The Crystal Flute

     They had ones shaped like rainbows, several shaped like trumpets and angels and there were a few with Santa Grundo and his eight tiny Uni! There were lights strung in the trees, lights wound around lamp posts. Every inch bled luminous colours!

     We were sipping our hot chocolate and debating on the new problem I had come to encounter. We were at terror mountain for our Christmas orchestra. I had completed my assignments a week in advance so that I could be excused to join as had all the other young members of the orchestra and junior orchestra. Aoife, who was not a member of either had simply asked if she could complete her assignments early so she could participate as set up and clean up crew for us.

     None of that was the problem, however. My problem was that I had only thought to bring my ocarinas. That’s right, everyone’s favourite Pastel Xweetok didn’t think ahead this year. I had left my flute at home. I had been born into a family of musicians. I dabbled in the violin but fell in love with the ocarina. I had been playing the flute since I was a toddler. Normally I pack my flute and take it with me when we do travel concerts. Not this time and we sorely needed it. Our first chair flautist who was to perform a solo song of her choice had taken ill. I was the backup for her (lucky me, eh?) I was deep in thought when I heard something.

     “Play it again!” Came the voice of a small child, maybe around the age of three.

     I looked around and saw no one else in the lights but us.

     “Aoife, did you hear that?” I asked my best friend.

     “Hear what?” Came the response from the Electric Vandagyre beside me.

     I shook my head and told her to Nevermind because I was clearly hearing things. It had sounded so real….so familiar. Off in the distance, I could hear a strangely familiar melody. I briefly caught a glimpse of what looked to be a light faerie walking through the Forest of colourful lights. The melody continued, which I hadn’t heard in maybe eleven years. I pushed the familiar melody and the strange ghostly voice out of my head and focused on our problem. I supposed I could just borrow the first chair’s flute because it was an emergency. I’m sure our conductor would understand despite the strict rule about not sharing wind instruments for health reasons.

     “Play it again and I’ll play, too!” Came the voice from the invisible toddler. The familiar yet distant melody chimed across the fantasy’s grounds. We were passing by the gazebo in the middle of the grounds, it was covered in decorations and brilliantly lit by luminous glass snowflakes and trees. That’s when I heard the melody clearly and what was making it.

     It was a flute. The sweet and warm sound of the alto flute filled my ears, followed by the semi-decent flute of what I could only assume was the toddler. She was blowing into it so hard it almost sounded like a soprano. I could hear them, but I couldn’t see them. There was no one in the gazebo playing the flutes among the Christmas lights.

     I didn’t bother Aoife with this. I was clearly the only one who could hear it. I adjusted my glasses and walked on. We had to get back to the lodge we were staying at. It was getting late and very cold.

     ***

     “Play it again!” Came the disembodied child’s voice. She was beginning to get on my nerves. Was I being haunted because I had forgotten my flute? Sure, I favoured my ocarinas but did that really merit haunting a sixteen-year-old? It was only seven in the morning. I had gotten up early to ponder my problem some more and make up a postcard and basket for my Grammy. I sent her one from Terror mountain every year. She used to live here a long time ago. Honestly, I could hardly think of anything to write to her. I was so invested in worrying about my predicament. I should have grabbed one of my flutes. This was eating me alive.

     Truth be told, I had more than one flute at home. I had a small collection of them. I also had a small collection of ocarinas.

     The one flute I only used for super special occasions was the one my Grammy gave to me when I graduated out of junior orchestra at thirteen. That one had my name engraved on it and crystal buttons with sterling silver and gold accents around the entire flute and buttons. I had been so happy to read ‘property of Aria Clarion McKinnsley’ on the side. It wasn’t a cheap flute either, it had cost Grammy over ten thousand Neopoints! She had given it to me in memory of my grandpa who had passed away when I was still very young. He had been the first chair flautist in the orchestra and had met my Grammy when she was the first chair piccolo player for the terror mountain symphony. That flute stayed tucked away in a super safe space and only got played for family events or solo performances at concerts when I was granted the opportunity. When I had received it, we had to explain its significance to my little brother Oisin. Grampy had passed before he had been born. Grammy had said she had wanted me to have Grampy’s flute, but he had put it away somewhere secret and hidden and had forgotten. He had wanted me to have it when I needed it. To be honest, I barely remembered him or his flute.

