A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall
By evolution-500
Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.
WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.
Songs used: 'Pet Sematary' by The Ramones
'Dream' - The Pied Pipers
Rebecca's Theme* aka "Meeting Rebecca" aka "Sigh of Relief" aka "The One Who Survives" -RE1 soundtrack ( www . /watch?v=SSdJdMI-O0 8)
Star's Theme** - "Endless Battle" - House of the Dead 4 soundtrack (h t t watch?v=1ibuQxlLaC Q)
"You're The One I Love" by Jane Olivor
Author's Note: A huge shoutout to Lil' Hedgepig for his help and input. His suggestion for the type of horror featured here was invaluable. Thank you so much, dude. You are awesome! :)
Chapter Five: Divided
Rebecca glanced over to the door as Richard stepped back in.
"Were you able to find a washroom?" she asked.
Aiken frowned. "No. I just urinated on a wall."
Rebecca watched as Star opened up one of his suitcases, taking out a container of cleaning cloths. Gratefully accepting with a nod, the communications specialist proceeded to wipe his hands.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "What moron thought it would be a good idea to hide the bloody toilet?"
"Perhaps there's an outhouse outside," Star suggested as he put the cleaning cloths back into his case.
"If there is, fuck that," Aiken said as he pocketed the cloth. "I don't want some damn black widow or whatever to crawl up and bite me when I'm doing my business."
Rebecca shuddered at the thought. Turning her attention to the shelf, the medic got up and inspected its contents carefully.
"Good thing we have preventatives for that here. It looks like this is some sort of storeroom," she commented, observing the various serums and vitamin bottles. Picking some of them up, she carefully studied them, putting them into her backpack.
"What are you doing?" Aiken asked.
"Just taking some supplies, mainly antivenoms for spiders and snakes in the event we encounter any," she answered. Looking at her coworker, the medic shrugged. "You never know when we might need them."
Star checked his bags. Satisfied, he glanced back up.
"So, what do we do now?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Aiken replied. "We're going to go out and help Alpha, 'cause I'm done sitting it out."
Rebecca nodded. "Agreed."
Pushing himself off the floor, Star brushed his pants and coat.
"I don't suppose you have any ammunition on you, Officer Aiken?"
Aiken frowned. "No."
Taking out her pistol, Rebecca ejected the clip, dividing up the rounds between herself and Richard, giving him seven bullets.
"Take these," she offered.
The communications specialist nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."
Once the Bravos finished reloading, Aiken nodded to them. "Okay. Let's go."
It was the sound of music that drew the survivors.
"What is that?" Rebecca asked.
"Sounds like The Ramones," Aiken noted grimly. "From the tune, I'd say it's 'Pet Sematary'."
Rebecca listened to the lyrics as it played.
"'Under the arc of a weather stain boards
Ancient goblins, and warlords
Come out the ground, not making a sound
The smell of death is all around
And the night when the cold wind blows
No one cares, nobody knows.'"
"'I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery
I don't want to live my life again
I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery
I don't want to live my life again.'"
The medic shifted uncomfortably at the song.
"Really bad timing," she muttered.
"'Follow Victor to the sacred place
This ain't a dream, I can't escape
Molars and fangs, the clicking of bones
Spirits moaning among the tombstones
And the night, when the moon is bright
Someone cries, something ain't right.'"
Hearing a hum beside her, Rebecca turned in surprise to see Star bouncing his head to the lyrics.
"What?" he said innocently. "I used to listen to this song."
"I didn't know you liked The Ramones!" she said.
"Yeah, I used to put this song on all the time in my car."
The Bravos looked at him interestedly.
"You have a car?" Aiken repeated.
"Yeah," the albino nodded.
"What kind?"
"Red 76 Cadillac," Star smiled. "I used to-"
He trailed off, staring blankly.
The young man drove down a street in a red Cadillac blaring 'Pet Sematary' on his radio. Raising up his left wrist, he checked his watch. He still had some time to get there. Hopefully the guy or girl he's partnered up with is a music lover like himself.
"Star?"
He looked back up. "Yes?"
"You used to what?"
"I...used to drive around the street with the volume all the way up," Star finished.
'What the hell? I don't have a car, nor have I ever played this song,' he thought.
In fact, he was fairly certain this was his first time ever hearing it. He didn't even have his driver's license yet. And yet...it felt as if he had lived this particular moment, heard this particular song before.
What was going on?
As the albino glanced perplexedly down in thought, Rebecca gave Star a curious look.
"You really are full of surprises," she replied.
Star shrugged in response.
The medic then nodded down a corridor. "It sounds like the music is coming from down here."
Navigating the hallways, the medic listened to the lyrics as the trio honed in on the sound.
"'I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery
I don't want to live my life again.
