Yay! Holidays are here! ^_^ … sort of. I counted a total of 3 completely school-free days.
My definition of 'holidays': Band, band, homework, band, more homework, band, school camp, band, band, band.
The Reed II: Chapter 13 (I think. I sort of lost count a while ago.)
Ian stared down at Jamie's unconscious form; and then, slowly, the saxophone slipped from his grip. It fell to the floor with a clank, denting its side.
Ian did not notice. All he could do was stare.
Release me.
Ian ignored the voice.
Do you want to die?
Dropping suddenly to the ground, Ian snatched the box and raised his free hand as if to strike it.
"TAKE THAT YOU…"
The door swung open, and Ian paused in mid-strike as Martyn and Ariel entered, thinking of having a midnight practice. (Their band is weird.)
For a moment there was silence as the three surveyed the scene. Then, finally, Ariel spoke.
"Is that… The Reed? I thought… I thought you said you destroyed it…"
Yes. It is I, human filth.
"Shut up," Ian hissed angrily at the box.
"You were supposed to bury it!" Martyn yelled, suddenly furious. "We trusted you to! So what's it doing here?"
"I… I can explain, okay, just…"
Oh yes. Tell them everything…
"Well? So what's the Reed doing here?"
"I… uh…"
The door opened again, and in came Lucas, yawning away.
"What's all the noi…"
Just then, he saw his sister on the ground and stiffened. Pushing his way past Martyn and Ariel, Lucas dashed to her side.
"Jamie!"
Don't worry. She's not dead… yet.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?"
Me? I didn't do anything.
Lucas turned, to see the eyes of Martyn and Ariel focused accusingly on Ian.
"You…"
"It's not my fault! You all ran away when we were supposed to bury it! You were all scared of The Reed! So why can't I be?"
"What's so hard about just BURYING the thing? Three steps. Dig hole, put box in, cover hole!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?"
Ian shrugged matter-of-factly.
"Nothing much, just hit her with a sa…"
Lucas' eyes darted over to the now dented instrument.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SAXOPHONE?"
Leaving his sister's side, he ran over to it and kneeled, cradling his instrument, surveying the damage done, too shocked to say anything.
The other three ignored him.
"Well? So why're you just STANDING there? Go get rid of the Reed!"
"Not yet. Not until it fulfills its promise."
Martyn was getting tired of the conversation.
"WHAT promise?"
"It said it'd repair my DVDs if I let it go! D'you have any idea what my parents would DO to me if they found out I broke them?"
"You're willing to risk your life over a bunch of movies?"
Ian didn't know how to reply. For a while he glared at the two, then in one swift moment, bent down, scooped up the box and ran towards the door – only to be pushed back by Martyn and Ariel.
There was a brief struggle on the floor, during which The Reed exchanged hands a few times. Finally, Martyn managed to hold Ian down, while Ariel grabbed the box and tossed it into the air.
"Lucas! CATCH!"
"Huh?"
The boy wasn't in time… and as if in slow motion, the four of them watched as the box flew through the air, finally landing in the bell of someone's tuba that was leaning, bell up, against the wall.
For the moment, all their attention was focused on that tuba, as if it was going to explode any moment. Nothing happened, and Lucas went back to mourning over his poor saxophone.
"Do we take it out, or what…" Ariel asked, uncertain.
"We CAN'T! We'd be breaking the golden rule of band: Never touch an instrument from another section!" Martyn added as an afterthought, "And I don't exactly fancy another five hundred pushups."
"Yeah, but what would happen when someone tries to play that tuba? I mean, we can't just leave The Reed there, we don't know what it might do…"
"Maybe we can just try warning the player," Lucas said, without looking up.
"And what do we say? 'Hey, dude, sorry but there appears to be a murderous oboe reed with plans for world domination stuck in your tuba bell so could we please take it out?' Yeah, right."
"But there's nothing we can do at the moment, right? So let's all go back to bed."
Jamie stirred on the ground, then blinked and slowly stood up.
"W… what happened? What did I miss?"
"A lot," Martyn replied. "Come on. Let's go back."
Lucas' head was still bent over his instrument.
"Lucas?"
The boy jumped, startled.
"Huh? What?"
"We're going. Unless you want to stay here for the night. You'll have The Reed for company."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming…"
Lucas got up from the floor, and the five of them walked out together, back to bed, Martyn whispering occasional threats into Ian's ear about what he would do if the latter tried to escape.
TO BE CONTINUED… 10 reviews before next chap.
Quiz 5: Can't think of anything at the moment.
Kinari and Enze: Marching Band column? What Marching Band column? 0.0 Okay… thanks for reviewing! If you want a hyperer story, go read 'Dude, Where's My Nimbus Two Thousand?', currently my second most successful fic on ff.net.
SPAM woman: Um, never mind.
Tan_mx: I said I feel superior in the sense that I got your school right. Jasmine doesn't know you either. Are you in Sec 4 now or last year? Because she says this year's S4s haven't left yet.
Wildmage42: Thanks for your review!
ChibiSkunkSaria: My reeds are personally handmade by my oboe tutor. ^_^ And almost all are coloured.
Ashley B.: Thanks for reviewing! ^_^
Calyndra: Yup, I saw a picture of an English horn reed.
Vixen: What're you trying to do, break the record for the longest review I've ever received? =D I pity your poor cats. *has no comments about your camp experiences* Part 3… dunno.
Tigerlily Gamgee: YOU HAVE THE MOVIE FAVOURITES BOOK??? How COULD you? Is it the one with the Jurassic Park theme song and the Home Alone theme song and the E.T. theme song and the Chariots of Fire theme song and the Back to the Future theme song and the American Tail theme song and a whole lot of other very nice theme songs? (10 in total) I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT… no, I don't have it. But I've seen it before.
Kathryn: Good luck too, and thanks for reviewing!
Perc Mad Hatter: 'Oboe god'? What oboe god? *uses reed to poke hole in timpani skin*
Wenqiiiiiiiiii: Yes, I am a nutcase, and advertising my fanfics in Geography notes is TOTALLY COOL! =D
Imjustanaltosaxophone: I doubt it's as easy to knock someone out with a tuba. I mean, first you have to lift it up. And tubas aren't exactly light.
Tweedledee: Huh? Anyway, thanks for your reviews! ^_^
Shorty-chan: Present? What present? Thanks for reviewing!