     I made my way to the post office, my gift basket and postcard ready to go. It was a cold morning. Aoife had still been sleeping when I left. If sleeping were an Altadorian sport she would definitely take home the cup in it. I entered into the post office and came face to face with a very elderly Ixi.

     “Why, bless the faeries,” he said. “ If it isn’t little Arry, and she’s all grown now!”

     “Ummmm,” I said confused. “Hello, sir.”

     “ah, my dear,” he said coming over to me. “ I didn’t think you’d remember me. You were just knee-high when I last saw you. I was your grandpa Ceol’s best friend!”

     He handed me an envelope and told me that grampy had given it to him just before he passed away. He had been instructed to give it to me if I ever bumped into him again or find a way to mail it to Grammy if he should find himself come close to his own parting. Grampy had been aware Grammy was going to move to the haunted woods. I think I was maybe five when he passed and Oisin had been born seven months later, five days after my sixth birthday.

     The elderly Ixi bid me farewell and toddled out of the post office. I looked at the envelope. It was well-worn with age. He must have carried it everywhere for the last eleven years in hopes of encountering me. I mailed Grammy’s basket and postcard and made my way back to the lodge quickly. I was hoping Aoife was awake because she would get a kick out of this. She loved mysteries.

      ***

     She was not awake. It was ten to nine and she was still asleep. So I jumped on the bed and tackled her. She gave a muffled cry and squirmed as I tickled her into consciousness. Between laughs and gulps of air, she asked me what I was even doing up so early.

     I handed her the beaten-up envelope and recounted my meeting with the elderly Ixi.

     “Wow!” She said, handing it back to me. “ Let’s open it and see what’s inside!”

     I carefully opened it at an edge and slide out two sheets of paper. One was a note.

     Dear Aria,

     You are to inherit my flute. I have hidden it away someplace safe. When you play it, remember the Christmases past when we would play together. You looked just like your mother when she began learning! We played together as a family, but you and I had our own traditions. I’m sorry it is to be cut short. I love you my little melody.

     Grampy Ceol.

     Something about that letter sparked a memory. It was fuzzy. I couldn’t quite pull it to the surface of my mind. The other paper that had been with it turned out to be a map. It wasn’t well drawn and it had been done with a dying pen. Some of the words were hard to make out. It looked like it lead to the top of the mountain, but I couldn’t tell. The ink was hardly visible. There was no time to lose! If grampy’s hidden flute had survived all these years then it would solve my dilemma if I could find it!

     Excited, I jumped up and threw Aoife’s coat at her and grabbed my own. I promised to buy her anything she wanted from a cafe along the way. She was ok with that deal and immediately demanded a peppermint turnover.

     ***

     The café was quiet, it was nearly 10 am when we had gotten there. The smell of Borovan and several different types of coffee filled the air. Aoife was happily enjoying her peppermint turnover and a steamy cup of tea. I was eating a blueberry muffin with a French vanilla cappuccino. Neither one of us could decipher my grandpa’s writing. The pen he was using was decidedly near out of ink.

     “Excuse me,” I said to a kindly looking elderly Tonu who was visiting the cafe with an excited grandchild running up to the sweets display. “Can you possibly make out what this is?”

     “Dear me, that certainly is an old map!” She said. “Hmmm, that looks like Ceol’s penmanship if I’m not mistaken!”

     “You knew my Grampy?” I asked in amazement.

