A NYC Story

The metro doors closed behind them as they sat together in the closest seat.  The car moved into the dimly lit tunnel as she raised her dark eyes to his.  And so the story began:

A man once wrote of a girl who made a deal with the devil.  In exchange for extraordinary capabilities in music, she would live a loveless life.  And so she won many competitions, but never grew close to any man, let alone love.  And at the end of her illustrious career, she died alone, old and blind.

She looked back at him again, "If given the choice, would you choose love or music?"

For a minute, he lost himself.  He had been looking at his small and fragile hands when it dawned on him that today would be a new day, the first day of the rest of his life.  The protagonist would battle the instrument no more, and instead grip with the mighty paws of a lion and strike with relentless fingers that could, at the same time, caress with a tenderness that betrayed his gentle heart...  He dwelt on that last thought for a brief moment.

"But I'd always thought that music was love."

They sat together in the silence of mutual understanding as the metro passed by several stops.  Yet his mind continued to race.

I find myself stuck between two polarized forces at war.
(A gray area?)
(FUCK gray area.  I find it to be most inhibiting.)
Why not view the situation as an opportunity?
For what?
To choose a fate that will either strengthen your mettle, or set you back a year yet again.
...Time has healed me, but why is the decision so difficult?
The burden of knowledge weighs heavy upon our hearts.
So, what now?

The doors opened as streams of passengers struggled to get in and out of the car.  She smiled softly, "This is us."  They walked out into the cold sunny day as the car continued through the dark tunnel.