Cosmic Gerbil
Forbidden Forest Ranger
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- Aug 7, 2012
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Blimey, here it is xD Decided to post it at last.
Although the story features Metallica as well as Pokemon, you don't need to know anything about Metallica, or metal music to read and enjoy. (I am assuming people will enjoy it. I am deluded)
You do need to know about Gen 5 Pokemon.
Sad But True
By Cosmic Gerbil
Disclaimer: It's all fictional and I don't own Metallica or Pokemon. No harm or offence is meant to Metallica or any of their friends and families. The lyrics to Sad But True belong to Metallica.
Lars gazed out of the window of the hotel room he was sharing with James and sighed. Down below, was a swimming pool. An empty swimming pool.
Lars wiped his hand across his sticky forehead. Why, why had James agreed, of all places, to do a show here?
The door opened and James came in. He was wearing a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. Somehow, he didn’t look at all sweaty or flustered. He was grinning, which somehow annoyed Lars.
Our swimming pool is empty and I’m fucking boiling hot. Why the hell does James look so cool?
“Hey Larsie” James said cheerily. “How’s it going?”
“What did the manager say?”
James walked over to the fridge and opening it, took out a can of beer. Lars could see the icy drops glistening on it. James opened the can and took a long, slow gulp.
“Where the fuck is my fucking beer?” Lars demanded.
“Lars, you’ve been in here before me. Get your own beer”
“Asshole” Lars growled.
“Somebody is in a pissy mood” James taunted.
“We are in the middle of a desert! We’re doing a gig in the fucking Desert Resort. I am cooking slowly. And you STILL haven’t told me what the manager said about our fucking pool!” Lars voice went up approximately one semitone with each word.
“Ah” James finally removed his infuriating grin. “The manager wishes to apologise for such an inconvenience. He says that he will make it his top priority to have the pool filled as soon as possible”.
“An’ how soon it that?”
“Umm, he said by tonight”.
Lars scowled. He wanted to throw a tantrum of intergalactic proportions. But he was just too hot. He wanted to yell at James but then James went over to him and slid his arm around Lars’s shoulder.
“Cheer up buddy” he said. “C’mon, let’s go down to the bar and get some beer”.
“We’ve got beer here” Lars said, slightly mollified by James’ behaviour.
“Erm, not any more” said James, shaking the now empty can under Lars’ nose.
______________
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who takes you there
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who cares
They
They betray
I'm your only true friend now
They
They'll betray
I'm forever there
They are at the bar, drinking beer. The interior is cooled with fans and the beer is stored in something…I don’t know what it is but it keeps it cool too. Some of them are out on the patio. They are sitting on white chairs, around tables. There are umbrellas on the tables to shade them from the sun.
They are burned by the sun and their skin is boiled red, like a lobster. They have beers on their tables. It is in bottles…some are brown and some are clear.
I want a beer too.
Once, I could have gone inside and bought one from the bar man with coins. But I can no longer do that. It has been a long time since I had that privilege.
I look at you. You look back at me. You will have to fetch a beer for me.
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
You know it's sad but true
Most of the people are outside, sitting on the white chairs. Inside the building is nearly empty. It is dark and shadowy inside. There is a man, in a dark corner. He looks as if he has some coins left. He looks as if he would be curious about you. He won’t even know what has happened, when you have done what is needed.
__________________________________________
James waltzed into the room that Kirk and Jason were sharing, shoving the door open. Jason looked up from reading a rock magazine and Kirk squealed.
“Kirk, what the fuck was that for?” James demanded. “Geez, you sounded like somebody just pinched your ass”
“You came in without knocking” Kirk exclaimed.
“So? I’m your band leader! Anyway, it’s not as if I’d catch you and Jase banging each other or something, is it?”
Jason turned post-box red and Kirk snorted.
“Humph, that’s not the point! It’s rude not knocking”
“Yeah, yeah” said James in a bored voice. “Anyway, you and Jase are coming to the bar with me and Lars. Get off your asses and get ready. Last one there buys the first two rounds”. James walked back out, slamming the door behind him. Jason looked at Kirk, his eyebrows raised.
