MURDOC: Don't fear the reaper
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:: You're My Family ::
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The howling wind roughly brushed against the leafless trees as the Geep moved steadily toward Kong. Murdoc pressed his foot on the gas. He wasn't in a hurry though, but he just wanted to get home after almost spending the whole night with Noodle at the mall. He took a quick glance beside him and saw Noodle sitting in the passenger seat, with her lapbelt on, digging through her mall bags and admiring the new clothes he helped her pick out.
They finally passed the gate of Kong and rode up the hill to park in the carpark next to Murdoc's winne. The only reason why he went with Noodle to do her shopping spree was because 2D was out filling a law degree, and Russel was out reinventing himself as a personal trainer. They're starting to do weird things now. 2D in LAW SCHOOL?! Please...
Noodle unbuckled and grabbed some of her bags while Murdoc carried the rest. He followed her silently as she skipped in front of him to the lift that soon led them to her room. "Want to come in?" Noodle asked him.
Murdoc froze and looked confused. Noodle never allowed anyone inside her room. Well, expect that one time when she let 2D in during a storm, but that's another story. "Are you serious?"
"No." She took her bags from him. "But thanks for helping me out a lot Mudsy." She smiled warmly at him.
"Uh...your welcome luv."
Without warning, Noodle hugged Murdoc. Her bangs rubbing against his traditional grey shirt. "I love you Murdoc."
He paused. "You do?"
"Well of course I do." She responded. "You're my family. Just like 2D and Russel."
"Oh." He snorted, but didn't return the hug.
Noodle backed away from him feeling a bit hurt. "You don't like me?"
"Don't take it that way love; I never said anything like that." A short awkward silence was beginning to rise between them both until Murdoc faked a cough. "Well love, you're welcome if you appreciated me accompanying you on the ride."
"Yes, I am." Noodle looked sadly at the floor where Murdoc's feet lay.
"Goodnight then." He walked away to the lift. Once he managed to reach the lobby a strange knock was pounding on the door, then the doorbell rang twice. Stud to find out and wonder who would be at the door of Kong this late. If it was 2D or Russel then they would have had a key and wouldn't need to knock. He shrugged it off and just opened the door to witness the person in front of him. "Murdoc!" The short person gleefully cried.
"Wee old Jimmy Manson." Murdoc tried to sound glad, but he wasn't. He hated Jimmy Manson from the very pit of his hell stained heart. "What the fuck do you want in this hour?"
"I just wanted to know something." He leaped inside pushing past Murdoc. "Tell me again the plan for the new video that I'll be staring in of course." Jimmy sounded proud.
The bass player grunted in annoyance. He had already told Jimmy his fake plan about the El Manana video and how it was meant to kill Noodle off. Jimmy will be hidden while Noodle would be the only one shone in the shoot. However, Murdoc devised a devious plot to let Noodle parachute safely off the burning island as it fell from the sky, and Jimmy would actually be the one who was trapped in the windmill. It was one of his most successful ideas yet. "Fine Jimmy. But this is the last time I'm telling you it. Got it!"
"I know Murdoc old pal." Jimmy said smiling up at Murdoc. "I just want to hear my glorious part of me being in the shoot again."
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Noodle stood before a life-sized mirror trying on the many different kinds of styles and combinations of her new clothes. She felt sufficed about them, but something else was bothering her from the pit of her heart. She sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. "I should apologize to him. For feeling sad when I was just faking the whole thing." She removed her new clothes to hang and put on her normal clothes that she regularly wore around Kong. "Besides, I want to ask him to come up and talk. It's time I chat with him."
She made her way to the lift but soon changed her mind. She decided to take the stairs this time just for a change. On her way down the steps her heart was talking to her mind. "What if Murdoc doesn't like me. What if I'm just here to play for his band?"
"That's absurd!" Noodle screamed in her mind. "We're all family. Murdoc wouldn't hate me. Would he?"
