One of my Favorites

This is one of my favorites...I'm not really sure why, but I hope you enjoy it!


2/21/10

"The bassoon lay tattered in the lonely corner"

Detective Crady pushed open the door and stepped into the derelict apartment. The stench was nearly overpowering, emanating from the crumpled heap on the sagging bed. A rat scurried across the floor, followed in short order by another, smaller one. Crady stepped over the debris littering the floor, trying to hold his breath while he inspected the scene. Death was nothing new to him; he'd been on the police force for over ten years. He smiled grimly, at least this was no homicide. He was sure that the coroner's report would show that victim had died of natural causes, or at least self-inflicted causes.

Habit took over as he took another step, and he began scanning the debris. Empty take-out boxes were piled in one corner, and the next corner contained a stack of molding cardboard boxes. The third corner held the bed, and the fourth—well, that was interesting. It was nearly empty, the one clean space in the entire apartment. All alone on it's grimy stand, a battered bassoon stood sentinel. Beside it lay one other object, an ancient tape recorder. Crady pulled on his latex gloves and picked it up. Curiously, he pressed play.

His eyes shut in wonder as the first strains of music filtered through the death-ridden air. Clear and beautiful, the dead man's last legacy played through the static of the forgotten recorder. Crady looked over at the tattered bassoon, where it lay in the lonely corner. A single beam of sunlight shone through the broken window, illuminating the instrument, and for just a moment, Crady could see an image in the dust, of a young man in his prime, sitting on a stage before hundreds, his precious bassoon cradled in his lap.

Total Time: 11 minutes
Word Count: 289