The last notes of Sophie’s violin echoed through the empty concert hall. It was well past midnight , but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. Not when these midnight sessions were the only time she could see him.
“That was beautiful , my love ,” said a voice behind her.
Sophie’s heart leapt as she turned to see him standing there , almost real enough to touch. She set her violin down and rushed into his waiting arms.
“Isaac,” she breathed. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Isaac stroked her hair gently. “And I , you. More than words can say.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”
Sophie’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Me too. But you know we only have until the last note fades…”
As if on cue , Isaac began to shimmer and turn translucent around the edges. Sophie clutched him tighter , but her arms passed right through him as he faded away.
“No , please ,” she sobbed , grasping at the empty air where he’d stood just moments before. “Just a little longer…”
But he was gone. The magic had lasted just long enough for a bittersweet reunion , as it always did. As remarkable as Sophie’s gift was , it came with limitations.
Sophie had discovered her power accidentally at the age of seven. A bird had flown into a window and lay motionless on the ground. When Sophie sang a little song to it , the bird revived and flew away.
Years later , she met Isaac at a college music recital , and it was love at first sight. They bonded over their shared love of music and were inseparable for years. Sophie revealed her secret ability to bring back the dead with her music. Isaac was amazed , but made her promise only to use it for good.
When Isaac died unexpectedly , Sophie was devastated. In her grief , she made the fateful decision to use her gift just once more. That night she played her violin with more passion than ever before , pouring all her grief and longing into the soaring melody.
And there he was , drawn back to her by the power of her music. After that , Sophie couldn’t stop. She knew it was wrong to disrupt the natural order of things , but her longing for Isaac overpowered her guilt.
Night after night she played , just to see his face again and feel his arms around her. But it was never enough. Each time the music faded , so did he.
Sophie knew the melodies came at a price. Though the dead she resurrected seemed none the worse for it , she’d heard disturbing rumors. Whispers of graves being ransacked , bodies going missing. But in her anguish , she tried to convince herself the rumors were just idle gossip.
Until the night everything changed.
Sophie was preparing for her usual midnight performance when there was a pounding at the concert hall doors. She opened it to find a distraught couple , faces wet with tears.
“Please ,” the woman choked out. “Please bring back our son.”
“Your son?” Sophie asked , stunned.
The man nodded grimly. “Our boy died last week. But we heard what you can do , how your music can wake the dead. Please , bring him back to us.”
“Just for a little while ,” the woman pleaded. “So we can hold him one more time.”
Sophie’s chest tightened with guilt. She had suspected her actions had consequences , but never considered the grieving families she indirectly affected.
“I’m sorry ,” she said gently , “but I can’t bring back your son. What I do…it’s not right.”
The couple began to sob , begging her to reconsider , but Sophie stood firm. As they finally turned and walked away , she knew she could not continue down this path , no matter how much she missed Isaac.
That night , instead of playing her violin , she walked to the cemetery where Isaac was buried. She stood silently before his grave , tears streaming down her face.
“You were right , my love ,” she whispered. “I never should have broken the laws of life and death , no matter how pure my intentions. I don’t know if you can hear me , but I can’t go on like this. I must let you go , for real this time. I hope you can forgive me.”
She laid one last rose on the earth above him. as she turned and walked away , it seemed almost like she felt a hand gently squeeze her shoulder. A reassurance that he understood and bore no resentment.
The next night , Sophie locked the doors of the concert hall. She put away her violin and poured everything into her work as a music teacher. Over time , her grief faded to a dull ache , the kind that comes from cherished memories rather than fresh pain.
She never again resurrected the dead , though she was tempted many times. Sophie knew some considered her gift a blessing , but to her it had become a curse. Her days of consorting with spirits were over.
Yet still , on certain quiet nights , she imagined she heard a familiar melody on the breeze. a whisper from the other side , calling her name. But Sophie would just smile sadly and shake her head. Their time had passed , and the music was gone. All she had left were memories of the love they had , and the hope they would meet again someday beyond the veil. For now , that would have to be enough.