one to nowhere, the once to somewhere she didn't know. But from that day forward, whenever she heard a tune, she let her inner self take over, and let anything else take a backseat. For when she "danced" as she discovered it was called, when she "danced" to the "music", she felt free. And that had been her destination all along; To be. And to be, to her, was just to be free.
