It was 1992.
The Seattle air was moist, it's wind sharp, and the moonlight bright. One would tend to automatically think it would be a perfect night to go walking in the woods or, to have that bonfire all your friends have been planning to have for months now down at so and so's property. Or maybe it would even be the perfect night to take that one girl out, that's been dominating your dreams, to the movies and then make love to her in your car and wait for the sunrise till you took her home. None of these things were on Eddie's mind though because his thoughts were already preoccupied with his own plans for the evening. One's filled with sorrow and anguish, and inevitably a bit of drinking.
The band had just landed a few hours ago in a plane that Eddie wished would have just kept going instead of dropping him off to hear of something that very well could just send him over the edge finally. The past few days, the wrap up of their tour, had been wonderful actually. They'd had some of their best shows yet and the greatest time out partying and walking the streets in unknown territory out in Europe. Walking around town was no new concept to him but the idea that he could actually have fun while out doing it was. Usually his late night strolls were fueled by angst or the need to clear a mind, or even to fill his mind and maybe come up with that one line that's been missing to a song he'd been working on deep in his friend's basement.
The band was still fairly new, they'd only spent about 2 and a half years together which does seem like a long time if you think about it, but it'd surprise you how long it takes sometimes to get close to somebody. With some of the guys, it was just a click and snatch sort of thing. Obviously Stone and Jeff were already as some might call it 'besties', because of there shared experiences with previous bands, and those two were fairly close to mike and Dave, leaving not much space for a newcomer. The latest tour really helped though, to bring them together finally. What little reluctance there was, in Stone and Jeff's mind, was now gone and they finally accepted Eddie as one of there own. Eddie knew that the two were still recovering from a tragedy and that was what took him so long to open up to the whole band in the first place. That fear that you'll be cast out and rejected anyways, but now there was no doubt in his mind that him and the guys have formed special bonds. Their last show in Amsterdam just yesterday was proof of that.
After they'd landed, Mike had left right off the bat. He had some business with his family he had to take care of and couldn't stick around for the rest of the night. Dave also left, to go see a girlfriend, which left the three who had already made plans to head down to a bar after they'd gotten back to Seattle, and the departure of two from the crew wasn't going to stop them. It wasn't long though after their arrival at the small joint that there plan was ruined anyways. After greeting the bartender whom they had gotten to know quite well because of there numerous night outs there, and a few friends that happened to be out drinking at the same time, someone approached them and delivered news of a friend's death. Heroin overdose.
The group's smiles quickly faded and the recently swallowed alcohol suddenly tasted repulsive as it slid down their now clenched throats. The announcement especally had hit Eddie the hardest, who had become good friends with recently deceased guitarist. Stone and Jeff knew immediately that Eddie needed his alone time and so with a few pats on the backs and frowns, they left the place and the man sitting at the now empty table alone with his thoughts. They'd of stayed but the 'journey' on the tour bus the past few months informed them that Eddie was a very emotional guy and didn't handle tragedy well. And with the recent breakup and still painful spot his mom had caused with the truth about his father, they knew they had to get the hell out of there before Eddie blew up in there faces and made them.
The bartender already knew about the death and so when he'd seen he state Eddie was in, he tossed him a rather large bottle of wine out of sympathy, as the man made his way out the door and started walking the streets of Seattle.
Eddie wasted no time opening the bottle and taking his first gulp. He sighed to himself.
why? why me? why does all this fucking shit have to happen to me? what'd i ever do?
after a half hour of these thoughts, he found himself at Discovery Park. By this time, the sun had been hiding for quite a while and the moon had emerged. He stood in the parking lot, rubbing his sore neck and looking up at the night sky.
"fuck."
He continued walking to wherever he was subconsciously leading himself, muttering swear words and regrets to himself as he made his way. Finally he'd made it to his favorite spot. The trail he was on kept going for quite a ways, but when he was younger and visited the park one year with his mother, they'd found a special spot on the cliff that led off-trail and into the bushes, onto a overhang. The spot overlooked the ocean and was the kind of beautiful that you wanted to keep to yourself because its so precious. He made his way through the bushes, swearing every time a strand of his hair caught onto a branch. Finally he came to a little dirt spot and he sat down with a thud, and some of the wine splashing onto him.
Eddie shivered as the wind made its way through the ragged holes in the flannel he was wearing. He curled himself up against a tree trunk behind him and looked out into the ocean and sky. He couldn't believe it. She was dead. It wasn't like they were super close, but he'd spent enough time with her and her band mates to care deeply about her passing. First he was told that his father was actually dead, after all this time, and then his girlfriend of two years had broken up with him, and now this. He let out a angry breath as he took another gulp. He wanted to hit something. Break something, anything. Something to get these feelings out of him. He closed his eyes and tried to forget the rough past few years as a single tear rolled down his cheek and soaked itself into his curly hair that blew onto his face.
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Hours passed. The bottle had been long empty, and his drunken state had finally allowed him to fall asleep until some other drunken voices woke him up.
"AND SHE'S BUUUYYING A STAIRWAAAAY..."
Eddie blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"what the hell?" He muttered to himself and sat up a little, finally feeling just how cold the night was.
"TOOO HEAVENN.."
After realizing where the noise was coming from, and what the noise was, he smirked to himself. There must be a few girls out drinking and singing. He could tell there were no male friends around from the way they talked and sang. After they'd finished the song, everything was quiet again and he assumed they'd continued down the trail away from him.
"Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clayyyy.."
The girls had toned their laughter down at this point and begun singing a more serious song. There was still happiness and excitement in there voice as they sung without the passion and seriousness the original sang it. Eddie reeered his head around. That song.. he couldn't place it at first but it was a matter of seconds before he realized it was his own.
"Ohhh, and all I taught that was everythinggg.."
By this time most of the girls had already walked away but he could hear maybe two that were lingering. Perhaps sitting on the bench that was just twenty feet away from the spot he was sitting. Before he knew what he was doing, he was already submerging through the bushes and approaching them. He stood there and returned the stare they were giving him.
"Don't sing it like that," was all he said, his deep voice a huge contrast to there previous high and peppy singing. They looked at him with utter shock and confusement. He turned around slowly and retreated back to his no longer secret area. He didn't worry about anyone following him though because he heard the girls walk away quickly.
not long after though, he heard about 4 or 5 girls come running back, and there excited voices calling his name. After a good 5 minutes of silence on his end, they gave up and left. Good, he thought to himself.
