"Their tears are filling up their glasses,
No expression
No expression.
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow,
No tomorrow
No tomorrow."
-Gary Jules, "Mad World (Full Version)".
Kyleen was tired, but she listened to Geoff anyway, her drooping eyes opening once and awhile to focus on where she was walking.
"So, Eli knew the guy was looking for Jonah?" She asked.
"Well, that's how I figure it, yeah," Geoff said, finally smoking the last bit of the cig from before. "I mean, the man didn't even mention Jonah, just asked for the director...you'd think that he'd want one of them at least."
"What did he look like?" Kyleen asked in a drowsy state, offering a yawn.
"Well, I couldn't see his face," Geoff began, taking a final drag from his cig-of-the-night. "But he was huge. Still, I wish I coulda seen his face...his hair might have been combed back...or something."
They turned the corner on San Carlos Ave. and Laurel, and headed up to an apartment complex, pausing at the first door they came upon. The door welcomed a dark black shadow across its body despite the fact that it was brown.
At this apartment complex, Kyleen would shelter under her brother's wing on the weekends.
To be frank, anywhere but their step-father's care she would rather stay, and she would often run to Geoff for help whenever the step-dad from hades acted up.
"You'll be able to wake up tomorrow morning?" Geoff said, fumbling in his jacket pocket for his keys. "Because I would like to make it to your school before the first buzz. You know how Paul get's when he finds you to be late."
She just nodded her head, the straight locks in front of her eye moving with gravity.
"Damn it," he huffed as he turned his jacket pockets inside out. " I left them on the wheelchair again. I have to go back and get them."
"What about the spare under the mat?"
"Jonah has that," He took off his jacket and flung it over his shoulder, turning away from the door for the trek back to the theater. "He needs it in case he has to use some of the props and make-up I have in my closet."
Geoff stepped off the mini-porch and started to walk, pausing a moment to turn back and waver his hand at Kyleen.
"You coming?" He asked. "Or am I to leave you on the front porch all by your lonesome?"
She stepped off the porch lazily with her guitar in her hand, lugging it along as she followed three steps behind her brother.
Fatigue started to catch up to her slowly, and if Geoff had not noticed this, her guitar would have been broken to pieces the moment they hit the mini-mart on Laurel.
"Hrm, and you say smokes will kill me," He chortled, grabbing the guitar from her rubbery grasp. "I think late nights like this will kill you before any type of growth resides in my lungs."
"Ha ha ha, keep it up Geoffry," She yawned again. "At least I have a reason to be tired. Red had an encore of 'Just for you' tonight. And the solos on that are killer."
Conversation between the duo commenced. Subjects concerning Geoff continuing acting and Kyleen switching majors in college ensued when Cherry Street popped up.
The black, thick, ink-like darkness spread along the seat/steps of the theater and the stage could barely be seen. Sure enough, though, a light flicker of light caught Geoff's eye, and he winced enough to see the keys that were seated on the arm of the wheelchair.
He smiled in reassurance.
"I'll be back, Kyle," He set down the guitar, laying it flat on the ground.
Kyleen leaned against one of the smaller lamp posts, laying her head directly on the metal. She watched her brother hop over the fence lining the theater and heard his footsteps skip down quickly to the front.
Then, the audibility of his grunts and rustling reached her ears. Her eyes opened fully to see him run up the set of wooden steps, and reach the wheelchair.
"Sweet," He said aloud, grasping the keys with triumph.
He shoved the keys into his pocket and looked up to make a face at Kyleen.
But she wasn't there.
"Kyle? Hey, Kyle!"
Nothing.
All he saw was an empty space where she once occupied while her guitar lay alone where he had set it.
The breeze became harsh for a quick moment, blowing his hair to his left, and began to die slowly.
"Kyle?" He called again, jumping off the stage and onto the front seat/step. He made his way up quickly as he slid his jacket back on.
Chills were quickly running up his spine for some reason, and this is he did not like one bit.
Reaching the fence, he skipped over and stood by the guitar. He saw nothing, or at least, what he perceived as nothing.
Silence split everything in his view.
Even though the gust of wind was still in the midst of dying down, the paper and leaves that slid along the pavement did not make a sound. The tree branches that were swaying at this point made no brushing disturbances, nor did they creak with age as they used to.
No cars could be heard in the distance, no music from any building, not even the Club Corner was rocking out with the night.
It was so still.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-
Geoff lightly snarled as his wrist watch went off, announcing the hour had arrived to four in the morning. He tapped the button to shut it off, the little illuminated screen blinking the "4:00am" in digital numbers and letters.
Pain comes in many forms, the light, the medium, the hard, and whatever lies in between. In this case, Geoff felt the startling explosion of hard pain in the back of his skull.
He fell over, his jaw cracking against the hard metal fence. Blood sprayed from the left side of his mouth and his voice was shut out by a gurgling disturbance coming from the back of his throat.
