Hallows: Merciful Death

To Engrossing Death

Sixx. A.M.- Life Is Beautiful

B.B.:

We went back to the Donut Bowl to get donut holes and still made it to Sheldon's on time. Sheldon's is our local grunge bar. This is where The Fallen was established. Everybody used to come here every Saturday to see Dilly up on that stage. The place was once an old shoe warehouse that was rebuilt to this. There's a huge open floor, the bar is off to the right, and in the center of the back wall is the stage. The walls are lined with black soundproofing sheets. The floor is super shiny chrome. It's shiny enough for you to see your blurry reflection on it. It's definitely not the kind of place you wear dresses with nothing under them. The bar is the same. It's lit up with a few LED lights up on the shelves and it's all it really needs cause it's reflective ass hell.

The first band up is called PV$$Y D3M0N. It's an all-chick band with a male lead singer. They're getting signed this year. They're really, really good. They're doing a couple of shows here before they head out on tour. That man has the kind of voice that melts panties. Deep filled with emotion. The rage in his eyes is the kind of rage worthy of worship. He reminds me of Carson. I loved when he would scream up there with Delilah. His voice is one of the biggest reasons I like him.

"Ugh, I'd f**k that guy," Stacy whispers. I laugh.

"Pretty sure he has a harem," I smirk. She giggles playfully nudging me with her elbow. I look at her with a straight face so she knows I'm serious.

"Wait, really? You think he's f*****g all four?" she asks.

"Five, that's their manager," I point at the girl in a sexy business dress by the bar.

"Wow, she is insanely hot," she fans herself. "I don't get how that would work. I'm possessive af. That's my d**k, b***h. It's why I couldn't make it work with Johnny. He wanted to f**k and well-"

"When is the last time you talked to him?" I ask spotting Carson and Johnny at the entrance. He and Danny almost look like twins. Danny is obviously my age. Johnny Lowe is in his mid-twenties and is hot as hell.

"Weeks," she sighs.

"He's here," I smile. She jumps up looking around. "Subtle." I lean away not sure how to react to her sudden outburst. It's like watching a startled cat. "What the f**k?"

"He saw me," she drops into the chair next to me and tries to make herself extra small.

"b***h, the entire room saw you," I laugh covering my face. "I am embarrassed for you. I thought I wasn't going to be able to live the joint thing down all night but you f*****g topped it,"

"Shut up, B," she pushes my head playfully. We both laugh until we can't breathe. Perks of riding a great high with the perfect person. I love this girl.

"What is happening?" Carson asks as they approach the table.

He looks back at the girl at the bar and waves his hand. She gives him an acknowledging nod. Moments later, someone comes to join four tables and two other waitresses bring drinks. He takes a seat next to me and pulls me close to him. Stacy and I exchange knowing glances and laugh again. I have to admit to loving how he gets things done so wordlessly. That's what real power looks like and he's not even where he's meant to be just yet. Christ, Carson.

"We're just high-ass hell," I clear my throat. He gives me a little smile.

"How was your day?" he asks.

"Stacy made me leave the haunted mansion. It's been a fun day. I made a new friend. Her name is Natalie,"

"Cute," he caresses my cheek with his thumb. I lean into him when he puts his arm around my chair. This is a stupendous high. It's taken the awkward shyness I developed while I ran away into my head.

"Did you shoot someone today?" I ask in a low tone. He grins knowing that whatever he says I'm going to take it seriously.

"Five someones," Johnny answers for him.

"Are they dead?" I whisper sitting up to look back at him.

"I hope so," Carson nodded. I laugh leaning into him. Why is that funny? It really shouldn't be but

"How is your arm, Johnny?" I ask, looking over at his sling. He places his hand over it protectively.

"It's a little sore," he admits. "Hey, Stacy,"

"Yes, I will," she shouts and stands up abruptly. Then she just walks away.

I watched her walk towards the stage with her thumbs tapping away at her screen. I looked over at him to see him shaking his head with a little bemused smile tugging at his lips. He doesn't seem all that surprised either. Johnny is a very handsome guy. He's a little taller than Carson and a little thicker. I think it's cause he's a couple of years older. He has very cliche bad-boy vibes. Blond hair cut like the other boys in their little clique. Baby blue eyes. He has on light blue jeans and a white pro club t-shirt. He has tattoos covering his beefy neck all the way up to his ears. His arms are almost completely blacked-out. From under his short sleeves to the tips of his fingers. His denim vest looks a lot like the one Carson likes to wear. He doesn't have it on today. Carson actually looks like he's fresh out of the shower. Smells like it too.

"What are you staring at?" he growls in my ear. I look back at him.

"Making sure he's worthy," I answer honestly.

"What's the verdict?" Johnny asks.

"You're cute but, she can do better," I wink at him. He barks out a throaty laugh.

