Saturday Night
Emily
We arrived at 'The Maison des Morts Vivant' at around seven, this is after all the coolest club we`ve ever played so naturally the sweetheart deal to play as often as we please and furthermore get paid to do so was the best thing to happen for us. Who are we? I am the vocalist for the goth, dark cabaret band, 'The Broken Dolls'. We formed back home in the good ole Us of A and more recently relocated to Europe where we roamed a bit before settling here at The Maison. 'The Masion des Morts Vivant' is a lush, dark scene. Low lighting that could laughably be called minimalist and damask linens and complemented velvet upholstered seating of all kinds, couches on the iron balcony over the bar, padded bar stools both at the bar and at scattered high top tables as well as a short line of banquets. You mix all that with music that was moody, dark, and provocative, it was a haven for those who like the darker side of the world.
The club was fairly full for this early in the night it would pick up quickly as the opener 'The Glitter Bats' a cute gothic girl band from Japan, takes the stage. Sara our boisterous drummer and my best friend led the way to the bar where the owner and ever present bartender Fitzi was watching 'The bats' leaning against the glittering wall of jewel toned bottles glowing like functional living art behind the bar. "Yo! Fitzi! When do we start tonight?" Sara called slapping her hand on the bar top taking her seat and I followed suite.
"half nine to half eleven," he answered in his thick British accent it always makes me smile. I was fascinated with all the different accents of our new home.
"Perfect, I`ll take a drink," Sara smiled back and Jason our bassist nodded indicating he would take one as well.
"What would you like?" Fitzi smiled pushing off the bar.
"Surprise me!" Sara smiled wider clearly flirting too bad he would never acknowledge it, perhaps if he shot her down once she would stop making us witness this sad display.
"So, two?"
"Three," our piano player Kerry added.
"Three surprises?" Fitzi met my eyes with a raised brow. I just shook my head and he clapped his hand together, "Alright coming right up." And he set to work with bottles, glasses, ice and a shaker.
"Looks like a decent crowd tonight," I smiled over at Fitzi.
"Yeah should be a full house around nine if it holds steady," Fitzi replied sliding the full highball glasses in front of my band mates.
"These girls are great fun!" Sara exclaimed taking a sniff at her glass.
"Don't be a wuss." Jason picked at her.
As I sat back against the bar and watching 'The Bats' play I felt my phone in my back pocket buzzing away, a quick check of the screen revealed it was Ashely my ever so perfect older sister back home in San Fran. I searched the place visually looking for somewhere to take the call. I answered without a prayer that I could hear her, "ASH! HANG ON I`ll FIND A QUIET PLACE." I hurried for the back wall, there was a back door into the alley out back and I took it. The alley was a place most people ducked out into to smoke or the occasional hook up, but it was quiet and that suited my purposes. "There sorry… What's going on?" I asked leaning against the brick wall.
"When are you going to get a real job, and come home?" Ashley snarked through the tiny phone speaker.
"Did you call just to guilt me home?" I could not help the sigh in my voice.
"No, I called to inform you in case Dad does not tell you, He`s going in for surgery tomorrow." She sniffed and I could practically hear the disapproval.
"What type of surgery?" I asked confused.
"I don`t know why that matters, but he is having his gall bladder removed, you should really be here to help out around here." There was a crash and screeching loud bickering in the background behind her judgments.
"Look, I asked all of you before I left home, and everyone was all smiles and support until you decided to squeeze out your litter of kids and now everything I hear from you now, it's all you are so selfish and should be here to help out." I corrected.
"It's not like you`ve done anything with yourself. It's not like you`ve found a man or even grown out of this childish dream you're dragging out. You're still a freak show how do I explain you to my kids they are getting old enough to ask about their aunt that sends presents and never is around." I could not take my sister`s criticizing me any longer and I hit the end button and stuffed my phone back into my pocket and kicked an empty soda can deeper into the darkness of the alley. The metallic clang of the can hitting the pavement then the brick wall in the darkest part of what I knew was to be a dead ended alleyway was loud in the quiet but was followed by a disturbing sound. It sounded vaguely like a toddler, high pitched jabbering, this late at night seemingly alone this was not to be ignored. I moved slowly deeper into the alley to make sure everything was normal and all right. Back behind the dumpster at the end of the alley there was a pile of dirty fabric that was moving slowly up and down. I hurried forward now to only accomplish startling a stray cat that hissed after emerging from the pile of fabric then scattered into a pile of boxes in the corner. I checked carefully around the debris of the alley once more to be sure, but found nothing.
"Hm… nothing," I frowned but then smiled thinking at least I was spared the gut wrenching I surely would have felt if I had actually found something. I checked the time and it was still early and then turned to head back down the alley and was stunned to see I wasn`t alone.
There was four, well to call them men would be disingenuous. All four seemed to be about seventeen or so and generally looked about the same in their flashy hip hop gear. One held a knife with a military looking blade, another had a handgun butt in the front of his ridiculous sagging pants if you can call them that. The third one seemed to be tweeting or some shit, oh sure live chat an assault great idea. The last guy was sucking on a balloon, I kid you not a balloon. Then it really set in when the balloon guy spoke in a high squeaky voice, "Hello Beautiful."
"I don`t know Dan, she looks like one of those freaks," Pistol Pete jostled balloon guy.