“Sometimes, I hate him” Kirk said,
_____________________________
You
You're my mask
You're my cover, my shelter
You
You're my mask
You're the one who's blamed
Do
Do my work
Do my dirty work, scapegoat
Do
Do my deeds
For you're the one who's shamed
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
You know it's sad but true
You look unhappy. Don’t you want to do this for me? How many times have you done it before? You know you have to.
I am under his table now. I place you by his leg. He doesn’t suspect. He will be an easy one.
I pull his leg covering and then I slip away unnoticed. Remember; bring a beer in a clear bottle.
_________________________________________
“Feeling better now Larsie?” James asked. Lars nodded and grinned. They were in the bar, sitting underneath a ceiling fan. Four ice-cold beers stood on the table. The combined breeze from fan and the open window was ruffling Lars’ brown hair and his flushed look had vanished.
“I wish we coulda sat outside thought” said Kirk, eyeing up the tables through the window.
“I don’t” said Lars. “It’d be fucking hot out there”.
“Kirk wants to sit under a pretty umbrella” James smirked. “How about a nice flowery one, Kirky?”
Kirk blushed and took a dignified sip form his beer.
“Jase is quiet” said Lars suddenly. James and Kirk immediately honed in on Jason. The bassist was gazing in the direction of the bar, watching a man being served.
“Well, the barman is male, so come on Jase, which one of them do you fancy?” James asked.
“That guy’s on drugs” said Jason in a low voice.
“Huh? Which one?”
“The one buying beer. Look at him. He’s smashed off his head”.
The other band members all stared at the customer with interest. His voice was strange, slow and monotone.
“He’s sounds off the planet” Jason muttered. “His eyes are all weird and unfocused too. He’s not blinking”.
The customer walked away from the bar, his gait stiff and slow. He was carrying a clear bottle of beer. Instead of sitting down, he headed towards the door that went through to the back.
“That leads to the bogs” said Lars. “He’s gonna shoot up his veins in there”.
“Nah, he’s going cottaging” said James. Lars snorted into his beer and Kirk and Jason laughed.
__________________________________________
I am in a quiet area, a place where they don’t come. I have my beer, in a clear bottle. I drink from the bottle and watch the sunset. The sun looks like a red eye, sinking into the horizon.
I sense you are looking at me. Yes, you are. You watch me as I drink.
What do you want? For me to thank you, because you brought my beer? You want my gratitude?
Hate
I'm your hate
I'm your hate when you want love
Pay
Pay the price
Pay, for nothing's fair
I hate you. I hate you because I can’t leave you, I can’t escape from you. I hate you because you are my permanent reminder of what I once was.
I see that you are going to cry. Stop it! I haven’t finished my beer yet.
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who took you there
Hey
I'm your life
And I no longer care
______________________________________
Lars sighed and brushed his hair from out of his eyes. The sun was going down and the air outside had turned a little cooler. Many more people had arrived at the bar and had come inside, so that now nearly all the tables were full. They were all talking loudly; the sounds reverberated around the room and assaulted Lars’ ears. Even with the fan on and the window still open, the air was turning stuffy and uncomfortable.
“Hey, where you going Lars?” James asked, as the drummer stood up.
“Just outside for a breath of fresh air” Lars replied.
____________________________
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
The sun has almost set now. I looked at it for too long and now it has made my eyes water. They are leaking into the beer. I can’t hold the bottle. The glass is slippery. I reach out to hold you and the bottle falls to the ground, the beer melting away beneath the sand.
I'm your truth, telling lies
I'm your reasoned alibis
I'm inside open your eyes
I'm you
Sad But True
_______________________________________
Lars stood in the shadow of the overhanging cliffs, watching as the sun set over the ocean. It was cooler now and peaceful away from the noisy crowds back at the bar and on the rest of the complex. Lars drank the last drop of beer from his bottle and glanced round for a bin. Seeing nothing remotely bin-like in the vicinity, he shrugged and pulled off his duffle bag. He stuffed the empty bottle inside and took out a fresh one. Lars burrowed his hand in deeper, soon retrieving his pocket knife with a bottle opener on it. James could take the cap off with his teeth but Lars knew that if he tried that, he’d break them.
