Metal Band One-Shots

The Restless Night (Wolmi)

 It was late at night, and Anne Nurmi had dozed off a little while earlier. She had meant to stay awake a little longer, but sleep had other ideas. It didn't last for long, because she woke up a few hours later. She had rolled over in bed, half-awake, and reached over to the other side of the bed. Her eyes opened wider when she realized the other side of the bed, where her husband Tilo would normally be, was empty. She sat up and turned on the lamp that stood on the bedside table. She was alone in the room. 

 Through the quiet of the night, Anne could piano music drifting from some other part of the house. It didn't sound like any particular melody, at least not one she knew; it just sounded like someone playing short, choppy tunes and then stopping. For her, there wasn't any mystery to it; she knew exactly what-or rather, who-it was. 

 Suddenly curious, Anne looked at the clock sitting on the bedside table. It was almost midnight. She was going to wonder what Tilo was still doing up, but then it occurred to her that he probably had no idea what time it was.

 Anne slipped into her robe, put on her slippers, and made her way down to the living room, where they kept a piano. Tilo had stopped playing the piano for the moment and was looking down at a music sheet, one he had probably been writing. 

 "Do you know what time it is?" Anne asked. 

 Tilo looked up at her. "No." He noticed her robe and slippers. "Oh. It must be late. I thought you had already gone to bed." 

 "Well, if you didn't sit in here with all the curtains closed, you would know it's dark out." Anne crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. "We just got home from touring a few days ago, and you're already working on something. That's very like you." 

 "But you say it like it might be a bad thing," he remarked. "How late is it? I shouldn't be much longer." 

 "Almost midnight. Don't worry, I understand." Anne sat down on the sofa. "You do have to sleep at some point, you know. That's why I came down to check you, so I know you're not overworking yourself." 

 "Don't worry. I know not to do too much at once." Tilo spun around on the piano bench and smiled at her. "It is nice to be home again, isn't it?" 

 She smiled back. "It is. I thought maybe you would want to take a break, but I should have known that a break for you would be four days." 

 "Oh, you've got a point." Tilo looked back at the piano. "I'll be up in a minute. There's just something here I want to finish." 

 Anne laid down on the sofa as Tilo began to play some notes again. The melody was very soothing, and it suddenly hit her how tired she was. She closed her eyes and was soon fast asleep. 

 When she woke up the next morning, she found Tilo asleep by the piano. He had never gone to bed like he said he would, and although he told her he had probably slept for at least a few hours, it was probably less than that.