Gorillaz (c) Damon and Jamie

Rei (c) me

Chapter 36: Melancholy Hill Part 1

Winter melted away into Spring and the occupants of Point Nemo couldn't be any happier. They finally got a chance to go outside after six months of being held up in the Playboy type mansion, and not have to come in after a few minuets.

2D and Araiya were sitting on the grassy knoll that was off to the side of the sun deck. Araiya had her acoustic guitar in her lap and was strumming a few notes here and there. The singer was looking out at the blue ocean. It was a partly cloudy and slightly windy day.

Rei began to play the note to 'On Melancholy Hill' and 2D began to sing.

Up on Melancholy Hill

there's a plastic tree

Are you here with me?

Just looking out on the day

Of another dream

Where you can't get what you want

But you can get me

So let's set out to sea

Cause you are my medicine

When you're close to me...

Meanwhile, Murdoc was in the Study sitting at his desk posting searching for something. He found it and the footage along with with note he saw actually shocked him. He got up from his seat and went up to the deck. He saw 2D and Rei and walked out onto the platform. "Oi! You two get in here now! I have something both of ya should see."

The singer and Rei got up and followed the bassist into the house and down to the Study. Rei sat down in Murdoc's chair and 2D stood behind her and Murdoc played the video. It was of Russel jumping off the pier and into the ocean.

"Murdoc...where did you get this footage?" Rei looked up at him.

"It was floating around in the ether, and I happened to stumbled upon it. That's not all." He clicked another tab and the drummer's note appeared.

The two read it and frowned harder with every word.

"Yew don't think it's true? Do ya?" 2D looked at Murdoc as well frowning.

"The evidence is there faceache so it's hard not to believe. Guess the demons finally drove him mental. Well, more mental than he already was."

"Murdoc!" Rei hissed at the bassist.

"It's true isn't it? I'm not gonna stand here and pretend like he wasn't Rei."

"He's still our friend though." She stood up and walked around the desk and to the lift. "Did you even try to find where he was before you started on Plastic Beach?"

"Number was disconnected and I didn't have the time to track him down because of the pirates and Boogieman that were on my ass."

Araiya sighed. "I'm not even gonna get too upset. I just watched someone that was a big brother to me jump into the water to end his life." she called the lift and entered then went up to the bedroom.

2D and Murdoc just stared after her.

"I'm goin' to meh room." the singer went over to the lift and left too leaving Murdoc and Cyborg Noodle all alone.

"Their stress levels have heightened after seeing the video and reading the letter. Would you like me to do anything?"

"No. Leave them be." Murdoc leaned against the desk and took out a cigarette then lit it. Even he didn't want to believe what he saw and read was true, but even he couldn't ignore the truth. Groaning, he rubbed his cheek and sat back down.

Up in their room, Araiya laid on the bed in a fetal position crying. Watching Russel jumping into the water broke her heart. A melancholy feeling came up inside of her making her even sadder. Turning to lay on her back, she looked up at the ceiling and hoped that a small nap would clear her mind.

A few months later, Noodle was walking up the passenger ramp for the M. Harriet, a second class cruise liner. After investigating some more, she found out through 2D's parents that the azure-headed man only stayed with them for a couple of months then left for Beirut. She then traveled to the city and talked with the landlord that owned the apartment building he had stayed in.

She told Noodle that he was quiet, a bit shy, paid his rent on time and was nice to everyone. The woman didn't know what had happened the day the singer just disappeared. Noodle told her what had happened and the owner was shocked and hoped that 2D was okay.

Before leaving Beirut, Noodle visited an internet cafe and saw the footage of Russel and saw the note posted on the Gorillaz website. Shocked, the short woman couldn't believe at first what she was seeing and didn't want to believe that the man who became her father figure, was so depressed and out of it that he decided to kill himself. Not wanting to think about it any longer, she got up from her seat and walked out of the place where the tears fell down her face as soon as she got into a taxi.

When she got on the ship, she looked at her ticket and read that her room was number thirteen. All Noodle had with her was her Les Paul, a big messenger bag, and a silver case that held her Thompson machine gun. Just like the boat, the security was second rate as well so it was easy for her to take it on board. Arriving at her room, she opened the door and walked in. It was small. The walls were wooden, an imitation version of Persian carpet covered the floor, the bed was one of those ones that folded into the wall, small storage space, a porthole window with an upholstery covered bench underneath it.

Noodle had been told that the boat would pass right by Plastic Beach since it was in the South Pacific. When she was close enough, she'd get into the yellow life raft she had bought off a former sailor in the small sea town she was in. She sat down on the bench and took her boots off so her feet could get some air then took off her mask, exposing the bruise on the left side of her face, her green eyes stared at the small menu on the back of the closed door.

The guitarist was finally on her way back to her family.

We're nearing the end.