Eternal Silence - Sigils

Chapter 3 - A Butterfly Effect:

I heard a buzzing noise come through the music that was already playing in the background. My hand tried searching for the annoyance of the sound somewhere on my desk, while my head was firmly planted on my sketchbook. After a few seconds, the buzzing stopped when my hand finally reached my phone. I lifted my head and tried focusing my eyes on the bright white screen that was shining in my eyes. While my eyes were trying to adjust to the light, I saw a blurry version of Echo’s name come up four times on my phone, so I pressed the message at the top and read what she had sent me.  “Duuuuude, where the hell are you?!” It read, and I shot up immediately.

“The concert!” I blurted out, standing up so fast I knocked over the water jug on my desk, with a few brushes in it.

“No!” I shouted out to the mess, because the water fell on to my sketch, running down the paper slowly, raking small pencil particles with it.

I was so flustered I had no idea what to do first, so for a few seconds, I looked like I was doing ‘the robot’ very badly. I looked at the time on my phone and it read 20:36. I was so dead.  I had to meet up with Echo at the venue around 19:00. I wouldn’t have time to clean up the water and try to save my work. Only choice I had was to grab what I could and leave.

I pulled up my jeans as they had slipped down during my snooze, corrected my shirt and peeked in the mirror before just grabbing my bag on my way out the door. While I tried locking the door, I saw that I was only wearing my socks. I bumped my head on the door about three times out of frustration, before running back in and putting on my shoes. Once I tied my shoelaces, I ran back out, locked up and ran down the stairs on my way to the bus stop.

I immediately began typing a very bad grammatical text to Echo. I know she was probably peeved at me, or really worried. Either way, she will kill me when I get there for both reasons. After typing the message, I tried looking for a better signal as my phone was unable to send. I reached my arm out above me, still moving towards the bus sign I could spot away in the distance.

I kept growling to my phone out of pure frustration as it refused to get a good working signal which I know for a fact has never been a problem in this area before. I reached the bus stop and again typed another message which was a futile attempt as the first one was still unsend and by the looks of it not going anywhere soon. 

“Send already!” I blurted out quite loudly and then like magic, my text messages went through.

Must admit, I felt pretty darn cool at that moment. Now all I had to do was catch the bus, if one would be so nice as to show up. I began tapping my foot while waiting, checking my phone every few seconds to see if Echo had replied to me yet.

I heard a noise that was very similar to an engine roaring its way around a corner. I looked around me, but I did not see anything heading my way, I only heard the noise and it seemed to become louder with each passing second. The noise was making my brain rattle inside of my skull. I began cringing trying to blot out the loud racket that was coming from somewhere. I placed my hands over my ears and bent down wishing it would stop, but it didn’t feel any better after trying to muffle the noise. It was roaring in my ears, my eyes shut, and I could feel the beginning of a scream building up. 

“Oh my God!” I yelled out and within a few seconds, the noise seized, and my brain could function again.

Right in front of me, stood the bus, with an open door and a grey-haired gentleman looking at me unsure as to why I was bent awkwardly, with my elbows in the air. I smiled, stood up straight and hopped on the bus, paying with a few coins I dug from my pockets. I took a seat behind a girl with bright blue hair and a pixie cut and sunk into the seat. Best place to be right now, as I felt I was going a tad crazy. Was I going deaf? Were my ears acting up? Is all the loud music finally catching up to me? - I had the strangest feeling right in the pit of my stomach, making the weirdest waves, twists and turns, that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

I tried shaking the feeling of paranoia I felt by letting my head fall back on the cold bus seat, just to stare at glaring lights and blurred scenery passing by. Faint music was playing in the bus, I was unsure of where it was coming from, just assumed it was coming from someone’s earphones, so sat and listened to it as best I could. It is so easy to slip into a trance of sorts, not being aware of your thoughts as they have a life of its own and the power to completely set you adrift without any recollection once you are snapped back to reality.  I was there, gone, complete absence.

I became aware of something slowly appearing as the windows of the bus began to fog up, and I didn’t think too much about it as someone had probably drawn on the surface when it had been fogged-up before. I watched the patterns form with ease, and it seemed rather soothing in my zoned-out state. Once my brain started to register the pattern to look like something familiar, I smiled and gently reached out to touch it, placing my fingers over it. The glass was cold on my skin and the patterns formed a symbol. The symbol seemed to have triggered some sort of memory, but one I couldn’t recall at all, but a sense of remembrance washed over me at that time. The lights from outside made it look like it was lit, I kept my eyes on it and then my eyes shifted to look through the window, I saw the entrance of the venue I was supposed to be at.