I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery,
I don't want to live my life again, oh, no, oh, no.
I don't want to live my life, not again, oh, no, oh, oh.
I don't want to live my life, not again, oh, no, no, no.
Don't want to live my life, not again.'"
Upon tracing it back to its source, the survivors discovered a well-lit bar with green walls and overhanging lamps. In the far corner was a green bar counter with a couple of shelves stacked to the brim with various alcoholic beverages, six red stools in the front and an old juke box at the side that finished its song, the machine positioned underneath a massive framed picture of the mansion itself that hung from the wall. In the corner of the picture was some writing that said "Commemorating the completion of the mansion...".
There were one or two tables and a few extra chairs here and there, but occupying the center was a beautiful black grand piano and a tiny alcove with a shelf lined against a wall.
Moving to the juke box, the trio glanced around as Aiken approached the juke box.
"Huh," he muttered. "Nice bar."
"Amazing what money can buy," Rebecca commented as she trailed her eyes around.
Star hummed in agreement as he eyed the piano. Approaching it, he put down his bags, then curiously tested a key, tapping it a few times. Testing a lower key, then another, and another, the albino then playfully did "Shave and Haircut, Two Bits".
Rebecca looked at him. "Having fun?"
The albino flashed her a grin in answer.
"Piano seems to be in good condition," he noted as he tested the keys, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened. "It sounds very stiff, though."
Aiken checked around the bar, looking behind the counter.
"Doesn't look like anyone's here," the Bravo shrugged. "Maybe the jukebox went off by itself."
"I wonder where they've gone," Rebecca said.
Hearing the door behind them open, the trio turned to see Chris and the others as they entered.
"So this is what you three were doing," Jill said as she glanced around.
Rebecca raised up her hands.
"We only just got here," she insisted.
"Uh huh," the older woman said doubtfully.
"It's true!" Aiken said. "We heard the jukebox go off so we came here to see if there was anyone around. Looks like a false alarm."
Frost made his way to the counter.
"Drinks on the house, you say? Don't mind if I do," the Omni Man said as he reached for a bottle of beer.
"Don't. Even. Think about it," Chris said.
Without even stopping to look, Frost took a bottle with one hand and gave Redfield the finger with the other.
"I wouldn't recommend drinking it," Rebecca warned. "We don't know how this pathogen spreads, so unless you want to become a zombie..."
As she let the threat drift, Joseph gave the bottle a longing crestfallen look, then sighed as he put it back onto the shelf.
"Goddamn it," he muttered.
"Oh! That reminds me," Chris said as he checked his fanny pack. "We found this in what appeared to be a keeper's room. I think it might be of some interest to you, Rebecca."
Taking out a journal, he handed it to the medic. Opening it up, Rebecca studied its contents, murmuring to herself as she read.
'May 12, 1998
I've been wearing the damn HAZMAT suit since yesterday. My skin's getting grimy and feels itchy all over. I'd love to have a shower. The goddamn dogs have been looking at me funny, so I decided not to feed them today. Screw 'em.'
'Nice fella,' Rebecca thought.
'May 13, 1998
Went to the Infirmary because my back is all swollen and feels itchy. They put a big bandage on it and told me I didn't need to wear the suit anymore. All I wanna do is sleep.'
'So swelling and itchiness, is it? Interesting.' Rebecca continued to read.
'May 14, 1998
Found another big blister on my foot this morning. I ended up dragging my foot all the way to the dog's pen. They were quiet all day, which is weird.
Then I realized some of them had escaped. Maybe this is their way of getting back at me for not feeding them the last three days. If anybody finds out, I'll have my head handed to me.'
'May 16, 1998
Rumors going around that a researcher who tried to escape the estate last night was shot. My entire body feels hot and itchy and I'm sweating all the time now.
I scratched the swelling on my arm and a piece of rotten flesh dropped off. What the hell's happening to me?
May 19, 1998
Fever gone but itchy. Today hungry and eat doggy food.
May 21 1998
Itchy itchy Scott came ugly face so killed him. Tasty.'
Rebecca shuddered at the latest entries. The handwriting was all messy with old dried blood stained on the pages.
"At least we know what symptoms to look for now," the medic said as she stuffed the diary into her backpack.
"Were any of you able to find a phone in here?" Jill asked.
"We only just started," Aiken answered.
"Okay, let's check around," Chris nodded.
The survivors dispersed. A few minutes later, Frost called, "I found a phone! It's behind the bar!"
Lifting it up from behind the counter, the Omni Man grabbed hold of the receiver, raising it to his ear, then stopped. "...Line is dead. False alarm."
"Damn it!" Aiken swore.
Rebecca frowned. "Should have known," she muttered.
Star looked at the other survivors. "So...what do we do?"
Chris put a hand on his chin. Pulling it away, he shook his head, "We keep searching for the rest of Bravo."
