Tattooed Away

Chapter 15

The air is festive as the monkeys take my cage off and sing little snips of my songs back to me.  They aren't very good at pronouncing the words but are surprisingly accurate with the melody.

Lana comes up to me after a few minutes as the crowds begin to disperse with a huge congratulatory grin on her face.

"Yes girl, I loved the mash up you did there.  Got them speechless in the beginning, rocked the middle, coming out strong in the end.  Seriously, you killed it."

"Thank you so much, Lana." I pulled her close for an embrace. "I hope I get to see you around the world, spirit or not, soon." I say with a giggle.

Lana begins immediately shaking her head.

"Oh honey, I couldn't explain it to you before, but you can't leave."

"What!" I screech; Lana immediately yanks my arms down from their exclamatory position and tells me to Shh!

"They were going to eat you darling, now you just have to sing to them to stay alive.  I convinced Master Pig that I needed a partner, that you hit crazy high notes and could belt out a song like no other artist I know." Her compliments soften the blow of me being STUCK here. I blush and softly touch her forearm in thanks.

"So you sing for them?" I asked.

"Every night, there is a concert. See that stage over there." Lana points to a small platform made of metal with a few neon string lights hanging from supports. "I was captured, same as you. And just began singing in the cage to soothe myself.  The monkeys really liked it, especially Cola and Video Games.  I have probably sung each one thousands of times. Enough talking though, we have to practice. We perform in an hour." She grabbed my hand and marched me to the stage.

It was easy to find ways to mix and match our sounds together.  I had always been a huge fan of Lana's music and vice versa; we knew the lyrics to a lot of each other's hits.  The concert was surprisingly pleasant.  There was no yowling from the monkeys, most of them just quietly swaying back and forth.  The music was clearly a cathartic experience for the wild bunch.  

After the last note was sung, me and Lana looked at each other and smiled.  It's amazing how singing  brings me a sense of belonging, no matter where I am doing it.  I felt the music wash a wave of peace over me.  Now I knew what I needed to do.

After our concert, I pretended to go along with the charade of staying here as their pet singer.  I got cozy on a bed next to Lana and then laid awake, waiting for my time to escape.  I felt terrible leaving her, but I knew it wouldn't have been good for both of us to just stay here singing for them for all of eternity.  I would be able to help her if I was free, I told myself as I lay waiting.

Then, finally, it was time to escape.

With quick, sure tip toes I maneuvered around the slumbering bundles. The monkeys were ugly and annoying but damn, they were adorable when sleeping.  Little tiny whispers and murmurs escaped from their furry mouths with each deep, sleepy breath.  

I reached the edge of the nest and exhaled.  Looking back I could see my sheep costume propped next to Lana, looking like I was still in it.  Hopefully, they wouldn't notice I was gone until the morning.  With my last moment on the nest I made a promise to come back and rescue Lana as soon as possible; at that, I leaped off the edge and began my descent towards the street.

Within a few seconds a loud howl erupts from the edge of the nest.  I look back to see countless monkeys hanging from the outside of the nest.  Master Pig appeared and began letting the howling monkeys climb on its stomach.  I looked away before I could see them they take off into the night sky in my pursuit.  

How was I so stupid to think that they would leave their nest unguarded? Of course there was a night watch!

My original plan was to head back to the building I saw the Brockhampton boys at, but once my feet left the nest and I entered the green, misty darkness, it was impossible to find my bearings.  

I was flying faster than ever, unencumbered by my sheep costume.  The wind whipped and slipped around my  small limbs.  I tensed into a missile and willed my body to shoot through the air with increasing speed.  Soon the neon lights began to disperse and within moment I exploded out into complete darkness.  

Below me was the rolling tide of the Hudson Bay and in front of me was the majestic figure of the Statue of Liberty. The howls of the pig monkeys incessantly scream closer and closer behind me.  Their noise threatens to fill the wide atmosphere of this open water.

Finally, I made it to solid ground.  The air was still.  The howls were gone.  I half-expected to look up and see the pig monkeys hovering above me, holding back their taunting laughter.  Instead, as I sat crouched on that lonely perch, in the middle of the Hudson Bay, I heard something unexpected.

Through the chilled, foggy air came a familiar voice with the power to set the whole hip hop scene ablaze.  It was as clear as the I first time I ever heard it.  Driving down Venice Boulevard in LA at three in the morning, car full of my best friends, weed smoke in the air, and the undeniable temptation to stick my head out the sun roof. 

The opening of a legendary verse rung out into the night.

Out on bail fresh outta jail, California dreaming
Soon as I stepped on the scene, I'm hearing hoochies screaming
Fiending for money and alcohol