"Isn`t that convenient?" Knife guy smiled angling the blade in the greasy overhead street light.
"Let's talk expectations," Pistol Pete starts getting closer. "You are going to keep us happy or we will hurt you."
"Seriously guys?" I crossed my arms.
"I think we will start off on your knees," Knife guy pointed to his feet.
"you think so? That's a no! you`ll have to make me." I snarked and pistol Pete pulled the silver piece pointing it directly at me.
"on your knees," Knife guy ordered again.
"Oh common, how do I even know it's loaded?" I asked taking a step back. His only response was to shift his arm a few short inches to the left and fired a slug into the brick beside my head. "Answers that question." I grumbled and he retains his arm center mass, great he plans to wound not kill, so I can still do as told after he shoots me, just lovely.
"Knees, or at the count of three we will put you there." Knife guy was sounding pissed now. "One… two…" That is when all hell broke loose.
A black shadow dropped into the center of our tableau presumably from the fire escape knocking pistol Pete flat to the ground beneath heavy black boots and the gun went off and I dove to avoid the shot but landed hard, smacking the back of my head on the brick. I watched the world around me hazy as the battle before me continued and just before the world finally went black I met the fixed unseeing eyes of Pistol Peter where he had fallen.
Warmth and dim lighting was the first things I noticed turning over slowly, my head was killing me and the noise of the club seemed muffled somehow like I was underwater or something. But I knew it was inside the club somewhere that I was laying, everything was still hazy and blurry around me except him.
This mysterious man with golden blonde hair, long around his face and on top with ultra-short sides, He was stunning square jaw and full sexy lips aside from the matte black domino mask covering his nose cheekbones and forehead but it was his eyes that trapped me in his gaze, crystal clear one blue like the sky one brown almost gold in color both with long perfect lashes. "I… I… Uh…" I whispered unable to look away from his gaze.
"Shhh… rest," His voice was deep and smooth making me think of a dark chocolate caramel.
"Where ..." I rasped but he was right. Rest sounded too good to fight and I slipped back into sleep.
I sat up in a rush the next time I woke up. I was up on the balcony laid across a deep violet colored velvet couch with a black leather bomber jacket draped over me, a man`s jacket. "How?" I asked myself looking around only to find no one around me and my head was pounding. He had saved me, that mystery man in the mask I was sure of it. However, the other thing I was fairly sure of was there was at least one body lying dead in that alley. So, does that make the man in the mask hero or villain, man or monster that I was unsure of right now.
"Thank you! Good Night!" Taketa the singer for 'the bats' screamed out of the speakers gaining my attention instantly.
"Shit!" I groaned sitting up feeling my head spin and throb. "Ugh" I moved slower but still moving, it was time for 'the dolls' to go on I needed to get down to the green room now.
Stumbling as fast as I could in the nausea inducing spins I hurried down to join my band mates, "There she is." Jason called over his shoulder.
"What the hell! Where have you been?" Sara exclaimed.
"Long story, I`ll tell ya later." I grumbled taking my place center stage as they finish prepping their equipment. "Water?" I asked into the mic and Fitzi appeared at my side not only with a large glass of icy water but also two aspirin. "Oh! Thank you! How`d you know?" I was surprised.
"A little bird told me." He leaned in to my ear.
"Well thank you… you`re a life saver." I gushed.
"You`re welcome, knock`em dead." Fitzi smiled and headed back to the bar.
The set was all a blur and as the aspirin did help for a while but the pounding dizziness was back and I could not wait to get off this stage. "You guys are a great crowd! Stick around The Phantom starts at midnight! Good night!" I exclaimed into the mic with gritted teeth disguised as a smile and I was done. I was sure my band would be disappointed but to my surprise no one complained when I stated my need to head back to the flat.
Back at the flat after a shower and settling down on my bed next to Sara`s bed, we share a bedroom in the band flat. She walked in carrying two mugs of tea and a bag of cookies and handed the hot sweet smelling tea and she sat beside me. "wait so you got mugged behind the club tonight?" Sara repeated her question before my shower.
"Almost mugged, the gun shot must have alerted him." I said digging through my jacket pockets.
"Someone saved you?" She leaned forward excitedly.
"Yeah a dude in a mask." I started when she interrupted me.
"A man in a mask saved you?!"
"Yeah… I just wish I knew who he was I`d love to thank him." I answered and sipped at the soothing tea.
"Wait! I`m still struggling here… like a mask like a super hero or something?" Sara giggled ecstatically.
"No just a guy… a guy with pretty eyes and a mask." I brushed off her excitement.
"What do you think his code name is The Mask? Goth Man?" Sara was practically vibrating in place.
"Ugh! Stop it, He was just an overly dramatic goth to the rescue. Unfortunately, it seems I lost my phone in the fight." I was complaining now, how ungrateful of me.
"Maybe your sexy goth superhero has it to get closer to you." Sara grinned.
"Sexy?" I was confused.
"pretty eyes, mask saved you… what about all that is not sexy?" Sara explained.
"Stealing my phone would not be sexy." I frowned.
"True …" Sara sat back down glumly, "Ask Fitzi, maybe he finds it in the light of day."
"Maybe, I`ll run back by in the morning." I answered finishing my tea and laying back on my bed to get some sleep before dawn.