Day 105 - Sing a Song for Me

 Sing a Song for Me

Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Gary sat trapped in his hotel room. He didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t leave. Which thought came first, he did not know. Chicken or the egg? There was a ringing in his ears, it would fade in and out, growing louder at staggered intervals. It made it difficult to concentrate. He wanted to remember something, something he had forgotten, but it was so hard to focus, he couldn’t recall what he had forgotten to remember. He thought he heard a new tone, but the room had no doorbell. Perhaps he was going crazy. The low hum returned and Gary began to sweat and soon he was warm and cozy and falling asleep. His eyes clouded over and he was gone.

Helena hummed a little tune to herself while making herself a crochet pattern. Not her finest skill, but she wanted something to wear to provide extra protection. The more she watched Irene, the more Helena realized how powerful she was. Ear muffs to cancel some sound seemed like a good idea, but she really wanted something to protect her throat. If she were due for a battle, she wanted her weapon safe and secure. She had contacted a coven north of Los Angeles, but traffic was terrible this time of night and there was no telling if they would make it in time for the concert. Helena wanted to confront Irene as soon as possible, before Irene fully realized the powers she possessed, but also realized going alone could be suicidal. Perhaps she would simply observe this evening.

Irene entered the stage in darkness and began singing without accompaniment. Just her and her microphone. A show of strength, something electric to get the crowd excited. It was the first song of three shows all held at the Greek Theater. She wanted the crowd wild, something for the blogs and twitterverse to talk about in the days to come. She was ready for the next step. She knew she was. She was going to be a star.

The lights came up on cue. The band erupted. Irene sang the loudest hardest tune she could belt out. It was electric. Cheers and screams and people singing along. One woman in the crowd seemed to tremble a bit. If anyone had noticed they might have thought she was scared.

Gary woke up. He was awake. Awake for the first time in, well, he couldn’t actually remember. He had gotten to Los Angeles, intending to find his old friend, Irene. But that felt like it had been days ago. What had he been doing?

He grabbed his phone and called her. Voice mail again. What was she doing? Where was she? And what day was it?

Why can’t I remember, he wondered.

Gary grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He paused, momentarily, as if he was afraid to touch the door knob, almost as if he were expecting some immovable force to prevent his exit. The thought quickly passed and he headed outside. No time to waste, he had to find her.