"GEOFF! GEOFF! OH GOD! GET UP!" Kyleen's voice rang amongst the sound of fabric rustling. Her sudden burst of energetic spasms were closely tagged along with grunts of discomfort. "LET ME GO YOU ASSHOLE!! LET ME GO!!"
Geoff's eyes shot open the instant the second voice came within his hearing range.
"Now, now, sweetheart," Dark, husky, deep, shrouded in hate, yet sugar-coated with a satisfied malice. "I think you really should quit fighting. Things go easier when you relax."
"God Damn It!" She burst out in the midst of more wrestling noises.
"Sweetheart," Arching in sarcastic warning, the voice did. "Don't make me take drastic measures. I do want you alive to see your brother. Now please..."
Kyleen's voice lurched as a cracking disturbance occurred
"...hold still."
"O-oh...okay," Kyleen sighed, whimpering.
"Good girl."
Geoff placed his palms on the ground, attempting to push upwards.
He found that his poise had become very lopsided and drowsy even when he attempted to sit up, shaking his head a little and wiping the blood from his mouth. In the midst of the wiping action, he cringed when pure, solid pain shot through his spine.
"Damn it," Geoff muttered, turning his head a little to the source of the scuffling sounds. "Kyleen...where are you?"
"Why, she's right here, in my arm."
Arm?
Geoff's lanky frame finally was forced upwards out of sheer will, and he placed a hand on a bloodied part of the fence to keep himself stable. Eyeing the floor, he squinted to maintain focus while his head caught up with his brains want to keep balance.
A dark red smear spread on a couple of bricks of the walkway, covering the cold material with a thick, messy stain. Near the splatter were a set of black shoes, followed by black jeans (which just happened to cover muscled legs), and then a grey shirt that moved and wrinkled with a heaving, bulky chest.
Kyleen was hanging limply like a rag doll while the protruding arm of Mr. Muscle held her close to his side. It clung to her like a Boa-Constrictor would to its pray, her bones actually making faint noises of protest while he squeezed against her.
He was going to make sure the girl wouldn't hop up and leave.
He was going to make sure she couldn't move at all.
And if all was going to go to plan, he would definitely make sure she would be paralyzed by the time Geoff would get to him.
Kyleen's stance on this wasn't a jolly one. Her spine and ribs were aching under this man's tight grip. Every time she inhaled, her lungs would stop short of a full breath, and she was forced to exhale out in a loud wheeze. She saw her vision blur as her eyes began to tear up.
Were these tears of pain?
The pain wasn't the cause.
She did feel restrained, held back, helpless. It was tears of helplessness.
The last thing she wanted to be.
She wanted to wrestle, break free. She wanted out of there.
But no matter how much she may have longed for it, she knew in her heart and her mind that she couldn't get out of the giant's grasp.
Then a moment of realization occurred: Her vision was not only getting hazy from tears. Her mind wanted to break free while her breathing stared to slow.
No, she couldn't have that. She opened her eyes wide, and her vision restored. Her lungs screaming out in ache as she forced a long breath in.
"What do you want?" Geoff's groggy voice came through her haze. "Let her go."
"One thing at a time, son," Said Mr. Muscle. "One thing at a time."
"Then, let's start with what you want."
Brown eyes were now visible from the shadows, which still covered Mr. Muscle's face rather well. The orbs moved to the left, the right, then winced in mocking thought.
"Hmm...what do I want. Ah yes. I remember," The unoccupied arm raised up, its large hand erecting an index finger as if a light had turned on. " I want your director. Well...originally I had. But thing have changed.
Geoff's brow raised a bit as he stepped forward. The revelation that his movements were a little slower then the norm phased him slightly, his legs feeling like stiff metal pegs as he moved on.
"Eli isn't the only director, but I think you know that," Geoff began. "Noah however, probably wouldn't want to see you. Unlike Eli, he doesn't swing that way. So if you're interested in him, I'd recheck my Gay-dar and try again at another ampa-theater."
Kyleen heard this, and would have laughed.
Geoff had a very good wit as well as a tongue to match it. But as usual, it got him in so much trouble over the years. This was no exception.
As a matter of fact, this would be the last time Geoff would be able to use his "Ass of Smarts 101" wit, alive.
Somehow, Kyleen knew this, and it twisted her insides to know that her feminine intuition kicked in so hard...(or was that the tightening boa?).
"You idiot," She mumbled, breathing in once more to stay awake. As of this moment, the pain was in her high regard to keep her alert, and she even thanked it silently. "You are such a moron."
Mr. Muscle didn't like that comment either.
Him? With a Gay-dar of all things? How preposterous.
"You have a smart mouth on you, young man," His voice cracked slightly at the beginning of the sentence.
"Thank you," Geoff coughed a little, and the back of his head throbbed with a quick, agonizing pang. He raised his left hand to the back of his head and his face went from pain to surprise. "Ah crap.."
