DISCLAIMER: Need I say more?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ever since writing this story, I have found that my writing in this story has taken a direction into more graphic violence and stronger language. After much deliberation, I have decided from the next chapter on, the story will be bumped up to an 'M' rating.
ACT ONE
Scene Five
That afternoon, A Murder of Crows had gathered into the Macabre Cabaret for their sudden rehearsal. After they had finished setting up their equipment, all the band had left to do was wait for their vocalist to come.
Dillon paced back and forth on the stage, staring down at the ground while Tess was playing around with the keyboards, pressing random keys.
"Hey Edgar, do you have the time?" asked Tess.
Edgar looked up from his bass guitar and fished his pocket for his pocket watch. He grabbed the small gold watch, flipped it open and read the time: 2:30 PM.
"God, we've been here for almost two hours now. This has to be some kind of prank. That dumb bitch isn't here and we don't have anyone else on call for vocals," grunted Dillon.
"Surely we're here for some sort of reason, Dillon. They wouldn't have called us back for no reason," said Tess.
Suddenly, they heard a creaky door swing open with a ray of sunlight shining on the band members. Jimmy looked in the distance with his eyebrows raised.
"Hey, guys, isn't that—"
"Oh, fuck…it can't be," Dillon shook his head.
Decked in a black (faux) fur trimmed floor length coat and a clove cigarette in her right hand, Anne Gwish, followed by Cleo, entered the club with the same air of confidence a reigning queen would have walking through clusters of lowly peasants.
"Well, were you expecting that other girl? It truly is a disgrace she hasn't shown up for her own rehearsal. Such lack of passion and ambition to her craft as a musical artist, unlike myself," said Anne.
"Didn't you just say you were leaving the band to go solo just yesterday? Why the hell are you coming to us for? Besides, who the hell wears a fur coat in LA? During the summer?!" sneered Dillon.
"That was in the past, Dillon. One must go beyond what has happened in the past and mature into the future," said Anne as she took off her hefty coat and placed it into Cleo's arms.
"What past? What future exactly? What the hell are you talking about?" Tess piped in.
Anne paused to take a puff from her clove cigarette. Smoke blew from her black coated lips.
"I'm saying that I want back in the band. It's simple as that."
Jimmy's drumsticks fell from his fishnet gloved hands and onto the ground, meeting Dillon's jaw.
"What the…what?!" stuttered Dillon, his pierced eyebrow raised in utmost confusion.
"That's right. It's not like this other girl is going to show up any time soon. Music is my dream. Performing in front of an adoring audience is what keeps me from screaming in dark despair in my otherwise dreary existence. Please, consider this as an act of kindness towards a band, struggling to find their devoted following," pleaded Anne as she made her way onto the stage. She stopped to face Dillon. "Please, I can find your voice if you use mine tonight. Think about it…" She ran her finger down Dillon's chest as Tess cringed behind the keyboard.
"I still don't understand why you're doing this Anne. Didn't you call us all losers?" asked Edgar, pushing his glasses to the top of his large, flat nose.
"Hey, c'mon you guys! At least we'll have a singer tonight and we'll get paid for another night; performing for the Phantom Maniac. Who knows if he'll be here tonight to hear us perform," said Jimmy.
"Forget about the stupid phantom, Jimmy," barked Dillon. He took a deep breath and turned back to face Anne. "Considering the circumstances we're in right now, I can't believe I'm saying this but…" he mumbled then made eye contact, "you're singing with us tonight."
"Wonderful. I knew you all would come around," smirked Anne.
As she looked for the microphone, Todd had been watching the entire scene play out before him from the balcony on the second level. He stood motionless with Shmee clutched close to his chest.
"What are you standing there for? This isn't good. You do remember the letter he gave you, didn't you? That pathetic excuse for a singer clearly is not Devi. A massacre is going to happen tonight if you don't take action. Tenna's in the sound booth right now. See her, NOW! Elize told you to," Shmee scolded.
Todd eyed the sound booth at the end of the second level, adjacent from Elize's office. All he could see was Tenna lounging on a chair repeatedly squeaking Spooky. Todd's eyes widened as soon as he remembered the task he was given from Elize. He quickly dashed to the sound booth and banged his fists on the door.
"You gotta let me in, Tenna-person!! Everyone's gonna be chopped and killed and be screaming and screaming and oh you gotta help stop it!! SQUEEEE!!" screamed Todd, except the previous dialogue would have been greatly sped up and slurred into one giant word. Also, Jimmy was practicing another random, spastic drum solo which drowned out Todd's cries for help.
