Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“You mean like when Calla would sing to the trees to keep them
healthy?” Sophie asked.
“I realize there’s a notable difference,” Flori assured her. “But . . . I
believe we all have a song within us, even if we don’t think of it as
music. Each life has a rhythm of breaths and heartbeats, and that
melody should be drawn on for strength, and comfort, and healing. I
know it may sound foolish, but—”
“I think it sounds . . . nice,” Sophie promised, wishing she could
come up with a better word. The fact that Flori would suggest it
felt . . . a little like having Calla back. And Sophie’s eyes burned as she
whispered, “Thank you.”
Flori flashed a green-toothed smile. But it faded when she added,
“Your mother also told me about the echoes. And . . . I know nothing
of such things. Darkness will always be darkness to me. But I wonder
if I could sing them to sleep. If not, perhaps I can soften their tune.”
“It’s worth a try,” Sophie said, her chest warming with a fresh spark
of hope as Flori stood and faced her.
The tiny gnome pressed her left hand against Sophie’s sling and
reached for Sophie’s face with her other hand. “May I?” she asked, her
fingers hovering just above Sophie’s skin.
Sophie nodded, and Flori gently cradled the right side of her head,
her fingers shifting back and forth across her temple, like branches
swaying in a breeze.
“This is where they hurt you, isn’t it?” Flori breathed.
Sophie couldn’t seem to push the word “yes” past the massive lump
now caught in her throat. So she went with another nod.
“They didn’t realize how strong you are,” Flori told her. “But I fear
you may have forgotten as well. Perhaps I can remind you.”