His head had been hit so hard that the skin was broken, a large gash could be ascertained through careful searching and a warm substance seeped between his digits. Bringing his hand to the front of his face, he squinted and let his jaw hang open for a moment.
His hand was almost coated from bottom of palm to the second knuckle on his middle finger with blood.
"Crap," He muttered.
This momentary distraction was all Mr. Muscle needed.
Kyleen suddenly felt the pressure release from the arm that held her, and she sucked in a pain free breath. The breath was cut short near the end quite suddenly when she felt herself being flung upwards.
Her body flew about ten feet from the point she once was at, and the air time she achieved being thrown would have put an NBA all-star to shame.
Geoff's attention on his hand stole away to his sister being thrown over him.
He turned around as she flew above him, and then proceeded to head toward a large set of garbage cans.
"KYLEEN!" Geoff hollered, his voice and the crash of her body slamming against the metal came together in a frightening chorus.
Forgetting the wound he had achieved on his head, the adrenaline coursed through his system hurriedly, legs moving with a force that he had not known he held within. He reached his hands forward, ready to kneel next to his sister once he got near enough.
Mr. Muscle had a different idea.
Geoff was five feet away from retrieving his sister, who was now unconscious and lying against the cans on her side. Her head was tilted backwards slightly, and blood was starting to seep out of her arm. The gash underneath the tear in her fabric was fresh, and the depth of the wound made a scent that reached Geoff's nostrils.
Kyleen was hurt horribly, and he wanted to help her and get her out of there.
Just five feet away.
Had he been able to move faster, he could have avoided the big hand grappling onto the scruff of his jacket.
His body jerked back, and he felt the burn in his spine singe his nerves. The balance he had was now gone and the adrenaline that was once pumping in his system was now shot to hell.
He was tired again.
Mr. Muscle gripped the jacket tightly, actually picking up the hurt boy to turn him around and look into his eyes.
Geoff saw the eyes.
So brown.
So full of shit, he thought.
He saw Geoff's eyes too, the green still burning with life within the tired face.
Geoff's mouth was open slightly, a light string of blood and saliva escaping his lower lip. It fell on his wrinkled shirt.
"No, no, no, Geoff," Said Mr. Muscle, very gently. "I can't allow you to do that. You have to stay around here with me. I have things in store for you."
"I did tell you that I wasn't interested either, right?" Geoff sputtered, his windpipe being crushed by his own shirt. He coughed, and some crimson flew out, hitting Mr. Muscles' shirt.
Geoff looked down at the gray material at the same time Mr. M did.
"There," Geoff said, grinning. "We're even now."
It was then, he knew that he shouldn't have been so smart.
The brown eyes now seemed red as they filled with hatred and anger, but the voice was still so calm despite that fact.
"I did have things in store for you," Mr. Muscle began, his other monstrous hand reaching upwards slowly. "But, I don't think I am going to have the patience anymore to put up with your wise attitude."
The hand grasped Geoff's neck, and the crushing sensation he had been feeling worsened greatly. His eyes jutted out of his skull while his arms instinctively flailed upwards to reach for the cause of the constriction.
"You are going to die now," Mr. Muscle said, still adding the gentle drop to his deep and husky tone. "And just to see that this is well remembered, I'm going to leave Kyleen alone, and alive. She'll see you, on the ground, dead cold. And who knows how that will effect her mind? I do. Very well in fact."
The burly hand holding his throat released the pressure just a little, and Geoff gasped for a breath.
Green eyes, filled with life despite how helpless he was.
"Don't you hurt her," He gargled, more blood coming from his lips. It was crimson liquid flowing out of his mouth dueling crimson liquid falling into his throat and that battle caused him to gag in between words.. "Don't you hurt her." More choking.
"I won't," The pressure reapplied, and Geoff felt the circulation toward his head start to weaken. "She won't even be touched. She'll just remember you dead."
This was it. He was going to die.
Funny how his grasping attempts to remove the hulking arm started to calm down.
Strange how the thought of fading away from this earth became such a relaxing notion.
His will to live was eroding away with his lungs' will to continue breathing. It was exhausting, straining.
So much work just to do a simple thing such as take in air.
I'm giving up, He let his brain mention. I'm giving up, and no one is here to keep me alive.
Kyleen...
I'm so sorry.
I'm trying.
I'm sorry.
I can't, even though I'm trying.
A loud, painful snap was felt in his neck, and one final thought emanated from the gray matter.
I'll figure a way out of this, like I always do. I'll think of some...thing...a way...something...some...thing...
His heart beat in unison with the word.
Something...something...some-thing...
...some-thing...some...thing...
...some... thing...some...thing...
...some...thing......
And there it died.
Geoff's limp body was set to the ground on his back, looking upwards towards the sky. Once burning green eyes now were lifeless, void, empty...looking into the purple atmosphere.
The sun was rising, but Geoff did not have the knowledge of this for his brain was officially dead and his organs did not wish to function any more.
He was nothing but a shell, and Kyleen would not know this until she opened her eyes an hour later.