Tenna opened the door looking unfazed by the noisy shouting.
"Heya, kiddo! If you want someone to open the door, just knock on it. That's what Spooky would do," beamed Tenna as she thrust Spooky into Todd's face and squeaked the toy. "See, don't you like Spooky? I know he likes you! Come on in!" she smiled as she motioned Todd to enter the sound booth.
"So what was it you were yelling about, little boy?" asked Tenna.
"Todd."
"Oh, okay Todd," Tenna corrected herself, "what's the matter? Is there anything Spooky can do?"
"Um…do you know some girl named Devi?"
"Of course I do! I haven't seen her all day though. Why do you ask?"
"Well, um, could you pretty please make sure she comes tonight? Something really bad's gonna happen tonight if she doesn't sing. I'm really scared of what he's gonna do if she doesn't."
"Who's 'he?'"
"The creepy ghost man."
"Is this that Phantom Maniac guy everyone keeps talking about around here?"
"Uh-huh. When he says he'll kill somebody, he means it. So please find Devi today," Todd looked up at Tenna with imploring eyes that would put even the smallest, begging puppy to shame.
Tenna glanced at A Murder of Crows on the stage, particularly Anne Gwish practicing a round of vocal acrobatics, each run more excruciating than the last.
"Okay. I'll do all that I can to get Devi to the club tonight. Besides, I think she needs to get out more and have some fun…even if that means having to get that Anne Gwish chick booed offstage," said Tenna, giving Todd the thumbs-up.
Back on the stage, the band was ready to go into another run through of "A Thousand Shattered Blades". As Edgar began to play his role in the song, a sinking, nauseous feeling was setting in his stomach. He tried to ignore the hunch but as the song progressed, so did the feeling.
That evening, more and more patrons gathered into the Macabre Cabaret. High above the second level, Johnny sat on his usual perch: one of the many wooden planks hanging high above the club helping hold the building together. He studied masses on the dance floor below. His attention was turned to a couple at the bar who appeared to be snickering at a gangly, shy man with a devilock. The mere sight of such cattiness made Johnny cringe, clutching his fists.
"Let's see how you like having people laugh at you for having your head sliced open," he muttered to himself.
Back on the first level, Tenna, along with Devi, were sitting at a table in the corner farthest away from the dance floor. Tenna was bopping along to the beat of the bouncy, cheeky music while Devi was trying to pull the collar of her trench coat past her face.
"Man, I love Irken Sex Fanatic. Doesn't it make you just wanna get up and dance, eh Devi? Eh?" shouted Tenna over the loud music as she jabbed her elbow into Devi's rib.
"Tenna, there's no way I'm hell I'm gonna dance. It's already enough that the last twenty four hours have been really weird and creepy and now that you've dragged me out here tonight, I'm not gonna risk this evening being more fucked up than the night before," said Devi.
"Hey, I thought tonight would be good for you to get out of your apartment and take a break from it all; especially from supposedly fighting off the mongoose army."
"Hey, the mongoose army was nothing. It was that rabid beaver that was hard to get rid of escaping from that cellar."
The song stopped. The deejay stepped away from the turn table and took the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the encore performance from last night's amazing show, I give you A Murder of Crows!"
The sounds of the crowd cheering quickly made Devi and Tenna perk up to take notice. They saw the band make their way onto the stage and get behind their respective instruments while Anne sauntered onto the stage with yet another clove cigarette in her hand.
"Oh shit," shuddered Devi upon the mere sight of the vocalist.
"Oh, she'll get booed off. Trust me. She has nothing on you," said Tenna, her consolation repaid with a glare from her friend.
"Good evening, my darklings. How are you doing this fair night?" cooed Anne into the microphone in a tone that would come from a breathy vampire vixen. "We will begin with an ode to great pain and betrayal. Jimmy, dearest?"
Jimmy began his trademark rapid fire drum riff. The familiar chords ringing in her ears, Devi hunched over with her hands over her ears. God, not this song. Anything but "A Thousand Shattered—"
"Look what you've done to me
You've left me here unexpectedly.
And as the beauty of what was once love fades,
I fall into a thousand shattered blades…"
Up on the planks, Johnny clenched his teeth and growled.
"They lied! They fucking denied me!! I used the blood from her painting for nothing?! They will pay!!"
As Johnny sped away to the attic, Anne appeared lost in her own world, oblivious from the grumbling and frowning faces in the audience.
"Stuck in this hole,
I can't find a goal
So I may just stay here
And disappear…"
Loud boos and hisses interrupted Anne from singing the last line.
"Get off the stage, Elvira!!" boomed a male patron.
