Break Me Free - Roger Taylor

1. Meeting

August of 1975 was as British as anyone can imagine. The sunny afternoons were short, only replaced by long rainy days. Those took their toll on the road to the Rockfield Farm, which served as a recording studio for more than ten years and was popular with many famous artist for its quiet and isolation.

Kate's car bravely fought with the potholes filled with water, until finally she parked next to a big van. Kate knew the band Queen worked here at the time. But it was very important to her friend (and also owner's wife) to keep them undisturbed. She even asked Kate to avoid them, because the peace and quiet was what the musicians came for. Kate reassured the owners many times, that she needs her own therapeutic holiday, by herself, just reading, writing, taking walks and sleeping.

She got out of the car and deeply inhaled the fresh air, with just a little whiff of manure. She smiled to herself and headed to the main door, where her friend from high school now lived. Then from the barn on her left came a rattling noise and shouting, followed by laughter, even more and angrier shouting and more, even merrier laughter.

"I'm no fucking cook!" somebody shouted, the barn door flew open and the next thing there was a pan flying next to Kate's head. She couldn't even move, she just stared at the cookware with black bottom lying on the gournd, that didn't smashed her head thanks to only few inches.

"Oh shit, honey, are you alright?" asked the clumsy cook. Startled, he ran to her, looking for bleeding.

"Darling?" he asked again, when she just stood there frozen. She looked at him, eyes full of shock slowly turning into a look of surprise, when she realized she's facing Freddie Mercury.

"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry about it. It's me, who is sorry. I'm leaving right now." she blurted out a stepped back. She gripped her bag tightly and continued on her way to announce her arrival.

"Come on, wait, what are you sorry about? Who are you?" Freddie got interested. From the barn door went out two of his band mates.

"I, well, I'm visiting, but I'm forbidden to disturb you, so..." Kate explained stepping back again, while the musicians encircled her.

"And I almost killed you now, so I don't think that counts as disturbing. I am Freddie." he introduced himself needlessly. She was no cultural layman, on the contrary, she listened to music all the time at home. Even she was more of a Pink Floyd fan, she knew Queen and most of their songs pretty well.

"Kate." she shook his hand, and then with Brian the guitarist and the bassplayer Deaky. Especially the hairy guitarist examined her with a particular interest.

"I should go, so they won't send me home, if they catch me with you." She smiled only half joking, her friend was very serious reminding her again and again to keep their reputation untouched.

"And who gave you so cruel order and deprived us of your beautiful company?" Freddie asked.

"Lizzie did. I just needed a vacation, but there are strict rules applied." Kate explained.

"Well, we can work on that, don't you worry darling." Freddie assured her. "And by the way, do you know how to cook? Those morons are making me cook dinner, but as you can see, I use pan preferably as a weapon."

"Hey, no cheating Fred. She hadn't even settled in." Brian stopped him, which made the singer quiet sad. For a short time, he really liked the idea of not making dinner. From the door of the owner's home emerged Elizabeth, who saw Kate's car on the drive way shortly before and was assuming Kate broke a wheel in some pothole, when she didn't come to greet her for so long.

"I apologize in advance, I almost killed her with my stuff. This stuff, I wouldn't dare to try that with mine own." Freddie joked and to prove he's not lying, he lifted the pan from the ground a showed it to Lizzie.