     “Why, yes my dear. Everyone did!” she laughed. “I was the first chair bassoonist. I was also the one that set him up with Niamh. Your grandma.”

     “Wow!” I was too shocked to utter anything more than that. Aoife’s own wide-eyed stare reflected how I felt.

     “Ah, let’s see here,” she began looking at the map again. “Knowing Ceol, he’s hidden something he wanted you to have…..here, the starting point is here.”

     She pointed to a spot on the map indicating somewhere in the ice caves. It was very near to the Snowager. A little too near for my liking. She quickly told us the passage had been off limits for nearly a decade because of the Snowager. It had started becoming more aggressive with more and more Neopians attempting to steal its treasure. She also said she would look the other way as a favour to Ceol’s musical heiress. She meant for me to find his missing flute.

     With that she bid us fair well and returned to her overly excited grandchild who was still trying to decide what he wanted from the sweets display. When I turned to face Aoife, she had this look of bewilderment on her face.

     “Are we really going to risk our lives to retrieve an ancient flute?!” She said in a hushed whisper. She didn’t like it when I nodded. She was always complaining about how life was so boring back at home. Now we had an adventure unfolding and it was making her super uneasy. We quickly finished up our drinks and food and left.

     ***

     By noon we were down that abandoned passage. We could hear the Snowager snoring. It was loud and rumbling in the caves. We stayed quiet. At the end of the passage was another room. There was a box frozen in a thick sheet of ice in this chamber. Neither of us could pry it loose from the ground.

     “Follow me, and bring your flashlight!” I said. “I saw a shovel in the Snowager’s hoard. We’re going to borrow it.”

     Aoife just sort of stood there for a moment and looked at me like I had told a joke. With great hesitation, she followed me back through the passage and into a tiny alcove beside the Snowager. There was indeed a shovel on the ground next to the pile. It was in fair condition. I crept up to it and as quietly as I could pick it up. The Snowager stirred a bit as the sound of falling coins jingled under its shifting form. So far so good. I managed to make it back to the passage in one piece. Returning the shovel to the Snowager might prove to be more difficult if it was awake when we freed the box.

     It took nearly two hours to chip away all the ice from the box. Aoife and I took turns as we chipped at it. Finally, it was free. The steelhead of the shovel met the steel lid of the box with a loud clang. We were both excited to see what lie in the box after such strenuous effort. I knelt down and gingerly opened the box. Inside was more paper!

     I looked through it and discovered it was sheet music. The words on the paper had long faded away. I read the music and the tune was the same one I had mysteriously heard in the park the other night while strolling through the fantasy of lights! I explained this to Aoife, who was standing beside me looking mildly annoyed that our efforts had been for more paper. We left down the passage me with the box and Aoife with the shovel. As we approached the little nook that entered into the Snowagers cavern, we noticed a couple of Red Lupes sneak in. The pair were quite brave considering the Snowager was awake.

     It had seen the two intruders and was busy trying to deal with them. This made it easier for Aoife to quickly run in and throw the shovel onto the nearest pile of trinkets and run full tilt back to me. We left the ice caves and headed back to the lodge in the fading afternoon sun. When we got back to the lodge, I saw Clarissa and showed her the box and the sheet music. Clarissa might know! She was here for the Neovian Choir and a backup Piccolo player for the second chair and might remember the tune.

     “It sounds super familiar!” The pink uni said. “Arrrrgh! Now I’m going to be thinking about it all night! Thaaaaanks Aria!”

     She stomped off as a starry Lupe was entering the room. He turned to watch her leave and noticed me cleaning up the sheet music. He pulled me aside. Garret was worried about Clarissa coming back in while we were talking so he turned his hearing aids up and turned his back to the door. Instead of verbally talking to me and risking being overheard, he signed to me.

     “The night after tomorrow, I’m going to propose to Clarissa!” He signed. “ I Need you to round your family up.”

