Hail of Bullets

August 15, 2023-Los Angeles, California

The music blared. The strobe lights flashed in their color changing frenzy. The men sitting in the audience sat looking up at Melody Ollsen, better known by her stage name, Starlight. She danced her way around the stage, watching and reveling in the expressions of the men watching her. She could clearly see their arousal showing, and it caused her to smile, knowing that she had caused that. As she reached behind her back, she saw the men’s eyes light up. This is what they had been waiting for. As her hands came away, her top came down. It didn’t change much. The top had been tight enough and small enough to not leave much to the imagination. As the men began to cheer at her newly exposed form, she just closed her eyes and smiled.

~~~~~

“Alright, Beth, I’m outta here!” Melody yelled out into the dressing rooms as she was leaving. The name always caused her to laugh. She always found it ironic that the room where the firls would take of most of their clothes was called a dressing room. But, she just had a sense of humor like that.

“See ya tomorrow, Melody!” Beth yelled out in return.

But, Melody was already gone. As she left the strip club through the back door, she stopped and started rummaging through her bag, trying to find her sunglasses.

“I hate working during the day…” she mutters to herself when she finally finds them.

Glancing down the street, she’s surprised to see someone she knows. She waves as her high school friend Betsy Miller comes walking up to her.

“Betsy!”

“Melody!” Betsy responds as she gives her old friend a hug. “It’s been too long!”

“I know! What’s it been…”

“Five years?” The two girls respond at the same time, causing them both to laugh.

“Just about” Betsy responds, still laughing.

“Well, are you busy right now?” Melody asked her friend.

“Umm……Yeah. I think I can spare an hour or so.”

Five minutes later the girls were sitting in the corner booth at a nearby bar called The Cave. Both were sitting back, Melody with a martini and Betsy with a Coke, and joking about the old days.

“Do you remember Sophie Peterson?” Betsy asked.

“You mean that fat nerd girl?” Melody laughed. “Yeah, what about her?”

“She’s skinny! And married!”

“What!? And we thought she’d never make it.” The two girls laughed at this.

“So, what are you doing for work?” Betsy inquired.

“I’m a……dancer.” Melody said. It wasn’t quite a lie. She was a dancer, just not the usual breed.

“Oh, that’s cool!” Betsy replied.

All of a sudden, Betsy’s phone rang.

“Shit. It’s the office. Hold on.” She quickly explained. “Hello? Yes, Nicole…..Okay….Fine. I’ll be right there.” She hung up her phone. “That was my secretary. There’s an emergency office meeting. Sorry, but I have to cut this short. Are you free next week?”

Melody thought for a second. “Ummmm, Tuesday and Thursday after six.”

“Well, I’m free Thursday night. Feel like doing this again?”

“Sure! I mean, five years is a lot of time to make up for.”

“Exactly! How about we meet back here next Thursday at seven?”

“Fine with me!” Melody replied with a smile.

“Okay” Betsy smiled back. “I’ll see you next week” she said to her friend, accompanied by a hug.

Melody downed the rest of her drink while her friend walked out. Well, at least she had something new to do in the middle of her usual rut of a week.

~~~~~

Two hours, six martinis, and a few jello shots later, Melody was walking out of the bar. Luckily, her apartment was only a few blocks away, so she didn’t need to call a cab. As she walked towards her home, she heard a strange noise. Thinking it was the alcohol getting to her, she paid no attention to it. But, as she began to hear screams, she realized it wasn’t her imagination. The screams filled the air, and shortly following, the sounds of explosions.

The air quickly filled with dust and the ground was littered with debris. As people began to run past her, Melody was overcome by fear. Looking up, she saw jets streaking past. And then, coming directly towards her, a fast moving, white capsule.

“Sorry, Betsy, guess I won’t make that date.” Were the last words that came into her mind before the missile detonated in front of her.