Lars was just about the open the bottle when he heard an odd snuffling sound nearby. He frowned. It sounded like somebody crying but who would be out here, away from the complex?
Turning round, Lars peered into the shadowy area beneath the cliffs. No, there was nobody there.
“Shit, I’m drunk” Lars muttered. “I’m hearing things”.
The snuffling continued and if anything, grew louder. With his bottle in one hand and the pocket knife in his other, Lars shuffled forwards, following the line of the cliff round into a crevasse. The sound was nearby…he was getting closer to it but he still couldn’t see anybody.
A glint in the corner of his eye caused Lars to turn round. He saw a beer bottle, partly buried in the sand. Next to it was a golden mask. Lars blinked and as he reached to pick it up, a shadow rose up to meet him, staring at him with red eyes.
_____________________________________
There is somebody here!
It is a man with long, brown hair and green eyes. He is wearing a black t-shirt, which is not a good idea because it absorbs the heat. Perhaps he does not live in this area and doesn’t know any better.
He has seen us. I don’t move away from him. I don’t try and hide you.
He doesn’t look afraid. I suspect that he has drunk much beer. Too much alcohol can affect your mood and your behaviour.
He sits down in front of me and smiles.
“Hello, I’m Lars” he says.
I hold you close and watch him warily. He is carrying some beer and a pocket knife but he doesn’t appear to be going to attack us. I look at you and see that you are smiling.
Do you trust him? Do you think he is friendly?
This man, Lars, looks at the beer bottle that I dropped when my hands became slippery. He speaks again.
“Did you spill your beer?”
Slowly, I nod my head.
Lars flicks open the bottle opener on his knife. He pulls the top off his beer with it. It hisses and white foam comes out of the neck. Then he holds the bottle out to me.
“Here ya go. You can have this one”.
I take the bottle from him and drink. He stays close by us, stroking my head.
Later that night
Lars couldn’t sleep. He squirmed about in his hotel bed, turning over and over as he tried to get comfy but it was impossible. It was just too hot!
Lars sighed in exasperation and sat up, flinging the covers off him. He was wet with sweat; his hair sticky and plastered to his neck and face. He looked over at James in the bed beside him. James was fast asleep and didn’t appear to be sweating at all.
“I swear that asshole has a built-in air conditioner in his fucking body” Lars muttered.
The radio alarm clock on the side table drawer between the two beds told Lars that it was 2:53. Much too early to get up. In fact, it was quite likely that none of his band mates would be out of bed before midday.
Lars rubbed his forehead, trying to remember what time they had arrived back home from the bar. Had it been after 12? After 1? He remembered them drinking more and more beer, then James buying some whiskey. Somehow, he had been talked into a drinking contest with James. Who had won? Did either of them care, after the first few whiskeys?
Lars giggled and swung himself out of bed, testing his legs. Yes, he was able to stand, just about. Too much booze always put James to sleep but it had the exact opposite effect on Lars, making him wakeful and lively. The heat wasn’t helping either. How could it still be so hot after the sun had set? Through his alcohol fuelled mind, Lars remembered the swimming pool. James had said that…the manager had said…
“Fuck it” Lars said, trying not to laugh and wake James. “I’m going for a fucking swim…that’ll cool me down a bit”.
______________________________
I am at the hotel. I have followed the man, Lars back here. I have come at night because they will be sleeping. They won’t see me. I don’t want them to see me.
I want to see Lars again. I look at you. Yes, you want to see him again too, don’t you. You like Lars. He was kind to us. He gave me a beer. I don’t want another beer off him. (Though I wouldn’t refuse if he gave me one). I just want to see him.
Because he isn’t like them.
I saw him return with his friends. There was a blonde man who he called James, who was looking after him. Lars had drunk too much and his legs were not working properly. James was helping to hold him up.
I followed them carefully, staying in the shadows. I know which their room is. I shall go in and then we can see Lars.
I come out of a dark corner. We have to be careful. If James is awake, he will see me. He may not be like Lars. He may be like them.