"Excuse me?! I'll have you know that I have more originality and innovation in my pinky finger than that wannabe does in her whole body! Elvira only wishes she was me!!" Anne hissed back at the crowd. "I know for sure that I am far more unique than everyone in this room. I'm far darker than you could ever dream of being. I mean, who the fuck wears corduroy pants to a goth club?!" she shouted at the devilocked man. She turned to point at another clubber, a heavy set girl in a vinyl gown. "And you?! I'm sorry darling but your fat ass can hardly be contained in that dress!"
With each insult Anne hurled back at the audience, Tess turned and hid herself from the audience.
"…haven't you heard of the saying 'friends don't let friends look like The Crow?!'" screamed Anne before she was cut off by a flying beer bottle. She quickly ducked but the bottle ended up hitting Jimmy on the head. The glass shattered as Jimmy was knocked out, landing on the shards of glass.
"Bring back the other girl!!" the thrower of the beer bottle yelled.
The audience cheered over the mention of 'the other girl' and continued to throw more items at Anne; crumpled pieces of paper, bottles, and a coffin purse among other things. Devi started to panic, her eyes darting around the club looking for some place to escape.
Anne scowled at the audience, her penciled, arched eyebrows contorting into a furrowed expression. "Fine then, fuck you!! Fuck each and every single one of you!!" she cried as she stormed off the stage. She locked herself into the dressing room and took out another clove cigarette. She inhaled, then exhaled the cloud of smoke, blocking out the reflection in the mirror. She couldn't see the dark, towering, figure slowly making his way towards her; steel tapping with each step.
"That is such a disgusting habit. It's only fitting for an equally grotesque creature…"
"How dare you—"
Anne was silenced with a swift slice across her chest.
Back in the club, while Tess was tending to Jimmy's injury, the audience began to grow impatient.
"C'mon! Bring out the other girl!!" one woman shouted.
Just as Devi was about to get up and head for the exit, Tenna took a hold of Devi's shoulder and plowed her through the crowd.
"Tenna! What are you doing!?" hissed Devi.
"C'mon, just sing something or else a riot's gonna break out!" said Tenna.
Edgar scanned the crowd left and right, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead and hoping for some sort of miracle. Amidst the dark shadows of the crowd, he spotted a familiar head of violet ponytails. He raced to the center spotlight and grabbed the microphone. "Devi?"
Devi's head shot up and met Edgar's eyes with a look of utter mortification. The rest of the patrons turned to stare at her.
"Is that her?" "I think so!" they chattered amongst themselves.
"Go on, get up there and sing for the nice people!" whispered Tenna as she shoved Devi onto the steps leading to the stage. She took small, stiff steps up the stairs and onto the stage. The audience burst into cheers once Devi stepped into the spotlight and was handed the microphone from Edgar. He gave her the smallest of sincere smiles. Leaning against an amplifier, Dillon shook his head. "I don't believe this…" he murmured to himself before putting down his guitar and walking out of the spotlight, off the stage and towards the back exit of the club.
"What are we gonna do? The drummer's out and Dillon just stormed off," Devi whispered to Edgar.
"Why don't you sing that other song you did yesterday?" Edgar whispered back.
Devi bit her lip, took a deep breath, lifted the microphone to her lips and began to sing.
"Time is like a dream
And now for a time, you are mine.
Let's hold fast to the dream
That tastes and sparkles like wine.
Who knows (who knows)
If it's real
Or just something we're both dreaming of…"
The audience became deathly quiet out of captivation, eager to hear what else would come from Devi. Edgar soon joined in playing a small, simple repeated bass chord. A casual, carefree duet was created.
Over in another room, deep beneath the club, Johnny dragged Anne's bloodied corpse into an even larger pile of the rotting deceased. He dropped the body as soon as he heard Devi's voice, echoing from above like a ghostly enchantress. He wandered to the elevator and pressed the button. Up he went, leaning against the wall, eyes closed; humming the song and the voice became louder with each level he ascended.
"What seems like an interlude now
Could be the beginning of love…"
As soon as Devi finished singing, the audience applauded and cheered. The tension in Devi's body was released as she whispered a small "thank you" into the microphone. She turned to face Edgar who had a humble smile hidden in the shadows of the spotlight.
Minutes later, the deejay returned to the stage to spin more tracks from Suzie and the Screamers. It freed up time for Devi and A Murder of Crows to unwind after the chaos and to tend to Jimmy. While Tess stayed back in the green room with Jimmy, Devi and Edgar took a seat at one of the tables on the side.
