The Dress

      She stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a stranger's dress and wondering if she had lost her mind. Taking a breath, she started down...

      Becca had been packing her moving boxes into the attic when she saw the massive black trunk under the window. It was a sturdy thing, chipped in the front, the remains of tarnished metal latch twisted where a lock would have been placed. Curious, Becca had opened the trunk and inhaled in surprise.

      Another step...

     Inside, a dress and an orange flower were laid out lovingly atop a white lap blanket. Black chiffon with cream ribbon down the front leading to the flared handkerchief skirt. A pretty dress made for dancing the night away. The care of its placement made it clear that the dress was someone's treasure. Becca wondered why something that precious had been left behind. If she owned a dress like this... Shaking her head, she carefully closed the lid and left the attic.

      The wooden railing kept her steady as she descended...

     That night, she had dreamed of dancing on the lawn while wearing the dress. Someone else had been there, a faceless form moving in tempo with her. The two stumbled a bit in the soft grass, laughing together over their clumsiness. She woke with a smile on her lips, she'd not had such a fanciful dream before. It had made a nice change from the memories of the fight, and the accident that had followed. Energized, she set about readying for her day.

      Another step...

     The hectic pace of her new job in the bank kept her mind busy throughout the day. The customers were polite and kind and she relished being able to get lost in her work. Was grateful to not have a moment to let her mind dwell. She'd done too much of that in the past year. The curious glances to her face by her new coworkers were starting to wear a bit on her nerves though. She really should have explained beforehand. Becca briefly told the ladies about the car accident, assuring them that she was fine, just simply, scarred.

      Another step...

     The dress in the trunk wasn't remembered until she had readied for bed that night. As she began to drift off, she heard a beautiful song. A lovely piano and cello duet echoing sweetly through the house. She checked her bedside radio but it wasn't on. Leaving the bed, she had searched for the source of the music, ending in the living room as the song faded out. Nothing but quiet followed. Becca waited in the dark for a few moments, then returned to bed. Again, her dreams were filled with dancing, this time down a hall, with the warm faceless form beside her.

      Turning right on the landing she paused, listening...

     Night after night, the pattern continued. The music would play as she readied for bed, she'd search the house, then dream dancing in the dress with her faceless partner. Becca found herself thinking of the melody at work while her customers queued up in line. Forgetting to worry if the scars on her face were hidden by her hairstyle. Curious if the dress would fit her as she heated her lunch.

      She crossed the dark hallway...

     Becca was in the middle of a shower when she made the decision. With her hair still dripping down her back, she carried the dress into her bedroom. The cool silk and chiffon flowed over her, slightly tight in the bodice. The skirt flirted with her knees and felt like petals against her legs when she spun. Heart pounding, Becca left the room.

     Light from the moon filtered through the windows as she stood in the living room. Minutes passed as she stared at the bookshelves, waiting. Maybe she was early? The music had always started when she was in bed. Should she have waited there? What if the music was just a dream as well? What had she thought was going to happen? More time ticked by, the clock chiming one in the morning, and the house remained quiet.

     With a huff of deflation, Becca was turning to head to bed when the sounds of the piano began. A warm rush filled her and she smiled, checking the room again. It was still empty. The music carried on and she decided it didn't matter. She closed her eyes, swaying in place. Then, arms raised, she moved to the rhythm, letting herself dance just for enjoyment. She made two turns around the room when, suddenly, she wasn't dancing alone anymore.

     A hand was in her hers and another was on her back and the two spun around the room. She still couldn't see his face but she knew him. She had been dancing with him in her dreams for so long now. He was the keys and she was the strings. He stepped and she followed. Feeling the movements as if they had done them countless times before. Becca could see each one, the images flooding through her like memories.

     Twirling on a half-finished deck on a hot summer day. Gliding together in a room filled with people and a dress that he kept stepping on. Barefoot by the lake with a blanket on the sand. Softly swaying in the kitchen with the water running. The two always lost to everything but the music and each other.

     The last note of the song faded out and Becca opened her eyes. The quiet room was just as it had been before, except this time, the lamp was on. Underneath, in the glow, was the orange flower from the trunk in the attic.

Thank you @omra-sky for my beautiful Squirrple Necklace separator!

Image by @brisby
GIF gift by my friend @snook 💚

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Thank you for reading!