Done For You (Black Veil Brides/Legion of the Black)

11. Overture

After my allocated week in the hospital wing, Hazel released back to my room, on the condition I didn't participate in training for the next month. Since I couldn't join in, I mostly watched the others train or helped with chores around the base. For the first time since I'd joined the Legion, I was bored.

Today, I wash on wash duty. I scrubbed at a pair of black jeans with a cake of soap. I was alone in the kitchen and, as a result, I was completely consumed in my thoughts. My thoughts were mostly on the song Ashley had sung to me when I'd been unconscious. Since my first taste of music on New Year's Eve, I'd wanted to hear more. I'd concluded that the only way was to create some myself. I repeatedly sang the lines Ashley had created and soon I was coming up with my own.

The Legion's usual chatter echoed through the hallway outside the kitchen. I stopped my singing and emptied the washtub. I hung the last of the clothes up and squeezed past the Legion now filling the kitchen.

I jogged to my room. I needed to find a notebook. I'd forgotten to take a few of my school notebooks out of my bag before leaving the City. I'd be able to write my thoughts down there. I pulled the bag out from its hiding place underneath my clothes. I rummaged through it and finally found a notebook and a sand-covered pen.

I tore out the pages from my history class and stuffed them back in my bag. I sat down on the mattress and turned to a fresh page. At the top, I wrote Resurrect the Sun. I started off by writing down Ashley's lines, then I added my own.

Here in the echoes madness grows

The years of my sinning teach me to show

A heartless feeling of pain and regret

I stared at the page as I thought of what to right next. I glanced down at my leg, and a new thought hit me. I quickly scrawled down the new line.

These wounds are opened

Like lines in the sand

I sang through what I had so far and nodded to myself. Then I frowned. I wanted to put something else in before adding Ashley's bit, but I couldn't think of anything.

'How about "The world is sleeping, but they still have hope?"' A deep voice suggested. I jumped and turned to see Andy leaning, casually against the doorway. 'God, Andy. You scared the crap out of me. ' I told him. 'Sorry.' He chuckled. I quickly wrote down the line, but added a so at the end. Once I was done, I glanced up. I expected him to be inside the room by now, but he was still leaning against the doorway. 'You can come in, you know.' I said, smiling at him. He pushed himself off the wall and came to sit next to me on the mattress.

Andy read over what I'd written so far. 'Trying to finish Ash's song, huh?' I nodded. 'I'm guessing you're writing about the City?' He added. 'Pretty much,' I said. 'I'll be back in a second; I'm just gonna go get something.' He told me. 'Okay.' I agreed. He jumped up and disappeared down the hall again. By the time he'd gotten back, I'd written another two lines.

For the darkness has broken our homes

All that we wished for, like fools on a rope

Andy took a seat next to me again and opened the thick, green notebook he was carrying. The cover was stained in spots and the pages were poking out from the spine. He flipped through the book quickly, so I couldn't get a very good look at the handwriting on the yellowing pages. I did catch some of the pages' titles; Sweet Blasphemy, Carolyn, New Religion and Devil's Choir. The second name brought a surge of jealously through me. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out 'Who's Carolyn?'

Andy chuckled. 'Carolyn was Jake's mom. She died a couple of years ago from an illness Hazel couldn't identify. The whole Legion was close to her, so I wrote a song.' He explained with a shrug. 'Oh,' I nodded, feeling stupid. He gave me a quick smile before turning serious. 'You can't tell anyone about this, okay? You and the guys are the only ones who know about this book. I'd like to keep it that way. I was hoping you could draw some inspiration from it.' He added. I smiled at him. 'Okay.' I agreed. It made me feel good to know he trusted me so much.

We set to work on writing again. As soon as he'd read over my two new lines, he already had two more to add. I wrote them down eagerly and added my own at the end.

I can feel it, the desperate control

A burning passion when love takes its toll

Yet souls have a reason and I won't let go

Before I knew it, we were finished. It was dark outside now and we were both tired. Andy got up to stretch. 'Can I see that for a second?' He asked. I nodded and handed him the pad and pen. I watched as he scrawled something at the bottom and handed it back to me. I scanned the page and found his handwriting at the bottom of the page.

Lyrics written by The Deviant, The Prophet and The Raven

I looked from the page to him. Andy gave me a nervous, and on my end confusing, smile. My eyes finally settled on his disorienting smile. Usually he was confident in everything, but not this. 'I think it suits you better. You're not really cursed anymore, either.' He explained. I dropped my eyes to the page again and nodded slowly. He was right. I had a proper family now and I was happier than I'd been in the City. I wasn't cursed. I smiled at him, widely. 'I like it.' I told him. The relief on his face at first was comical, then he broke into his usual smile.

'Welcome to the Legion, Raven.'