The moon is bright. It turns the sky blue. It has made long shadows. There is somebody moving, outside.
It is Lars. He is walking along and he seems unsteady on his feet. He is laughing at nothing. He must still be very drunk.
I head over towards him, then I stop. He is approaching a pool of water. It isn’t a natural pool. It has been artificially made. There are tables surrounding it and chairs too but the chairs have been turned upside down and placed on the tables.
I sense that you are very afraid. I look at you and see the fear in your eyes. I am afraid too. I remember what happened.
I was at a natural pool, in an oasis. I was fishing, when enemies came, from a rival city. I didn’t see them until it was too late. They threw a knife at me and it hurt so badly, that I tumbled into the pool. I was sinking and I couldn’t get out. The blood left my body and it turned the clear water red. I struggled until the pain stopped in my back where the wound was and in my lungs too, where I couldn’t breathe. I was floating. I flew upwards, wanting to escape the red water. I burst free of it. They were surrounding the lake. They saw me, then they saw you. They laughed at us.
No, I will not go by that pool. Lars is. He is not afraid of it. He is drunk and I suspect he will fall in. He won’t be able to swim. He will drown and then he will become like me. And like you too. He will be the same as us.
You would like that. I would too. He could stay with us then forever.
____________________________________
James was having a pleasant dream. Jason had suddenly materialised in bed next to him…naked, hot and willing. They were kissing passionately, when suddenly Jason picked up a cricket bat and whacked James over the head with it. James howled in pain and sat bolt upright in bed.
“Jason, you fucking c*nt! What the fuck was that for?” he roared.
Then James saw it. A little shadowy figure was floating away from the bed and towards the window. Ignoring the fact that it could be a drunken hallucination, James decided that it was what had clobbered him. He felt his head…yep; there was a lump there the size of an egg.
James flung back the covers and leapt out of bed, naked except for his boxers. The little creature floated out through the closed window.
“You little asshole! I’ll have you for that” James yelled. He flung the window open, nearly knocking out the glass. His eyes scanned the hotel complex below, looking for his attacker. It had vanished. Instead, James saw Lars, climbing up the ladder to the high diving board and singing loudly and tunelessly.
“Shit!” muttered James, seeing the horrible disaster about to happen. He stuck his head out the window and yelled at the top of his voice.
“LARS!”
Still clinging to the lower rungs, Lars turned and looked round. James sighed in relief.
“Stay there Lars” he shouted. “I’m gonna come and get you. Don’t move, OK”.
James ran out of their hotel room and down the stairs faster than he had ever ran before. He tore out through the main entrance of the hotel, heading straight for the swimming pool. Lars was still holding onto the ladder, swaying a little and giggling.
“Hey James” he said, his voice slurred. “Are you coming for a swim too?”
James grabbed Lars under his arms and pulled him free of the ladder. “I swear you’re worse than a fucking kid” he growled. “Come on, we’re going back to bed!”
Lars whined a bit but allowed James to lead him towards the hotel. They went inside and this time, James took the lift, as he imagined it would be difficult to get a drunken Lars up the stairs.
“I’m locking the bedroom door when we get back” James said. “I aint risking you pulling a stunt like that again”.
“I wanted to have a swim” Lars said. Then he started laughing again. “How did you know where I was, anyway?”
James thought about what had happened. He shook his head and scowled. Lars would never believe him.
“Don’t ask such dumb questions” he said.
________________________________________
I am hiding in the shadows again. I watch as James takes Lars inside, away from the artificial pool. I look down at you and see that you have a lump on your head, where I used you to hit James.
I am sorry I had to hurt you that way. You look happy though.
_________________________________
Lars and James’ bedroom was quiet and peaceful; the only sounds were their breathing and the soft whirr of an electric fan that James had found in one of the cupboards. Lars, cool at last, had finally fallen asleep. James was sleeping too; the smile on his face suggesting that he was continuing his dream from earlier.
A Yamask floated in through the locked door. It went over to Lars and gazed down at him for a moment. Then it settled at the foot of his bed, curled up and went to sleep.