     I responded in sign and asked him if our Grammy knew. He admitted that he had sent out a postcard early this morning on rush delivery. She’d have it by now and might already be on her way.

     “I also mentioned your predicament,” he signed. This made me realize that I had never considered not finding Grampy’s flute as a possibility and how badly it would go. I thanked him profusely and called him the greatest lifesaver in the world. Grammy would absolutely bring me my flute! This Starry Lupe was probably the reason I would survive this concert nightmare.

     Just then my mom came in and interrupted us. She wanted to know if either of us was willing to go to the store and grab some peppermint cookies. I immediately volunteered. Scanning the room, I couldn’t find Aoife. She probably wandered off to go shower. I would have to make the trip alone. I marched quickly down the street and bumped into the elderly Tonu from this morning.

     “Hello again, Dear!” She said cheerily. “Did you and the pretty Vandagyre find what you were looking for?”

     “Not quite, ma’am.” I replied.

     “Oh heavens,” she said. “I forgot to introduce myself this morning. My name is Clarice Allans. Nice to meet you, dear.”

     I properly introduced myself and told her what I had found and hummed the melody for her. She knew it to a degree. It was one she hadn’t heard in a long time. She told me to find a man named Zakarius Renaud. He had been my Grampy’s best friend. I immediately remembered the elderly Ixi from this morning who had introduced himself as just that. And inquired where he might be.

     “Around this time, he’ll be just finishing up at the bingo hall,” She said. “Do you know where that is dear? Here, let me give you the directions.”

     She wrote them down on some paper and sent me off on my way. I searched and searched and didn’t even make it to the Bingo hall before I bumped into just the Ixi I was looking for. I introduced myself again (not that it was necessary because he already knew me.) and told him about my day.

     It turns out he could play the tin whistle and he had always loved playing this tune during the holidays with my grandparents and their family. The tune itself was sixteen years old. He just couldn’t remember the tune. So I showed him the map that had come out of the envelope he had given me earlier.

     “Ha, he was always sly like a Dogglefox,” Mr Renaud said. “Loved a good treasure hunt, too. Here, Arry, this is where you should probably go next.”

     He pointed to a very faint and smudged line. And told me it was more than likely the symphony hall. I thanked him again and went immediately there. Where better to hide a flute than in a place filled with instruments! It was genius!

     Unfortunately when I got there, it was just being locked up for the night. Today had been a free day for the Neovian orchestras so there was no rehearsal. I bumped into an elderly Acara by the name of Richard Willems and just outright asked him if he had known anyone by the name of Ceol at one point.

     “Why, by the great faeries,” he exclaimed. “Yes! I was the third chair clarinet when we were younger. I was there when he proposed to Niamh! I was also a close friend of hers!”

     I quickly explained to him my situation and the events of the day. I even mentioned Mr Renaud and Mrs Allans. He chuckled. He also told me that Grampy had not hidden his flute here.

     “The man was more creative than that!” Mr Willems said. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you more. However, if you would like to see where he’s buried, I can give you directions to the graveyard.”

     I agreed. I got the directions and decided I would go tomorrow. It was getting dark now and I had to get back with the peppermint cookies. On the way back I saw someone walking around cheerily ringing bells and a memory hit me. I had to stop as the wheels began turning so fast in my mind that I almost tripped.

     Suddenly I heard the voice of a child maybe about eight years old.

     Christmas bells, Christmas bells! Over the hills and over the dells!

     It sounded so familiar! I looked around and only saw the man with the bells. There were no carolling children anywhere! At this point, I ran back to the lodge and right to Clarissa and Garret’s room with the cookies. I found Clarissa there and repeated the words I had remembered. This only drove her further into irritation and she tried hard to remember where she had heard the words and song before.

     I told Aoife everything as we headed down to dinner twenty minutes later. She was intrigued, but her interests at the present moment were on dinner. We could smell fried foods and peppermints. After dinner, we went to bed. That song still playing in my head.

To be continued…