I got up quickly once the bus came to a stop and hopped off. I waited on the sidewalk until the bus drove off before I could walk and cross the street. I dug up my phone from my bag to touch the screen a few times and pressed on Echo’s name.

“Hey! Where are you?” Someone shouted over the phone

“I am walking in now” I replied approaching the red doors of the club. I waved at the bouncer and scooted passed the people waiting to get in.

“You what?”

“I am here!” I shouted into the phone as the sound blasting from the speakers hit me as I fully entered the club.

I tried hearing what Echo was saying on her end of the conversation, but it was pointless. I stopped in my tracks behind the groups of people jumping up and down to the band on stage.  Looking at my screen I shook my head and placed it safely back into my bag before making my way backstage. Trying to dodge the crowd of people being pushed and pulled, I had to jump over someone lying passed out on the floor. I reached the door that leads backstage, but before pushing the door, that would reveal a much brighter room, I searched for the tech booth to make eye contact with the sound guy. He gave me a thumbs up and I was good to go.

Descending out of darkness into a suddenly brightly lit room really makes your eyes sting. Damn. Squinting, I walked to the green room and found a bunch of madness inside.

“Finally!” Echo shrieked when she saw me, putting her beer down and jumping up from a very used and defeated couch.

“Whoo” I replied very unenthusiastically, but she ignored me and threw all of her weight on top of me for a huge hug.

I smiled as I retuned the hug and she nuzzled her head in my chest, letting out a very satisfying sound.

“You!” an angry voice cut through the noise in the room, aimed right at me.

I widened my eyes and was expecting to be lashed out at, but instead, the person put on the ugliest crying face and came at me with open arms.

“You almost missed the gig” the person latched onto me from the side.

Now I was wrapped in an Arlia sandwich…., well, sort of.

“Okay you two, my spine can’t take this…” I said hoping that would get the two of them off me but no one budged, “Release!” I barked.

Giving them a slight nudge, Frank let go and a few seconds later Echo obliged and did the same. Frank grabbed her by her waist and pulled her into a hug. He then kissed her forehead.

“Aww, you two are disgustingly adorable” I cooed and placed my bag back on my shoulder.

The room was a-buzz with the rest of the band members and their friends, jumping on one another, warming up, and laughing constantly. I liked hanging out in the green room with the band, it was never dull. I was about to go and find a seat when someone poked their head into the room next to me and made a “call out” for all the band members to assemble for a sound check.

“Great! I am so amped to play a gig after so long!” Frank said excited and began gathering everything he needed.

“I am actually very keen to see you play. It feels like ages” I told him and he threw me the biggest smile he could.

“You must hear the new stuff,” Echo urged and looked like she was about to squeal, but I am thankful she didn’t. So very thankful.

“Then hurry up and go do that sound check so I can start my journey of exploring these new sounds man” I rushed him out of the door as he grabbed one more thing before leaving the room.

“Do I have time for a little power nap before we go fan girl?” I asked Echo and she shot her head back to me and ran to the couch she was previously on, then jumped right on it. Poor couch.

“Okay great. I still feel very sleepy and like I am not at all here right now,” I slouched over to an open seat next to her and fell down onto the worn in pillows, “Plus I also think I ruined my shortcut today through the park, and oh yeah, we also might have to move as the new neighbour in the building across from us saw me be weird.”

With her eyes focused intently at me, I could see I was confusing Echo with every word I was saying. She looked at the beer in her hand, then back at me making a few thoughtful faces. She then proceeded to place the beer back down onto the table in front of us.

“What the bleep are you on about?” She asked me confused.

I sighed, “Well on my walk home I was going through the park and a saw a dog…”

“Aw s**t, did you kidnap someone’s dog?”

“No! But I sure as hell wanted to. And while I was staring at the pupper I blurted out loudly “Stop contemplating k********g” with a very concerned mom close by and now I might be on posters or something” I responded and sunk in deeper into the pillows.

“I can actually see that,” Echo said holding her hands in fingers in the shape of a frame in front of her, closing one eye to picture it.

“Very funny.” I chuckled and used my hands to lower her arms while she laughed, “It is probably nothing to worry about though.”

