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Chapter 14 - The Piano

Taylor couldn't keep track of the days anymore. Not like it mattered. He had been left in that room for days. Ron never came in, not even to give him food. He was hardly able to walk or even move. He only got up to go to the bathroom, even then he crawled on his hands and knees just barely able to make it, then he resumed his spot on the floor once again. He was able to wiggle his hands out of the ropes that Ron had tied his hands with. His whole world had fallen apart. He was coming to the realization that there was nothing that he could do to get out of this. This was his life now and he didn't want to live it. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of how bad it would hurt his family if he died, but even his family seemed to become a distant memory now. He figured they thought he was dead by now, so he might as well be. No more was his life of traveling the world and playing songs for people. He now could write songs, but no one would read them. He could come up with tunes in his head, but no one would ever hear them. His life now belonged to Ron.

For the first time in days Taylor heard the creak of the door. Someone was coming in, but he didn't look. He didn't care who it was anymore.

"You haven't even moved and you've been here for five days" Taylor heard Ron's voice say. He didn't turn to face him.

"I have no reason to move anymore" Taylor stated. He turned his head to look at Ron, "I'm never going to leave here, am I?" Ron shook his head.

"No, you're not" he said sternly.

"Then I don't want to live anymore. If I can never see my family again I don't want to be alive. Just kill me like you keep threatening to do" Taylor said. He turned his head away again,

"I am your family now, Taylor" Ron replied. Taylor turned his head to look at him.

"You are not my family" Taylor said, raising his voice. Ron knelt down and pulled Taylor up.

"Can you walk?" Ron asked, ignoring what Taylor said.

"I haven't tried" Taylor said as Ron pulled him to his feet.

"I'll help you get back to your room" Ron said. Taylor looked at him confused.

"I thought this was my room now"

"If you had been a pain about it these passed few days it would have been your new room, but you've been good, so you get rewarded." Taylor wanted to laugh at that statement. He couldn't have been a pain if he wanted to be, he couldn't even move.

"Oh joy. I get to go back to my old prison" Taylor said as he tried to break away from Ron and walk on his own. He couldn't and he nearly fell down until Ron caught him. He helped him walk out of the room. Taylor hated that he had to be dependant on Ron for anything.

"There's a surprise for you in your room" Ron said as they rounded the corner. They entered Taylor's room. Taylor looked in and saw a piano sitting there against the wall. Taylor pushed Ron away when he knew he could stand on his own and looked at him, extremely confused and almost angry.

"I don't get you," Taylor nearly yelled "a few days ago you were beating the living shit out of me and now you're giving me a piano? You really are insane." Taylor went to walk over to his bed, but his legs gave out. He fell to the floor and in frustration crawled on his hands and knees to his bed. He climbed up on it and laid down. He looked over at Ron who was still watching him.

"Aren't you going to play it?" Ron asked angrily. He had wanted Taylor to be excited about it.

"No" Taylor replied coldly.

"You will play it Taylor. I'll be in later to listen to you" and with that Ron walked out of the room, shutting the door.

Taylor closed his eyes. The bed felt so much better than the hard floor of that room. He didn't want to admit it, but he was glad Ron allowed him back here. He began to think of his appearance. He knew he had to look like shit. He knew he would feel so much better if he took a shower and after much debate he decided he would. He swung his legs off the bed and sat there.

"Just take it slow" he said to himself, standing up. He slowly limped his way across the room to the bathroom. When he entered he ignored the mirror. He didn't even want to see himself. He slowly pulled off his clothes and threw them to the side. He climbed in the shower and turned on the water letting it soak away his blood and tears.

* * *

Taylor collapsed once again on the bed. The shower made him look and feel so much better. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep, but his mind kept thinking about the piano on the other side of the room. He wanted to play it, but he didn't want to give Ron the pleasure. He tried to redirect his thoughts elsewhere, but he couldn't stop thinking about that stupid piano. He sat up and stared at it. He then reached in the shelf near his bed and pulled out his notebook, looking over the songs he had written down. He glanced back at the piano.

