Completely embarrassed and quickly realising that he had overstepped his bounds, Sam ducked behind the closest gathering, trying his best to hide from their scrutiny. Fortunately for him, it wasn’t long before the social faux pas was forgotten and the atmosphere in the room had returned to how it was before. Even the grumbling man who had lost his drink decided to ignore what had occurred as soon as he obtained more champagne from a passing waitress.
Something about how quickly the moment had passed seemed odd to Sam, as if everyone had been programmed to forgo any drama. None of them seemed to pay him any mind as he took a step back, beginning to look around for any signs of Alice once more. Perhaps their indifference meant that they wouldn’t sniff him out and that his secret was safe at least for now. No-one would be trying to kill him if they couldn’t even be bothered to investigate further, the thought of which he found strangely comforting.
Stepping out from behind the group in which he had taken refuge, Sam caught sight of the bright red and green fabrics in the corner of his eye. He could see the two women with their backs to him, the contrasting colours of their dresses standing out at a distance. He still couldn’t tell if the woman in red was his friend from that far off as she faced away from him, her hair tied up in a complex design of interwoven braids. The pair were exiting the room through another set of doors at the far end of the room, just out of earshot of Sam who tried to call to them, his words drowned out in an ocean of voices.
Sam rushed to towards the doorway with surprising speed, not realising that he had somehow quickened his muscles, propelling his body faster than he could normally move. However, even with his burst of speed, he couldn’t reach the door in time before it was closed tight in front of him. He would have opened it and gone after them, but two burly guards barred the way, standing tall in their black suits. They stepped into Sam’s path, huge bodies blocking the door as they denied him entry. He would have argued his case, but the intimidating size of the guards and their steely gaze made him think twice. It seemed that whatever lay on the other side was intended for special invites only, and a private guest of the entertainment didn’t qualify.
The shortest of the two guards peered over the frames of his sunglasses at Sam, his nose twitching as if he smelled that something was off. An arching eyebrow acted as a warning that made Sam realise that it was time to leave. He took a few steps backwards, smiling sheepishly as he excused himself and quickly turned to make himself scarce.
The confirmation of whether the girl was his estranged friend or not would have to wait, with his own continued survival taking precedence over pointed curiosity. For now, he would retreat to the relative safety of the band’s dressing room, hiding out among those who he considered to be his friends, with the odd exception. They would likely need his help setting up their equipment anyway. Perhaps he would have the chance to make another attempt at finding the girl in the red dress after the show, as he certainly wasn’t ready to give up the search quite yet.
**********
It was showtime in the main auditorium and that meant it was Entropy of the Heart’s time to shine. They were already halfway into their set, the band’s performance invoking a sense of wonder as their music rang out for all to hear. Each and every member was playing their part to perfection, blending the sounds of their instruments seamlessly into a musical masterpiece of alternative rock. Despite their professionalism, Sam still felt pity for the band members as they placed their very hearts and souls on display, putting everything they had into the performance of a lifetime.
The audience in the theatre was surprisingly small, especially for a place that could seat thousands, with only a few people drifting in from the party that was still going on outside. At least the money was good, even though the band hadn't drawn in the crowds and prestige that they had hoped for, but that didn't stop them from trying their hardest to put on the show to end all shows.
Sam could see almost everything from where he stood behind the side curtain, watching in reverence as the band made full use of the stage. It was much larger than the one they practiced on, but that didn't stop them from dancing around and performing with flourishes designed to capture the crowd's interest and draw them into the performance. They were lit up by their trademark purple spotlights, making it impossible to see the faces of anyone watching, with only their outlines visible like shadowy figures listening in silent awe. For an amateur band who were yet to hit the big time, the group could have easily fooled anyone into believing that they were stars. Entropy’s powerful voice filled the entire place in a way that she couldn't have achieved in their practice venue, with just the right acoustics and equipment setup to project her lyrics to every corner of the theatre.
Whatever Sam thought about Jacko, he couldn't deny the guitarists obvious talent as he shredded away at his strings with a level of skill befitting a true master of the art. Chavz hammered at the black and white keys, while Skid kept the drum rhythm going with arms and legs that seemed to move independently of his body. Mikey P wasn't one to let the side down either, setting the pace of the music with a bassline that would have whipped a larger crowd into a frenzy. It was a mystery why the band hadn't managed to snap up the ever elusive record deal that could have put them on the mainstream stage, where fans far and wide would shower them with adoration. Sam honestly believed that they deserved that much, but they sadly weren't getting the recognition.
After the final notes of the last song had been played, the house lights lit up the rest of the theatre to let everyone in the audience know that the show was over. The band began to gather their equipment and pack up their things, getting themselves ready to leave the stage. There was no encore, as they had already played all the songs that they had ever written and Entropy wasn't too keen on covering the work of other bands.
