Project iDragon

014: Fire to the Sky

"All I'm saying is that maybe the people that run this joint could check the weather report before hand, you know. I am missing out on a very fattening burger right now and I have half a mind to file a complaint."

I rolled my eyes and hefted a pair of bell stands over my shoulder as Madi carried the actual keyboard bells carefully. The case was ratty and ripped in several places and she had a look on her face that was showed her determination not to go down for breaking something she wasn't even supposed to touch. "That's why we were supposed to haul buns like everyone else while we still had the chance."

"Not my fault that your bass guitarist can't be bothered to roll the cord for her own speakers. I have to do everything around here," she fumed.

"You know, except march."

She stuck her tongue out at me and together we started making our way off the practice field toward the band room on the other side of the campus. Being the nice friend that I was, I had waited behind while Madi finished doing whatever it was she did after rehearsal. The rest of the band had ditched for lunch and we almost made it out too, when Mark caught us by the back of the shirts and dragged us back into the music related hell known as, "It's going to rain, equipment needs to go back inside right now."

Even the band director and the rest of the techies had left the campus, leaving the three of us alone to get the percussion stuff back inside before someone got really mad at us.

"I mean isn't this the pit's job?"

The sky was angry, blowing its pent up rage down at us. The trees reached up toward it with outstretched fingers, but the sky wanted no comfort, swatting down their efforts without a backwards glance. The grey clouds seemed a thousand times more sinister than just a blanket over our heads. It was supposed to be a sunny afternoon, but somehow I could just see them laughing in scorn at what was supposed to be. I shook my head sternly and quickened my pace; this wasn't weather to be messed around with.

Even if it was the pit's job to move their stuff after rehearsal.

The wind picked up briskly, making my t-shirt snap back and forth against my chest. With one hand, I adjusted my glasses. Madi and I were about halfway off the practice field when I caught sight of Mark jogging toward us, hugging his jacket tightly around his shoulders. He nodded at us sternly before motioning for us to pick up the pace. "I sent a mass text out to the pit to get back here," he told us as moved past. The three of us paused and braced ourselves against the wind as he started yelling so his voice could be heard. "I don't know why, but cell reception suddenly crashed on me. I don't know how much help we can expect so let's get this stuff inside now!"

"Right!" I yelled back and nodded at Madi for us to continue forward with a renewed vigor. My eyes moved to the sky again as we half walked, half jogged down the muddy path that led behind the football announcer's box. Despite the crawling wind and the churning clouds above, the world still seemed unnaturally quiet – almost like it could see something that we couldn't, and was holding its breath in fear.

The two of us slowed our pace as we neared the dirt path between the fenced baseball diamond and the backside of the football announcer's box. The stadium box towered high above our heads, casting a dark shadow into the already dark and muddy alley. We had to walk carefully, as all the rain, and back and forth transportation had turned the path into a walking deathtrap – and of course there was no way around without taking some bolt cutters to the lock that chained the football field.

And the bolt cutters were in the band room on the other side of the campus; we had to get there first.

We used each other for balance as we crossed the mudflat and were just about in the clear when suddenly a shrieking cry pierced the winded silence. Madi and I shared a quick look before abruptly setting our stuff down on a semi-dry spot on the ground and running toward the sound. They were coming from inside the football stadium; up in the bleachers somewhere.