Rumors of sounds of a piano echoing in the rain seems to have attracted many curious visitors. Go investigate around the abandoned theater and find out the truth about this strange phenomenon.
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| 1 |
Illusions. Here?
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| 2 |
Hmm... Pop music... Folk music... Classical...
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| 2 |
Rainwater leaking in. That explains the illusions in the store.
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| 3 |
Oh!
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| 4 |
Hey, mister! Did you want to buy this record too?
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| 5 |
*chuckle* It's fine. Go ahead, you can have it.
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| 6 |
Tee-hee. Thank you, mister.
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| 7 |
Classical music. Quite the taste you have there, young girl.
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| 8 |
This one? Hehe, it is kind of hard for me...
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| 9 |
Mother told me, i-it's best for me to build my musical senses with the harder ones from the start!
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| 10 |
My fingers hurt from all the practise, but I'll keep working hard!
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| 11 |
Good for you, child. You know the importance of practise very well.
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| 12 |
What do you think, mister? Mother is right, but I think sometimes there's other ways to choose music.
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| 13 |
Oh? Then how do you purpose you should choose?
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| 14 |
Hmm... For example... What kind of music do you usually like to listen to?
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| 15 |
What kind of music makes you want to can't help but hum along whenver you hear it?
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| 16 |
Or perhaps, the kind of music that makes you want to dance along to?
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| 17 |
Err...
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| 18 |
Mother wouldn't be happy if I told her that...
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| 19 |
I know! Every time when we pass by the theater, the sound of drums and gongs!
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| 20 |
You know, those sounds are so lively! They always make me want to hop around along with them!
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| 21 |
Haha, is that so? I also quite enjoy the sounds of percussion instruments of Jinzhou.
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| 22 |
It's a shame that I probably won't have the time to go to the theater and enjoy them myself this time.
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| 23 |
In that case. Let's see here.
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| 24 |
Ahh, this one. "Collection of Traditional Percussion Music". I'm sure you'll like it.
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| 25 |
Woah!
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| 26 |
B-But, Mother wouldn't buy me anything that's not piano-related.
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| 27 |
I see... It's okay, you can have it as a gift.
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| 28 |
I can't. Mother told me I can't take things from strangers.
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| 29 |
Ahh, yes. Your mother is absolutely correct about that.
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| 30 |
How about this, I'm sure you know about the performance at the theater tonight, yes?
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| 31 |
Yeah! Mother is a fan. It's what we're visiting here for!
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| 32 |
Perfect. Then I'll leave my signature on this record. After the performance, bring it with you and come to the backstage with your mother.
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| 33 |
Think of it as a special gift for a fan. What is your name, young girl?
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| 34 |
Oh, really? Thank you, mister! My name is Siran!
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| 35 |
Okay, Siran. Here you go.
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| 36 |
Ah, would you look at the time. I still haven't found a gift for my assistant yet.
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| 37 |
I look forward to seeing you tonight, little pianist.
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| 37 |
The mirage... disappeared.
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| 1 |
There you are. Did you find anything?
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| 1 |
I saw a mirage of your childhood.
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| 2 |
My... my childhood?
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| 3 |
You mean... The one when Mr. Joshua gave me the record...?
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| 3 |
That's right.
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| 4 |
This is why... This is why so I'm afraid to go there.
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| 5 |
I've lost it... The record... Lost it when I was running for dear life. I don't know where. It's been long gone.
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| 6 |
It was a record Mr. Joshua picked for me.
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| 7 |
If he knew that I lost it, I can't image how sad and disappointed he'd be.
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| 7 |
He wouldn't blame you.
(Jump:8)
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| 7 |
He wouldn't know.
(Jump:9)
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| 8 |
It's okay, you don't have to cheer me up.
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| 8 |
(Jump:10)
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| 9 |
It's okay, you don't have to talk me out of it.
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| 9 |
(Jump:10)
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| 10 |
The only thing that's on my mind right now is how to free Mr. Joshua's soul from this place.
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| 11 |
Okay, gotta pull myself together.
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| 12 |
Oh. It came to me while I was walking around earlier.
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| 13 |
Mr. Joshua mentioned in his memoirs that he liked to compose music at places where there's water.
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| 14 |
I remember there's a body of water not far away, so I went to try my luck.
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| 15 |
And lo and behold, I heard the piano playing again when I got near the water.
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| 16 |
I don't know why, but the sound of that piece felt really faint, like it's coming from every direction, from the skies.
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| 17 |
It was impossible to tell the direction it was coming from.
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| 18 |
The area around the water is too wide for me do do a complete go-around in a short amount of time.
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| 19 |
That's why I contacted you, hoping you could help me investigate.
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| 19 |
No problem.
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| 20 |
Thanks.
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| 21 |
Now, I'll go in this direction and you go the opposite. Meet back here in 15 minutes.
