Check out Part 1 here
_{Original image by Kate Greenaway; modified by me}
Welcome back to my retelling of the Pied Piper. In the first episode, Elke thought she saw her brother wander away into the woods. She chased after him into the forest where she encountered strange floating lights and dancing children. This next part reveals the Piper himself and wraps up Elke's story. I want to thank everybody for all the support with this story. I can't wait to write the next one.

A mad dash into the unknown carried Elke toward the faint light. Only a dim light and muffled dance steps guided her through the haze. The song, that terrible song teased her so as she drew close to the troupe. The wisps’ light revealed small faces as she ran from one to the next. “Peter! Peter! Peter!” She couldn’t even hear herself over the choir.

“Into the night,
the children take flight,
the song of the piper beckons…”

The children sang, not taking notice of Elke. “Peter! Where are you? Peter!” Their dance weaved around her, never drawing too close. “Peter?” She sidestepped and shuffled through the crowd of skipping youths. “Brother? Peter!” Elke failed to gain any of their attention.

She approached the front of the pack, no sign of Peter. Here the wisps melded into a single form. Only a silhouette at first, hinting at the shape of a man. Soon the bright white light culminated with a flash, blinding Elke for just a moment, then burst into a spray of colors. A minstrel playing the flute revealed himself as the source of this enchanting melody. Lights of every hue streamed off his suit, bright as the wisps. It appeared like a shredded patchwork cloak, stitched together from a rainbow.

…but when dawn comes,
the beat of red drums,
will lead us to the heavens.

Elke pressed forward, her step hastening as she ran from child to child. The children were hardly recognizable in the bright colors cast from his cloak. She finally reached the piper himself. His face was covered by a ghastly white mask. Nose long and pointed, the chin split in two and curling up like a bizarre goatee. Eyes hidden by dark sunken voids. He played an ornately carved ivory flute, which emitted a white glow. With each note, a colorful wisp rose and faded as the melody repeated. The piper continued to lead his charmed parade, flute swaying with the beat.

Elke bolted past the piper, skidding to a stop and turning to face the crowd. How could one young maid stop such a horrid march? She stood fast in their path, staring down the piper. As if one look could break the spell. Her limbs trembled, resisting the urge to flee. She thrust her palms forward, attempting to push back the terrible song and dance. Could she make a difference? “Stop!” The words echoed through the dark forest.

The piper stopped. Elke’s heart raced as the music died. Sweat poured off her brow. Her hands trembled, desperately trying to hold her pose. The children froze but a moment before the light vanished. Shallow, rapids breaths wheezed from Elke’s lungs. Her world consumed by the creeping darkness.

Overhead, the faintest trace of blue broke the silhouette of a mountain. Then a boom like thunder, only deeper, but lacking the crackle of electricity. Another boom, bathing the congregation with a faint red glow. Boom. The light grew stronger, casting their shadows on the tree line. Boom. Crimson faces stared at her through the gloom. Boom. It lent color and life to the gruesome mask of the piper. Boom. The beat of the drum fit perfectly with the flute’s melody.

She turned to face the drums. Boom. High atop a cliff stood a figure more than twice the size of the piper. Two boulder-sized drums sat before him. Boom. His hands alternated striking the drums with massive cloth-covered logs. Boom. Each strike produced another flash of red light. Boom. The drums shook her very core. Boom. A flash of red revealed he also wore the shredded cloak of many colors. The pied drummer towered over her. Boom.

A trill piped from the flute once again. The melody and the base joined together in unison to compose an ethereal performance. The children’s dance went perfectly with the beat of the drum. Only now the children did not dance or sing, they simply walked.

Elke’s eyes grew heavy as her breathing relaxed. She stumbled to a nice patch of pine needles under a nearby tree. Struggling to stay awake, she summoned memories of her brother. She saw him laughing--saw the strawberry cake they shared, the conversations they had late at night. She fell to her knees, then slumped down, head resting on hands. The gentle touch of the morning mist caressed her face.

“Elke! Elke! Where are you?!” Elke’s eyes shot open. The sun shone bright in the clear sky above. She sat up gingerly, rocking slightly as her dreamy daze slipped away. A junction where the forest road led into the mountains came into focus as she rubbed her blurry eyes. The path back to Hamlin lay in front of her. A mountain loomed behind her.
“I’m here! I’m here!” The weight of events from the night before suddenly pressed down on her. Tears welled in her eyes. If only it were all a dream. “Hans! Is that you?!”

“Elke! I’m coming to you big sister!” She sobbed at the sound of his voice. She must be dreaming. She saw Peter leave into the night, didn’t she? An awkward footstep accompanied by the occasional clack of wood hitting rock approached. She looked up, but did not see Hans.

“Peter! It’s you!” She sprinted to her lame brother and clutched him close. He wasn’t taken after all. “You’re alive! I thought you were gone!” Thank God. How could she continue without him? She kissed him on the forehead. “What of the other children? Tell me it was all a dream.”

Peter pushed her face away as she tried to kiss him again. “Elke, I can barely remember what happened last night. I remember all the children singing and dancing together. I tried to follow, I tried to go with them, but I could not keep up.” Peter motioned to his bad leg using one of his crutches. “Hans found me at the edge of town, sleeping against a road sign this morning. He told me nearly all the children in town are missing.”

“So it was all true then? Even Berthold is missing? Tell me it’s not true.”

“It’s all true.” He offered a look of consolation. “Did you see where they went? The townsfolk are searching everywhere. Did you see what happened, Elke?”

“Yes Peter, I saw the children march up the mountain, but I could not follow. It was the piper that did this. We must tell the others. Peter, let’s go find Hans.”

Thanks for reading! If you liked this story, please leave a comment and let me know how you felt. I'd love to hear your opinion.

Keep Calm and Rock On!