It was covered with a thick gray cloth, but Sarah could see its elegant shape underneath. She walked slowly toward it, her heart beating faster with each step. This wasn't like the old upright piano in her music classroom or the broken keyboard in her bedroom. This was a real concert piano, the kind she had only seen in movies.
Sarah looked around to make sure she was alone, then carefully lifted the cloth. The piano was old but beautiful, made of rich, dark wood that gleamed even under the dust. The keys were yellowed with age, but when Sarah pressed middle C, the sound that came out was pure and sweet. She sat down on the bench and placed her hands on the keyboard.
The keys felt different from any piano she had ever played. They responded to the slightest touch, creating sounds that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside the instrument's soul. Sarah played a simple scale, and the notes filled the empty room with warmth. Then she played "Für Elise", and even that simple piece sounded more beautiful than it ever had before.
"Hello?" a voice called from the doorway.
Sarah jumped up so quickly that the piano bench nearly fell over. She turned to see Mr. Johnson, the school janitor, standing in the doorway with a bucket and mop.
"I'm sorry," Sarah said, her face burning with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to be in here. I was just—"
"Relax, kiddo," Mr. Johnson said with a kind smile. "You're not in trouble. I was just surprised to hear music coming from in here. Nobody's played that piano in years."
"Is it okay if I'm here?" Sarah asked quietly.
Mr. Johnson set down his cleaning supplies and walked over to the piano. He ran his hand along its wooden surface with something that looked like love in his eyes.
"This old beauty used to be the crown jewel of the music program," he said. "Back when I first started working here twenty years ago, students would line up to practice on her. She's got the most beautiful tone of any piano in the school."
"Why doesn't anyone play it anymore?" Sarah asked.