Not Acid Nor Alkaline ~ Sleep Token FF ~

9.House of Detention

It was finally friday, luckily I didn't need to work this day.
In the evening I started to do my make up and straighten my hair. A couple of days before I freshly bleached it.

Abby and I ate some snacks before I changed into my outfit. I didn't cover my face in that moment, I just let the fabric down at my neck. Abby would freak out, seeing me like that.

'Woah! Is this the Emma I know or who is this?', Abby said as she saw me. I just shrugged. 'Thought it might be better to wear black, it is less conspicuous.'
'Sure. But I have to admit, this looks gorgeous on you.', Abby said and pointed at my dress. 'Thank you. I better go now. I don't wanna be late for it.'
We hugged goodbye and so I put my boots on and my coat.

After a quick ride with the underground and a short walk, I saw this old massive building from afae. It was 8:45 pm and a little crowd was in front of this place. I stopped and pulled the fabric over the lower part of my face, so my mouth and nose were hidden. After that I pulled the hood over my head, my long white blond hair was still showing.

I walked closer to the crowd and waited. As I had guessed right, a lot of girls just had venitian masks. The guys had some simple white full face masks on.
Slowly the queue moved. As we got closer and closer to the entry, the cold creeped up my spine, at least I thought it was the cold.

Everybody had to show the message at the entry. I decided to stay in the back. I wasn't a person to stand in the middle of the crowd. I looked around the big prison walls around us. This aura was spooky, matching everything around this band.

Suddenly I got this cold feeling again. Now this time it definitly couldn't be the wind. I looked around me, but it was hard to make anything out around all this dark clothed and masked people.

I looked at my phone really quick and texted Abby that I had arrived.
'Don't want to come closer?', I heard a voice next to me.
My head snapped up and looked at the person next to me. I couldn't make out if I knew him, his face beeing half covered. Then after looking a little closer I saw who it was. 'You? I never thought I'd see you here!', I said to my farely regular visitor at the coffee shop, my former classmate.

He was wearing a plain black hoodie pulled in his face as well as a balaclava. I just recognised him by his voice and eyes. 'Never thought you'd actually find out it's me. Even you look kinda different today', he chuckled.

'Well, not my usual uniform you see me in.', I laughed.
'Let me help you find a better spot.', he mumbled and reached out for my hand.

Right when I was giving him my hand, I saw his hand and arm were painted black. How strange to paint even his hands black, I thought to myself.
We walked closer to the stage, but kept staying on the side, so we weren't in the middle of them all.

'You look beautiful...and you hair is lighter now', he said slightly tilting his head.
'Thanks...', I frowned a little, but at the same time I blushed. Shyly I looked at my feet. This was now sort of a weird situation for me.

The light got dimmed, just a little light on stage was there. I looked up and I was alone, the man next to me was gone, the same way as he did at my work place.

How was this possible? And why didn't I even hear him in the first place?

And a few minutes later there they were, or better, the singer Vessel walked on stage.
It was just him and the keyboard at first. Without saying anything, he started right away. His soft, yet so powerful voice filled the hall that had the perfect acoustic for the concert.
Spotlights appeared, the others walked on stage as well.

My jaw dropped.
I just recognised all of them had their whole bodies painted in black. Hands, neck, arms... Vessel wore a robe with nothing underneath. Even his torso was fully painted in black.
The same as the guy from my former class?

Over the whole show I didn't move from my spot. I was too cought up in this atmosphere this group created inside this prison walls. And it didn't seem as if I wouldn't be the only person who felt this way.
It was a mixture between fascinated silence and a couple of people who have seen them already vibing with the songs.

After the gig most of the people left.
I was still standing there thinking about what just had happened in this past hour. Some people were still walking through the halls.

'You're still here?', a voice next to me asked. And again I didn't hear him coming towards me. How?
I looked to the person.
'Where were you?', I asked him frowning.

'Actually, I am working here, not just watching. I am here to help with the sound.', he explained.
'You work for them?', I asked him not believing him.

'Why you have your arms painted black as well then ?'
He pulled me to the side and was starring at me for a few seconds. 'I'll explain it to you another time. I need to help packing everything now.
Don't talk to anybody about this! I'll tell you the truth soon.'

I just nodded, but this didn't seem enough for him.
'Whatever your secret might be, it's safe. I will not tell anybody about you or this.', I swore and pointed at his arms
'Good. I'll text you...good night.', he said goodbye and left.

What was this all about?