Still Alive

by Jessi Newborn

  ***

  Brooke was in the middle of texting her friend as she exited the karaoke bar. ‘Don’t bother coming tonight. They have a single band playing for the whole night.’

  “This is such crap,” Brooke grumbled to the woman next to her as they stalked down the sidewalk like angry cats. “That’s the last time I come to this place.”

  “That’s for sure,” the woman next to her muttered angrily. “This place has really gone downhill since Harmony stopped managing it.”

  “They’ve got some interesting music, I’ll give them that,” another woman noted as the outdoor speakers began broadcasting the unknown band to the streets.

  “It takes a lot more than that to-“ Brooke trailed off at the sound of Aria’s voice.

  “Is that Aria?” the woman next to her asked in astonishment.

  “It can’t be,” Brooke gasped as the sound of that angelic voice proved her wrong. “She’s in a coma!”

  “Maybe she really did wake up last week…” the woman next to her said slowly.

  The stream of discontented patrons had come to a halt as everyone turned to stare at the large LCD screen above the building. As the song finished, Brooke began feverishly texting her friend back.

  ‘Get down here now!!! Aria is singing in person!!! OMFG!!!’