Trigger Warning: Themes of self-harm and addiction Judith and Louisa are both souls of the arts. While Louisa creates in isolation and chases the whispers of her mind, Judith, on the other hand, has spent too much time living like Louisa and wants to get out into society. She wants to meet other poets and artists. She desperately wants to know if she’ll belong in the poet’s tavern, in the writer’s community. Soon, Judith decides to host her own poetic night, and she calls it ‘haunting melodies’ to portray the terrifying yet beautiful power of poetry to pierce and heal souls. But Louisa, her only friend, will be gone to another country on that day. Judith is ambitious but also very shy. She cannot hold a conversation, let alone convince strangers to come to her night. Soon, the stress of hosting this night takes a toll on her mind. From slicing apart her skin to hitting herself to drinking and smoking, Judith loses all will to be who she truly is. When the night finally comes, Judith is nothing but a mask, a mask that everyone praises, not knowing the blood and the tears that lie underneath it. “Haunting Melodies is a short work shining light on the dangerous costs of wanting to fit into society, especially as an artist who thrives on obsession and perfection and uses their whole life as an imitation of their art.”