Time, She Will Be Your Living End (David Bowie Fanfiction)

Can You Hear Me Major Tom?

December 31, 2019.

Four years. In just eleven days it will be four years since David Bowie passed away. 2016 rolled around into 2019 rather quickly and now its New Year's Eve, 2019.

This time I'm not some fifteen-year-old who has no clue where she's going in life. Now I'm some eighteen-year-old who has somehow managed to clear her mind to the best of her ability and move away. I left my job at the record shop. I left my mum, my dad and my little sister. I moved away to London to try and pursue a career but so far that has just failed and now every night I shut up shop in a new record store.

I'm going no where and I know it. London isn't what I thought it would be. For one it's unimaginably expensive, I can barely scrape a few pennies together to pay the rent. But also because I haven't gotten anywhere near where I want to be. I got the job at the record store, but that's it. I guess it's close enough. I wanted to get into the music industry. Either making my own music or helping other's get their music out into the world. I am a failure and I know it.

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"Ok so why are you so miserable on New Years huh?" my boss, the owner of the record shop, asked me as he took some boxes of new records from here to there and there to here. I sat at the empty tills resting my head in my hands as I tried to recover from my hangover. He opened up the cardboard boxes with the new stock in them. They were all David Bowie. He took them out pack by pack. Each pack had twenty of each album. ChangesOneBowie, Heroes, Blackstar, Lodger all flashed past me as he put them down on the counter.

"Can you help me out Annie?" Pete said, calling me over with his hand. I cut open the plastic that kept each pack together and sorted them into their places in the David Bowie section then placed the self-titled album 'David Bowie' into my section of staff recommendations. My fingers traced over the back of the Album. Space Oddity, Janine, Letter To Hermione, Memory Of A Free Festival.

"You know what you asked me earlier- about 'being so miserable on New Years'?" I said impersonating my boss with a small laugh at the end. He too laughed then nodded, signalling that he was ready to listen. "Well, uh, It's because I've got nothing to do. My parents are away with my family for Christmas in Canada, I didn't get invited obviously. I guess I just don't want another year of wasting my life."

Pete reached his arm out and gently rubbed my arm and gave me a small smile. "Me, the Mrs, our eldest daughter, her girlfriend and some of our close friends are going to the pub tonight to celebrate. Drinks will be on me, do you want to come?"

How could I say no? I was going to be on my own - and on New Years Eve. But now I would actually be with people. I didn't know who most of them were but it would be an improvement to last year. Plus drinks will be completely free, so... "I'd love to. Thank you Pete." I said with a genuine smile. "Good." He smiled then returned to sorting the records into their places.

"We'll be there at seven, so make it for around then. Go on, you can go home now. I'll see you later." He said, waving his hand to shoo me away. "Lock the door behind ya, I'm closing for the next few days. God I'm going to have a terrible hangover after tonight. For tonight, we enter a new decade" Pete clapped his hands together, celebrating prematurely. "I'll see you later.' I replied, laughing at him.

The shop shut at half past two. We always shut early on event days; Christmas Eve Eve (we didnt open on Christmas Eve), New years Eve, and most other events. After I stepped out of the shop and locked the door behind me, I put on my headphones, loaded up spotify and Space Oddity began to play. I heard the first few strums then 'Ground control to Major Tom'. I stopped, closed my eyes and smiled as a small tear rolled down my face. I missed him terribly. I never met him, but I always felt this connection whenever I would listen to any of his songs. I would close my eyes whenever I listened to him on vinyl, it always felt like I was really there in that recording studio or at that concert.

'Ground Control to Major Tom.'

I carried on walking down the street towards my scruffy little apartment.

'Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.'

Then came another thought. I am miserable here, there's nothing for me.

'ten.'

1973 is where I belong!

'nine.'

Going to those Ziggy Stardust gigs,

'eight.'

Doing something with my life,

'seven.'

Playing records, and actually feeling like I am alive,

'Six.'

Not just a dead spirit trapped and locked up inside of a body.

'five. Commencing Countdown engines on.'

I took one single step into the road. My other foot followed.

'Four.'

I felt numb and heavy, a dead weight dragging feet behind it.

'Three.'

I took another step.

'Two.'

I heard a slight growl of a car engine.

'Check ignition,'

My heart started beating rapidly then it slowed instantly.

'One.'

The world was spinning as I could hear the eerie echoes of David's voice.

'And may God's love be with you....'

One small step for man.

'Lift off.'

One giant leap for mankind.

Amongst the song that was transporting me off to another world, all I could hear were echos.

My body was thrust forward in an instant, like Major Tom's space craft. I was flying till my motionless body hit the ground. I could still hear Space Oddity playing, but it was muffled and eerie.

I waited for consciousness to regain, but everything went black.