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| 1 |
Who are you? What do you want?
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| 1 |
Don't go into the water.
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| 2 |
Let go of me this instant.
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| 2 |
No. It's too dangerous.
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| 3 |
I... I'm not trying anything dangerous. Just let me go.
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| 3 |
Your nephew asked me to come find you.
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| 4 |
My nephew?
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| 5 |
That fool of a child.
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| 6 |
I'm in perfect health. What could possibly happen to me?
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| 6 |
Why were trying to go into the water?
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| 7 |
What do you think I'm trying to do?
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| 8 |
See that over there? On the high ground.
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| 9 |
It suddenly occurred to me that there was something over there.
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| 10 |
And I must get it back...
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| 11 |
Get your dirty paws off me. I just need to get it back. It's nothing to worry about.
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| 11 |
I'll help you.
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| 12 |
Huh? My business is none of your concern, youngster.
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| 12 |
It'll be quick and easy.
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| 13 |
You... *coughing*...
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| 14 |
Oh. Look at you, young and everything. You feel so proud about yourself don't you...?
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| 15 |
W-well... Then I shall thank you in advance. It should be right on that platform. As for what it is you're looking for, you'll know when you see it.
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| 1 |
Mr. Joshua... As you saw in the mirage, I wasn't at the record store with him.
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| 2 |
Nor was I at the theater for more practice as I had said.
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| 3 |
I came here instead, standing in the spot where I am now.
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| 4 |
With this piano score in my hands.
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| 4 |
Why did you come here?
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| 5 |
Joshua would often stay next to large areas of water whenever he composed piano pieces.
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| 6 |
He would close his eyes, with a very peaceful smile on his face. He said he listens to the symphony of winds and water.
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| 7 |
I volunteered to be his assistant at the time.
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| 8 |
I became famous at a young age, so famous to a point where everyone praised that I was a musical genius which only appears once every hundred years.
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| 9 |
I cherished my title of a genius, but I didn't let go of my efforts, so inevitably I became successful.
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| 10 |
But I knew that no matter how talented I am, or how hard I practiced, there will always be a behemoth looking down at me, and a plethora of leading musicians that I cannot surpass at the time.
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| 11 |
So I volunteered to become Joshua's assistant. I hope to stand next to his side and learn from him at every moment. Thinking that one day I'll be able to surpass him.
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| 11 |
Having a competitive mindset may lead to misfortune.
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| 12 |
Ha. You're quite perceptive for your age aren't you?
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| 13 |
That's right, the more impatient I am, the more I feel inferior to him.
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| 14 |
How does he keep his composure all the time?
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| 15 |
Why the casual attitude?
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| 16 |
Why does he always tell me to be calm and relax?
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| 17 |
Why can he just listen to the sound of water and winds, and have expressions of so much enjoyment? And can't I?
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| 18 |
After glossing over the piano score in my hands, looking at the dotted notes in his handwritings.
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| 19 |
A sudden urge of emotions that I couldn't even define flowed into my head.
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| 20 |
And I flung the score into the air with all my strength, turned my back and headed towards to the theater.
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| 21 |
I made up my mind that after the performance, I would request a formal resignation to my mentor.
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| 21 |
But then...
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| 22 |
But then, halfway there, I heard a soul-shaking blare.
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| 23 |
The eerie howls... ground-shaking boomings of the theater collapsing... and the screams of people running for their lives...
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| 24 |
I was caught between the fleeing crowds, petrified as rescue workers dragged and pulled me away...
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| 25 |
After I was taken to a safety area, I desperately searched for my mentor among the survivors...
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| 25 |
My condolences.
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| 26 |
So many years have passed, I know more than anyone that there was no chance Joshua could've survived.
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| 27 |
Since then, I can no long play again, so I became a composer.
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| 28 |
But when I saw that news, there's no doubt in my mind that his soul had made a return.
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| 29 |
He was calling out to me.
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| 29 |
...
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| 30 |
Oh... Forgive me, it's just me getting old. Every time I think of the past, I always end up rattling on.
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| 31 |
I apologize for dragging you along in this woeful story of mine.
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| 32 |
I have to go back to the theater, with this music score, and finish the performance that was meant to be.
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| 32 |
I'll go with you.
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| 1 |
That piano... I can't believe it's still here...
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| 2 |
May I know who you are, sir?
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| 3 |
You must be here for Joshua, same as this young lady I presume?
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| 4 |
I... I do miss Mr. Joshua dearly.
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| 5 |
Well, you've arrived just in time. Who could've imagined that a twenty-year-suspended performance would be greeted by two audiences.
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| 5 |
Make it three.
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| 6 |
Ah, yes, yes. How can I forget.
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| 7 |
If my mentor could see this now, he'd be deeply pleased.
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| 8 |
Mentor? Are you...
