My friends often told me that I’m a good singer. They would always say it’s a soft, but rich velvety voice. But I never believed them.

But now…

Now as I sit here in front of the piano, my voice weaving in and out of the haunting song, I realized that they were right.

Now I sit here as if listening to my voice for the first time. It’s weird, I know, but it’s true. I never really paid attention to it. It was always a constant for me.

Soon something wet falls on one of the keys and I pause before continuing. Another one falls and I become aware that I’m crying.

Why?

They never cared about me. They adopted me and soon they saw me as a burden and ignored me. Over time I came to hate them and they hated me. Then the beating came. It wasn’t very often but it was enough where I learned to live my early life as a scared child.

I lived this way until a day ago. A little over ten years. I’m seventeen now. A day ago someone found out. He promised he wouldn’t tell but he lied, betrayed me. Now the police are at my house arresting the people I hate but am crying over.

And I’m sitting here listening to my voice for the first time.

Another tear falls but I don’t pause. I ignored it as they ignored me…

The song ends and fades into a new one and my voice does the same.

I learned to play the piano during the few times she didn’t ignore me and decided to teach me something. I continued to play when I started to go to school and stumbled into the music room.

Another tear.

Today I might be questioned. I don’t know if I’ll tell them anything though. I guess I’m afraid of getting in trouble with them even if they can’t harm me anymore. But I actually liked my life until now. I didn’t want to leave this piano.

But now everything was going wring. He wasn’t supposed to find out, wasn’t supposed to tell. But he did.

Another tear.

Somewhere far away a door opens and light fills the dark auditorium and blinds me momentarily. Three men stand in the doorway; two police officers and the principle.

“You’re Vanessa Halson, correct?” One of them asks.

I don’t say anything. Just stare ahead, still singing and playing.

Another tear.

At the door I can see another figure silhouetted in the door frame. I didn’t see his face but I knew who it was and I couldn’t stop but holding back another tear.

They walk up the stage and stand near the piano letting me finish what I’m doing.

The song starts to fade into an end and another tear falls. My voice stays strong but soon it cracks. The song ends and I sit there for a moment before my arms come around my middle and clutch me stomach. I lean forward and my head hits the keys, making a loud noise. Soon my breath comes out in gasps and I let all my tears release.

The men stand there awkwardly waiting for me to finish. Vaguely I heard running and soon I felt warm arms go around me in an embrace. I tensed for the briefest moments but soon I relax and lean into him and cry with all the pain that was inside of me.

The others gave us privacy but to me it felt as if they were ignoring us. It only made me cry harder.

They wanted to help but they weren’t. Only one was and he was saving me from drowning in my pain and tears.