"Well, obviously, but in terms of us getting out of here?" Aiken asked. "There must be a car or something!"
"Even if there was, chances are high that Umbrella probably sabotaged it," Rebecca said as she crossed her arms, brushing a finger against her own chin. "It's obvious they didn't want anyone or any of this to get out."
"And we can't even raise Brad on our radios," Frost said as he gave his equipment smack. "Fucking Irons..."
Barry swept a hand through his hair. "Listen, from the size of this place, it's obvious it's going to take a very, VERY long time for each of us to search altogether," he said. "Why don't we split up and meet back here in about half an hour from now?"
Redfield frowned. "I don't know, Barry..."
"We can keep tabs on each other with our radios," Barry said as he held his up, "that way if any of us are in trouble or need back up we can let each other know."
Star looked at both men. "What about me?" he asked. "I don't have a radio on me, nor am I armed."
"You can stay here with Rebecca," Chris answered. "Trust me, it'll be safe for the two of you."
Rebecca opened her mouth to protest. "But-"
"Let us handle this, Rebecca," the Alpha Point Man waved, cutting her off.
"It's for the best. Neither of you have any combat experience," Jill said.
Star bristled. "Do I have to remind you both that Rebecca took on a giant leech monster, a fish man and a chainsaw-wielding psychopath and won?" he said pointedly.
"Which is why she is staying with you," Jill replied.
"Besides, Junior," Joseph spoke up, "if the Captain found out that we got you killed, he'd skin us alive."
Chris checked his watch. "Check your watches. It's seven thirty now. We'll meet back here at eight o'clock. Got it?"
"Got it," everyone said simultaneously.
Star exhaled. "I wish you would reconsider and let us come with you," the albino said.
Chris shook his head. "Sorry."
Star opened his mouth to protest when he suddenly winced.
"Star?" Rebecca called.
The red-draped albino's eyes fluttered back as he wobbled unsteadily.
He entered the office. Sitting behind a brown wooden desk was the man in the grey suit as he worked on a typewriter. Seeing him at the door, the man smiled as he stood up and greeted him.
"So you're my new partner, eh? I think we're gonna get along just fine," the man said as he shook hands with him. "Welcome to the Agency, kid. I'm James."
"Star!"
The albino youth stumbled, then stopped as he regained his balance. Feeling a pair of hands on his arms, he looked up to see Rebecca's concerned face.
"Star are you okay?" she asked.
Star looked down uncertainly.
'What are these visions?' he wondered.
What did they mean?
As he became aware of everyone's attention upon him, the red-clad youth shifted in discomfort under their questioning gaze.
"Ah, my apologies. It was...it was just a bit of a headache, I suppose," he awkwardly replied.
"The Tylenol must have worn off. Just sit here by the piano and relax, okay?" Rebecca said as she guided him to the bench.
Star massaged his head as he sat down.
"Do you want another Tylenol?"
"Yes please," he said politely.
He watched as Rebecca took out a bottle of water along with a tablet. Taking them, the albino inserted the latter into his mouth, then took a sip, swallowing.
"Thank you," he said as he handed back the bottle.
"Well, it's settled - you're staying here," Jill said.
The teenager raised up his eyes. "But-"
"No buts," the older woman interrupted. "Just sit this one out."
He frowned. He hated the idea of being unable to help, but it was apparent none of them were going to listen. "Fine."
Star watched as Jill nodded, then waved to Rebecca.
"Stay safe, Rebecca."
Rebecca watched as the S.T.A.R.S. members left her and Star behind.
"Well," she sighed, "...it's just you and me again."
The albino grunted.
"...I'm sorry." he said in a low voice.
Rebecca looked at him in surprise. "For what?"
"For being a burden."
The medic shook her head. "You're not," she replied. "It's not your fault you're not well."
Star sighed. "Even so...I just wish there was more I could do," he said. "I feel so useless."
Rebecca nodded. "You and me both," she said sadly. "...We really are losers, aren't we?"
"We are," came the quiet reply.
The two sat silently for a minute, staring to the door and at the empty room around them.
Raising her eyes back up to the albino, Rebecca nodded. "By the way, thank you for standing up for me."
The boy in red glanced to her and nodded back with a small smile. "Any time. It was the least I could do." He then looked around. "So...what do we do now?"
The medic raised her chin thoughtfully. "...We could try playing the piano to pass the time," she suggested.
Star shrugged. "If you wish. What song do you want to play?"
Rebecca opened her mouth, then paused.
"...I don't know," she said simply. The girl tilted back in her seat. What song should they play? "Oh! I know! Back on the elevator there was a song you had wanted to do."
"'Dream' by Pied Pipers?" he asked.
"Yeah!"
"Is that what you want to play or to sing?"
