It was late when Anna snuck out of her window and onto the grass below. Her parents were already asleep and once they were out, they didn't wake until the harsh ringing of their alarm awoke them. Her best friend Kristoff was waiting for her at the corner in his car. She slipped into the passenger seat and buckled up, ready for their next adventure. She was used to sneaking out at night to see him. They usually spent their time out behind his house in his garage, playing the x-box until nearly 3 in the morning. If they weren't at his house, they were out pranking the neighborhood. They loved changing the signs in front of stores to say funny things or drawing pictures in chalk on walls. Everything they did, although inappropriate, was easily removed or changed back. It wasn't in them to cause any real damage.
This was the first time they had actually ventured out to see real other people. There was a club in the next town that they were intent in visiting. Anna had recently turned 18 and although her parents forbade her from going to any clubs until she was 21, she was sneaking out tonight anyways. They had graduated Arrendell High School back in May and they wanted to have one more crazy night together before they both left for college. Kristoff was leaving next week to an out of state school and she was going to be stuck here at the local one.
As they drove, Kristoff turned up the radio and allowed the bass to thump heavily in their ears. "Are you excited?" his voice was difficult to discern over the speakers, hardly made for talking over, but she tried anyway.
"Of course I am! I'm ready to dance my pants off!" She yelled her response and had to repeat it twice before he heard her properly. They gave up on talking after that.
When the club finally came into sight, Anna's heart clenched in her chest. She had heard stories about this club and nervousness swelled now that she could see it for herself. It was called 'Danger.' Supposedly, everyone who went in came out as a totally changed person. Though she didn't believe it for herself, many others said they felt completely different after leaving.
Kristoff took forever finding a place to park, and an even longer time getting out of the car. It was nearing 11 and the club looked packed. She wanted to be inside. Grinding, dancing, just having fun until the club closed at 3.
Of course, they were carded at the door and both got little stamps on their hands, saying they couldn't drink or buy any alcohol. Her first step inside the doors had her completely unenthused. It was brighter than she thought it would be regular lights behind the bar and down the center of the floor. There was currently no music playing and people were just standing around talking. "Is this what a club is like?"
She turned to her friend next to her and even he looked perplexed. "No. None I've been to are even close to this open and clean. The walls are fricking baby blue."
A voice came over the dull rumble of voices. "Alright everybody. After their short break, our band is back and ready to woo you some more." A thunderous clapping followed and the lights faded. Suddenly, those baby blue walls were a sinister purple under the black lights and paint that must only show up under the special light coated the staff members with skulls on their faces and skeletons on their clothes. It was eerie to see, especially when the sound of an electric guitar flowed from the stage. Soon, the thumping of drums joined it and the spot light focused in on the lead guitarist. He had longer hair, black and straight, she stared at him.
When a woman's voice came growling out of the speakers, she nearly jumped out of her skin. It was low and raspy, something not expected from women. Another spotlight came one and revealed the singer. She was pale, like the snow and her hair matched her skin tone. A loose French braid contained it all and her eyes were closed to the sights off stage.
"I don't know how I got here
But we cannot get out
I'm surrounded by strangers
As the music starts to pound
I see the bodies slowly swayin'
Movin' side to side
I feel the animal is rising
As I slowly come alive"
Her voice echoed through the quiet room like it was on fire. Anna's own body tingled as a voice unlike any she had ever heard before came crashing upon her ears. The sultry growling from the woman and the simple yet elegant guitar and drums in the background formed a near perfect combination.
"So everybody starts to move now
I wanna see you all give way
I wanna tear this place apart tonight
And have you thank me for my rage
Tell me what you came for
Can I give you just a taste?
I wanna see you lose your fucking minds
And rip apart this place"
Her voice grew with the song and now her voice was more than just a growl. It was a scream. Never had Anna liked music where the singer screamed into the microphone, but with this woman, it just seemed so natural that she couldn't see it any other way. It wavered in itself, unlike what else she had heard so suddenly, one note was like ten individual ones all wrapped up together.
"Let me see you move your bodies
Let me see you move your bodies
Let me see you move your bodies
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, the perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?"