“Can you get to the new neighbour though?” She blurted out eagerly.

I widened my eyes with an amused smile on my face. Was that the only thing she has been focusing on?

“So, we have this new neighbour,” I informed her, and she made gestures with her hand telling me to get on with it. “I was walking to our building door and his car was parked right in front of the building across the way. Well, when I closed the door to our building, I sneaked a peek through the glass and there he was, all pretty and stuff. I may have moved so close that the door gave in and I went flying out and he saw me…”

Echo was now in a laughing fit. I frowned, burying my head in my hands and then began laughing myself.

“You literally fell from checking out a guy so hard?” She asked amusingly.

“I never said I was smooth. He was just really a good person to stare at!” I blurted out.

“I honestly need to see this man. I mean we are weird people but that just kind of takes it to another level, dude” She began laughing again.

“Oi!” A voice shouted into the room, “It’s time.”

“Coming, Shaun!” I yelled back as I got up with my bag and held my hand out towards Echo.

“This is so not over…” She told me as she walked out in front of me and I gave her a light shove as my response.

We made our way through the bright hall and into another dark area that was situated on the side of the stage. I always felt so fancy watching bands from the side, but I still preferred being part of the crowd, part of that intimate experience you get to have with a band and a group of strangers.

I felt my arm being pulled to the left, as Echo obviously wanted a better view of Frank. I shook my head and just let her drag me the few feet until she was happy.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.” Shaun claimed as he came up next to me.

“Oh hey! Yeah been busy and if the guys aren’t playing a gig, I rarely leave to upgrade my hermit status.” I told him and he chuckled.

“I hope you enjoy the show or at least get to see the other bands before you take off again. The line-up is pretty sweet, and I thought you’d appreciate their music”, he shared while walking away backwards.

“But where are you going?”

“Got a new tech guy I have to show the ropes to.” He yelled as I threw him a thumbs up and turned my gaze to the stage again.

Shaun was always such a sweetie; he was the club’s senior tech guy and became very close friends with Frank’s band and all of us since they have been playing here so often. Frank and Echo have been playing match maker so hard with the two of us. Sadly, for them, Shaun and I get along fine as friends, but no special feelings have ever developed and never will.  Not for a lack of trying on their part as they can be relentless and once even locked us in a very tiny room once and only fed us through the tiny c***k beneath the door.

“Colorado!” Frank shouted over the mic and you hear the crowd reply, “Are you ready to have some fun?”

With a roaring crowd, the guys began to play their first song, and it was one of my favourites. I heard that quirky and playful riff right before the lyrics met the drum and bass a few seconds later. My feet began bouncing as the buildup to the chorus began. They were a really talented group; their ideas might be really crazy, but they had the skill to make a big name for themselves if they really tried.

“It’s kill or be killed…” Echo sang in chorus with Frank both living in the moment The two of them were magic, I at times wish I had a little magic of my own, you know?

I wasn’t in a rush to find it, but I did hope that when it came along it was the real deal, a force of nature kind of magic. Sigh. No use in going to look for it, as then you might end up with the wrong one and cause a chemical reaction and poof, now you are only smoke, now who wants that?

The energy was everywhere and honestly overwhelming. I could feel it every time the crowd screamed, or someone did a solo, I got shivers from my head to my feet, and it brings a smile to my face every time. I could even enjoy the music through a very fast forming headache and blurry vision. I feared I was getting a migraine again like the other night.

“Whoo!” Echo threw her hands up as another song ended and I gave a faint little noise of my own.

“They are so good, man” I exclaimed.

“…this might be our last song for the evening, but I want to see you move!” Frank shouted again as the crowed replied with enthusiasm.

A powerful upbeat riff began playing and soon the rest of the band followed.

“Dude, I think I need to sit down,” I yelled over to Echo and she shrugged at me.

I felt my legs become shaky and my whole body felt exhausted as I fell down to my knees.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Echo shouted at me in alarm while holding onto my arms.

I did not respond as I tried to collect myself to see if I could get up and walk. Echo bent down to my level so she could look at my face and see if I was okay. Everything around me felt amplified, that strange ringing in my ears was back, my head was pounding, my heart was racing, and I couldn’t see a thing.

“You are so pale!” I only registered her as a murmur in slow motion, “Alria, ca-,"

My head begun spinning as my eyes rolled back and I saw a glimpse of the ceiling before seeing nothing.