Ageless

Chapter 20

Father Caollin and I talked into the late hours of the night, but of what, I could not remember, as my subconscious descended into a foggy haze. Only the eyes of the father- which seemed to pulsate from a dull brown to a rusty orange- were burned into my memory. Under the influence of the potent drugs, everything else slipped from my mind, replaced with emptiness, and the cloying feeling that I had unloaded a great deal off my chest.

At some point I drifted off to sleep and began to dream, although I could not recall when or where it had happened. Of the dream itself, however, my memory was crystal clear.

* * *

I was standing in a stadium, lost in a crowd. It was a modern amphitheater, and as I looked around, I realized it was set up on the giant grass football field of my old college. The others in the crowd wore T-shirts, jeans, sundresses, and all the regular attire of college students. Even though it was only a dream, it felt good to be home, in my own time.

There was a stage in front, with spotlights shining down on microphones, guitar stands, amplifiers, and a giant set of drums in the back. Behind the drum set was a giant banner, emblazoned with a picture of David Bowie. He was covered in white makeup and holding up a guitar.

My friend Emily was a few yards ahead of me, weaving her way through the throngs of fans. Every few strides, she would turn around to confirm my location. "Come on Jilly!" she called after me. "Let's see if we can get close to the front of the stage."

I rushed to catch up with her. When I was close enough, Emily turned around and gave me a strange look. "Where did Malcolm get off to? He's the one that dragged us to this concert in the first place." She paused. "And who's the kid that keeps following you around?"

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Thanks for taking me to the concert, miss." I swung around to stare Ko'sa in the face. "You're the best. The Outside is amazing!"

"Ko'sa! How did you...how are we..." I trailed off as the lights in the stadium dimmed.

"Quiet!" Ko'sa said, giddy with excitement. "It's starting!"

The crowd noise fell to a hushed murmur as we all turned our attention to the center stage. Through the black, we could just make out the silhouettes of the band members as they walked out to their spots on the platform.

A single note from an electric guitar rang out from the speakers, hanging over the crowd.

Then the spotlights shined down onto the stage, and Malcolm smiled back from his spot in the center, a flashy red guitar strapped to his shoulders.

"How we all doing tonight?" he shouted into his microphone. The crowd responded with a monstrous roar. "Alright! We're Malcolm and the Church of Lentempia, and we're here to rock!"

More deafening cheers.

Malcolm beamed back at the crowd. "I dedicate this first song to my wife, Jillian Reynolds: the Angel from the Outside."

The band broke into it's first set, Malcolm trying his best to sing with what little vocal range he had. The crowd didn't seem to notice his lack of talent though, and even Ko'sa began to clap along to the beat. "I love this song!" she yelled into my ear.

As he began to waltz around the stage, I saw a fire ignite across the giant poster behind him. The fire began to trace out words, as it did back at the Royal Palace, until the message had completed. It read,

DIE FALSE BOWIE

Then the drum set exploded, but instead of exploding into flames, a giant wave of water erupted from the center. I stood in the middle of the crowd, helpless, as a gigantic tidal wave rushed towards me, swallowing up the crowd in its wake.