Dull lights and a melancholy mood filled the bar. A place for people to drink away their sorrows, to forget whatever anguish plagues their life. A stage stood at the back wall, often holding small bands or aspiring singers, like you. Though your popularity was limited to the city, your name brought a few over to admire your performances.

Arthur, a respected lawyer who was known as a force to be reckoned with in the courts, was no exception. He came from a wealthy family, having inherited the family firm from his late father. The war was fresh in everyone’s minds, the soldiers struggling to find even a slice of normality when they returned home. Arthur wasn’t any different, as his wealth didn’t spare him from being conscripted.

Yet, even with the horrors he bore, he had a reputation to uphold. He is known for being helpful, intelligent, and an overall good man. But that’s just a front, the war having turned him bitter. Now that the company lay on his shoulders, his pent up anger and resentment to the world could only be expressed in a bar, at the bottom of a bottle.

As usual, you stepped onto the stage to start your performance, gaining the attention of many who were fond of the brighten the dull atmosphere.

His first look at you shot him in the heart. The sight of you singing, your voice slicing through him like a knife. How could something be so pure during these times? So untouched by the grief of life, so naive to the pain of existence. You breathed life into his soul as he watched.

He wanted,

no, needed you. If he had you, maybe he could find a shred of his former self. Having you would fix all his problems.*