You begin to hum a tune, something of which I am not familiar with. You play around for a while, snapping your fingers. I notice that your head is bobbing as you become thoroughly engrossed in the music's rhythm and movement. I roll my eyes, realizing how silly you look. Actual words start to slip off of your lips. "I'd go anywhere for you... anywhere you ask me to... I'd do anything for you... anything you want me to... your love as far as I can see... is all I'm ever gonna need... there's one thing I know for sure is true... baby, I'd go anywhere for you."
I groan instantly, my teeth grinding as I cringe. Your kid-like voice drills into my head, screeching as it slides across my brain waves. Every single time your voice squeaks, I feel as if you're twisting my arm; the noise is almost insufferable. I wonder where God went wrong with your "talent." I pray that soon your voice will break in, but I highly doubt that would ever happen. With a voice as terrible as that, nothing about it could ever be improved. I can only cover my ears and hope the torment will end quickly.
One of my eyes opens - in a slow manner so that I could ward off your voice's sound waves if I had to. Higher and higher my eyelid lifts; my eye peeps at you to see if you have finally stopped singing. My hands gradually slip from my ears. I soon sigh with relief.
Silence.
But my alleviation doesn't last for long.
The cordless microphone drops to your side. Suddenly, it slips from your fingers. Closer and closer it tumbles to the ground, free-falling through the air. A loud crash echoes throughout the atmosphere; the microphone now lays as if it were dead on the floor. I stiffen, my eyes becoming transfixed as I wonder what your next move will be.
Darkness.
I cannot even see an inch ahead of me. Pure terror has blocked the blood in my vessels. It seems as if everything has frozen in time, doomed to stay this way forever.
But ever so softly, a voice enters the air. Music lightly dusts the sound waves. Consoling, soothing, heart-feeling, but saddening. The voice... I know it is all too familiar... and yet... it is different. Different. Different. I cannot understand what is happening.
"Guilty roads through an endless love..." The voice grows in strength and volume as the spotlight begins its dance again. "There's no control... are you with me now?" The owner of the voice leisurely stands up, pushing the stool aside. My eyes squint, peering intently at him. Older. Mature. Realistic. Attractive. Confusion attacks my brain; is this the same person as before?
"Your every wish will be done... they tell me..." Without warning, he bursts out with a heart-aching harmony. The tune is beautiful. I can sense the voice grasping my heart, refusing to let go. I cannot find the strength to resist; it has won me over without a fight.
His singing spellbinds me, luring me closer to his state of presence. Cautiously, I step up to him, wanting a closer look. Sophisticated glasses rest upon the bridge of his nose, modifying his intelligence. Roughly cut blond hair has been spiked and bleached, giving him a fresh aspect. His apparel is that of a business man's; he is clad in a classy suit with a shimmering shirt and tie to set him off. It almost seems as if this person doesn't exist; he appears to be perfect.
For some reason I cannot comprehend, I am compelled to this man. Even though I cannot read his mind, and he cannot read mine, I know I can sense the exact same emotions he is experiencing. Heartache. Sorrow. A desperate yearning for love. I can see all of this in his eyes. Eyes of true beauty, bolder than any blue, intriguing and captivating...
I suddenly draw in a sharp breath.
It's you.
You are the perfect man.
Appalled, I immediately feel denial putting up a barrier to separate us. I can never feel that way for you... of all people. Never in my mind would I have taken the time to even notice you.
But you have changed, transformed.
And so have I.
Different.
"Being lonely..." I am astonished to hear how much power your voice has. Forceful to the mind, potent to the heart. Overwhelmed by your presence, I sense tears welling up in my eyes. Your music, your song, your voice - has penetrated my heart, washing it out to a sea of tears. I feel as if you are trying to reach out for something, for someone... but you cannot have what you want. I share your pain, desiring, craving, longing for a sample of even the tinest bit of love. Your face magnetizes my hand; I extend my fingers, hoping to sense the perfection of your face. To drown and lose myself in your eyes, to have your love envelope me, to cling to your heart as we become one - it would be more than I have ever asked for. Just one touch... one touch... and I am forever yours.
But my hand goes right through you.
I glance down at my palm, my tears soiling my skin.
I can't touch you.
Emptiness... a painful void has consumed my heart.
Loneliness.
"Show me the meaning of being lonely. Is this the feeling I need to walk with? Tell me why I can't be there where you are. There's something missing in my heart..."
Your voice fades out, knowing that your time here is coming to an end. You trudge across the stage, the spotlight highlighting your presence. And like your voice... you vanish.
You never knew you had an audience.