We began getting entire letters. Comments. Words written by real people, globally. I thought this—this disease I had was on me. I was the only one who had had this demon looming over my head, like a lanky scarecrow standing watch over me. I knew people had depression. But depression wasn't listed as "Grim Reaper with a leash over your neck at all times." At least, not literally that way.
As I sat back in my chair at my desk, I looked over my shoulder. There he was. The little remnants of the one who had imprisoned me for months at a time. He was dry, and shriveled, like a raisin. His clothes flaked, and he was fading away. I knew he was dying, but couldn't die until I had finally made the finishing action. I knew what to do. I had wanted to do this for so long, and I had come this far. I finally had the strength to do it. I turned to make my face parallel to his. I looked him directly in the eye. His skin started to draw cracks, like the Sahara. A light could be seen behind each crevice. He began to break like glass, and shattered at last. His fragments then turned into flakes of the light that was shown from underneath him, and the light fragments floated up like bubbles blown by a four year-old on a lazy Sunday.
He was gone. All my sleepless nights. All my migraines and all my back pains had fled to the distant twinkling stars above. It felt like a blue whale was lifted off my back. I was free. No more chains held me down, there was nothing left to enslave me. Nothing left to fear, but fear itself. There was nothing to weigh me down. I was freed. Cut from the noose. The sad hollow hangman of the gallows was off his death sentence, and put in the streets. Proven an innocent man. Running about, shouting his heart out and letting the joy in is chest spill out from his mouth and shower his whole village.
The album blew up hours after that. It stayed at the #1 place in the charts for over a month on iTunes. More people recognized us. We went from small basement shows to sold out stadiums in just over a year. People screaming words back to me from a sea of souls. Words I thought would never leave my bedroom walls. It felt impossible. It seemed unreal. That the stuff I wrote in my basement alone in my pajamas was now being chanted at school pep rallies and was being blasted in nightclubs on a global scale. My life was better than it ever had been. People adored us. We felt more loved, and more at home, in any arena than any place aside from our own homes. People used our songs in videos, and short films, and we even played for the MTV VMA music awards. We were on television. People wanted to book us. We weren't a last resource anymore. We were a first option. We were on Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. We had made it.
And then we got a call. I picked it up casually, not knowing who it was. If I had known who it was, God knows I would've stuttered to death or dropped the phone before it even got to my ear.
Scratching my back and yawning, I glanced at the clock that read 1:13pm. Had I really done that again? I must've been up late replying to emails and fan letters and searching up clique art. I ran my hand through my scalp, letting each finger filter through the plumage at the top of my head.
"Hello..?" I said groggily.
"Yes, good afternoon. I was told that this was the line of Mr. Joseph..?" A timid, higher ranged voice spoke from the cellphone. He spoke clearly, and carefully. He definitely had been up long before I had even fallen asleep.
"This is he.." I replied cautiously.
"Yes, yes, very good. My name is Mr. Iver, I am the assistant to Mr. Ayer, David Ayer..? You might've heard of his most recent upcoming project, Suicide Squad..?"
I stood, stunned. Did he really just say what I thought he just said? Was he really who he said he was? Suicide Squad? Who wasn't hyped for that movie?! I had been waiting since the release of the first teaser on July 13th at Comic Con.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound as awake, aware, and pristine as possible.
"Ahem.. Sorry, I've got a bit of a cold.."
"That's quite alright, sir."
"I am familiar with Suicide Squad. Very excited to see it when it's released.."
"I called on behalf of Warner Bros. Pictures, and of course, Mr. David Ayer, to ask if your band, Twenty One Pilots would be interested in writing for the official soundtrack of the movie? You seem to have gathered quite an audience; you're a smash hit! It could bring some wonderful mutual benefits to the company, alongside your band. We want your sound in our motion picture."
I didn't know what to say. These were the franchises I had grown up with. Six months ago I would've thought I'd be on the begging end, pleading my way into the soundtrack. Oh how the tables had turned. How crazy is this? Am I even hearing myself right now? This is insane.
"Mr. Joseph..? Mr. Joseph, if you wish to decline, me understand completely, we just need an answer quickly. Mr. Joseph? Are you still there?"
I had spaced out. For how long? I was really out of it.
"I-I-I-uh yeah, I'm here, I'm so sorry. I totally spaced out for a second."
"And your answer is..?"
"Oh, absolutely. It would be an honor to work with your company."
"Then we've got ourselves a deal. Thank you very much Mr. Joseph, we have much preparation to discuss. Do you have an open date in your schedule?"
"Yes, but not until Tuesday.?"
"Very well then. Tuesday it is. We will fly you in to our Headquarters Monday, and will discuss the subject over brunch. At 10:47am precisely. Do not be late Mr. Joseph."
"Yes sir!"
"See you then. We will send ticket information via email within the hour."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Iver! I'll be looking forward to then!"
He hung up.
I plopped back down into the cushy black leather seat and twirled around in my little bubble of an office.
Gosh, I can't wait to tell Josh.
"Hey Josh—"
YOU ARE READING
The Blurryface Effect
FanfictionI knew lots of people had depression. It's just a simple known fact. What I didn't know, is that one simple album, could effect and reveal why. And, even more to say, that the reason why, doesn't vary like I'd assumed it did. It wasn't a number of...
