The Devil's Silence

Chapter one_ The sounds upstairs Aria's Pov If embarrassment could kill, I'd have been buried right beside my luggage. But embarrassment wasn't new to me. I'd lived through worse- nights when silence clawed at my chest until I begged any sound to fill it. "Hey! Watch where you are going!" The bus driver's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I stumbled off the last step, almost twisting my ankle. "Sorry! I yelled back, even though he had sped off, leaving behind a swirl of dust and exhaust fumes. Everyone around there turned to look at me with strange expressions. I quickly lowered my head. Perfect first impression, Aria. Arrived in a new city, almost trip yourself to death. I adjusted the strap of my backpack and stared up at the crooked sign above the gate. Maplewood Apartments. The paint was peeling, the iron gate squeaked, and one of the letters was hanging by a nail. Definitely not what the online pictures promised. I dragged my suitcase up the cracked stairs, sweat sticking to my neck despite the chilly breeze. The landlord has said my key would be under the mat. Spoiler Alert_ It wasn't. I crouched, checked again, sighed and muttered to myself. "Of course not." Because why would my life be easy. I knocked softly on the door, half-hoping someone might magically appear with a spare key or a bit of human kindness. Then I heard it. Music. It started faintly, soft, steady guitar strings. Then a voice. Low. Rough. Controlled. It wasn't loud enough to be intrusive, just...... deliberate. Each note carried weight, like whoever was playing wasn't performing, but remembering something. I looked up instinctively. One floor above, on a small balcony cluttered with plants, a guy stood with his guitar. His head was tilted slightly, his hair was messy but black and curly. Eyes half-lidded, lost in sound. He was even looking at the strings. There were few others with him, roughly his age, laughing, tossing something across the balcony but he didn't join them. He didn't even flinch when one of them nudged him trying to seek his attention. He just played. Quiet. Focused. Distant. Then, without warning, his eyes lifted. Straight to mine. For a second, I couldn't breathe. He was so handsome. I smiled at him, but he didn't smile, didn't even nod.... Just looked. That sharp, unreadable stare bore so deep into my body which gave me an eerie feeling. And just as quickly, he turned, said something to one of his friends, and disappeared inside without another glance. Rude. I exhaled and shook my head. Eventually, the landlord called back, muttered an apology about the key mix-up, and said he'd left the spare under the flowerpot. He hadn't. But the one under the second pot worked, and I dragged myself inside with a groan of relief. I was too drained to care about anything else. The apartment looked so old, the floorboards creaked when I walked, and the only decorations was a sad-looking curtain that refused to close properly. A small window over-rooked the courtyard, and right above it_ another balcony. The guitarist balcony. I started unpacking a few things, but a knock on my door made me to stop whatever I was doing and head to the door. When I opened it, a tall guy stood there holding a paper bag. Blonde, with dimples that could probably convince a nun to a sin. "Hey! He said cheerfully. "You must be the new tenant. I'm Ethan." I live upstairs. Upstairs. Which meant... "Oh! I said trying to hide my dismay. The guitarist guy's floor. "The guitarist?, Oh! You mean Leo?" He said smiling. He handed me the bag. "welcome, muffins." I took it with a small smile. "Thanks." "By the way," he added mischievously, "If you hear any weird noises late at night, don't panic. It's just us rehearsing. "Rehearsing?" "Yes, we are in a band." He waved goodbye, bounding down the stairs two at a time, leaving me holding the muffins and a hundred unasked questions. When I shut the door, I glanced out the window again. Leo stood at the window, back turned, a cigarettes between his fingers. He's smoking aggressively. He must have felt me watching because he turned slightly just enough for our eyes to meet again. For a moment neither of us moved. Then he flicked the cigarettes away, shoved his into his pocket and walked back inside with a word. I blinked, feeling an odd twist in my stomach. I went back to unpack my things trying not to think about the rude guy. Just then, my body started shaking, my throbbing headache is coming gradually. I looked outside and saw it was night already. I hold my head tightly with my chest hurting so bad. Five years ago, something had snapped in me, something I haven't fixed. Since then, nights have been the worst for me. I couldn't sleep unless there was a sound. A Tv murmuring, traffic in the distance, a playlist running low in the background. Anything but silence. Tonight, though, I didn't even have that. My phone speaker has died somewhere at the bus station and here. I rubbed my temples, forcing back the familiar panic that came when the room felt too quiet. The headache finally came making me swear and cry at the same time, I tried to locate where my drugs were but I couldn't even carry my body. I left my old school and apartment because of this now I don't know if I'm to regret my decisions. I was told there's a club that plays music every night here but this is 10 pm and I can't hear any music. Then, faintly it came. The guitar. That same melody from before. I froze, listening. I lay back slowly, letting the sound fill the silence around me. And then something strange happened. My chest felt lighter. My body started relaxing. The air didn't feel so sharp. The noise in my head, the one that usually kept me awake began to fade. My eyelids grew heavy. My heartbeat slowed. The music just kept playing, steady, unbothered by my confusion. And before I could stop it.... I drifted off. ***** Sunlight. It was the first thing I noticed when I woke up soft and golden, slipping through for the blinds like it had been waiting for me. The second thing was the silence. Not the heavy, choking kind I hated but gentle. Calm. I blinked, disoriented, trying to piece things together. I slept. For a long moment, I just sat there, breathing slowly, afraid that If I moved too fast, the spell would break. Five years of sleepless night, and suddenly one quiet song from somewhere above had made me rest like a child. Even though I used to listen to music to make me sleep, I have never slept peacefully like this.