by K. Aten
“But sis, you always have some tune or lyrics rolling around in your head. Nothing at all?” She nudged her shoulder. “Come on, I promise not to judge too hard if it sucks.”
Sarah gave her an irritated look, not liking the probing questions. “I said I haven’t been working on anything new, and I promise to let you hear the first thing I come up with. Hush now, the band is going to come on!” She smiled, trying to lighten the sudden mood shift and distract her sister from the subject. When Sarah leaned forward to get a drink from her water bottle, Annie and Keller shared a worried look behind her head.
It wasn’t very long after they were seated that the lights went down. The crowd quieted as if they knew something great was coming. Sarah waited, feeling the anticipation build in the people around her. Keller had shown her how to read the emotions without fully dropping her shields. It was like being adrift on an ocean of murmured feeling. There was a building excitement, and some other indefinable emotion that always preceded really good music, like everyone in attendance expected magic to happen for them alone. Sarah was curious how Keller knew the lead singer of such a famous band, but she knew she’d get her answer sooner or later. The only lights in the theater were a few lone beams that shown above each band member’s spot. They were four white LEDs in a seething shadow of expectancy. Suddenly, a multitude of colored lights crashed over the crowd, and the band stood where previously they had not. No introduction for the three women and one man that now occupied the stage, only the beginning chords of “Digging in the Dirt.”
Keller watched the stage with her lover and friends and enjoyed the music. But her mind automatically took her back to a previous lifetime. She remembered the seventies and a little garage band that used to play back alley clubs in the seedier parts of New York. Grace was just as charismatic then as she was now, and Colton hadn’t lost that trademark grin. Neither woman on the stage in front of her looked like the hippie girls of her memory. Grace had long wild hair and was rocking in a black baby-doll tee with some low-rise threadbare jeans. Her black boots only added to her rocker persona. Colton, always the rebel, wore her hair in a perfect Mohawk and sported the drummer’s go-to outfit of black tank and jeans.
She smiled at how the three of them used to make quite a team. When the second song started, she turned her gaze toward the man on keyboards. Mozzie was what Grace called him. Apparently he and his wife, Corentine, had joined them about seven years ago. Mozzie was a piano/keyboard virtuoso and had been known to bust out the piano accordion and even the dulcimer for a song or two. His wife Corentine played a variety of stringed instruments. She was master level in the double bass, cello, viola, and violin, but she usually stuck with the violin and cello with the band. From what Grace had told her, all four band members wrote and contributed songs. It was a very talented and well-rounded group, evident by the rapt audience and the rising energy in the theater.
About half a dozen songs into the set the band paused for a breather and for a chance to connect with the crowd. With a water bottle in hand, Grace’s English accent carried throughout the theater. “So I’m going to tell you all something, this is one of my favorite American theaters. We played Newport a few years ago and the people are just the best!”
Colton’s voice cut in. “You do know we’re in Columbus, right love?” Her cockney accent lent to the comedic comment. The crowd laughed.
“Of course I know we’re in Columbus, Ra-ta-tat! Look at this gorgeous theater, how can you not love it? And the fans are top notch!” She used the nickname that she’d always had for her lover and friend. It first came out as public knowledge in an interview five years ago and the fans ate it up. So now she used it whenever they were on stage. It annoyed Colton but made everyone else laugh. “As a matter of fact, one of my very good friends lives here and is in the crowd tonight.” Sarah immediately turned to Keller and saw her lover smirk. The bar manager merely winked at her girlfriend then turned back to the stage as Grace continued speaking. “And my good friend has brought two guests with her, sisters, who are not only huge fans of our music but are musicians themselves.”
Annie paled and Sarah whipped her head around to look at Keller once again. “What did y—” Her words were cut off by the lead singer on the stage.
The brunette with the electric blue guitar snapped her fingers and pointed toward the front row. She was trying to get the attention of the control booth and security. “Do you think you can bring them up here for me? Their names are Sarah and Annie Colby.” She pointed again at the foursome sitting in the front row, and a muscular man in black walked up to the end of their section. More than a few people whistled and cheered from the crowd, recognizing Sarah’s name from the local music scene.
Annie murmured. “I’m gonna be sick.”
Seeing the flummoxed look on the women’s faces, Grace encouraged. “Come on luvs, I won’t bite.”
Colton once again piped up. “But I might!”
With a side look at the rest of the audience, Grace added, “It’s true, she does. And I only bite if asked.” The crowd roared and the sisters had no choice but to follow the security guy to the steps that led to the stage.
As soon as Sarah hit the stage, she felt the band and unexpected clarity hit. Sarah looked closer at the four person group as they made their way across the stage and stood under the hot lights. Opening her shields, she could sense two swirling vortices of energy. One that went back and forth between Mozzie and Corentine, and the other flowed between Grace and Colton. They were both vampire/werewolf pairs. Holy shit! Her mind screamed in the shock of discovery. She spared a quick glance at Keller but could see nothing under the glare of the spotlights. However she did notice that Annie looked ready to pass out. She casually threw her arm around Annie and whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “Relax, A, and don’t forget to breath.” She gave a reassuring mental push and felt the younger woman take a shuddering breath as her emotions calmed.