More yelling and general loudness, but Anna couldn't pull her eyes off of the woman. The way her body moved as she sang, gentle hips swaying and the hand not holding the mic fisted against her stomach. Her eyes were still closed, like the only thing that mattered was this song. Anna found herself caught up in the song, dancing just like the rest of the crowd. The song pushed and pulled her body in ways she wouldn't usually move it and she guessed it affected the crowd the same way.
"Endorphins start to swell now
As I step up to my throne
I feel the monster caged inside of me
Screaming through my bones
I wanna see you start to sweat now
I wanna see you lose your minds
I wanna feel you all from deep within
Swayin' back and forth all night
Let me see you move your bodies
Let me see you move your bodies
Let me see you move your bodies"
Her voice returned to its low growl during the next part and Anna knew she was in love with this woman.
"I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, the perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?
Let me see you bleed
Let me hear you scream
Let me see you move
Let me hear you say
I see the bodies slowly swayin'
Movin' side to side
I feel the animal is rising
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, the perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I'm just what you need, the perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?"
With that the song ended. The woman finally opened her eyes and revealed a beautiful blue color. A slight smirk played on her lips and she raised that fist up into the air, receiving a loud cheering from the crowd. Anna didn't know she was yelling with them until Kristoff grabbed her. "The place really turned around, huh?"
All she could do was nod in response, eyes glued to the mystery woman on stage. She wanted to turn that beauty into her beast. The band is what made 'Danger' really dangerous. A quick scope around showed her how many eyes were glued to the woman, some with admiration, some with jealousy, and far more with desire.
That band played several more songs before taking another break. As soon as they left the stage, the lights came back on and the club once again seemed uninteresting and easygoing. She turned to Kristoff with a huge grin. "They are amazing. I didn't know women could sing like that."
"Neither did I. And she was so into it. I think that really makes the difference. A lot of singers interact with the crowd, but with her, I think it would be off-putting." He had glanced up to the stage while he spoke, eyeing it in the proper light it was now flooded with. It was smaller, trap set in the back, a guitar to each side and the microphone stand dead center. Anna had performed on many stages quite similar to that one.
Anna was a singer as well. She had always sung in her school choir and received a few solos. A few of her choir friends had started a band two years ago with some of the marching band kids who played other instruments as well. Sometimes they asked her to sing with them or play the piano for them. None of them ever had the time to learn the many keyed instrument and just had her fill in when they had a song that required it.
In fact, Kristoff had become her best friend simply because he was one of the kids in that band. She started out trying to teach him how to play the piano, but as soon as they realized he couldn't use both hands together like that, he began teaching her instead. He played the tuba in the school's marching band, but the bass guitar for the band. Throughout their time together, he had taught her the basics of an acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and even let her try to learn to play tuba. That venture was just as quickly avoided as him trying the piano.
It was then that the band came back out, the girl actually smiling now. She grabbed the microphone and stood at center stage. The lights remained on, confusing just about everyone in the room. "It's that time of the night again folks. Our last song. As some of you know, our last is usually a cover of some other artist because, why not? However, we had a time crunch this week and didn't have time to learn a song together. Instead of leaving you without one, I'm just going to do a bit of acapella for you. Almost."
She sat down on the floor with her legs crossed. Wonderfully long, delicious legs folded over one another. One of her band mates tossed her a plastic cup and she thanked him. "You have all seen the movie Pitch Perfect, Yes?" The crowd resonated a general assent.
"Good. Tonight, I'm going to sing the 'cups' song. Then, I'm going to ask you all to leave so our generous waiters and waitresses can begin cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow."
Anna held her breath as the woman set the microphone down next to her. The room got deathly silent as the girl clapped twice and tapped the cup before her. Her movements were fluid and clean, like she had done the exact same thing hundreds of times over and over. Anna was almost sure this woman loved that movie almost as much as she did.
When the first few words poured out from her chest, Anna was surprised. Any and all hints of the sexual growl that had coated her voice all night were gone. Her voice was crisp, clean and on point. Kristoff even gasped audibly next to her. "Damn" seemed to be the general feeling.
"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." As soon as she finished singing, the crowd roared their approval. It was now that Anna realized how few people were left. Maybe half of the amount that had been here when they arrived. It was now that the girl on stage looked nervous. The easy confidence she had while belting her voice out to them an hour ago was replaced with shifty eyes and hunched shoulders. She quickly exited the stage to somewhere Anna didn't know and was left with a feeling of longing. Was the woman scared of her other voice?