Is Muse Short for Music?

For today’s post, I have decided to share a short story that I wrote.   I have not shared one for a while, and this one is a little different from the others that I have shared.   It is about a musician and the Muse who inspired him.  

Is Muse Short for Music?

By Maranda Wabik

Jack was in the zone the song was flowing from his fingertips as he played a melody on his guitar.   This was going to be the one that made him a star.   He could almost taste the success as he began humming and making notes of possible lyrics in his songbook.

Little did he know that all of this creativity was being inspired by a Muse.   Melodica smiled as she watched him write this song.   She had been inspiring musicians for centuries, and she could always tell the ones that had what it took to make it, and Jack was one of them!   Her form was masked from him by her magic.   It occurred to Melodica that soon it may be time to reveal herself to him.   This was not something that she did lightly, and she had not revealed herself to anyone since the 1960s.   Jack was a special case, and she thought he deserved a gift she had never given another!

Later that night Jack was meeting up with his band, Jaded Angel.   Robbie, the bassist, was regaling the rest of the band with the tale of his latest one-night stand when Jack appeared.   “Hello my friends, I have it, I have the song that will make us stars!” Was his enthusiastic greeting.

All of the band nodded, as they had heard this before.   Jack was a phenomenal songwriter, but he had never created something that was going to sell.   However, he also never gave up hope, and that is something they all admired about him. 

When he played the song they all exchanged looks, as they had not been expecting something as poetic and beautiful as this!    There were no lyrics, but there did not need to be, this song was like magic.   It was a salve to the soul.   Robbie was the one to speak up “That is incredible!   I did not know you had that in you brother.   We have to play that at our gig tomorrow night.   I think that you may be right, and there is going to be a record exec in the audience!”   The rest of the band nodded their agreement, and Jack smiled in contentment.

As the sunset, the next evening Melodica knew she was going to Jack’s show at the bar that night.    As she was watching over him the previous day, she heard that he would play his new song for record execs.   After he was offered the deal, she was going to reveal herself to him in the guise of a human fan.

The show began, a single spotlight focused on Jack’s form.    They played their older material first, working their way up to the new song.   The record execs in the audience began to take greater notice once this lyricless tune began, and Melodica began to smirk.   By the end of the song, the execs were incredibly impressed, and after the gig ended Jack and the band met with them.

Just as Melodica had assumed, Jack got the record deal, and it was then that she walked over to him to gush about his performance!    The form she took was her normal beauty, but dressed as a rocker chick, with her deep auburn hair streaked with purple and a short faux leather mini-skirt and a red Led Zeppelin t-shirt.    “I was so impressed with your performance!   It was incredible, and the suits you were talking to, were they really record label execs?   I hope you are getting the recognition you deserve!”

Jack was taken with this sexy siren and smiled nodding to her question.   “Yes!  I actually was offered a meeting with the label head, and they already offered to sign me.    Have you been to our shows before?   You look familiar.”

“Oh, yes I’ve seen you many times.   Please let me buy you a drink to celebrate!” 

“I would love that, but can I know the name of the beauty that is gushing over my music?” Was his witty reply.

Melodica shook her head playing embarrassed.   “Wow, of course, I am such a ditz sometimes!   My name is Melody.”

After a few drinks, Jack did exactly as Melodica had expected, he invited her back to his place.   They had some more drinks at his house while playing some of his vintage vinyl and talking.    Soon enough, talking turned to kissing, and kissing turned to a sultry erotic encounter!

Melodica was highly impressed with sex, as a Muse, she had not experienced it before.    As it was technically against the rules, but in this case, it was one rule she did not mind breaking!    She knew that she could bless a human with eternal inspiration by sleeping with him, and this was the gift she gave to Jack.   In the morning, she got up before him, and wrote a note to him before leaving, disappearing from his life forever.

When Jack woke up in the morning, he wanted nothing more than to spend time with Melody.   However, she was nowhere to be found.   What he did find was a letter on his kitchen counter.

“Dear Jack, 

I did not tell you the truth about who I was last night, as I knew you would think me insane.   I had fallen in love with you, which is strictly against the rules of what I am.   I wanted to give you a gift I never gave to another, as it was the one thing I knew you deserved!   It is true that I am a fan, but I am not a human.

In truth, I am a Muse, and my name is not Melody, but Melodica.   I thought that  Melody sounded more human.   Muses are a species of supernatural being that gives inspiration, and therefore we are never to develop feelings for those we inspire!   I have been inspiring musicians for centuries, but I never felt romantic love for one before.

I knew that this record deal would happen last night, and I knew that if I got you to sleep with me I could give you eternal inspiration!   So that is the gift you have received, no more writer’s block when coming up with a new song, and a long and successful career.    You will never see me again, but I will be watching over you in spirit.   At least I got to experience love and sex one time.   I thank you for that!

With all my love,

Melodica, or she who will always be your Melody”

Jack was flabbergasted, and knew that though he should think she was insane, he believed her!   That is why she had felt so familiar to him.    Jack wiped a tear from his eye as he realized he would have fame and success, but not the woman of his dreams!

~FINIS~

~I hope you have enjoyed this short story.   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!