The End
Although the story features Metallica as well as Pokemon, you don't need to know anything about Metallica, or metal music to read and enjoy. (I am assuming people will enjoy it. I am deluded)
You do need to know about Gen 5 Pokemon. Sad But True
By Cosmic Gerbil
Disclaimer: It's all fictional and I don't own Metallica or Pokemon. No harm or offence is meant to Metallica or any of their friends and families. The lyrics to Sad But True belong to Metallica.
Lars gazed out of the window of the hotel room he was sharing with James and sighed. Down below, was a swimming pool. An empty swimming pool.
Lars wiped his hand across his sticky forehead. Why, why had James agreed, of all places, to do a show here?
The door opened and James came in. He was wearing a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. Somehow, he didn’t look at all sweaty or flustered. He was grinning, which somehow annoyed Lars.
Our swimming pool is empty and I’m fucking boiling hot. Why the hell does James look so cool?
“Hey Larsie” James said cheerily. “How’s it going?”
“What did the manager say?”
James walked over to the fridge and opening it, took out a can of beer. Lars could see the icy drops glistening on it. James opened the can and took a long, slow gulp.
“Where the fuck is my fucking beer?” Lars demanded.
“Lars, you’ve been in here before me. Get your own beer”
“Asshole” Lars growled.
“Somebody is in a pissy mood” James taunted.
“We are in the middle of a desert! We’re doing a gig in the fucking Desert Resort. I am cooking slowly. And you STILL haven’t told me what the manager said about our fucking pool!” Lars voice went up approximately one semitone with each word.
“Ah” James finally removed his infuriating grin. “The manager wishes to apologise for such an inconvenience. He says that he will make it his top priority to have the pool filled as soon as possible”.
“An’ how soon it that?”
“Umm, he said by tonight”.
Lars scowled. He wanted to throw a tantrum of intergalactic proportions. But he was just too hot. He wanted to yell at James but then James went over to him and slid his arm around Lars’s shoulder.
“Cheer up buddy” he said. “C’mon, let’s go down to the bar and get some beer”.
“We’ve got beer here” Lars said, slightly mollified by James’ behaviour.
“Erm, not any more” said James, shaking the now empty can under Lars’ nose.
______________
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who takes you there
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who cares
They
They betray
I'm your only true friend now
They
They'll betray
I'm forever there
They are at the bar, drinking beer. The interior is cooled with fans and the beer is stored in something…I don’t know what it is but it keeps it cool too. Some of them are out on the patio. They are sitting on white chairs, around tables. There are umbrellas on the tables to shade them from the sun.
They are burned by the sun and their skin is boiled red, like a lobster. They have beers on their tables. It is in bottles…some are brown and some are clear.
I want a beer too.
Once, I could have gone inside and bought one from the bar man with coins. But I can no longer do that. It has been a long time since I had that privilege.
I look at you. You look back at me. You will have to fetch a beer for me.
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
You know it's sad but true
Most of the people are outside, sitting on the white chairs. Inside the building is nearly empty. It is dark and shadowy inside. There is a man, in a dark corner. He looks as if he has some coins left. He looks as if he would be curious about you. He won’t even know what has happened, when you have done what is needed.
__________________________________________
James waltzed into the room that Kirk and Jason were sharing, shoving the door open. Jason looked up from reading a rock magazine and Kirk squealed.
“Kirk, what the fuck was that for?” James demanded. “Geez, you sounded like somebody just pinched your ass”
“You came in without knocking” Kirk exclaimed.
“So? I’m your band leader! Anyway, it’s not as if I’d catch you and Jase banging each other or something, is it?”
Jason turned post-box red and Kirk snorted.
“Humph, that’s not the point! It’s rude not knocking”
“Yeah, yeah” said James in a bored voice. “Anyway, you and Jase are coming to the bar with me and Lars. Get off your asses and get ready. Last one there buys the first two rounds”. James walked back out, slamming the door behind him. Jason looked at Kirk, his eyebrows raised.
