Right, I've got a plan now and I know where it's going woo hoo. :D
Also I wasn't overly happy with the first chapter it seemed a bit sorta rushed n stuff so I hope this is better. Also the 'song' was just something a bit stupid I did because sometimes being a bit silly is really fun :p.
D/C: Not mine :(
Anyway, here's the next bit… (Hope you enjoy)
Howard left the room and pulled his jacket on nervously. He decided to check on Vince before he left but the smaller man wasn't on the sofa. Howard assumed he was in the bathroom so he walked over to the door and knocked tentatively.
"Vince?" he called "You in there? Vince?"
No reply.
"Vince? You being sick?"
Nothing.
Howard pressed his ear against the door but he couldn't hear anything.
"Vince?" he called again, gently pushing the door open. The bathroom was empty and although Howard had half expected it, his stomach still gave a horrible jolt. "Vince?" he said again helplessly as though Vince was going to jump out from being the towel rail shouting 'Surprise'. Howard was suddenly hit by a wave of panic. What if Vince had just disappeared, killed like in his book?
"NABOO!" he yelled. Naboo came running into the bathroom turban askew.
"What? What's happened? Is Vince okay?"
"He's gone." Howard whispered face draining of all colour. "Is he dead?"
"Not unless in your book your character mysteriously disappears."
"No."
"In that case Vince has probably just gone for a walk." Naboo said, but Howard didn't look any less worried "Look, I'll find him, you get to the publishers."
"Okay." Howard nodded apprehensively.
"Howard? Just out of curiosity-"
"yeah?"
"How does he die?"
"He get's shot in the head."
"By who?"
"I haven't written that bit yet."
"Magic typewriter." Naboo pointed out "It continues to write your story according to your plan."
"Oh no!" Howard gasped going slightly green.
"Howard, who shoots him?"
"Just a random character." Howard blushed at his lie.
"Howard!" warned Naboo "I'm a Shaman, don't try and lie to me."
"Okay, by a guy called Henry, he's an author and jazz pioneer, a world weary connoisseur. A maverick.'
"Oh, who's he based on?" asked Naboo confused.
"Me!" yelled Howard a little put out.
"Right, well that makes things easy. Howard don't shoot Vince."
"Oh okay then." Howard replied sarcastically.
"I'm serious, don't even go near a gun. Now get moving and I'll look for Vince."
--
Howard sat in the van driving a little over the speed limit. Naboo was such an idiot. 'Don't shoot Vince.' Howard muttered, 'doesn't he know I'm not trying to kill Vince. I'm risking points on my license for Vince.' he said looking down at his speed dial, 35mph in a 30mph zone.
--
Howard couldn't stop the tiredness washing through his body as the van roared along the road. Up until now he'd been buzzing with fearful adrenaline but as that started to wear off Howard found the gentle humming of the engine the warm van and the darkness outside very comforting and he was soon becoming weary. He contemplated pulling over and taking a nap but getting to the publishing office by morning was going to be tough enough as it was without unnecessary stops. He decided to play some music to keep him alert and was appalled to find the only tape was 'Gary Numan - The Best Of' (and scrawled underneath in Vince's childish handwriting) 'well some of the best of coz everything he does is the best'. Howard sighed deeply and turned up the tape until it hurt his eardrums and he ploughed on with the journey.
After a while, even a hideous bombardment of electro-crap couldn't keep him awake so he pulled over for a Starbucks and ordered the strongest coffee they had. After battling with an unhelpful assistant for over ten minutes he returned to the van with a steaming cup of coffee and a murderous attitude towards whoever owned Starbucks - since when did 'Grande' mean small. No wonder he'd been confused.
Howard set off this time in an increasingly foul mood. He was always irritable when he was tired and driving didn't help. He was cold because he'd had to turn the heating off to stop him falling asleep and his ears hurt from the amount of Gary Numan they'd been forced to absorb. Howard yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. The effects of the coffee had just started to subside and his lids were becoming heavier and heavier. Sleep was warm and inviting, lulling him in.