Sam could see the rest of the theatre now in all its glory, with three floors of seating, complete with balconies and box seats, separated by brass railings and all connected together by grand staircases. The beige decor was broken up by wooden panels and alcoves packed with soundproofing. Massive speakers and lighting rigs scaled the walls nearest to the stage, ending at the ceiling where they branched out with walkways that reminded Sam a little of the one back at the club. The few people that had stayed to enjoy the entire show began to filter out through the doors at the back, heading out to join the rest of the partygoers. Preparing for the next act, the stage crew began set up the space for a ten piece orchestra, fronted by an eccentric opera singer.
All but one person in the audience had exited the auditorium, and Sam was surprised that he hadn't noticed them before. He stared at the girl who had seated herself a few rows from the front, oblivious to the fact that the band had collected their instruments and were leaving the stage. He couldn't hear Jacko’s smart-alec complaints about him not helping out, instead gawking at the blonde female in her red dress. She was gazing hypnotically at the stage, her eyes glazed over as if she was in some sort of trance.
Sam realised that he hadn't imagined anything at all. Alice Delaney was indeed in Calgary and she was sitting there just a short distance away from him. She looked almost exactly the same as he remembered, having seemingly aged very little since he had seen her years before. He hadn't laid eyes on her since they were teenagers, and the only thing that had really changed was how she presented herself.
Alice’s style of dress suited someone who was much more confident and self assured than the girl Sam had known. Her long hair was something that she had once hidden behind, yet now it was tied up and out of the way of her face. She also wasn't one for wearing makeup and yet here she was looking as though it had been done by a professional. Whatever had happened to Alice, it had seemingly changed her for the better and Sam couldn't have been happier for her, yet he also felt saddened that he hadn't played any part in that transformation. He couldn't help but feel that he had somehow been holding her back and that any previous lack of positive development had been his fault.
Sam continued to watch Alice from the sidelines, noticing that she still hadn't moved. Her eyes were locked on the stage where the band had previously been and she showed no sign of getting up from her chair any time soon. He was so distracted by her that he hadn't noticed Entropy standing next to him, her head so close to his as she leaned in, cool lips almost touching his ear as she whispered. “Who is she?”
Sam almost leapt out of his skin, surprised by the close proximity of her voice amplified by his sensitive hearing. “What the…?!?”
Entropy chuckled, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “It was just a question. Do you know her?” There was no apparent jealousy in her voice, but she was certainly interested in who the other girl was.
Sam nodded slowly, his own voice monotone and devoid of emotion. “I used to…”
It was surprising that Alice hadn’t heard his yell of fright, as she still sat motionless in her dreamlike state. Entropy didn’t seem to be too concerned by it at all. “An old friend?”
It took a moment for Sam to respond, but he nodded again. “My best friend.”
Entropy took a step back, releasing her grip on Sam. She beamed at him, tugging his sleeve in the direction of where Alice was sitting. “Come on then. Let’s go and see her!”
Sam resisted, not budging from his spot. “No… I can’t. Not like this.”
Her face changed from a look of joy to one of concern. “What’s wrong, Sam? You can tell me.”
Sam sighed, not taking his eyes off his friend for a second. “We didn’t part on the best of terms. It was my fault really...”
Running her fingers down Sam's arm, Entropy clasped both her hands around his. She tried to look into his eyes, but he was far too focused on Alice for that. It was unusual as not long ago he would have done anything to simply stare into hers. Somehow Sam’s feelings for her were somehow being overridden by how he felt about Alice.
Entropy spoke softly, not wanting to startle Sam a second time. “Maybe it’s time to reconcile?”
He pondered for a little while before nodding, not sounding too sure in his reply. “I guess so.”
As Sam took a step forward, egged on by Entropy who was being as supportive as possible, he felt a large hand pull him back. “Easy there, chief.” It was Mike. Sam peered back at him, not quite sure as to why the bassist had stopped him.
Entropy wasn’t too impressed by the interruption either as she frowned at him disapprovingly. “What, Mikey?!? What’s up now?!?” She didn’t mean to snap, but it was just something that happened occasionally. It seemed that the bloodlust of vampires could sometimes result in short tempers.
Mike raised his hands up in defense, not wanting to start a fight with someone who could likely overpower him. Not that he would have done so intentionally, as he wouldn’t lift a finger against a friend either. “Easy, En. It’s just that girl’s darn close with one of the big shots here. She has major connections. Don’t want ‘em gettin’ a load of your boy.”
Sam was confused. What did Alice have to do with vampires? Unless… It dawned on him. There was a reason that she hadn’t aged as much as he had expected. Like him, Alice was dead, except she was likely a fully fledged vampire and not some sort of freak like him. It was upsetting to know that his friend was as cold and lifeless as he was. His mind began to wander. Did his parents know about what had happened to her? No, they couldn’t have. There was no way that she would have dragged them in to her problems as she cared about them almost as much as he did. At least Alice didn’t seem to be alone in her existence, as there was the brunette in the green dress, and from the sound of it there could be others too. She was safe there amongst the timeless predators, as strange as that seemed.