"Sing. I'm...kind of rusty in my piano playing," she admitted.
Star nodded. "Very well, then. 'Dream' it is, then. I'll play, you sing."
Chris and Jill listened as they heard the piano playing.
"'Dreammmmm,'" Rebecca sang,
"'When you're feel-in' bluuuuuee,
Dreammmmm,
That's the thing to doooooooo.
Dreammmmm,
While the smoke rings rise in the airrrrrr
You'll find your share
Of memories therrrrrre
Soooooo, dream.'"
The Alpha Point Man gave a regretful sigh as the melancholic song echoed down the desolate hallways.
"You guys coming?" Joseph asked.
Jill nodded. "Yeah."
Turning around, the S.T.A.R.S. officers continued on into the dark.
"'When the day is throuuuuuugh,
Dreammmmmm
Then they might come truuuuue
Things never are as bad as they seemmmmmm
Sooooo dreammmmm, dreammmmm, dreammmmmm.'"
As the song ended, Rebecca cast her eyes down to the floor, letting out a deep breath of exhalation.
"That was really good," Star complimented.
She smiled. "Thanks."
"Where did you learn to sing like that?" he asked curiously.
"I used to sing with my mom and grandmother when I was little," she answered.
"From what I can tell, they did a splendid job. You're a good singer."
"Yeah, I'm a real Maria Callas. Just one slight difference between us."
"And that is?"
Her eyes lit up mischievously. "I have more sheep."
Star let out a surprised laugh, looking as if he were caught completely off-guard by the answer.
"Do you really?" he asked, smiling.
"Yep!" Rebecca nodded as she took out a brown wallet from her pants pocket. Opening it up, she showed the interior, revealing four cartoonish sheep stickers in various exaggerated poses on the inner pockets. "See?"
"So you do," the hooded albino nodded. He looked to her ID, then pointed to her middle name. "What does the 'E' stand for, out of curiosity?"
"Elizabeth," Rebecca replied. "Mom took the name from her favorite aunt."
She then looked at Star. "Do you have a middle name?"
He nodded. "I do. It's Philip. I took the name from my favorite movie character, Philip Marlowe," he answered. "I was torn between that or Sam."
The medic looked at him, puzzled. "'Sam'?"
"After Sam Spade."
The girl frowned. "Sorry, the names don't ring any bells."
"Philip Marlowe, the detective from "The Big Sleep"? Sam Spade, from "The Maltese Falcon"? Humphrey Bogart?"
Her eyes widened in recognition. "Ohhh, I see!" she said. "So you like film noir?"
"I do," Star nodded. "I love watching old black and white movies. You might find this strange, but...part of me..." He cleared his throat, "...likes to imagine myself being in those kind of films and that everything was like that. Black and white, I mean."
"How come?"
He tried to find the right words. "Because...it...makes me feel...normal. So I wouldn't stand out as much as I do..." The albino shifted uncomfortably at the admission, wincing at his own words. "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's perfectly alright," she assured. "So...were you always interested in music?"
"For as long as I can remember," he replied. "Eleanor believed in the therapeutic benefits behind it and sought to connect with me through music. She said that people have their own rhythms, melodies and songs, and she wanted me to...express myself and interpret their songs, their melodies, along with my own."
"Interesting," Rebecca said, then looked at him curiously. "What is mine like?"
The albino raised a brow. "You want me to play your song?"
"Could you?"
The hooded boy shrugged. "Very well," he replied, then looked back to the keyboard as he started to play the first few keys. "'Ding Dong, the witch is gone.'"
"Why you!" Rebecca swatted Star across the back of his head as he laughed.
"I'm kidding!" he raised his hands defensively. Looking seriously with his chin in the air, Star scrunched up his eyes in thought, then lowered them back to the keyboard. Pressing the a keys, he played three soft notes*, one of them prolonged at the end. He played them three times before repeating the same notes on a lower note. It was a gentle but sad tune. Once he finished, he pulled his hands away.
She raised her eyes. "Is that really how you see me?" Rebecca asked quietly.
The albino frowned. "I've offended you," he said grimly. "My apologies."
"No, not at all!" Rebecca waved. "I think it's lovely! It's a little sad, but I really like it!"
He looked at her in surprise. "You do?"
"Yeah!" she nodded.
The red-draped albino looked back to the piano. "Are you sure?" he said uncertainly. "Because the piano keys sound pretty stiff-"
"It's fine, Star," she assured. "Really. I really do like it. Thank you."
Star shifted uncomfortably. "...You're welcome."
Rebecca smiled. "Do you have a song?"
"I do," he nodded.
"Could I hear it?"
The albino gave a grim look. "I don't think you'd like it," he replied.
"Please? I really want to hear it."
Star stared to the keys for a few minutes.
