A Matter of Vibration

Consciousness returned with absolute clarity. Observing the rigid crowd around me, the conclusion was immediate: I alone had regained autonomy. My right arm responded smoothly to thought. Drawing the bow deliberately across the violin strings beneath my chin, I produced a faint, sharp pitch that cut through the silence. To verify tangible cause and effect, I extended the tip of the bow and lightly tapped the small red balloon hovering nearby. It swayed on its wire. Elementary. I stood firm on the shelf, perfectly composed.