The look of concern on Mike’s face was surprising as Sam didn’t know that the man cared, yet there it was. Perhaps he had more friends than he thought. Sam raised his eyebrows, realising that what the man had said was right. Miami may have been lacking any truly powerful vampires, but apparently Calgary was crawling with ancient beings who could destroy him with a mere glance. If he contacted Alice, there was a high chance of being discovered and he didn’t want to die. There was also a risk of them going after Entropy and the others just for being associated with him, and he wanted to keep them safe.
Sam turned back to look at Entropy who had a similar expression of worry as she spoke. “If Mike’s right, then you shouldn’t risk talking to her… I’m really sorry, Sam.”
There was no question in Sam's mind, he knew that she was right. Both of them were. As much as he would love to rekindle his relationship with Alice, it wasn’t worth the consequences of such a selfish act. “At least she’s protected. I won’t destroy what she’s built for herself here.” Sam had muttered just loud enough for the others to hear. His voice wavered, but his words were sincere.
Entropy stepped in, embracing him tightly as she tried to comfort him. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here and go home. There’s no point hanging around any longer than we need to.”
Mike turned to leave, making his way to the back entrance of the theatre that the other band members had already gone through. He tried to sound cheerful, joking half heartedly as he walked. “Jacko’s gonna kick up a fuss if we don’t help pack. It won’t be pretty, but that goes without sayin’.”
Linking arms with Sam, Entropy moved to follow but he was still resistant. He had turned his attention back to Alice, wanting to see his friend one last time. It was difficult, but he had to convince himself that like his parents, she was better off without him.
Entropy let Sam savour the moment, holding off for a minute before speaking to him in a soft tone. “Don’t worry, Sam. She didn’t see you and wouldn’t remember if she had.”
Sam didn’t understand. It seemed that his companion knew more about Alice’s trance than she had been letting on. “Did you do something to her?”
Entropy smiled lightly. “I just gave you the time you needed. It’s a gift.” She began to walk in the direction that Mike had left, sauntering towards the exit.
“How did you know that I needed it?” Sam questioned her with curiosity.
Entropy stretched her arms out to the sides, flicking her hair back as she did so. “Women’s intuition.”
The way that Entropy moved her hips drew Sam in. He was intrigued by her many hidden talents and the powers that she had not yet shared with him. Maybe this gift was something that she could teach him in time. His feet beginning to move in a slow pursuit, he couldn’t resist watching her go, enjoying the show as he followed close behind. Sam felt as though he had been bewitched, unable to look away as any thoughts of Alice were lost somewhere in the back of his mind. In that moment he decided that there was nothing in the world more important to him than Entropy. Nothing at all.
Chapter Thirteen: A sudden reversal of fate.
Sam didn't believe in miracles, but the band had somehow smuggled him back across the border without any trouble from customs and immigration. The tense atmosphere within the van had since been replaced with one of calm that had lasted for the remainder of the journey back home. The group had almost driven across the entire country, making various stops along the way, and they were already halfway down Florida when they had to make yet another stop to fill up the gas tank.
Sam had been driving throughout the night, and it was finally time for someone else to take over. The sun would soon be peeking over the horizon and it wouldn't be safe for him to stay behind the wheel, so Skid had signalled that he would take the next shift. Sam didn't care who took his place as long as he could rest, the daylight leaving his body weak and vulnerable. They would be back in Miami by the time he woke and then he would be able to settle into his new routine, at least until the next road trip.
It had been a slow trip southwards along the massive turnpike that spanned a large portion of the state, but the journey was relatively easy going, with few vehicles occupying the multi-laned highway and dry w
eather allowing them to move unhindered. As dull as things had been at times, Sam felt that he preferred the boredom over constantly fearing for his life. The dangers of Calgary and the elder vampires that occupied the city were far behind them, so he could instead focus on building a future with Entropy and her aspirations of being a world renowned rock star.
There was something that bothered Sam about his time in the north, but he couldn't quite remember the reason why he felt that way. It was as if a small fragment of his mind had gone missing and the memories stored within were lost, yet he had no chance of recovering them without any clue as to what had been stored within. Perhaps it was for the best that the memories had been lost and that they stayed that way. After all, there had to be a reason that he had purged them from his brain.
Sitting alone in the driver's seat of the van, Sam waited patiently for the others to return, as most of them had wandered over to the convenience store that sat adjacent to the gas station. They had likely gone to use the bathroom, obtain some snacks or stock up on the cigarettes that had already permeated his clothing with the smell of smoke. Mike was the only one to remain outside, leaving the passenger door of the van wide open as he manned the pump and filled up the tank with unleaded.
A warm breeze drifted in from outside, along with the pungent scent of gasoline that seemed to overpower most other smells. The light in the cab had been left on, its warm glow illuminating the mess of empty beer cans that were liberally spread out across the dashboard. It hadn't been a particularly pleasant experience travelling in the van, as crowded as it was with everyone crammed inside like sardines in a can. The entire vehicle had that lived in feeling, with crumbs decorating the sticky floor and trash lying around in small piles that gravitated towards the corners over time. The band had a tendency to act like slobs, but they would eventually clear up after themselves once the dirt and grime became unbearable. Unfortunately, that was a fairly uncommon occurrence that didn't happen quite as often as Sam would have liked.
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