Grace, now wearing a wireless mic, approached them with an acoustic guitar and continued speaking to the crowd. “Now these two ladies are going to do us a favor and help out with a song that a few of you might know. It’s from our very first album and it’s called ‘Anymore Pain.’ Sarah will join us on second part vocals and guitar, and Annie will help me sing the first part vocals.” The acoustic guitar she handed to Sarah was lacquered black and equipped with a pickup. Grace pointed to the foot pedal on the floor and the guitar cable. Assuming it would be off; Sarah bent down to grab the cord and plugged it in, then hit the pedal to turn on her guitar.
Grace looked at her. “Good?” Sarah smiled and rattled off the first three chords to “Anymore Pain.” The bandleader returned her grin. “All right, I’m going to leave you to it then. You can use that mic and I’m going to steal your lovely sister to share mine.” Once everyone was in place, the lights went down and a single blue spotlight illuminated Grace and Annie. Then a yellow light came up on Corentine and she started to play. The haunting melody pulled from the strings of her cello put goose bumps up and down Sarah’s arms. Sarah watched her sister and sent her another reassuring wash of emotion. She saw the younger woman immediately straighten and take a breath. The song was hauntingly beautiful with only one voice and the cello to carry the melody in the opening part. But with two voices in synch it became something else entirely. It was a sad song and the music soared with the pain of it. It started soft with just Annie and Grace singing. The first stanza was but an intro to a song about betrayal and loss.
I lost my way out in the night
I could not stay without a fight
Then the piano joined in, softly.
Out in the rain I shed my tears
Next were the two guitars, Sarah’s and Grace’s, giving a gentle crescendo of the music.
My soul was stained with all your fears
And finally, the entire band crashed together for the chorus. The hard driving guitars were balanced by the haunting keyboards and cello. And the drums drov
e the entire thing forward in the critically acclaimed rock ballad from their first album.
Let the pain out
Let the pain in
The memory of you
Is under my skin
Living on edge
Edge of insane
Don’t let me feel
Any more pain…
All the instruments stayed after the chorus, but were hushed as the song continued. This was the part where Sarah joined in to sing harmony.
I would give all to hear you speak
But I won’t call I am so weak
Stupid mistake burned for a kiss
Driven away it’s you I miss
Once again the chorus crashed over the crowd. Pain of the song was amplified and lifted. It was truly heartbreaking and everyone in the house felt it.
Let the pain out
Let the pain in
The memory of you
Is under my skin
Living on edge
Edge of insane
Don’t let me feel…
Any more pain
Grace made eye contact and Sarah understood that the bandleader was letting her take the hook.
I just can’t eat
Still losing sleep
I’m half alive
Through…the…week
Living within
This empty skin
Searching for…the…words…
To begin
Back to the quiet story, Sarah noticed that Annie’s eyes were closed. The younger woman was a study of concentration as her and Grace began singing the first part melody again.
Let me return I’ll swear my soul
With you I’ll learn as I grow old
Your beauty brings calm to my fears
There is nothing that compares
And finally they all brought the song home. They played it out to its glorious heights, leaving Sarah’s pulse pounding in her veins and goose bumps marching across every inch of her body.
Let the pain out
Let the pain in
The memory of you
Is under my skin
Living on edge
Edge of insane
Don’t let me feel
Any more pain
Let the pain out
Let the pain in
The memory of you
Is under my skin
Living on edge
Edge of insane
Don’t let me feel…
Any more pain
Any more pain…
Any more pain
Any more pain…
Any more pain
Pain…
With the last chord ringing through the hall, there was silence. Then as if the crowd woke from a dream, there was immediate thunderous applause and screams. Sarah was caught in the moment, the music having taken her back in time to a place she had forgotten. One of the reasons she loved music was because it was the one place she had no fear of releasing all the emotions she kept bottled inside. The song they had just played was on Resurrection’s very first album, the same album that Sarah listened to religiously after her parent’s death and her breakup with Jill. Giving herself a mental shake, she looked at her sister standing next to Grace Cadence. Sarah smiled when Annie turned to look at her. Then she watched the younger woman get a hug from her rock idol. The elder Colby sister chuckled and used the foot pedal to turn off her cable, and then disconnected it from the guitar. A stagehand rushed out to grab the instrument then disappeared again into the wings. With her left arm draped over Annie’s shoulders, Grace walked over and draped the other arm around Sarah. She spoke into her cordless mic once again. “Let’s give it up for Annie and Sarah Colby everyone. Thank you both for helping us out!”
They were once again shown off stage by the security guard and escorted to their seats. Jesse hugged her girlfriend as tight as she safely could. “Holy shit, A, that was incredible! You were amazing, babe!”
Annie blushed. “Thanks.” Slightly embarrassed, she turned her gaze back to the stage when the band started their next song.
Sarah laughed to herself, thinking the younger woman might be a little star struck. She turned to her own girlfriend and gave her a look. “You are a little sneak!”