Taking her last steps down the stairs she heard voices which made her stop in her tracks. Hiding behind a corner she noticed Murdoc chatting with someone she couldn't recognize. The only reason she stopped was because she heard her name from the other guys' mouth. How can the guy know her, but she doesn't know him? Must be another fan, but he didn't even look like a fan. He looked more like a short premature hobo who Murdoc just grabbed off the streets. Although, looks can be deceiving.
"So we're going to get rid of the girl right?" Jimmy said. "This video is pure genies mate!"
"We don't necessarily have to get rid of her. I mean, we could just break a few bones or...maybe mentally scar her..." Murdoc stuttered. "And don't call me mate!"
"Face it mate." Jimmy continued on. "I can see it in you. You don't want to hurt this girl at all."
"Do you think I would enjoy that?" He asked annoyed.
Well if we don't get rid of her then how am I supposed to take her place in the band?"
"Who said you would be in the band after Noodle's gone?"
"Uh...you did."
"Oh. I did?"
From behind the wall, Noodle could not believe her ears at all. Murdoc was trying to get rid of her? She really needed to hear more, maybe he was joking to this man so he could leave. After all, the strange man was weird looking too. She peaked through the dark shadows near the stairs. She could see them, but they couldn't see her.
"Just spit it out already." Jimmy went on. "You won't get rid of her. You're in love with that girl."
This was upsetting Murdoc more and more with each passing second. He really wanted Jimmy out of Kong, and out of his life, and what better way to do that then to play along with Jimmy. "Fine Jimmy, but your wrong about one thing. I don't care about that girl at all!" Murdoc couldn't believe what he just said, but he thought Noodle wasn't around to hear it so he continued. He didn't really mean it anyway. "I tell Noodle things now and then and pretend to be nice to her. But it's all just fucking damn shit!"
Noodle pushed her back against the cracked walls and slowly slid down it. "I was right." She whispered to herself. "He doesn't like me. He never liked me." She brought her knees up and buried her face in her arms. Sobbing quietly, but she was still able to hear the two men talk.
"Listen Jimmy, this is all just business. It's always been business."
"You're using the girl." Jimmy added.
"Right." Murdoc exhaled after practically screaming at Jimmy's face. "Is that okay with you?"
"Good. Uh-oh..." Jimmy pointed behind Murdoc with a shocked face. Once Murdoc dashed around he saw, with wide eyes, Noodle with a tear stained face. She was standing about five feet away from him clutching onto the wall corner. She gasped in air as she talked. "...You're not my friend. I knew it. You were using me all this time. I SHOULD HAVE DIED BACK IN JAPAN!" She ran to the front door.
"Noodle love!" Murdoc called to her. "Please, it's not what you think!"
She grabbed the doorknob and bolted out of Kong without stopping. Murdoc released a heavy sigh and slammed a hard fist into a nearby wall. The wall began to crack. "Oh, what have I done...?"
"Bitch." Jimmy looked at the door of Kong. "I can't wait 'till she's dead."
Feeling half frustrated, Murdoc stormed to the carpark and grabbed the Geep keys from his winnebago. He hopped in the Geep and roared the engine before backing out. He saw Jimmy standing beside the Geep.
"What are you doing?" Jimmy asked.
"When I get back." Murdoc scowled at him. "I want you out of my house!"
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Driving through the filthy landfill he desperately called out Noodle's name numerous times." Noodle! Noodle!" He checked the time on the tiny digital clock that was attached to the geep. "One fucking AM. Damnit! Noodle! Noodle!"
The clouds above him rolled faster and lighting was seen in the distance. "Shit. It's gonna' fucking rain." A raindrop fell over his eye and trickled down until the drizzle turned into an intense rain. "Noodle love! Where are you?!"
