Chapter 619: Manhattan

Thursday, March 9th, Evening

The stage lights blinded the crowd from her. She knew they were out there, but she couldn't see them, but they were loud. Walking down the stage, she gripped her microphone tight. It was the last show on their North American Tour; New York was always a great audience. She wanted to give them her best.

Kat removed her ball cap, something she had worn since she was in Mental Lapse. Putting it back on, she looked over the band and then into the arena and the crowd.

"Hello! New York!" Kat called out, and the crowd responded. Kat smiled. "Tonight, is our last show on the tour, so we want to leave you with the greatest memories possible," Kat said, and the crowd cheered. "So, enough chatting, right?" Kat asked, and the crowd cheered in agreement. "This is off our third album; it's called She's my Sin," Kat said.

The band started playing. Kat kept count in her head. She also had the click track in her ears, but she always liked to count along in her head. Her cue hit, and Kat started to sing. This song was written in the early days with the band and reminded her of Brian.

Take heed, dear heart
Once apart, she can touch
Nor me nor you
Dressed as one
A wolf will betray a lamb

Lead astray the gazers
The razors on your seducing skin
In the meadow of sinful thoughts
Every flower's a perfect one

To paradise with pleasure, haunted
Haunted by fear

A sin for him
Desire within, desire within
A burning veil
For the bride too dear for him
A sin for him
Desire within, desire within
Fall in love with your deep dark sin

I am the Fallen
You are what my sins enclose
Lust is not as creative
As its discoveryTo paradise with pleasure, haunted
Haunted by fear

A sin for him
Desire within, desire within
A burning veil
For the bride too dear for him
A sin for him
Desire within, desire within
Fall in love with your deep dark sin

As the song ended, Kat looked into the wings and saw Alix standing there. Kat flashed a smile and a signal. Alix signaled her back. The head of the song had high notes, so Kat had to concentrate. As the song ended, Kat stood front and center on the stage.

"You're a great crowd, New York," Kat said, to the crowd's delight. Kat nodded, "You know we have a special guest tonight!" she said; the public made noise, "Please, welcome to the stage a great woman, who is very talented, the guitarist and vocalist for the band Tacit Blue, Alix Hartmann," Kat said, the crowd cheered.

Kat shook her head as Alix stepped onto the stage, looking like a dark fantasy schoolgirl or cheerleader. Alix contrasted with Kat's look, which was the plan. Alix and Kat hugged, and they looked at the crowd.

"Hello! New York," Alix said, for the crowd to respond.

"Thanks for joining us on stage," Kat said.

"Thanks for inviting me," Alix said.

"You're welcome; you look, well, all I can say is you're all dressed up," Kat said.

"It's the night," Alix said.

"Speaking of would like to join me singing a song," Kat said.

"Since I am up here, I might as well," Alix said.

"Well, bargain and done," Kat said, "This is Who will Bring the Night."

The band started playing; Kat slowly moved forward. Alix drifted to the side. Counting off the clicks, when it came time Kat started to sing. It was decided that Kat would sing the verses and Alix would sing the choruses.

We seduce the dark with pain and rapture
Like two ships that pass in the night
You and I, a whore and a bashful sailor

All you love is a lie, you one-night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one. whoever brings the night

The dark, created to hide the innocent white, the lust of night
Eyes so bright, seductive lies
Crimson masquerade where I merely played my part

Poisoned dart of desireWelcome to a sunrise of a dirty mind

All you love is a lie, you one-night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one. whoever brings the night

Choose a bride tonight, a fantasy for a zombie
Hurt me, I love to suffer, your harem's a dream for free
(Enter, suck from us and live forever
Rotten beauty will haunt you for a lifetime)
Come with me underwater, and drown to despise me no more
Unholy, unworthy, my night is a dream for free

All you love is a lie, you one-night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one. whoever brings the night
All you love is a lie, you one-night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one. whoever brings the night
(Whoever brings the night...)

As the song ended, Kat looked at Alix, and they hugged each other. They turned to look at the crowd. Alix bowed to the public and turned to Kat.

"Thanks for singing with me," Kat said.