"-and then she said, tell that b***h Stacy I'll see her around,"

I glanced back to see Natalie walking with Stacy. She looks like she just took a beating. I stand up going over to them.

"What the f**k?" I make her look up at me. "Get me some water and an ice pack,"

"Okay," Stacy nods.

"What happened to you?" I demand. She looks up at me skeptically.

"Chona Jimenez," she rolls her eyes. There's a bloody vein in her left eye. It's going to shut. I make her take my seat.

Her voice is hoarse like she was choked out. I pull at her collar to see red angry marks on her neck. Stacy rushes over with a glass of water, a rag, and ice in a ziplock bag. I take the rag and dipped it in the water glass before cleaning her up. She winces but doesn't stop me. Chona f*****g Jimenez used to do this s**t to my sister all the time. Dilly wasn't a fighter, she would avoid it at all costs. She knew how to fight but she never liked it. She always said it wasn't fair. To what? I have no idea but it pissed me off that she would start s**t and someone else had to finish it.

"Holopov, where the f**k have you been?" the owner of the bar shouts. "You're on next,"

"f**k, I can't go up there like this. I can't lose this money. Rents coming up," she shakes her head and tries to stand up. "He's going blow a f*****g casket,"

"What if I go on for you?" I ask. Everyone looks over at me. "I know all the songs. I used to practice with Dilly. I have all your demos on my iPad,"

"I can't ask you to do that B.B," she shakes her head. "We just got you back. I don't want to see you cry,"

"b***h, I don't cry," I laugh. "You can barely talk. Just a one-time thing. You can keep the money,"

"It's five songs, B.B. Two originals and three covers," she groans looking me over. "I don't have another option,"

"All right, let's go," I give her a little shrug so she knows it's not a big deal.

"Are you serious?" Stacy screams with delight. "Mass texting this s**t,"

"Me too," Carson is tapping at his phone already. I shake my head as I let Natalie pull me along with her.

My voice will never be as beautiful as my sister's. Mine is thicker, deeper, and with a lot more emotion than hers. She was f*****g graceful. Had the voice of a goddess. Where she brought peace, I always bring violence. Just like my dad. That was the reason she didn't want me here. Why I stayed away. Why she encouraged me to pursue the nicer things in life. She knew I'd get caught up in this. Swept up by the beauty of the struggle. The violence, I've always given into it easily. She knew me better than anyone else. I just wish would have told me why.

"Here, listen to these and then repeat them as best as you can," she puts a set of DJ headphones on my head.

My body shutters when my sister's voice met my ears. A sort of warmth floods through me. She makes me change out of my clothes into one of her outfits. She cleans up the makeup I have on and begins to tease my hair. She places my sister's favorite boots on the table and smiles at me. I grin reaching for them. They've never quite fit me. Too big. I wonder if I've grown into them yet.

"Do you have gum or mints?" I ask. She stands up meeting my eyes. They flash the way a dog's or cat's would in the dark. There is no way, right? My dad has a brother on his mother's side. The Phantoms. Is she like us? The missing piece? A hellhound. Is she one of us?

"I forgot she used to clear her throat with tic tacs," she whispers. A low whine echoed in the back of her throat. She clears it trying to play it off. "I'll go ask the bar. Put the boots on,"

"Thanks," I nod and watch her leave.

I remove my vans and place them on the table. I pull the boots on to find that they still fit a little big. I smile loving that. The first song is called Everyday. It's a rocked-out version of A$AP Rocky's she remixed and rewrote some of the lyrics. Her voice is sending sweet painful ripples through my body. I lay back on the table looking up at the ceiling.

There she is. Hanging from the chandelier. Her clothes are different now. The tightest high-waisted leather pants I've ever seen anyone wear, her favorite black leather tube top with gold spikes on them. Her hair is down creating a curtain of curls around her face. From this position, I can see she's looking right at me. The black rope around her neck disappears into the red velvet curtains along the ceiling. I don't know why it doesn't scare me this time. I almost welcome it.

"Be yourself," she whispers. I reach up trying to touch her and her hand twitches like she's trying to reach for me as well.

"I found some," Natalie returns shaking a little box of tic tacs in her hand. "Minty vanilla,"

"Perfect," I sit up. I emptied some of them into my hand and toss them into my mouth.

This doesn't make sense but Delilah convinced me that the only reason she could sing the way she did was because of mint. She always had gum, tic tacs, Altoids, Listerine strips, or Listerine. I saw her take a huge drink once. It was part of her preparation ritual and because I wanted to be just like her, I believe it. I clear my throat and swallowed the broken bits of tic tacs as I crush them with my teeth. The last part of her ritual was always my favorite. A mix of Shakespeare quotes.

"These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume. The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite," I look up at her and smile. "To engrossing death, Delilah,"