She spilt nail varnish remover over the piano when she was fifteen. Hit notes D and F, two octaves up. Acetone eroded the keys, leaving coarse indents that time chiselled into little craters for her fingertips to fall into.

Now, every time she plays, her mistakes have their own melody.

Christian Duffy is a flash fiction enthusiast based in Northern England. She holds a degree in Literature and not too many items in her hands at once for fear of dropping them.