"I'm really relieved that you were able to come tonight. I don't know what we would have done if Anne hadn't made it or if a huge riot broke out," said Edgar.
"Oh, well my friend Tenna kinda dragged me out here tonight," said Devi, pointing to Tenna dancing crazily in the crowd.
"Ah. Well, um, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to you last night? We would have paid you upfront but we had no idea where you went. It was really weird. It's like I heard you in the dressing room but then you disappeared…"
Devi shifted in her seat and rubbed her hands nervously.
"Oh…it's…kind of a long story. I can't really explain it but it was just as weird as you thought it would be…" she muttered the last part quietly.
Edgar raised his eyebrows.
"Hmm. Well, if you don't want to talk about it then it's up to you…"
Despite the music blaring, silence wafted between the two.
"Um," Edgar cleared his throat, "w-would you like a drink? You must be thirsty after singing."
"Oh sure, I don't mind. This club gets pretty hot and sweaty when you're in a trench coat."
"Absolutely."
Devi and Edgar left the table and made their way through the crowds and over to the bar on the other side of the club.
"I don't drink very often so is there any drink you want in particular? It's on me."
"Just some water is fine. You don't have to pay; I've got money on me."
As they reached the bar, a scraggly bald young man with a scar on his forehead wearing a stained white shirt swayed in his bar stool and faced Devi and Edgar.
"Hey, aren't you that stupid bitch and skinny fag that sang up there?" he slurred.
"I beg your pardon?" Edgar questioned.
"Yeah you scrawny little shit bags. I didn't come here to see no pussy ass goth faggots sing…uh, shitty songs. It's not like you even had big tits to keep me watching…" the man said as he weakly reached his arm out to Devi's chest, barely missing her left breast.
"Hey, look, if you wanted to see big tits, then you should have gone to a strip club," Devi shot back while taking a step backward.
"Are you trying to be smart with me, princess? Trying to act all cute? Don't you dare try to talk that fucking way to me, fucker," yelled the man as he got up from the stool, his fists tightly clenched.
Edgar quickly stepped in front of Devi.
"Look, all she wants is a drink so could you please just let us be?" reasoned Edgar.
"Fuck, how many asswipes do I have to kick the shit out of in a day?" snarled the man as he slugged Edgar across the face. Edgar fell to the ground with a thud. He was only greeted with a sharp kick to the stomach. Devi's mouth dropped. A fire was building up inside her.
"What the fuck did you do that for?! He didn't do anything to you!" she yelled.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch. You're next along with your little fuck…face…friend. Dammit! Don't even try to make me come up with an original curse!" screamed the man, his fist flying out towards Devi. She caught his fist in her hand and used her other hand to uppercut the man in his stomach. Caught off guard, the man fell and hit his head on the steel bar railing. The impact of the hit made him lose consciousness, leaving him to fall to the floor. Devi kneeled down to Edgar, whose glasses had cracked from the impact of the punch, leaving a bruise formed around his eye and blood trickling from his nose.
"Are you okay, Devi?" coughed Edgar.
"Yeah, we should probably get you to a hospital and get you and Jimmy checked out," said Devi. She lifted Edgar from the floor and put his arms around her shoulders for support. As they trailed off to the green room, the badly beaten man blinked his eyes repeatedly before everything drifted and became black to him…
Slowly blinking, the man was brought back to consciousness but quickly noticed that the area he was in wasn't familiar. Flickering light bulbs; rusty chains and hooks hanging from the ceiling; the foul stench of death was present. He was prevented from exploring his surroundings due to his body being holstered on the hard, flat table. The holster across his forehead was especially tight. He noticed Johnny peering above him like a bloodthirsty vulture.
"Good day…whatever your name is," greeted Johnny, his arms behind his back.
"I-it's Krik you skinny little motherfucker!! Let me go or I'll kick your ass!!" boomed Krik.
Johnny let out a hearty laugh.
"How can you exactly 'kick my ass' if you've been restrained on this table? Impending death really does make people act like such animals, struggling to gain supremacy above their hunter…but it's quite hopeless."
"Ugh! Big words! Hold on, you said you were gonna kill me?!"
"Yes, quite severely at that. If you couldn't appreciate the superior beauty of Devi's voice, then surely you would rather appreciate the sound of your own despicable voice screaming at me to make the pain end…" said Johnny as he brandished the large, thick steel mallet and raised it above Krik's head.
"What the fuck do you think you're—"
SMASH!!
Johnny removed his blood splattered coat and brushed off the excess droplets on his shirt. He stretched out his long, toothpick arms and smiled gleefully.
"What a fucking great night!" he said cheerfully.