My Dear Friend

CHAPTER TWO🍀

Wall to wall, fans pack the sold out venue. I take in all the screaming and smiling faces, passionately rapping the lyrics I created through my own pain and suffering. My body is hot underneath the bright stage lights, the back of my muscle tee sticks to my slick skin while my jeans conform to me. I welcome the heat. I spit my words with a vicious cadence that only I possess. Strings of wet blond hair stick to the water and sweat mixture on the back of my neck. I squeeze my fist around my microphone, the black bandanna tied to my wrist tightening. I stare into the crowd and see a face I recognize. Do I? She had already been looking at me when I made eye contact with her. She's smiling happily and follows along with my every word, for some reason it makes me smile too. Her almond eyes are shining, sparkling and illuminating while she dons a tee shirt with my face on it. Will I ever get used to that? A short bob curled with lazy spirals stops at her jawline and accentuates her sharp cheekbones. Her brown glow is magical underneath the purple light. She looks incredibly young but my guess is that the little thing is about sixteen. Her eyes shut and I don't even think she realizes it. My voice fills in the space and leaves her body. She continues... as if each word has been written on her soul. Etched into her entire being. I've seen this before. I close my eyes and together we share this moment. Everything fades away and I can only hear myself. My voice. Echoing in this space. My body ignites. Wait? What is that? Something in front of me brightens. It's coming from the crowd but... There aren't any lights out there. Something's off. My eyes shoot open. I look around, but I can't see a thing. Pitch black. As if I am in a void. I happen to look down and see a gaping hole in my core. It's the exact place where I imagine my soul resides, my sternum. There's no blood, there's no gore. Just light. The brightest golden light I've ever seen is shining out like a lighthouse. A beacon. My breath is shaky. I go to touch it with a trembling hand. Touch the light. Touch the hole. There is no pain. I feel nothing but... unconditional love? It shines against my fingers with its angelic glow. What... the hell? I look up again, realizing there's no music. There's nothing. Not even the sound of my voice. Everything is still. Empty. I don't try to speak or scream. I am oddly calm for someone with a massive hole in their gut. The light I saw when everything went black is still there. Shining just as bright as my own. I narrow my eyes. Another beacon? It is the exact spot that girl was. I blink. I blink and the light in front of me is gone. I'm the only one left in this dark and still place. There's just me and suddenly I feel lonely. Light still pours out of me but the comfort that I felt is gone. I start to panic. Something is missing... but what? Something is... wrong. I panic.

"Four!"

My eyes shoot open and immediately, I grip the hand that gently shakes my shoulder. My chest heaves. My body shivers.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Breathe man! Breathe! What's going on?!"

I look at Terrance, fear is written all over his dark brown expression. It's been years since we graduated from high school, but his ass still looks the same only now he sports a neat goatee. I try to catch my panicked breath but as reality sinks in it only gets worse.

"What the fuck?! What the fuck?!" I reach out and grab Terrance's shoulder. His shirt wrinkles in my fist.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! You're alright man!... Clover, breathe!..."

I gasp for air and frantically pat my chest, running my hands along my sternum. Terrance squeezes my shoulder.

"M-MARCUS!"

"I- I- I- don't want to die, Ice! I can't! My- my babies. My babies. Where's my babies?!"

"What?! Clover, you're not gonna die man! Heaven and Iris are fine!"

"Dee-Dee- D- Where is Denice?! I- I- can't leave her! I promised her I would-"

"What?!  Denice is fine! The kids are fine! Everyone is fine, they're already inside. You are safe. Y- you're not gonna die- Clove, man just breathe. Marcus!"