Chasing Starlight 💫

19. Ash. Part 1.

Ash:
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Day three of work experience was turning out to be easy. The afternoon rush had died down and the café was empty. Ash was sweeping behind the sandwich bar when she heard the strum of a guitar from the kitchen. Sweeping in that direction, she walked the narrow path between benchtops and stoves and saw Jasper at the end of them, sitting on a crate by the backdoor.

Unaware that Ash was leaning against a wall, Jasper played a few strings that didn't quite work. His fingers hovered over the strings and began to pluck again. This time the music came alive in a dark rock ballad that gave her goosebumps. Jasper hummed a note and sung:

"She's a galaxy far away

And her star a mystery

She will hide and she will lose time

And he'll do everything to bring her back

Oh, she found invisible wings to shoot her up to the skies

Racing through clouds, she never wants to come down

But when she falls the darkness calls

And her mind starts unravelling.

Now he's lost in a dream that she can't escape

Together, they will never leave this place.

Now she hides, hears him call,

'Fly, Little Star. Fly...'"

The notes fell away and Jasper gave up the song. Rapping his thumb against the guitar's body, his eyes widened upon seeing Ash. "That's all I can remember so far..."

"You didn't write it?"

"A friend. He writes half our music."

Ash needed to know the origin of that song. The story was eerily familiar, like her life had been written to music. "One of the guys from Immortal Kiss?"

He shook his head, as if parting with such information would cost him.

"Okay, I'm going to beg." Ash smiled sweetly and clasped her hands in a begging position. It felt beneath her, but some things were worth begging for. "Please?"

"His name is..." Jasper rubbed his jaw. "Al."

"Al?" As in Alründ? They do live in the same house—although I'm not meant to know that. It would explain the lyrics. Crazy that he would reveal secrets like that in a song. Then again, they sound too far-fetched to be real. Alründ would have known that, too.  "Does he have a last name?"

"Why? Are you planning to ditch me and become his number one fan?"

Ash smiled. She was already Alründ's number one fan. "I was just wondering why this Al guy isn't in the band if he writes the music. He can't be tone deaf if he writes a song like that."

"Oh, Al can sing. And he can play guitar like he sold himself to the devil. Actually, if Al was in the band I would be reduced to a backup singer and rhythm guitar."

"No way!" Ash laughed. "No one could front Immortal Kiss but you. You are Immortal Kiss!" But Alründ fronting a band, singing his songs on stage... I would totally go to that show. And he would have to sing that song.

"Thanks, Ashie. Nice to know someone's loyal." He rose from the stool and rested his guitar by the door, staring out at the back alley. There was a broodiness in the way he held himself up, the way his cheeks hollowed as if suddenly bitter.

What if Jasper is telepathic? Maybe his 'loyal' comment was really a dig at my expense. Not that I'd blame him. Jasper is a great lead singer. The best!