“Sometimes, I hate him” Kirk said,
_____________________________
You
You're my mask
You're my cover, my shelter
You
You're my mask
You're the one who's blamed
Do
Do my work
Do my dirty work, scapegoat
Do
Do my deeds
For you're the one who's shamed
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
I'm your dream, mind astray
I'm your eyes while you're away
I'm your pain while you repay
You know it's sad but true
You look unhappy. Don’t you want to do this for me? How many times have you done it before? You know you have to.
I am under his table now. I place you by his leg. He doesn’t suspect. He will be an easy one.
I pull his leg covering and then I slip away unnoticed. Remember; bring a beer in a clear bottle.
_________________________________________
“Feeling better now Larsie?” James asked. Lars nodded and grinned. They were in the bar, sitting underneath a ceiling fan. Four ice-cold beers stood on the table. The combined breeze from fan and the open window was ruffling Lars’ brown hair and his flushed look had vanished.
“I wish we coulda sat outside thought” said Kirk, eyeing up the tables through the window.
“I don’t” said Lars. “It’d be fucking hot out there”.
“Kirk wants to sit under a pretty umbrella” James smirked. “How about a nice flowery one, Kirky?”
Kirk blushed and took a dignified sip form his beer.
“Jase is quiet” said Lars suddenly. James and Kirk immediately honed in on Jason. The bassist was gazing in the direction of the bar, watching a man being served.
“Well, the barman is male, so come on Jase, which one of them do you fancy?” James asked.
“That guy’s on drugs” said Jason in a low voice.
“Huh? Which one?”
“The one buying beer. Look at him. He’s smashed off his head”.
The other band members all stared at the customer with interest. His voice was strange, slow and monotone.
“He’s sounds off the planet” Jason muttered. “His eyes are all weird and unfocused too. He’s not blinking”.
The customer walked away from the bar, his gait stiff and slow. He was carrying a clear bottle of beer. Instead of sitting down, he headed towards the door that went through to the back.
“That leads to the bogs” said Lars. “He’s gonna shoot up his veins in there”.
“Nah, he’s going cottaging” said James. Lars snorted into his beer and Kirk and Jason laughed.
__________________________________________
I am in a quiet area, a place where they don’t come. I have my beer, in a clear bottle. I drink from the bottle and watch the sunset. The sun looks like a red eye, sinking into the horizon.
I sense you are looking at me. Yes, you are. You watch me as I drink.
What do you want? For me to thank you, because you brought my beer? You want my gratitude?
Hate
I'm your hate
I'm your hate when you want love
Pay
Pay the price
Pay, for nothing's fair
I hate you. I hate you because I can’t leave you, I can’t escape from you. I hate you because you are my permanent reminder of what I once was.
I see that you are going to cry. Stop it! I haven’t finished my beer yet.
Hey
I'm your life
I'm the one who took you there
Hey
I'm your life
And I no longer care
______________________________________
Lars sighed and brushed his hair from out of his eyes. The sun was going down and the air outside had turned a little cooler. Many more people had arrived at the bar and had come inside, so that now nearly all the tables were full. They were all talking loudly; the sounds reverberated around the room and assaulted Lars’ ears. Even with the fan on and the window still open, the air was turning stuffy and uncomfortable.
“Hey, where you going Lars?” James asked, as the drummer stood up.
“Just outside for a breath of fresh air” Lars replied.
____________________________
I'm your dream, make you real
I'm your eyes when you must steal
I'm your pain when you can't feel
Sad but true
The sun has almost set now. I looked at it for too long and now it has made my eyes water. They are leaking into the beer. I can’t hold the bottle. The glass is slippery. I reach out to hold you and the bottle falls to the ground, the beer melting away beneath the sand.
I'm your truth, telling lies
I'm your reasoned alibis
I'm inside open your eyes
I'm you
Sad But True
_______________________________________
Lars stood in the shadow of the overhanging cliffs, watching as the sun set over the ocean. It was cooler now and peaceful away from the noisy crowds back at the bar and on the rest of the complex. Lars drank the last drop of beer from his bottle and glanced round for a bin. Seeing nothing remotely bin-like in the vicinity, he shrugged and pulled off his duffle bag. He stuffed the empty bottle inside and took out a fresh one. Lars burrowed his hand in deeper, soon retrieving his pocket knife with a bottle opener on it. James could take the cap off with his teeth but Lars knew that if he tried that, he’d break them.
