I sat by the window of the plane, looking out at the mass of stars we had stolen from the sky to light our streets at night. With a deep breath, I twisted on the small light over my seat and pulled out a notebook that I had bought at one of the shops in the airport. The binding crackled as I opened it to the first page and began to write down the memories, wanting to get them on paper before they faded away like the last wisps of a dream that vanished from your mind when you woke. This was a dream that I wanted to live forever.
Every detail, every lesson, I recorded into these pages, and when I was finally finished, I drew a line and beneath it I wrote The American Leg and closed the book, waiting for the adventures that still lie ahead.
Hours dragged on and at some point in my dreary exhaustion, the wheels kissed the ground, landing in the small midwestern city I had once called home. The tour was in a two week dark period so cast and crew all made our separate ways until the show in Pittsburgh.
Ashley met me at baggage claim with Sage trailing at her heels. Her lips curled into a broad smile as I stepped into view and she ran to greet me with a hug. "It's good to have you here!" she beamed, taking my suitcase from me. "Matt is waiting in passenger pick-up ." she explained, hurrying towards the door. I followed close behind.
As we walked through the crowds of people, I could feel the eyes of those around us staring at me, trying to recall where they had seen me before. Luckily, we were out the door before it registered for anyone and I was soon safe in their car.
"Welcome home, Quinn!" Matt exclaimed from behind the wheel. He had grown up in our neighborhood as kids so I had known him for most of my life. He and my sister had started dating in High School and following college they arranged to be married. It was a life I envied at times; wedded with a child and a house, but I knew when I chose this career that settling down wasn't going to be an option any time soon. The hours are too long and the travel too frequent. I would never have a standard life, and at this point, I was okay with that.
Sage took the seat next to me in the back of the car and we were off, winding through the streets to my sister's new home. Upon arriving, my bags were taken to the guest room and I collapsed onto the couch, happy to be done traveling for this short period of time.
I don't recall when I fell asleep, I only remember waking to the shrill ring of the telephone. I rolled over to pick up the one by the couch, but when I pressed it to my ear, Ashley had already answered on another line.
"Hello?" she asked into the phone and a deep, garbled voice replied.
"Hello, is Mrs, Wall there?" came the voice on the other end. I had to cover my mouth to keep from making a sound and blowing my cover, but despite the guise, I knew that voice, but Ash didn't so she continued on.
"No, I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number." she said then hung up the phone. I did the same so he could call again. The second click would have told Michael I had been listening, but Ashley still didn't know. Five minutes later, the call came again. And once again, she picked up, me following just a split second after. "Hello?" Her voice hinted at a skepticism that lurked in her mind.
"Hello, is Mr. Wall there?" the caller wondered.
Growing frustrated, Ashley responded through gritted teeth. "I told you already, I think you have the wrong number." Click. Like clockwork, the next call came five minutes later. In her irritation, Ashley could only muster a grudging "What?" as a greeting.
"I was just wondering... If there are no Walls in the house, then what's holding up the roof?" He finished, laughing his heart out. Ashley just hung up in annoyance. This time we didn't have to wait five minutes for the next call. It came seconds after. The phone kept on ringing and ringing until I decided Ashley wasn't going to answer this time, so I picked up my end.
At the sudden halt to the sound, Ashley figured I had picked it up so she did the same to issue me a warning of the prank ahead. "Quinn, don't fall for it-" she advised, cut off by my reassurance.
"I know." I replied. "It's Michael." He giggled on the other end, satisfied with the confusion he had caused and Ashley left us alone to speak, silencing her end of the line.
"Hi." he said, his voice barely above a whisper and I settled back down onto the couch, playing with the wire that coiled from the phone.
"What's up?" I asked in return, wondering what had warranted the call.
He paused a moment before responding, as if recalling the details that lurked in his mind. "I was watching the news today when a story came on about an elephant... it was a horrific story and I needed to get it off my chest... I knew you would understand so I found your sister's number and gave it a call." Michael explained.
"Tell me about it." I prompted, resting my elbow on the armrest beside me.
"It was a video from a Polynesian Island. They had a circus with elephants and tigers and all the magical wonders that accompany the show, but these animals were not being treated right. One of the elephants became angered during the performance and attacked, killing her trainer. That's one soul gone from this world which is sad enough, but after, the elephant escaped the venue and rampaged through the city for half an hour. Quinn, she looked so scared. When I looked into her eyes, I saw the purest form of terror looking back." His voice cracked a bit as the emotions took hold and I wished I could be there beside him. "They open fired and the wounds proved to be too much. Covered in blood, she collapsed with eighty-seven bullets buried in her flesh."
As he spoke, I was reminded of the tale of the elephant lords that he had once narrated for the little boy in the hospital all those days ago and the final line from the story echoed in my head. "And one day, ten thousand ghosts of the once great lords of the plains will march saying, 'We do not hate you, don't you see. We were willing to fall so you, dear small ones, will never fall again.'" I recited.
"All they ever ask for us to do is to watch, learn, and love." he sighed.
YOU ARE READING
One (A Michael Jackson Fan Fiction)
Fanfiction"It's an adventure, it's a great adventure. There's nothing to be nervous about. They just want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they've never been before. We want to show them talent like they've never seen before. We're putt...
