Kaos Jolt (Unedited)

Backstage Drama

    After a few more songs, we finished the gig. As we closed up the set, I knew I was in for quite a bit of trouble from the others for changing the lyrics. I collected up the equipment that was attached to Shard and I started towards the band's dressing room. As I reached the door, I hesitated to enter. My hand trembled in anticipation of the conflict to ensue.

    The door slammed open in front of me. A strong hand reached out and grabbed for my collar. Bastion's grip felt like a tow truck latched onto my throat. A fist flew by and connected with the left side of my skull.

    "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" asked Alyssa. "You completely threw off the first song of this gig by making a fool of yourself. And for what? Some girl?" The tone in Alyssa's voice told me more than the words that came out of her mouth. "You really are a hopeless case. You're pathetic." A tone of hurt lay masked in the stabbing knife of apathy and pity.

    Bastion tossed me into the room and slammed the door behind. "You have some nerve making a kickass song like that and ruining it that quickly." He shook his head and sat down on a chair, looking furious. "You're a complete moron," he said, looking as if he had just had his most precious possession stolen from him and he was vengeful enough to steal it back. "This gig would have been enough for the band to be signed. There was a major corporate record label producer out in the audience, and you completely ruined a set deal. You're a fuckin' fucktard, man."

    At this point I've already shut everyone out of my head. I had noticed a Post-It note out of the corner of my eye, so as everyone was bitching about my song rewrite, I started to walk over to pick it up. It was a note from Z, the boss. "Good job on stage. Noticed a change in heart. Follow the trail it leads you on. -Z" I didn't know what to think of this. The fact that it came from the boss himself made this note was mysterious enough, but the way it was written was astonishing. A wax seal bearing the crest of what seemed to be an ancient Egyptian bloodline marked the back, designed with a scarab marked with an ankh and a few hieroglyphs separated by a lightning bolt. The writing itself was unique as well. It seemed to have been written with a calligraphy pen, but the consistency of the ink wasn't that of India ink at all. It had more of a rough, dry texture. More like that of blood. Even the style of the handwriting was unusually unique. Instead of having a typical handwriting style that is unique to a human extent, having certain curves that distinguish it from other people, it looked indistinguishable, almost inhuman, like a machine. It had a very bland, mechanical sort of style. Not quite like a typewriter, but with that kind of linear pattern.

    As soon as the others realized the note I picked up, they fell silent. The wax seal had apparently intrigued them as well, so they looked over my shoulder. As they each read, their jaws dropped at the official nature of the note. Not even Alyssa was able to say anything negative towards me.

    The first person to react was Lars. His eyes glazed over temporarily, then he smiled and looked at the others. "Maybe we were a bit hard on Xander. If the boss thinks he did a good job, then we gotta give him at least a bit of credit. After all, he's the first one who has gotten approval from the chief."

    Bastion shook his head. "As much as I hate to say it," he said slowly, "but Lars is right. If the boss approves of you, X, then you're alright wit' us."

    A knock came from the door. A voice belonging to a girl drifted through. "Is this the dressing room for Kaos Jolt?" Everyone went silent. This was the first time someone has been looking for our band after a gig for a few months.

    Lars went towards the door and opened it slowly. Bones was standing there with the girl from the audience who had entranced me so. In front of them stood my younger sister, Lucrezia.

    Lucrezia strode towards me in a huff, grabbing my shirt and pulling me out of the chair I was sitting in. "What the hell is with Bones stopping us from coming straight here?! I thought dad told you that you had to be nice to me whenever I come to visit?!?"

    I raised my hands defensively and instinctively. "Hey, dad also said that I wasn't allowed home, so his rules don't apply."

    Lucy gave me a stare that would have sent knives through me if possible. We had never seen eye to eye, especially since we worked at the same place and dad ended up treating her like a little angel compared to me. Lucrezia Marietta Brasi, my younger sister of 21, was initially hired to be one of the bar-tending waitresses of High Voltage, but then she got the responsibility of creating an all girl band for the bar when the boss found out I had taught her how to play guitar. It's not a falsity to state she jumped for joy at the opportunity to make me look like a fool.

    Lucy's glare only lasted for a few seconds before Bones broke in to the tension. "Xander, this beautiful girl is Azalea Le Creux." He nodded towards the girl who had come in with himself and Lucy. "She is the newest member of Lucy's band. She also wanted to come to meet the writer of the first song you guys played."

    I loosened Lucy's grip by squeezing her wrist in a way that I had remembered from childhood would work without hurting her. I walked towards Azalea and bowed. "I am the writer of the song." I smiled sheepishly. "It was a bit of a wreck, but I was trying to impress someone in the crowd."

    "It's ok," Azalea said, blushing. "I thought it was amazing. The lyrics were really cool, and I liked the way you played." She whispered softly, "Plus, I saw you looking at me the entire time."

    We both laughed softly. "I really did think it would be a cool song to experiment with," I said. "I always was a fan of the White Stripes, so I had a good idea to cover 'Seven Nation Army'." I chuckled sheepishly.

    Lucy jumped me from behind. "Xander, you moron!" she shouted. "While you're here flirting with her, dad is back home dying!"

    I looked at Lucy with rage. "Why the hell are you telling me?" I spat with disgust. "We got into a huge fight before work, or didn't he tell you that?" My blood started to boil. "He made it perfectly well and clear that he wants nothing to do with me." The rage inside me started to fire up like a serpent about to strike. "So, is this his pathetic way of trying to keep me in check?"

    Lucy was pissed. One second she lay limp, shaking and trembling with rage. The next second, her hand hit my face with a resounding 'THWACK!!!!' that echoed throughout the room. "You selfish bastard," she said. "Dad is on his deathbed, in a fucking coma, and all you can think about is yourself. It's no wonder why he doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."

    The sting in my face hurt a lot less than the stab of learning that my father was in a comatose state. "How did it happen?" I asked, half nervous of learning the answer.

    Lucy's hatred towards me shown darkly through the tears that lay within her eyes. "Not that you would care," she started, but he ended up drinking himself there after the fight you two had. He didn't...he couldn't..." She burst into tears.

    I felt the shame burn through me. "Lu, let's go. We'll go see dad." As I said this, I helped Lucy get up and I bid everyone farewell. Bones wished me luck, and Azalea gave a look of wanting to talk more, but held back. The others huddled around and kept talking until after we left the room.