"You're welcome," Alix said.

The two sisters left the stage. In the wings, Alix unbuttoned her shirt and reached for a water bottle. Kat looked out on the stage and went for a water bottle.

"That was fun," Alix said.

"Yeah, it was," Kat said.

"You're not going back out there?" Alix asked.

"Physco is singing now," Kat said.

"He sings lead on songs?" Alix asked.

"On a few," Kat said.

Alix stretched and yawned. "Am I going to have to invite you on stage now?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Kat said.

The two sisters walked over to the edge and looked out on the stage. The band was playing, standing in front of the microphone, and playing his bass was Physco. Kat put her arm around Alix. Like when they were young children, Alix leaned against Kat.

An old man by a seashore at the end of day
Gazes the horizon with sea winds in his face
Tempest-tossed island, seasons all the same
Anchorage unpainted and a ship without a name

Sea without a shore for the banished one unheard
He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world
Showing the way, lighting hope in their hearts
The ones on their travels homeward from afar

This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world
Horizon crying the tears he left behind long ago

The albatross is flying, making him daydream
The time before he became one of the world's unseen
Princess in the tower, children in the fields
Life gave him it all, an island of the universe

Now his love's a memory, a ghost in the fog
He sets the sails one last time saying farewell to the world
Anchor to the water, seabed far below
Grass still in his feet and a smile beneath his brow

This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world
Horizon crying the tears he left behind long ago

This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world
Horizon crying the tears he left behind long ago

"Do you remember mom?" Alix asked.

Kat made a face. "A little, I was very young, but I don't remember a lot about her, but she had a sweet-talking voice," she said.

"I see," Alix said.

"It's not your fault that mom died and dad took off," Kat said.

"Are you sure?" Alix asked.

"Yeah, mom was bad luck, and dad, well, from what Opa told me, he wasn't the husband and dad type," Kat said.

Alix nodded. Kat took a deep drink of her water bottle. Kat listened to the music and knew the song was ending. She would have to go back out for the next song to end the set.

"Where are we in the set?" Alix said.

"Near the end," Kat said.

Alix nodded, "I see," she said.

Kat removed her arm from Alix. She finished her water bottle and put it down. Kat kissed Alix on the cheek, turned to the stage, took a deep breath, and stepped back out.

"New York, you've been great tonight," Kat said as she walked out to the front and center of the stage. "We have one more song for y'all tonight." The crowd reacted, "I'd like to thank our opening acts, The Dark Order, and Bad Roads. Also, we'd like to thank Alix for coming out on stage and singing with us, and finally, we'd like to thank you, New York, for being such a great audience." The crowd went wild, and when they quieted down, Kat looked to her bandmates and to the wings to see Alix standing there.

"For our last song of the night, we'd like to play a song off our current album," Kat said and received cheers, "This is Cadence of Her Last Breath."

The band started to play. Kat bounced her head as she listened in her ears to the band, and the click track ticked away until it was time to begin to sing. Kat smiled and lifted the microphone to her mouth.

Running for her life
The dark rain from her eyes still falls
Breathtaking butterfly
Chose a dark day to live

Save one breath for meA Loner longing for
The cadence of her last breath

Why do I miss someone
I never met, with bated breath I lay
Seawinds brought her to me
A butterfly, mere one-day miracle of life
And all the poetry in the world
Finally makes sense to me

Save one death for me

A Loner longing for
(Run away, run away, run away, run away)
The cadence of her last breath
(Run away, run away, run away, run away)Put to rest all that's not life
Drink for beauty and fill my blank page

Sometimes a dream turns into a dream

A Loner longing for
(Run away, run away, run away, run away)
The cadence of her last breath
A Loner longing for
(Run away, run away, run away, run away)
The cadence of her last breath

As the song ended, Kat smiled and looked out to the audience. Kat straightened up and spread out her arms as the rest of the band approached her. Arne and Physco were on Kat's right, while Dallas and Casey were on her left. Together they bowed to the audience and turned to face a crew member who took their picture with the audience in the background. Kat smiled as she touched a few hands in the audience and then went backstage, exhausted.