Stella had made her way into the lounge and found it exactly as she had hoped it would be. Empty. She walked and sat on a little bench seat against the wall and sat down placing her violin across her lap carefully. It occurred to her that she hadn’t played it since her academy days. A long time. She took the violin from the case and slowly, lightly drew the bow across the strings which immediately made the sound of a cat’s tail caught beneath a rocking chair. Laughing at herself she rosined her bow and tried it again. After she had tuned two strings, she gave it another try which brought out the sweet sound that she remembered.

She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She gently began to play the violin letting it find its own song. A slow sleepy sad song of heartbreak and lost loves. The song of Evangeline cursing the river queen for stealing her lover away. The song went on. The song of a broken-hearted woman shaking her fist and cursing at a witch she could never hurt.

Only halfway through this song though a smile came across Stella’s face as she started to play another song. It was a song of celebration. A song which commanded that people dance. And so, Stella did. Swaying her hips as though the violin were her partner. She whirled around and tapped her foot as she started to play the Acadie À La Louisiane.

Stella Gagnon Lt.Jg. Comms.