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| 9 |
It's just how I refer to him. I was Joshua's... assistant. But nowadays I would rarely mention myself as his student.
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| 10 |
I don't deserve it.
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| 11 |
Sir... I...
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| 12 |
I've always thought that if I'm lucky enough to meet Mr. Joshua's relatives or those close to him, I should... I should...
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| 13 |
Express my apology...
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| 14 |
Apology?
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| 15 |
Mr. Joshua... He... It was beacause of me... He..
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| 15 |
Siran...
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| 16 |
It's okay.
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| 17 |
That day, I came to the theater with my mother, and I was extremely excited for the performance.
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| 18 |
I didn't know at the time that the person who gave me the record at the record store was the maestro Joshua that my mother had admired so much.
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| 19 |
Before the performance, he came up on stage and kindly greeted the audience.
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| 20 |
He said that the highly anticipated opening performance was to be performed by his beloved pupil. He joked how it was the student's first large public performance and he was a little nervous.
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| 21 |
How the student was sharp and more talented than even himself, and everyone will fall in love with him and his performance.
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| 22 |
...
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| 23 |
Then, out of nowhere, I heard strange noises above my head.
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| 24 |
Mr. Joshua and I were the first to notice the noises. We looked up at the ceiling almost at the same time.
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| 25 |
Before we knew... the sky came down on top of us.
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| 25 |
The theater collapsed?
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| 26 |
Yes, it was... it was that monster.
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| 26 |
A Tacet Discord...
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| 27 |
It was still a time where knowledge of the TD's habits were limited, and the guidelines and restrictions placed on outdoor theater performances were not as strict as they are now.
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| 28 |
I had no idea what was happening. All I remember was being pushed out by my mother and just run.
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| 29 |
I couldn't tell which direction I was going, rocks and debris were falling everywhere. Screams and sounds of panicking people running echoed behind me.
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| 30 |
And... and that deep snarl...
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| 31 |
Just when I was at a loss, a large hand grabbed me from the shadows.
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| 32 |
I wanted to scream, but then I found out that it was Mr. Joshua.
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| 33 |
He covered my mouth and took me into a crack formed from collapsed concrete.
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| 34 |
Joshua... Joshua he...
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| 35 |
I don't know how long time had passed before the screams around us disappeared.
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| 36 |
It was nothing but dead silence... All we could hear was the harsh breathing sound... The sound of a giant hoof stepping over rocks.
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| 37 |
It was pacing...
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| 37 |
Like some kind of hunting behavior?
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| 38 |
It must be. We later realized that it must've heard us breathing, so it kept wandering around.
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| 39 |
We waited, waiting to see if it'll find a new prey, praying for it to leave.
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| 40 |
I've long lost track of time, and rescue was still not coming. All I knew was that my lips were as dry as if they would crack at any moment, and my consciousness getting weak...
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| 41 |
Mr. Joshua started gently patting me on the back, I could vaguely make out the rhythms. It was he debut piece.
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| 42 |
That piece... The one that's been floating around this place.
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| 42 |
He wanted you to stay awake.
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| 43 |
Yes.
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| 44 |
But his rhythm started to slowed down.
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| 45 |
He checked my pulse and stopped patting, like he'd made some kind of decision.
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| 46 |
He opened my eyelids, told me that he's going carry me in his arms and leave our hideout together on his mark, and that all I needed to care about was to just run, run until I my legs would give out.
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| 47 |
I was terrified, but I didn't want to die, I wanted to see my mother.
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| 48 |
So I nodded in agreement.
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| 48 |
There was no way a little girl can outrun...
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| 49 |
Mr. Joshua thought of it as well. He knew that it was impossible for us to outrun that monster. I'd never escape on my own.
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| 50 |
He carried me in his arms and walked out of the debris. We held our breathes as he tiptoed forward...
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| 51 |
But just as we barely got out, we heard the monster's hastened footsteps darting toward us...
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| 52 |
Mr. Joshua set me down on the ground and yelled - "Run!"
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| 53 |
And he rushed in the opposite direction...
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| 53 |
Towards the piano...
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| 54 |
The sound of piano began to play, smooth like the flow of water, as the footsteps immediately turned in its direction...
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| 54 |
These creatures are naturally attracted to sound.
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| 55 |
Yes...
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| 56 |
Those sounds... those terrifying sounds...
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| 57 |
I didn't look back... Too afraid to look back...
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| 58 |
All these years, I've been scared to look back, covering my eyes and ears... always running away...
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| 59 |
If it wasn't for me...
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| 60 |
That's wonderful...
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| 61 |
...
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| 62 |
Sir?
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| 63 |
So there was an audience there for Joshua's final performance after all.
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| 64 |
He dedicated his final piece... to you.
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| 65 |
His little audience.
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| 66 |
...
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