Chapter 9

Flying, it only took about 3 hours to get to New Orleans from Atlanta. We arrived right around the time when Mardis Gras was going on, so there were tourists from all over the world and people in crazy costumes and outfits with colorful masks. People were throwing dazzling necklaces with beads of all sorts of greens, purples, and yellows. It was chaotic with vibrant colors everywhere you went. As the flock, Fang's gang, and Sam walked around the streets we got complimented for our awesome costumes, even some questions of how we did it; Sam told them that we were art prodigies with hunters as parents. We followed Sam through the confusion of confetti, blasting music, and disorienting bright colors, she led us to a little bar and restaurant called 'The Hunters Moon'. As we walked in the background music from the festival faded away and was overcome by the sound of a band playing at full volume. Sam beckoned us over to an empty table that could seat all of us. Sam was sitting in her own chair at the very end of the table and was staring contently at the band on stage, which was just finishing up.

There's still time
Close your eyes
Only love will guide you home
Tear down the walls and free your soul
Till we crash we're forever spiraling down, down, down, down

The woman who was singing was running across the small stage and singing her lungs out. During the last part of the verse she held the microphone stand in her hands and leaned into the crowd, causing uproar with the guys, who were howling hoping to catch a sight of her bare chest. Sam chuckled and held up her cup, which was in a chalice of some sort.

"Way to go, Amy! Show them your amazing cleavage." Sam laughed and took a sip of her drink that stained her lips a crimson red.

"You know her?" Fang asked curiously.

"Yes I know her, but I'm not going to ask her out for you." Sam's eyes didn't move off of the stage when she said that and Fang blushed. Silence enveloped the table when the last verse of the song rang in their eardrums.

Hello, hello, it's only me
Infecting everything you love
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to learn forgiveness
Hello, hello remember me?
I'm everything you can't control
Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe we can break through

"I-I wasn't going to get you to ask her out for me."

"Suuuure you weren't." Sam rolled her eyes. The band took to the front of the stage and bowed, getting a loud roar of approval and applause. A young woman jumped up on stage and took the mic from Amy, patting her on the back and smiling. She turned to the crowd crowd and said into the mic.

"Give it up for Evanescence! Great job guys! This open mic night has been great! but sadly we only have time for one more performer." The crowd filled with a bunch of aww's and boo's. "Hey, hey, hey now don't be sad! We will have another open mic tomorrow night! Right guys?" She beckoned to the band behind her who nodded their heads eagerly, causing cheering from the crowd below. "Okay so who will be our next performer for open mic?" She scanned the crowd but no hands came up. Sam put down her cup on the table and stood up.

"That's my cue." Our entire table stared at Sam, dumbfounded. The announcer saw her and her face lighted up.

"Looks like we have the pleasure of seeing a rare pleasantry of miss Sam World!" Sam jumped up on stage as the crowd roared for her. She whispered in the announcer's ear and the announcer smiled and nodded. "Sam wants to know if you guys would mind if I sang with her." The crowd roared even louder and someone from the crowd threw up another mic to Sam. Sam beckoned for the guitarest and whispered into his ear, he nodded and grabbed his guitar, he started playing a ballad and then Sam started singing.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to arise

Sam had a soft singing voice that was delicate and expressed the song sweetly. I looked towards Fang and his jaw was dropped to the floor, I took the advantage of it and hit his jaw, it snapped shut on his teeth and made a cracking noise.

"What'd you d-" I put my finger over his mouth and went Shhhhh… The other girl started to sing,

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Her voice was a little deeper than Sam's but was equally as beautiful. They both sat on stools on the stage and had their eyes closed when they sang.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Sam and the young woman sang in perfect harmony and tapped their hands on their knees.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

The guitar player slowly stopped playing and allowed some applause before starting up again. The soft ballad made some heads sway and mouth along to the words.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise….

As they finished, the silenced crowd looked in admiration at the two young ladies on the stage. Sam and the young woman stood up and faced the crowd. The guitar player took one of the mic's out of Sam's hand and said to the crowd

"Let's make some noise for beautiful voices of Sam World and Lyla Flore!" The crowd roared so loud it almost shook the entire building. Sam and Lyla hugged each other and exchanged some words before they got off the stage and walked over to our table. Dylan gasped when she came into close view and jumped up onto his feet.

"Nyla!" He shouted. The girl perked up and looked around alertly.

"Where? Sam you brought her with you?" She looked at Sam in confusion, Sam laughed and shook her head.

"No, I didn't bring her with me. But, we did run into her a few days ago in Atlanta when she tried to kill me." She explained and then turned to Dylan. "Dylan, this is Lyla, not Nyla, Lyla. She is Nyla's twin sister."