Lars was just about the open the bottle when he heard an odd snuffling sound nearby. He frowned. It sounded like somebody crying but who would be out here, away from the complex?
Turning round, Lars peered into the shadowy area beneath the cliffs. No, there was nobody there.
“Shit, I’m drunk” Lars muttered. “I’m hearing things”.
The snuffling continued and if anything, grew louder. With his bottle in one hand and the pocket knife in his other, Lars shuffled forwards, following the line of the cliff round into a crevasse. The sound was nearby…he was getting closer to it but he still couldn’t see anybody.
A glint in the corner of his eye caused Lars to turn round. He saw a beer bottle, partly buried in the sand. Next to it was a golden mask. Lars blinked and as he reached to pick it up, a shadow rose up to meet him, staring at him with red eyes.
_____________________________________
There is somebody here!
It is a man with long, brown hair and green eyes. He is wearing a black t-shirt, which is not a good idea because it absorbs the heat. Perhaps he does not live in this area and doesn’t know any better.
He has seen us. I don’t move away from him. I don’t try and hide you.
He doesn’t look afraid. I suspect that he has drunk much beer. Too much alcohol can affect your mood and your behaviour.
He sits down in front of me and smiles.
“Hello, I’m Lars” he says.
I hold you close and watch him warily. He is carrying some beer and a pocket knife but he doesn’t appear to be going to attack us. I look at you and see that you are smiling.
Do you trust him? Do you think he is friendly?
This man, Lars, looks at the beer bottle that I dropped when my hands became slippery. He speaks again.
“Did you spill your beer?”
Slowly, I nod my head.
Lars flicks open the bottle opener on his knife. He pulls the top off his beer with it. It hisses and white foam comes out of the neck. Then he holds the bottle out to me.
“Here ya go. You can have this one”.
I take the bottle from him and drink. He stays close by us, stroking my head.
Later that night
Lars couldn’t sleep. He squirmed about in his hotel bed, turning over and over as he tried to get comfy but it was impossible. It was just too hot!
Lars sighed in exasperation and sat up, flinging the covers off him. He was wet with sweat; his hair sticky and plastered to his neck and face. He looked over at James in the bed beside him. James was fast asleep and didn’t appear to be sweating at all.
“I swear that asshole has a built-in air conditioner in his fucking body” Lars muttered.
The radio alarm clock on the side table drawer between the two beds told Lars that it was 2:53. Much too early to get up. In fact, it was quite likely that none of his band mates would be out of bed before midday.
Lars rubbed his forehead, trying to remember what time they had arrived back home from the bar. Had it been after 12? After 1? He remembered them drinking more and more beer, then James buying some whiskey. Somehow, he had been talked into a drinking contest with James. Who had won? Did either of them care, after the first few whiskeys?
Lars giggled and swung himself out of bed, testing his legs. Yes, he was able to stand, just about. Too much booze always put James to sleep but it had the exact opposite effect on Lars, making him wakeful and lively. The heat wasn’t helping either. How could it still be so hot after the sun had set? Through his alcohol fuelled mind, Lars remembered the swimming pool. James had said that…the manager had said…
“Fuck it” Lars said, trying not to laugh and wake James. “I’m going for a fucking swim…that’ll cool me down a bit”.
______________________________
I am at the hotel. I have followed the man, Lars back here. I have come at night because they will be sleeping. They won’t see me. I don’t want them to see me.
I want to see Lars again. I look at you. Yes, you want to see him again too, don’t you. You like Lars. He was kind to us. He gave me a beer. I don’t want another beer off him. (Though I wouldn’t refuse if he gave me one). I just want to see him.
Because he isn’t like them.
I saw him return with his friends. There was a blonde man who he called James, who was looking after him. Lars had drunk too much and his legs were not working properly. James was helping to hold him up.
I followed them carefully, staying in the shadows. I know which their room is. I shall go in and then we can see Lars.
I come out of a dark corner. We have to be careful. If James is awake, he will see me. He may not be like Lars. He may be like them.