"...There's nothing...you could ask..." he said slowly, his features softening, "...that I could refuse."
Raising up his hands, he tentatively touched the keyboard, hesitantly trailing his fingers around. When Star finally played**, it came out as four hard echoing low drones shifting in pitch that went on until he played nine repetitive notes over and over again.
Listening to the song, Rebecca was surprised by how hard and cold it was. It felt mechanical, and yet for some inexplicable reason, the rhythm and flow of the song made her think of a snake. It felt...soulless. It wasn't a happy song. As it continued to build, the more it evoked that sense of a snake. Star's face was completely expressionless, his strange eyes empty as he played. By the time he got to the end, he repeated the nine notes once more. The song seemed to be without end. Finally, just when it seemed he was going to repeat the whole thing over again, Star stopped.
Rebecca looked up to him. "...That's your song?" she said in surprise.
He pulled his hands away.
"It is," Star replied.
The medic frowned. "It's very different from how I thought it was."
The red-hooded youth looked at her. "What were you expecting?" he asked curiously.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I could think of any number of songs that would be better fitting. 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star', for one. 'When You Wish Upon A Star'. 'The Impossible Dream'."
Star regarded her.
"Interesting choices," he commented.
Rebecca shrugged. "Just telling the truth."
The youth exhaled uncertainly. "The thing is, though...I don't really know what to make of myself," he admitted. "With so much of my life a mystery, it's hard to vocalize what I am, let alone what I...feel."
He looked at her. "Do you mind if I confess something to you?"
"Sure," she encouraged.
The albino squirmed. "You know how I told you that I used to drive around in a car playing The Ramones?"
"Yes?"
"...The thing is...I don't have a car, plus I've never heard that song before."
She tsked. "So you've been making things up."
"No, it's..." he shook his head, frustrated as he tried to vocalize his thoughts. "Back at the Training Facility you asked if I ever felt like I was removed from my own body. Have you...ever...had a sense of...Deja vu?"
The medic looked at him interestedly. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Like...you did or heard something before but you know that you couldn't have?" Star frowned. "God, I sound insane."
"Maybe you had dreamt it and are just remembering it now," Rebecca said. "It happens to me occasionally. Sometimes dreams can be so realistic it's hard to distinguish it from the real thing. Once I dreamt that my mom and I had gotten ourselves an otter named Ollie."
The albino looked at her amusedly. "'Ollie the otter'?" he smiled.
Rebecca shrugged. "It's true. When I woke up, I was going to go down to feed him, but then I realized we didn't have one."
Star chuckled. "Maybe that's what it was," he said with a nod, sighing. "Thank you, Rebecca."
Rebecca winked. "No problem."
He looked at her curiously. "What is your favorite song out of curiosity?"
Rebecca smiled. "'You're The One I Love' by Jane Olivor," she said. "My mom used to sing that to me when I was little before she tucked me in."
The albino blinked. "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with those two," he admitted.
The medic blinked. "Seriously?"
He shrugged. "Sorry."
"Well," she grinned, "today's your lucky day!"
Looking to the piano, she tested the keys. Blinking, she scowled.
"These keys really do sound stiff," she commented.
"I know," he agreed.
Once she found the exact keys she was looking for, Rebecca started to play. She didn't falter nor did she miss a key. After a few notes, she started to sing, remembering the lyrics by heart,
"'Every niiiight, every daaaay,
you're the one I dream of.
Every linnnnne of your faaace is sketched so plain inside my heart.
You've grown so deep inside of me.
You're everything I feel and see,
and you're the one, you're the one I love.'"
Star sat still, his eyes shadowed as he listened intently to the song.
"'All my liiife, all my love,
I can feel when you're beside meeee.
All that's riiiiiight, all that's wrooong
suddenly becomes so clear.'"
Rebecca paused briefly.
"'But you havvvve someboooody else,'" she continued softly, causing the albino to look away,
"'It's hard for me to tellll myself
That you're the onnnnne,
you're the one I loooooooove.'"
Star didn't have time to think. He was too astonished and rapt in the song and Rebecca's voice as it spoke his inner most thoughts. It was as if the girl had peered into his soul and was vocalizing it.
'What are you?' he wondered, mystified by the girl in green as she sang.
"'Every time I see you,
I want to meet you,
And each time you leave me, I miss you so.'
"'Perhaps our friends all arouuund
Find it hard to understand us,
But you and I understand
What no one else can see.
And thaaaaat's what I've been looking for,
so I keep coming baaaack for more,
Still you're the one,
you're the one I love.'"
Rebecca slowed her playing.
"You're the one...I love.'"
As Rebecca finished the last few notes, Star finally remembered to breathe.
Rebecca glanced over to the red-draped youth.
"So what do you think?" she asked.
Star sat quietly.
"Was I awful?"
