EDWIN MELLOPHONE HANDS

CHAPTER 8: THE SHADOW IS CAST

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the local authorities were finally investigating the murders and the disappearance of Sam. The lead detective on the case was Lt. Holst, or Jupiter as he was normally called. He was a Fake City High School alumnus, and ex French Horn player. The day the case was announced he was astonished. Charlie Spills, the band director who had killed himself had been a freshman in his section that one night, October 31, 1965. In fact, he could remember exactly what happened…

The show had been going without flaw, until the eight count cigar box rotation where everyone shifted over about two yards. It was the most difficult part in the show, and everyone nailed it, well except for Charlie Spills, the only freshman mellophone. He could never take large enough steps. Edwin, a sophomore stood to his left during the drill, and then when they executed the move, disaster struck. Charlie tripped Edwin, who tripped the rest of the section in a sort of domino effect. The block of battery percussion did not notice them… Until it was too late.

Jupiter shook his head of that awful memory and turned the knob of the band room door, glancing at his three stumps on his hand which had previously been fingers. That accident caused his hand to be crushed within the tubing of the mellophone. He entered the room and felt a sensation of longing. The music theory students all turned to look at their visitor. "Colonel Boom, Lt. Jupiter Holst of the FCPD here to investigate instrument storage room." He flashed his badge and search warrant. The colonel grew bright red. "Holst… Come have a little chat with me in my office…" he said with great discontent. The lieutenant followed and gave a nervous glance at the students, who had the same expression on their faces, and went back to their bookwork.

Lorelei looked around and set her book and pen down. Being the rebellious tromboner she was, she ventured into the instrument storage room to investigate. Her classmates didn't even notice her missing. They were all too frightened to let their eyes stray from their assigned text. She looked around and her womanly intuition spoke to her. Go to the light. She looked at Sam's locker. She always thought of Sam as he little ray of sunshine… the back of the locker was missing, and the void that followed called to her… and in she went.

The tunnel opened wider as she crawled through it and it soon opened wide enough for her to stand up in. The tunnel smelled like tarnished brass and spit, such a lovely combination. She put her hands to the wall to guide her through the thick and heavy darkness, but pulled them away in disgust. The walls had been coated with something slimy. She smelled her hand to see what it was. "Trombotine…" she mumbled, and placed her hands on the wall again.

After about five minutes of walking she saw a dim light which showed the outline of a wooden door. She figured she had to be about half a mile below school grounds. She reached for the door and opened it slowly, peeking one eye through the crack to make sure the coast was clear. It was, and she entered the chamber… and held back a scream.

Sam was tied to the wall with some duct tape, unconscious and bleeding from his slit lip. His wrist had been marked with a broken line in red; the purpose was unknown at that moment, until Lorelei looked behind her. On the wall was a shelf with jars filled with valve oil and… hands… four jars, each unlabeled. She put her hand to her mouth in disbelief and examined one of them. It had Rudy's class ring, and the other hand had French tipped nails, Katrina's signature nail color. And one hand… still had the baton in it. The shelf had a label on it with blood red German words. Seeing as how Lorelei was German and knew German she read it… Mein Kampf…in English… my struggle. She turned back to Sam and saw a knife and gauze tape on the desk beside him. She knew she had to get out as quickly as possible. There were bad vibes ringing around the room at every corner. Lorelei yanked the tape that bound Sam to the wall, which made him whimper in his comatose state. She then picked him up and ran as fast as she could through the tunnel, back to safety, and in the background she heard a scream of frustration and a clattering as a desk was thrown to the floor. Then the footprints sounded.

Lorelei began running faster but stopped. The tunnel had narrowed down to crawling size. There was no way she could fit herself and Sam through it, however through the square opening she saw the light of the instrument storage room. She was beginning to panic seeing as how she was claustrophobic and her attacker was coming up behind her quickly. Suddenly, a hand poked into the tunnel opening and the voice of God cried out, "GIVE ME THE BOY!" Lorelei gave Sam's body to the outstretched arm and made her way out of the tunnel, where she heard Also Sprach Zarathrusta being to play as she saw the light of the instrument storage room.

God wasn't really God at all. It was the detective who had interrupted Lorelei's music theory class. He was checking Sam's pulse and nodded at Lorelei. "He'll be okay. He's just a bit shocked." Suddenly a loud screech came from the tunnel. "Don't worry," Lt. Holst said, "He won't come out with me here."

"Why is that?" Lorelei asked. "It's a long story young lady. Now the frosh band is practicing their music for the school play, 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'll have enough time to tell you." He handed Sam to Lorelei who sat down on a mellophone case. "Years and years ago in 1965, We were performing for the halftime show. There was one sophomore in my section named Edwin. He was a mellophone player as I was, and your previous director, Mr. Spills, a freshman, was also in our section. Yes, well during the show we had a box rotation and Spills screwed it up. He tripped Edwin, and soon the entire section fell. Even me," he showed his hand with the amputated fingers. "Well, the result of the accident was disastrous. Edwin and I ended up going to the same emergency room. They were able to pry my mellophone from my fingers after cutting two of he off, however… Edwin's hand was crushed so badly, it was if the mellophone was welded to the bones." He ended his story leaving Lorelei completely bewildered. "You knew Mr. Spills? He caused the accident? Because of him three people have been killed?' she asked. "Yes, it's all true. Edwin was afraid of me because I was the mean upperclassman. He was dead afraid of me, seeing as how I was his section leader." Suddenly Sam began to stir in his sleep, and he woke up looking into Lorelei's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and closes his eyes. "He sleeps in the shadow, lives in the shadow, he is the shadow in which every object casts. He sees you through his two eyes, and controls you with a single hand…" then he slowly went back to his coma. Lorelei looked up panicked at Lt. Holst who shook his head.

"Then we must defeat this shadow…"