The Creator

Chapter 12

Word count: 1042

Warnings: Angst, referenced self-harm/suicide attempt

Author's note: Sorry this chapter is a sad one, and I tried my best to explain Clancy's background but the character I made up is so complicated that I might (might!) make like a "prequel" about her when this series finishes up!

Clancy sat up in her room, holding a yellow gerbera daisy, and was softly singing to herself. It was hard for her to keep it a secret from her dad that she was a Bandito but she knew she had to do it.

She thought about the concerts that she went too when she was little, and how much music impacted her, especially Tyler and Josh's music. She loved them, and she was devastated when she learned that her own father was banning them from being a creator. Tyler was one of the most famous creators in the entirety of Dema, and it hurt her so much knowing she would never be able to listen to their music again.

But then Clancy was introduced to the Banditos from a friend of hers, and it was her little secret that she kept from her father and the other bishops. Banditos were already putting their lives at risk by sneaking around and listening to music as a non-listener, but it was even more dangerous for Clancy because she was the daughter of the leader of Dema.

"Clancy?" Nico called up to his daughter's room. She hid the flower in her closet and opened the door for her father.

"Yes?"

"I thought I heard you singing," he looked around in her room.

"No, I wasn't," she looked down at the floor trying to not act suspiciously.

"I need you to go downstairs and check on the prisoner's, Keons and I are going to go check on Province 4," he explained. Clancy nodded as she headed down to the cells.

She opened the door, and almost everyone was sleeping except for Josh who was silently drumming on his knees with his fingers. He looked over at you and sat up a little bit. Clancy looked around to make sure there were no other Niners or other Bishops down there.

"Josh." She came and sat down by his cell.

"Are you a Bandito?" He whispered, mentioning that he heard her say the password as she walked away last night. She nodded softly, looking into his eyes.

"I want to help you guys get out of here," her voice got louder waking you and Tyler up. "But you have to trust me."

"I trust you, if you're a Bandito than I trust you," Josh whispered.

"What's going on?" you asked when you saw Clancy kneeling by Josh's cell.

"She's a bandito, and she wants to save us," Josh explained looking up at you and then back over to Clancy. She smiled at you and then started to blush a little before walking over to you.

"Are you okay? Are they okay?" she nodded her head to Autumn who was holding a sleeping Westley in the corner.

"We're okay," you rubbed your stomach. You were starving, and you were starting to worry about your baby.

"You're a bandito?" Tyler said with a raspy voice from his cell. His neck and hands were almost completely black.

Clancy nodded and walked over to Tyler's cell. She looked up at Tyler and looked at his skin which was in the process of being smeared. "I always was. Your music has saved me," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" you asked trying to understand. Clancy looked over at you and you could see her green eyes were wet with tears. She looked down and lifted her sleeve of the black dress she was wearing up and revealed a large white scar that ran from the top of her wrist to right before her elbow.

"I tried to kill myself when I was a 14, and my dad found me," she mumbled. "That was right before he banned you from being a creator."

"Why did you?" Tyler asked.

"It's so hard pretending to be a normal girl when you're the daughter of a Bishop. Your music was the only thing that kept me going, but one night I saw you guys live in Province 2, and someone recognized me and I guess something had happened with my dad and they had kicked me out."

"I remember that our very last show," Tyler whispered. "What did they do?"

"They spat on me, and told me horrible things, and I just couldn't take it anymore and yeah. My dad found me in front of the concert hall." Clancy pulled her sleeve down and looked up at Tyler.

"Nico told me he banned me because my music was negatively impacting the society" he whispered.

"He banned us because he thought our music was the reason you tried to kill yourself?" Josh asked softly.

"Yes," Clancy's voice quivered as she stared at the ground. "But I'm so glad I'm alive. I stayed alive for you guys, but I regret it all. I regret everything because now look where you are," she fell to her knees and started to cry. Her shoulders shook with every breath she took, and the sounds echoed in the silent basement. Tyler's raspy voice filled the emptiness as he started to sing.

"Now the night is coming to an end," Tyler song from his cell. He held his hand out through the bars and Clancy shuffled over and held it. His hand was cold as the black paint became more apparent.

"The sun will rise and we will try again," she sang the next line. They joined together in harmony. You watched in amazement and you looked over at Josh who was also looking at you. You hoped that Clancy could help you guys escape.

"Stay alive, stay alive for me," Tyler croaked, quickly grabbing his throat. With every word, he sang his voice got raspier and raspier. He could barely speak, let alone sing. He collapsed to the floor, making you run to the front of your cell.

"Please help him," you cry out. Clancy looks at you with widened eyes, and then she looked over at Josh.

"I promise I will help you guys get out of here safely." She stood up and walked over to Josh's cell. Josh stood up and they faced each other through the bars.

"Thank you," Josh spoke, putting his hand through the bars to reach hers. Clancy intertwines her fingers within his.

"I promise," she whispered.