Keller laughed and reached over to hold her hand. With a little smirk, she innocently asked her question. “So how do you feel?”
The singer’s broad grin seemed to say it all. “I feel amazing; I’m so energized right now! I’ve never played in front of a crowd this size before.”
“The energy that you feel is from the crowd. You haven’t played live since you were infected but when you have that much energy focused on you it’s quite a power boost. It’s a good thing you only played the one song.” Sarah looked at her curiously but Keller didn’t get a chance to explain before another high energy song started, drowning out their conversation.
After the show, they were taken backstage to the dressing room where Keller was enveloped in a three-way hug between Grace and Colton. Grace was now sporting a pair of red- framed glasses, looking a lot like the stereotype of a hot school teacher. She was the first one to speak. “Look at you luv, we haven’t seen you in a donkey’s year! Why has it been so long?”
Colton glanced at Sarah, Annie, and Jesse, and smirked. “Well, clearly she’s keepin’ better company these days, that’s for sure!”
Grace pushed her away. “Back off you tart, there’s nobody here for you to ogle! Now, let’s have some introductions, shall we?” Grace pointed to herself and Colton. “For the new ladies, I’m Grace Cadence, and this tosser is Colton Shep. We’ve known Noby for a long, long time.”
Sarah raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend. “Noby?”
Colton laughed. “Cor, Noby, you didn’t tell them your nickname?” She addressed the entire group. “It was when we used to play those seedy bars in the big city. You could barely take a jimmy without three people sittin’ in yer lap. Bunch of gormless prats in them places! Anyway, we were always takin’ the piss out of ’er for ’er name. Grace didn’t want to call ’er Keller so that’s when Noby was born.”
Everyone laughed and Grace continued introductions. “Over here is our esteemed maestro, Mozzie Amaduk. And next to him is his beautiful wife, I don’t know what she sees in him, Corentine Atieno. She is the most beautiful woman with a bow, next to Artemis herself.”
Keller reached over and shook hands with Mozzie and Corentine and began her own instructions. “It is a pleasure to meet you Mozzie and Corentine. My name is Nobel Keller—”
She was briefly interrupted by Colton’s loud whisper. “Noby.”
Keller merely smiled and shook her head before continuing. She gestured toward each person as she spoke. “This is Sarah Colby, talented singer, teacher, and my fiancé. Next to her, is her sister, Annie, who happens to work as the assistant manager in charge of a local music club in town. And the brooding wolf that’s last in line is Jesse Cooper. IT and electronics guru, she is the love of Annie’s life.” Both younger women blushed as welcomes and handshakes were exchanged.
A short while later Sarah found herself in conversation with Keller, Grace, and Colton, while Annie and Jesse were a few feet away talking to the married half of Resurrection. She smiled, knowing that this was one of the biggest days of her sister’s life. Her observation was interrupted by Grace. “I haven’t had a chance to say it yet, but you were brilliant up there tonight. Keller says you’re a traveled musician too?”
The elder Colby blushed much the same way her sister had and laughed. “Yes, but not on your level. I taught for a number of years in a traditional setting, and then I toured for a few years playing in dive bars and pubs. Eventually I got tired of wandering and returned home. Now I play locally and give private music instruction. I’m average at best; I just have a knack for figuring out what the crowd wants sometimes.”
“That’s a load of tosh! Like Grace says, yer real ace on the guitar. I bet you’ve got a few or your own albums
under yer belt too, huh?” Colton gave Sarah’s shoulder a little poke to emphasize her point. Sarah nodded to the question about her own albums.
Grace laughed and grabbed the drummer’s finger away from their invited guest. “Easy luv, it’s rude to prod at our backstage VIPs.” She turned her honey brown gaze back to Sarah. “But she is right, you play beautifully. I’d love to hear you play your own stuff sometime. And if you have some of your CD’s handy, I’d like to take a listen. We don’t have a lot of artists under our label, but we’re always keeping an eye out for that special someone.”
The entire night felt surreal. Sarah thought it was strange that Keller wasn’t joining in, but she figured Keller was just letting her experience the band in all their glory. She cleared her throat before she could speak. “I don’t have any CD’s on me right now, but I can be sure to get you copies before you leave town.” She wouldn’t even contemplate that such an amazing band might want to sign her to their label.
That was when Keller decided to chime in. “She’s actually working on another one right now. Her and a few musicians she used to jam with have been pretty busy at the studio lately.”
Grace’s eyes widened and she shot a glance at Colton. “It looks like you really lucked out mate. Your bird can certainly sing!”
The drummer at her side winked at Sarah. “And she’s no boiler either!” Not completely certain of what they were saying, Sarah got the gist of it and flushed at their comments.
Keller threw her head back and laughed, her blue eyes twinkling. “Oh, I know exactly how lucky I am.”
The bandleader shook her long hair back from her face and turned a calculating eye on Sarah and Keller. “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve finally bonded.” At Keller’s nod, she added, “Good for you!” Looking at Annie and Jesse, her next question was full of curiosity. “How is it that you are a vampire, but your sister is human? And does she know that you are all other?”