The Midnight Melody

The Midnight Melody

On the edge of an ancient town stood a long-abandoned mansion. Legend had it that every midnight, melodious piano music would emanate from the house.

One day, Chen Xi, a young painter, moved into the town and rented a room in the annex of the mansion. On his first night there, with the moon high in the sky and all else quiet, he caught faint strains of an ethereal piano melody.

Initially, he thought it was part of a dream and paid it no mind. However, as the nights passed, the music continued to play at the same hour, growing clearer each time. Driven by curiosity, he decided to investigate.

At midnight, bathed in moonlight, Chen Xi approached the main building of the mansion with his paintbrushes and easel in hand. Through a half-open window, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon, he saw a woman in white sitting gracefully before an ancient piano. Her long hair cascaded down her back as her fingers danced across the keys. The music was mournful and captivating, echoing through the night as if narrating a tale from ages past.

Lost in the enchanting melody, Chen Xi prepared to capture the scene on his canvas. Suddenly, the woman ceased playing and turned her head slowly. Her face was pale and delicate, her eyes deep and penetrating. Time seemed to stand still as a chill crept up Chen Xi’s spine, and his paintbrush slipped from his grasp.

"Paint me," the woman’s voice was soft and otherworldly, yet held an irresistible command.

Chen Xi stood there, transfixed, his body moving on its own accord towards the easel. As he began to paint, the woman’s likeness took shape on the canvas with striking detail. Every stroke of his brush seemed not like creation, but like an act of remembrance.

With the first rays of dawn filtering through the window, the woman’s form began to fade into the mist. Chen Xi gazed at the painting, now vivid and lifelike. To his astonishment, the woman’s eyes in the portrait seemed to watch him intently, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

From that night on, Chen Xi became immersed in his paintings night after night. The woman in his artwork grew more vivid and lifelike with each passing day, yet an aura of coldness and mystery lingered around him.

It wasn’t until one day, when he stumbled upon an old portrait in the town records dating back a century, that he realized the woman in his paintings was none other than a talented lady who had perished for love. Her spirit, it was said, had lingered in the town, awaiting someone fated to continue her unfinished life through art.

Do you believe in such legends of ancient towns, or perhaps you have your own mysterious tales to tell? Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences in the comments!