The moon is bright. It turns the sky blue. It has made long shadows. There is somebody moving, outside.
It is Lars. He is walking along and he seems unsteady on his feet. He is laughing at nothing. He must still be very drunk.
I head over towards him, then I stop. He is approaching a pool of water. It isn’t a natural pool. It has been artificially made. There are tables surrounding it and chairs too but the chairs have been turned upside down and placed on the tables.
I sense that you are very afraid. I look at you and see the fear in your eyes. I am afraid too. I remember what happened.
I was at a natural pool, in an oasis. I was fishing, when enemies came, from a rival city. I didn’t see them until it was too late. They threw a knife at me and it hurt so badly, that I tumbled into the pool. I was sinking and I couldn’t get out. The blood left my body and it turned the clear water red. I struggled until the pain stopped in my back where the wound was and in my lungs too, where I couldn’t breathe. I was floating. I flew upwards, wanting to escape the red water. I burst free of it. They were surrounding the lake. They saw me, then they saw you. They laughed at us.
No, I will not go by that pool. Lars is. He is not afraid of it. He is drunk and I suspect he will fall in. He won’t be able to swim. He will drown and then he will become like me. And like you too. He will be the same as us.
You would like that. I would too. He could stay with us then forever.
____________________________________
James was having a pleasant dream. Jason had suddenly materialised in bed next to him…naked, hot and willing. They were kissing passionately, when suddenly Jason picked up a cricket bat and whacked James over the head with it. James howled in pain and sat bolt upright in bed.
“Jason, you fucking c*nt! What the fuck was that for?” he roared.
Then James saw it. A little shadowy figure was floating away from the bed and towards the window. Ignoring the fact that it could be a drunken hallucination, James decided that it was what had clobbered him. He felt his head…yep; there was a lump there the size of an egg.
James flung back the covers and leapt out of bed, naked except for his boxers. The little creature floated out through the closed window.
“You little asshole! I’ll have you for that” James yelled. He flung the window open, nearly knocking out the glass. His eyes scanned the hotel complex below, looking for his attacker. It had vanished. Instead, James saw Lars, climbing up the ladder to the high diving board and singing loudly and tunelessly.
“Shit!” muttered James, seeing the horrible disaster about to happen. He stuck his head out the window and yelled at the top of his voice.
“LARS!”
Still clinging to the lower rungs, Lars turned and looked round. James sighed in relief.
“Stay there Lars” he shouted. “I’m gonna come and get you. Don’t move, OK”.
James ran out of their hotel room and down the stairs faster than he had ever ran before. He tore out through the main entrance of the hotel, heading straight for the swimming pool. Lars was still holding onto the ladder, swaying a little and giggling.
“Hey James” he said, his voice slurred. “Are you coming for a swim too?”
James grabbed Lars under his arms and pulled him free of the ladder. “I swear you’re worse than a fucking kid” he growled. “Come on, we’re going back to bed!”
Lars whined a bit but allowed James to lead him towards the hotel. They went inside and this time, James took the lift, as he imagined it would be difficult to get a drunken Lars up the stairs.
“I’m locking the bedroom door when we get back” James said. “I aint risking you pulling a stunt like that again”.
“I wanted to have a swim” Lars said. Then he started laughing again. “How did you know where I was, anyway?”
James thought about what had happened. He shook his head and scowled. Lars would never believe him.
“Don’t ask such dumb questions” he said.
________________________________________
I am hiding in the shadows again. I watch as James takes Lars inside, away from the artificial pool. I look down at you and see that you have a lump on your head, where I used you to hit James.
I am sorry I had to hurt you that way. You look happy though.
_________________________________
Lars and James’ bedroom was quiet and peaceful; the only sounds were their breathing and the soft whirr of an electric fan that James had found in one of the cupboards. Lars, cool at last, had finally fallen asleep. James was sleeping too; the smile on his face suggesting that he was continuing his dream from earlier.
A Yamask floated in through the locked door. It went over to Lars and gazed down at him for a moment. Then it settled at the foot of his bed, curled up and went to sleep.
The End