He sighed. "No. Not at all," he replied. "I'm just...well...speechless."
Rebecca grinned. "So I managed to knock the wind out you, huh?" she said. "Perhaps I have a future in showbusiness after all."
"You're a good singer," Star nodded.
She looked up thoughtfully. "Rebecca Chambers, police officer, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team Medic, singer and ankle-stomper. I like the sound of that."
"You've also forgotten to add monster hunter to the list." Star pointed out.
She scoffed. "Hopefully it's only just for this night," Rebecca said. "I'd hate to make a career out of this."
"You wouldn't want to?"
Rebecca shook her head. "Not at all," she said. "To have so many people die and have them all come back from the grave to kill again...it's so...degrading. A person should be able to die with dignity and be in peace once they're dead. There are probably some out there who'd love to be in my shoes and imagine themselves to be real-live knights in shining armor come to rescue the damsels in distress and slay the monsters, but...I don't feel like a knight at all. I feel so...unclean."
She lowered her eyes. "To tell you the truth, Star..." she slowly admitted, "I...I can't help feeling like...a murderer."
Star watched Rebecca as she quietly stared down at the floor in troubled contemplation, the girl's features full of melancholy.
Shifting uncertainly shifting in his seat, he anxiously brushed his fingers along the piano keys as he tried to figure out what to do or say to help alleviate her fears...only he couldn't.
Lifting up a hesitating hand, Star reached out to give Rebecca a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, but upon seeing his own monstrously large hand, he froze. Closing his scarred eyes momentarily, he retracted his long spidery limb and let out a deep, regretful sigh, shaking his head in disgust.
"Bloody Umbrella," he growled.
"Hm," Rebecca hummed.
The teenagers sat quietly at the piano as the wind eerily howled and groaned.
Rebecca quietly shivered at the sound as she sat by the piano.
"...Would you like to do another song?" Star spoke up.
Casting a glance over to her companion, the medic thought it over for a moment, then nodded, "Sure. This time, though, you sing - I've done two songs already."
He nodded back. "Very well. Any requests?"
Rebecca tapped her foot on the floor as she considered the question.
"How about you do your favorite song?" she suggested. "That way it evens things out between us."
The albino considered it, then shrugged, "Fair enough."
Turning his eyes to the keyboard, Rebecca watched as Star played the keys, drumming them several times, quickly at first, then slowing down, the sound soft and gentle as his eyes, the pacing very precise. After a prolonged introduction, he began.
"'Moon high above in the summer sky.'"
Rebecca's jaw dropped in amazement at the sound of his voice, the lyrics slowly drawn out.
"'She too is watching you shining.'"
The medic knew that the albino was a good singer from their time in the elevator shaft, but hearing it again, she was speechless. Even though it wasn't particularly loud, Star's voice had a low, understated and echoey quality, rich and full of power. It was so perfectly controlled, and yet even at a low volume, it was powerful enough to project and carry itself.
"'Speak to her heart from up on high,'" Star sang, his voice hauntingly ghostly and ethereal.
"'Tell her I'm lonely and hiding.
Speak to her heart from up on high.
Tell her I'm lonely and hiding.'"
Finally, Star let loose his full range.
"'Oh moon above her shining,
Tell her, oh tell her I loooove her.
Oh moon above her shining,
Tell her, oh tell her I loooove her.'"
The albino played the keyboard, his voice lowered, his face grim.
"'If by chance she dreams of me,
Let the thought of me awake her.
oh moon forsake me not.
Stay with me.
Oh moonlight, stay with me.'"
And then he stopped.
Rebecca clapped excitedly.
"That was amazing!" she said.
"Thank you," he nodded quietly.
"What was that song?" Rebecca asked.
"'Song to the Moon' by Antonin Dvorak," Star answered. "It was from an opera he wrote called 'Rusalka'."
The medic blinked. "'Rusalka'?" she repeated, testing the word out.
"Yes. It's a type of Slavic water nymph."
"What is it about?"
"Essentially it is 'The Little Mermaid'," Star explained.
"Really?" Rebecca said interestedly. "Does it have Sebastian and Flounder in it?"
He frowned. "You're thinking of the Disney film," the albino said. "Both are based off of the story by Hans Christian Andersen, but they're two different entities, one a little more based on the Czech myth. And no, Sebastian and Flounder aren't part of either."
Rebecca pouted. "Aw."
Star continued, "The opera is about a water nymph named Rusalka who falls in love with a human prince. In order to become human herself, she strikes up a bargain with a witch."
"And she loses her voice as a result," Rebecca spoke up.
"Correct, along with her immortality," the figure in red nodded. "The aria that I sang was a scene at the beginning of the opera where Rusalka is pleading for her friend, the moon, to tell the prince of her love."
"I see," the medic said. "Do they live happily ever after?"