As he rode on the landfill the tires gave out since he suddenly rode on a pile of broken glass. Pretty soon the car gave out. "Damn!" Murdoc jumped out of the car and continued to find Noodle on foot in the harsh rain. "Noodle!"
Ear splitting thunder roared in the clouds. Bright lightning flashed and helped Murdoc find his way through the shadows. He spotted the large and abandoned leafless tree, he past by in the geep earlier, sitting on the very edge of a fairly high hill. A rope was dangling from one of its branches. Miles down below the hill was another fallen tree with sharp branches and shinning glass sticking up. With one more flash of lightning his mismatched eyes got sight of a small figure grabbing the rope attached to the tree. It looked like a person...putting the rope around their neck...
"Noodle! No!" Murdoc sprinted into a run and reached the hill. With all the force in his body he managed to reach the top of the hill. He was right; Noodle was dressed in a white robe that was too big for her size. A rope was tied around her small neck. She slowly took steps towards the edge of the hill and...
"Noodle, stop!" Murdoc grabbed her arms in time before she jumped off the cliff. "What the hell are you thinking?!"
The young girl faced him with an odd smile across her face. "What are you talking about Murdoc?" She talked sweetly. "I'm doing what you want. I'm making everything easy for you." She looked down at the ground. Rains pouring swiftly down her face. "I realize the truth now. You don't want me."
"No love, you got it all wrong." He tried to explain to her clearly. "See, that smelly old bastard I was talking to, his name is Jimmy Manson. He wants to be in the band, but I don't like him. So, this whole video was to get rid of him! Not you. I just needed to say something so he can leave the studio. But...I never knew you were listening in. If I had only knew you were around then I would have totally said something else, but I had to make Jimmy satisfied. At least until his dying day." He snickered at his last sentence.
"So..." She sniffed in some tears mixed with precipitation. "You were trying to protect me...?"
"In a way, yes." He twisted her body around and away from the tree whose roots were all covered in soft mud. "Don't kill yourself because you misheard something in your life." The rain caused his bangs to droop over his eyes like hers.
"Murdoc..." She hugged him again, this time in the rain. "I'm sorry. I was so foolish."
"It's okay love. I'm sorry too. Now let's get you back home." He patted her head in comfort.
With no warnings, the soft pile of mud that was surrounding the bottom of the tree couldn't hold it anymore. The rain made the mud thinner as the tree fell over a bit, leaning over the edge on the urge of completely falling.
Noodle choked. She had forgotten that the rope was still around her neck. She quickly gripped her hands on her neck and began to cough harshly. "Murdoc...help me...!"
Murdoc frantically tried to undo the rope around Noodle's neck. Unfortunately, he had to cut his nails in order to practice on his bass. The rain was making his fingers more wet and causing them to slip easily off the rope. The tree tilted forward a bit more as blood drops spewed from Noodle's mouth. Murdoc held her hand as if it was the only thing he could do now. "Noodle!...I-"
"Murdoc...remember...you will always be my family..." She held on tightly to his hand.
"You will always be my family too!"
The tree finally refused to hold as it began to tumble down the hill. Murdoc and Noodle's locking hands slowly let go, and Noodle fell with the tree and broke her neck.
"NOODLE!" Murdoc panicked and ran down the hill from the same path he came up. The heavy rain was slowing down. Murdoc stopped in front of the fallen tree and fell to his knees.
There lay Noodle with the rope around her neck, now drenched in fresh blood. A sharp piece of glass was pierced right through her left shoulder which was starting to bleed. Her mouth was half open with a drop of scarlet flowing down her chin. Murdoc went up and pulled the glass out of her body, then picked her up slowly from the tree and held her close to him. He didn't even care if his clothes were being soaked in her blood.
"Noodle...you're my family."
The rain finally came to a sudden stop and the thick clouds parted from each other. A lone star was seen in the heavens and its shine was having trouble keeping lit. Until...
It died.
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I wanted to try my first shot at a tragedy. Sad isn't it?... :(