"NO!" Howard yelled at himself. "Stay awake!"
This seemed to help so Howard kept telling himself to stay awake, muttering like a mad man.
"Got to stay awake. Save Vince. Don't fall asleep. Think about…jazz, stationary…something. Just stay awake. Stay. Awake… Stay awa-" Howard lolled forward hitting the wheel.
BEEP
The van's horn cut through his sleep but it was too late. Howard could hear the screeching of tires behind him. He could see a fast approaching tree ahead of him. Howard slammed his foot on the brake but nothing happened. If anything he started going faster and faster until…
--
Naboo scoured the streets calling the name of the electro poof. Bollo was also on the look out on the other side of London. Naboo had worried about how people would react to a gorilla traipsing through the town centre but Bollo wasn't going to be deterred so Naboo had given in telling him he could go as long as he wore a hat.
"Any sign precious Vince?" came Bollo's voice through the walkie-talkie.
"No. You?"
"No." growled Bollo "Just woman who looks like him."
"You didn't attack an innocent woman, did you?" groaned Naboo
"Y- uh, no." Bollo lied unconvincingly
"Bollo!" Naboo yelled, he was about to launch into a long scolding when he was interrupted by a short American in a tight blue suit.
"Heya Naboo. You blue puma." he called "You here to see Vince performing?"
Naboo looked up to see he was outside the Velvet Onion.
"Of course," he cried "Vince said he had a gig."
"Yeah. You here to see it?"
"Yes." Naboo smiled walking through the door.
"I don't think so." Fossil held out an arm to stop the shaman. "Ticket?"
"I don't have a ticket."
"No ticket, no entry."
"Okay let's try this, either let me in or I'll turn each of your eyeballs into frogspawn."
"That sound reasonable." Fossil said, lowering his arm quickly "But only coz it's you. If it was that stinky Howard I wouldn't let him in." Fossil shouted to no one in particular.
Naboo was surprised to see so many people surrounding the stage all chanting Vince's name over and over again. He knew the electro poof was popular in this part of London but this was ridiculous.
"Vince Vince Vince Vince."
Naboo decided to let Bollo know where he was before going to see if Vince was okay he knew the gorilla would only worry.
"Okay I be there now." Bollo growled down the walkie-talkie.
"Vince Vince Vince Vince."
Naboo pushed his way easily to the front of the crowd (being short does have its advantages).
"Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince Vince"
Then there was a deafening cheer as Vince strode on stage flinging his microphone around like Freddie Mercury. He certainly didn't look ill anymore Naboo noticed.
"You've heard of Punk Music." cried Vince, much to the delight of the crowd who screamed and roared loudly. "You've heard of Hippie Music." The crowd roared again. "But now, it's time for you to be introduced to a new genre" The crowd roared even louder, hollering and stamping their feet enthusiastically. Vince waited for this to calm down before continuing "This, my friends, is not only an opportunity to marvel at my clothes and my hair, this is the first time anyone has brought you HIPPIE-PUNK". The crowd fell silent. Naboo groaned loudly head in hands, in reality he should have bigger things to worry about than Vince's reputation but this was excruciating to watch. The smaller man was now counting in the band, seemingly unaware of the eerily quiet crowd.
Amazingly, when the music started the crowd began to get into it in a really big way. Vince was pulling off this absurdity with a combination of charm and naivety. The crowd started to cheer again ignoring the clashes of sound and the hypocrisy of the lyrics.
"I'm gonna screw you over.
Fill my hair with clover.
I smash up your town
Don't cut trees down"
Vince screamed while half of the crowd jumped up and down biting, spiting and clawing at each other. The other half had made peace signs and hugged each other shouting things like 'Drop beats, not bombs' and 'Save the Planet'
"I'm an anarchist
I'll slit your wrists
Where your hair in curls
And let love rule the world"
Vince continued to yell over the mish-mash of contrasting styles of music that blared out from the speakers from behind him.
