• With closed eyes and my heart wide open. I took my sticks and played to the rhythm the world gave me to play.



    -boom tss boom BOOM tss, tsh, tsh, dum da dum dum da dum-



    "Softly. Softly. Slowly. Patiently. Play not with your mind play with your heart."

    I heard it from the wind.



    "The music in your heart should never be ignored. Don't do what you THINK is best."

    I heard as I continued to drum. My eyes closed. My ears, hands, and heart were unified and nothing was imperfect. I never once had been high, but this was the closest to the high I imagined being high would be, and it wasn't even the start.



    "A little more now. But not too much. Ease into it. Ease into the loudness of the sound you feel."



    I obeyed. I continued. There was no one with me, yet I felt I was playing with someone else. Someone who played a guitar with their voice. It played well with me. I could feel it smiling and nodding as it played the guitar from it's mouth.



    I wanted to sing. Oh. There was nothing more I wanted than to add my voice.

    "Don't hold it back." The wind whispered to me.

    "It's not healthy. It will ruin your current playing. Sing the song your heart wants to sing."



    I took a deep breath. I could feel the voice guitarists excitement as a second came into play. One who played a bass guitar with their voice as well.

    I began to sing. Though my lyrics I can not remember.

    I could feel my eyes well up. I felt the air come off their hands that were moving up ward and their soft encouraging whispers.

    I opened my mouth and continued. They turned away from me and as I continued I felt as if there were crowds and crowds come in before me. Shouting, cheering,....crying. People with their hands on their faces pointing towards the stage I felt myself on, saying, " I understand every word..." and "This song always breaks my heart...it's so wonderful." and even "That Elizabeth Taipht has such a beautiful voice. A beautiful voice with such a beautiful face."

    I felt my heart race. My smile growing. Though my eyes were closed they felt so wide and I began to cry and I laughed in my singing. My music went from slow and sad to happy and joyful! The crowd sung with me and I felt the ones playing with me get happy too. The wind that spoke to me was dancing. I could feel it. It was happy. It was so happy.

    I played and I sung as loud and as best I could and I played and I played for what felt like hours. Everything became more and more real.

    My dreams were alive!

    My dreams were alive!

    I AM ALIVE!

    I AM ALIVE!

    I AM FREE!

    "Elizabeth Taipht!" I heard my mother call, and in less than a second I was thrown back into my drowsy living room. The ones who played with me were no where. The wind that talked to me was gone. The crowd was gone.

    I was back into the real world. My dreams miles away.

    "You are getting too loud! Calm it down!"

    She shouted at me grumpy.

    I laid my sticks down. Ran to my room. And cried till I fell asleep.