Star sighed. "No," he said simply.
"What happened?" she asked.
"The Prince ended up betraying and rejecting her," Star answered. "According to the terms of Rusalka's agreement with the witch, if Rusalka herself was unable to find true love, the Prince would die and she would be eternally damned. In the end, they ended up destroying each other with a kiss. The Prince's soul ascended to heaven at her commendation while Rusalka returned to the depths of the lake that she resided in as a demon of death."
Rebecca's eyes lowered. "That's horrible," she said quietly.
"It is," Star acknowledged as he nodded in agreement. "'The Little Mermaid' was also similar in how it had ended, but the reason for her becoming human was markedly different. According to the story by Hans Christian Andersen, mermaids didn't have souls - while they could live for three hundred years, once they died, they turned into sea foam and ceased to exist. By contrast, a human being, while shorter-lived, has an immortal soul that would be able to live on and ascend to the planes of Heaven. By marrying the prince, according to the sea witch, the mermaid would be able to gain a soul of her own."
"How?" Rebecca asked curiously.
"Through marriage, the prince's soul would flow into the mermaid."
The medic made a face, "She steals his soul?"
The red hood shook from side to side. "No. Through marriage, his soul would flow into her without causing any harm to him and then...just...grows."
"...That's weird."
Star shrugged. "It is a fairy tale, Rebecca." He adjusted his hood, "In the end, the little mermaid was doomed. She was unable to win the heart of the man she loved, meaning that she would be unable to achieve a soul of her own, nor was she able to bring herself to kill him, which would allow her to return back to the sea. 'A mermaid has not an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the power of another hangs her eternal destiny.'"
Rebecca watched Star as he seemed to thoughtfully consider the line, the albino looking contemplative.
Closing his scarred eyes, he dipped his head down. "By the end of the story, she ended up becoming an earth-bound spirit, a daughter of the air. Through her selfless actions, the mermaid was given the chance to obtain her wish. By doing good deeds for mankind for three hundred years, she would be able to earn a soul of her own and ascend to Heaven."
As Star finished, Rebecca lowered her eyes. "That's so sad."
"The union between the human and inhuman is often a doomed one."
Blinking in surprise, the girl looked up at him. "Is it?"
"A lot of the time within the context of mythology," Star nodded. "There are exceptions, of course. Pygmalion and Galatea, for one."
"Also Superman," Rebecca added.
Star looked at her curiously. "Did he?"
"He did," she nodded. "There was a comic that came out two years ago. I have it."
"Hm," he hummed as he turned away.
Rebecca looked at him. "You say the aria was Rusalka's song to the Prince?"
"It is," he nodded. "I just changed the pronouns so it wasn't so, uh, awkward for me."
"I don't know, Star, it is a romantic song, after all," she said with a cheeky grin. "It almost sounds like you were trying to tell me something..."
Star looked over to her, astonished.
Seeing his face, Rebecca laughed. "I'm kidding!" She raised her hands. Looking at him seriously, she nodded with a smile. "You are a really good singer."
The albino regarded her for a moment, then gave a nod. "Thank you."
Looking back to the piano, he gestured to the keys. "So...any other songs you want to do?"
Rebecca pursed her lips. "Um...I don't really know, to be honest," she said.
Getting up from the bench, she checked the shelf nearby.
"What are you doing?" Star asked.
"Just seeing if there's any good music we could-ah! I got something!" Rebecca called as she raised up some sheet music. Taking it back to the piano, she passed it over to Star, who then proceeded to glance at the title.
"Ah, very nice!" he said approvingly. "Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'! A classic."
"You like it too?"
"I do," he nodded. "It was one of the first pieces I practiced. You?"
"My grandma and I used to play it together," Rebecca said as she settled back onto the bench beside him. "Could you play this for me?"
He gave a small smile. "As you wish."
Opening it up, he studied the sheet music, then started to play the first few notes. Rebecca listened as he played and watched his face as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Before he could finish it, Star abruptly stopped, frowning.
"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked.
He exhaled. "It's the keys," the youth said in irritation as he tested one repeatedly. "Why do they sound so stiff?"
Testing it again, he gave an annoyed scowl. Rebecca watched as Star got up from the bench and moved to the piano's right.
"I should have brought my tools with me," he muttered.
"You know how to fix pianos?" Rebecca said in surprise.
"Yes. I used to work as a piano tuner when I was younger," he said as he peered into the cover. "It was one of the things I picked up from the circus."
He squinted. "What the hell?"
"What?"
"Take a look at this," he waved.
Rebecca moved to where Star stood and looked inside.
"Do you see that?" he said, pointing to a small grey device with a red light that rested on the soundboard.