"Your turn" he called to the crowd and held the microphone out to them as they launched into a chorus.
"Let love rule the world" the crowd chanted
"Kill everything" Vince screamed back at them ferociously.
"Let love rule the world"
"Kill everyone" Vince yelled with a little less conviction clutching at his head and staggering slightly.
"Let love rule the world"
"Kill anything" Vince croaked, sinking to his knees and clasping his head in his hands. The crowd assumed this was all part of the act and chanted louder.
"Let love rule the world"
"And we all die" Vince just managed to squeak as his body slumped to the floor.
The crowd cheered and applauded, none of them noticing the microphone falling from Vince's limp fingers and rolling to the feet of Bob Fossil who picked it up happily.
"Well that was the beautiful and wonderful Vince Noir with Hippie-Punk. Next we have someone else, who will be less good.". The band waiting in the wings looked a little put out as they jumped onto the stage. Fossil thinking Vince was just trying to milk his time onstage grabbed the electro poofs leg and dragged him to the closest dressing room just as the next band launched into their first song.
"Nice set Noir." he said angrily throwing a wad of euros onto the lifeless body and storming off.
Naboo arrived at Vince's side.
"Vince." he called "Vince, can you hear me?" Vince moaned loudly, indicating to Naboo that he could be heard. "What's wrong?" Vince moaned even louder his face contorted with pain. "It's okay Vince." Naboo said stroking Vince's hand. "Can you feel that?"
Vince didn't say anything but he nodded slightly. "Okay, focus on that okay."
"M'tired." Vince murmured.
"No Vince! Don't sleep. Concentrate on your hand!" Naboo insisted pinching the Goths palm hard leaving nail prints. "Focus on that, stop thinking about sleeping."
"M'so tired." Vince murmured again.
"Vince!" screeched Naboo, slapping him hard on the cheek. Vince didn't react just groaned slightly.
It was at that moment Bollo burst into the room.
"What happen to Vince?" he asked watching as the small man slipped in and out of consciousness.
"I don't know." Naboo said looking concerned. "I mean it shouldn't be happening this quickly."
"What?"
"Howard started to write a story on my typewriter." Naboo told the story as quickly as he could when he finished Bollo looked in disgust.
"Howard idiot."
"Yeah." agreed Naboo
"If Vince die, Bollo kill Howard."
"Yeah, that's great Bollo but for now we've got to worry about keeping Vince alive."
Ring Ring.
Vince's phone rang loudly Naboo and Bollo shared a glance before the shaman took the mobile from the goths pocket.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello. Is that Mr Noir?"
"Umm, no but I'm a friend of his. I can probably help."
"Okay, I'm Dr Roberts. I've got a Howard Moon here."
"Wait. He's in hospital?"
"Yes, he's had a car accident. He's fine just a few cuts and bruises but he's had a bit of a bang on the head so we're going to keep him in overnight."
"Overnight? You can't he's got to get to the publishing company."
"Yes, he said that." Clearly confused as to why these people were more worried about a publishing company that a horrible bang on the head. "But I can't let him go. Anyway, his vans been written off so…"
"Oh god."
"Yes, I know it's a shock. You're going to have to come and pick him up tomorrow. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, of course. Thank you."
"Bye."
Naboo looked at Bollo his eyes wide with panic.
"What are we going to do Bollo? Howard's in hospital overnight. There's no way we'll get to the publishers in time now. No wonder Vince is getting worse!"
Vince groaned loudly as though responding to his name drawing the attention of the shaman and the gorilla.
"What are we going to do?" Naboo sighed, wringing his hands nervously.
Just to point out that Starbucks thing really does annoy me and I'm going away for a week, so I'll update sometime after that!!
Thanks for reading!!
Sisi…xx