"I would love to get some melodies for some of these songs" he thought to himself. He sighed. He forfeited against himself and got up. He limped over to the piano and sat down on the stool. He turned around and looked at the door. Ron probably wouldn't even hear him playing it.

He placed his fingers on the keys. He began to play the first keys of "This Time Around." God he missed this. He started to play all the songs he had written. It was like therapy to him. He let himself go in the music, closing his eyes, pretending he was sitting in the studio. He stopped playing and opened his eyes. He looked at the notebook that he had placed on the piano. There was one particular song he had written the lyrics to that he wanted to write a melody for. He opened up the notebook and read over the lyrics, the song wasn't finished and he felt it needed more work. He began to play the tune that he had had in his head for it. Just then Taylor heard the door open behind him. He quickly pulled his hands off the keys. He reached for his notebook and closed it, then turned around to see Ron standing there.

"Well well well, looks like someone is enjoying their present" Ron said laughing. He shut the door and walked in. He had a chair in his hand. He set it down and sat on it, looking at Taylor. Taylor stared at the keys of the piano. He rested his hands on his lap.

"I came to listen to you play" Ron stated.

"I don't feel like playing anymore" Taylor said as he stood up.

"You're playing for me" Ron said pulling out a gun.

"You're going to shoot me if I don't play the piano for you?!" Taylor said still standing up.

"Don't test me. You know where that gets you. Now sit and play me a song. I'd like you to sing too" Ron stated, still pointing the gun at him. Taylor looked at him not believing this.

"This is crazy" he said under his breath. He sat down an gave Ron one last look, then turned his head to the piano looking at the keys. He decided to play "A Song to Sing." He pressed the keys down and played the song, singing the lyrics. He seemed to get lost in the music, forgetting that he was at gun point. He sang the song, singing Isaac's part and everything.

Goodbye four leaf clovers
Hello gone awry
Don't cry the fight ain't over
Unless you let it pass you by

I'm looking for a song to sing
I'm looking for a friend to borrow
I'm looking for my radio
So I might find a heart to follow
I've never been just longing for your loving
I've never been just wearing down to nothing
I've never been just looking for a reason
So that maybe you'd be thinking of me

All that I have found in reason
Is reason just to not believe
When all that you're left is treason
It's treason just to let it be

I'm looking for a song to sing
I'm looking for a friend to borrow
I'm looking for my radio
So I might find a heart to follow
I've never been just longing for your loving
I've never been just wearing down to nothing
I've never been just looking for a reason
So that maybe you'd be thinking of me

These blue yonder dreams and second hand shoes
You're so far gone that you live to lose
And it's too late to go home all alone
You're the tar in that old cigar
And the worn out cable on a cable car
And you're too tired to admit you've got to chose

I'm looking for a song to sing
I'm looking for a friend to borrow
I'm looking for my radio
So I might find a heart to follow
I've never been just longing for your loving
I've never been just wearing down to nothing
I've never been just looking for a reason
So that maybe you'd be thinking of me
So that maybe you'd be thinking of me

Taylor's eyes filled with tears as he finished the verse. The song was so fitting and he had never felt as passionate about it as he did right then. It made him long for home and his family more than ever. He looked over at Ron who was nodding his head. Ron stood up and walked over to Taylor. He patted his head. Taylor closed his eyes tight feeling Ron's cold hand touch him, it made him feel sick.

"Good job" Ron said and he walked out of the room.

"Oh God" Taylor let out. He grabbed his notebook and pulled himself off the stool he sat on and onto the floor. He backed against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest. He rested his arms on top of his knees and laid his head down on top of them. He felt such intense pain and longing in his heart wanting to be with his family so badly. The tears spilled out of his eyes. He threw his head back letting out a yell of anger and pain.

"Just fucking kill me!" he screamed.

As the night wore on Taylor's tears stopped and he fell asleep on the floor still clutching the notebook of his songs, the only thing that still belonged to him, in his arms.

* * *

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