Secrets Of A Rockstar

A Rockstars Secret

(Zachary Code)

Its was a monday evening and I was ten years old. I remember sitting up in my room playing with my first ever guitar that I got for my birthday a couple of weeks before. As far as I remember nothing strange happened that day, it was just normal, until the man arrived of course. 

My dad was out, working the late shift at his security guard job, which just left me at home with mum and my younger brother, Seth. The knock on the door was so loud, it woke Seth and set him off screaming and asking questions, I rolled my eyes and plucked on the strings harder. 

After a few moments though, everything downstairs went quiet, which was odd what with Seth around almost every second was filled with a noise of some sort. I put my brown, polished, perfect, acoustic guitar back on its stand at the base of my bed and went downstairs. 

"Mum?" 

"Shh, Zach, come here." she said sternly from the kitchen doorway, holding six year old Seth in her arms. Confused I walked towards her and when I was close enough she grabbed me and pulled me close to her chest. "Keep quiet." she whispered to us as the knocking on the door continued.

"Mrs Code, I know you and the boys are in there, I don't want to have to use force but I will if you do not leave me any other options." came a stern voice from the other side of the door. 

I watched my mum has difficult decisions whipped around her head, but eventually her mind was set, she put Seth down and said to us, "You two boys go and wait in the living room okay? I'll be in soon." 

I opened my mouth to argue but she gave me a look that told me I should just do as she says and not argue, so I took my brothers hand and lead him into the living room siting down on our brown sofa. Seth looked at me nervously but I couldn't reassure him, after all my ten year old self was just as scared and confused as he was. 

I heard mother open the door and gasp, this was shortly followed by hushed talking. They stood there for a long time and curiosity got the better of me, I moved from Seth and off the sofa leaving him to watch whatever was on t.v and I crept to the door. 

I peeked round and saw that my mom had her back to me but a very tall, very strange looking man was staring straight at me. He was adorned in a black velvet coat which fell heavily to his knees, the collar and pockets were intricately lined with golden swirls of what looked like daggers or knives..or something. He had the exact same colour trousers on which you couldn't see the end of because they too matched perfectly to the colour of his shoes. His body just looked like a walking black mass. When I looked at his face, I felt scared, although I couldn't see much of it, as it was covered by a hat what I could see looked scarred and ravaged. 

He assessed me as I assessed him and it wasn't long before mom noticed his stare. She turned at me and glared worriedly, "I thought I told you to stay in the other room with your-"

But the man interrupted, "Ah, Zachary, you do look like your father don't you? He was right, there is something about you..." he said walking closer and closer to me. "I wonder Zachary, are you enthralled by mystery? Does suspense and adrenaline give you a buzz? Do you like the idea of death?" 

I moved back, shaking, I remember thinking how much I didn't like this man and his weird face, I also remember how relieved I was when mom stepped in his way, even though she was scared, and I could hear it in her voice, she still stopped him. "He's not going with you," she said, and the man raised his eyebrow, "He's not going with you...tonight. You've seen him thats all the proof you need now get out of my house."

The man smirked, "Oh Mrs Code, you are ever so lucky your husband put protection on this house to stop me from taking him, but mark my words, I will be back for him, and you know I keep to my deals." 

With that he turned on his heels, marched past my mom and slammed the door behind him, leaving an erie presence in the hall. It was silent as we both stared at the door, as if we were waiting for him to come back and snatch me up. We stared for a little longer then mum couldn't take it anymore, "Okay Zach, I don't want you to worry about that man anymore, okay? I need to talk to your dad, but I want you to take Seth and go to bed." 

"But mom-"

"Zach thats enough. Now go to bed." she said fiercely. 

I did as she said and got Seth taking him to his room, I remember walking back down the corridor to my room and hearing my mum crying her heart out on the bottom of the steps, I peered over and watched in fright as her shoulders shook. I don't know if you've ever seen your parents cry, but its one of the scariest experiences of a child's life and I had to watch. 

I was petrified, who was that man? What was going to happen to me? Why did he want me? Why was mom crying? 

At ten years old I didn't have any idea how serious everything was and if i'm honest I convinced myself it was a dream, but, on my sixteenth birthday it would all become way too real.