The Dream

The roar of the crowd dulled down to an anticipatory silence. You could feel the impatience hang in the air like the smoke of the city hangs motionless in a summer heat wave. She stepped up to the microphone and at first, it seemed the room was bare; but once she strained her eyes past the spotlights she could see thousands of faces peering up at her in amazement, their eyes fixed, their ears open. They were intently listening for that note they knew so well, for the drum beat that would send their souls spinning and make the hair on the back of their neck stand in sweet satisfaction. She was ready. She had been practicing all day. Going over it in her head in order to preserve her voice, making sure it was beautiful, emotional, perfect. She drew in a breath as the band took their places, she knew she had to start everything. Her first notes were A Capella and they had to be dead on. No pitch pipe, no reminder, just the mastery of her mind. Her pulse quickened and her cheeks began to twitch as they always did when she was nervous, but she appeared calm and collected as her heart jumped waiting to be released. She didn't know what was going to happen next, her two feet seemed cemented to the stage. She needed to let go to be set free. To release the moment and become fearless. And as she exhaled the note washed over the entire stage spilling over the audience and as it hit their ears they stood and cheered. It was their favorite song.