"What is that?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't know," he said as he leaned in, "but it's definitely not part of the piano. I see some writing on it." Star squinted. "It says...'Trevor and-'"
Cutting himself off, the albino raised himself back up, then looked around the bar curiously. Looking to the floor, he stomped his foot loudly onto the ground, testing it.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca said curiously.
"...I think there's a secret room in here somewhere," Star said as he glanced around. "Could you play the song while I look around, Rebecca?"
Rebecca frowned. "It might take a while," she said. "I'm pretty rusty with that song. I'll just practice for a bit."
He nodded. "Okay."
Sighing, Rebecca sat back down onto the bench, then looked at the sheet music, humming it aloud and muttering to herself as she tried to determine the keys. Testing the keyboard, she began the song.
'Good so far,' the medic thought.
And then she fell flat. Star looked back at her, raising a brow.
Rebecca smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I did you warn you."
Star shrugged, then resumed searching around as she practiced and stumbled on various parts of the song over and over again.
Chris glanced up as he heard the piano, cringing at some of the sounds it was making. Redfield was no pianist himself, but he knew enough to know when it wasn't being played properly.
From the racket, it sounded as if someone were playing with their feet and the piano was secretly begging for someone to put it out of its misery.
For a moment, Redfield imagined it screaming in a shrill voice "Help me!" like in "The Fly".
Shaking his head with a laugh, he reached for the door knob, then continued on.
Rebecca wiped her forehead.
"Any luck so far?" she asked.
Star shook his head. Around him, chairs were lying scattered.
"No," he replied. "Wherever it is, it's pretty well hidden."
Turning to her left, Rebecca cast a glance around. Near the jukebox and the commemorative photo of the mansion was a long concrete wall, conspicuously devoid of furnishings in front of it, probably the most barren spot within the bar itself.
"Could the secret door be there?" she asked, pointing to the wall. "From the way this place is laid out, that spot looks like it could have a secret passage since it allows for easier navigation."
The albino looked to where she pointed.
"That would be too obvious," he replied.
Rebecca shrugged. "Well, we'll find out soon enough. I think I got it."
He nodded. "Go ahead."
Placing her fingers onto the keyboard, Rebecca played the notes, the gentle sounds of 'Moonlight Sonata' mixing with the howling wind. Once she finished, Rebecca looked up proudly from the piano, folding her arms together.
'Grandma would be so proud,' she thought.
There came a rumbling to her left, drawing both of their attention. Dust spilled from the wall as it withdrew into the ceiling, revealing a dimly lit secret room. Looking back to Star, Rebecca grinned.
"Told you," she said, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Star let out a sigh. "You were right," he said wearily. "My apologies."
She shrugged. "Well, sometimes the simplest answers are the most obvious ones."
"Hm," he grunted.
Star curiously entered the passage. At the end was a bronze statue of a man dressed in Grecian robes holding what looked like vines, probably Dionysius, the statue itself mounted on a thick concrete pedestal, the metal old with age.
'How apropos,' he thought to himself.
Beneath the statue was some sort of emblem in the shape of a shield. Turning to his right, Star saw a long glass window that was partially gated. Detecting movement, he raised his eyes to the glass, then jerked back with a start.
"Rebecca, take a look at this!"
"What is it?" she called back.
"I...I don't know," the albino answered hesitantly.
Rebecca blinked in confusion. Stepping into the passage, she found Star staring at something through a glass window.
"What are you-?"
He pointed to the window. Turning to face the glass, Rebecca's eyes widened, startled by what she saw.
"Wha?" she said uncomprehendingly.
On the other side of the glass was what appeared to be a small greenhouse with a fountain in the center and an old water pump in the back, but surrounding the fountain itself were one foot thick greenish-brown vines that were flailing around in the air.
"What is that?" Rebecca said softly.
"I'm just as confounded as you are," Star said. He then looked at her. "Do you think the T-Virus did this?"
Rebecca shook her head open-mouthed. "I...I don't know," she said. "If it is, then that means the T-Virus is much, MUCH more dangerous than originally anticipated."
Star stared at the writhing plants. Something emerged from the grass. A shirtless zombie with long, whip-like vines for arms wandered absent-mindedly around with roots protruding out from its head, chest, legs and one of its eye sockets, causing Rebecca to raise a hand to her mouth in disgust.
"Oh my God!" She cried, appalled.
More started to emerge. Some were emaciated cadavers, just skeletons hanging from a thread with roots and thick orange seeds sprouting from their bodies. Others were literal walking plants with thick bulbous flower petals for heads.
"This is insane!" Star whispered.
Before Rebecca could even respond, she heard a rumble. Turning back to the passage's entrance, her eyes widened in alarm.
"OH NO!" the medic yelled, drawing Star's attention.
The teenagers ran back to the passage entrance as quick as they could. By the time they got back, however, it was too late.
They were locked in.