GTFO of My Head

Epilogue

Maddie fussed with the fitted corset and winced as she bent to pick up the skirts of the plum coloured Victorian gown that had been waiting for her to find on the huge California King Sized bed that took up a great deal of the hotel room they had been living in for the past month, while his band was recording in New Orleans. Brady had promised to take her on all of the Tourist trap tours, the ghost tour, the vampire tour, the pirate tour and the voodoo tour. She wasn't sure which one was booked for this late at night, but he'd arranged for them to have these costumes and she was absolutely game.

As she made her way to the hotel lobby she stopped to admire him as he waited for her by the open carriage drawn by two elegant black Fresian stallions. He was the sexiest Baron Samedi she had ever seen. He was wearing a fitted black tailcoat, stovepipe pants and the iconic top hat. As she drew nearer, he turned and she grinned at the ghastly skull face paint disguising his handsome face.

Brady sketched a dramatic bow, leaning over his walking stick and tipped his hat to her. The very real looking bones and feathers around his neck made a sound like rain on a roof.

"Bon Nuit mademoiselle," he drawled in a very convincing Cajun accent. He took her hand and brushed his black and white lips along her knuckles before opening the carriage door and holding his hand out for her to use to boost herself into the lush interior.

The horses stamped and tossed their long manes, swished their equally long tails and the driver, dressed up as the grim reaper, turned and blinked red LED eyes at her.

"Is that...is that Barrett?" she asked, peering at the tall, lean figure draped in black robes, bone gloves and the very believable skull mask. Barrett was Arcane's new, very accomplished, bass player and she and the quiet, polite Canadian had become best of friends since he'd joined the band in time to begin putting their album together.

"That's death, we ride together," Brady drawled as he climbed into the carriage.

"Oh I don't even care where we're going. This is awesome," she gushed as Brady slid onto the leather bench beside her and then reached to tap the back of the driver's seat with the skull handle of his walking stick.

"I thought we would walk through the cemetery this All Saints Eve," he told her, reaching for her hand and clasping it in his.

"Sounds perfect," she sighed as the carriage lunged forward. The night air was cool but not cold and there was a mist in the air that could have been mistaken for fog which added to the spooky ambience of the French Quarter which was richly dressed up for Halloween. "I'm full of jambalaya and beignets, I don't think I could walk anywhere."

"Well, there will be a little walking but not far, I promise," Brady grinned, his teeth appearing even whiter against the black face make up.

It wasn't far to St. Louis Cemetery Number One with its' elaborate above ground tombs and as the carriage drew up the gates Maddie was bouncing with excitement and had to remind herself that she was wearing kitten heels.

Brady got out first and held his hand out to help her down and, after she shook out the skirts, he offered his arm and then together they strolled past the wall vaults, the lowest graves having already sunk below ground.

"We're always going into these cities but never actually going anywhere or seeing anything," she sighed as they passed a gaggle of goth girls standing around one grave looking very solemn, white candles in their hands, heads bowed. Maddie glanced over at Brady but with all that face paint, she realized she didn't need to worry who was watching, for once.

"And you were so excited when we chose to record here," he added, tipping his head closer so his breath was warm on her cheek.

"I've always wanted to visit New Orleans," she sighed, grinning so hard her cheeks were beginning to hurt.