Slashed Wings

Chapter 1- Cry for a Shadow

Chapter 1~

    George kicked and yelled in defense from John through bouts of laughter. The rhythm guitarist was trying to steal the window seat of the car, but George was persistent. Even Paul and Ringo had joined in, holding back John with even more laughs. Paul flicked him in the back of the head; causing John to twist around with an evil grin. "Don't test your luck, Paulie..."
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    "I've got plenty of tickles just for ya'!" And he flung himself onto the bassist, who was now rearing with giggles. "AH! JOHNNY, NO!" George joined in, grinning a toothy grin and tickling behind Paul's weak spot; his ear. These antics continued, wavering back and forth as to who was the new target. When finally, they arrived at their destination...
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    It was yet another hectic press conference for the Beatles, with reporters crowding and shouting, aiming only to get a golden response from one of them. They were especially coining in after the whole 'Jesus' incident. The flashes of cameras and jumbled noise were quite frankly making Ringo dizzy, but there was something else in the air, something almost ominous...
    It wasn't uncommon for these conferences to feel strange, especially since they travelled around so often, and the air seemed tenser in America. Right now the group was set in New York, and staying nearby. They had a few shows planned in the next week after Shea Stadium, and Brian had insisted on a press meet-up to possibly clear out the newfound ill opinions of the group.
     Ringo shook the thoughts from his head, and tried to focus. But he couldn't help quickly glancing up from the huddled group of cameramen to see a strange dark figure in the back of the room, he seemed to be carrying something, but it was too shadowed back there to tell. Ringo couldn't make out much of it, so he just looked back down and continued answering questions. "Ringo, how do you feel about the new miniskirt trend?" "Is your new album coming along?" The others did as well; "Is the band breaking up anytime soon?" "How do you react to the riots happening across the nation?" "Is it true you are getting married to [insert celebrity here]?" And it continued on in this way until...

                            *Bang!*
   
    It took a moment for Ringo to regain his awareness, and he quickly glanced around the room. Time seemed to slow. Paul looked panicked, and all of the reporters in the room were silent. In John's corner, he was standing there completely frozen. Ringo was confused as to what had shocked them, that's when he finally looked over to George. The next sight nearly killed him. George's eyes slowly lolled up, and after a split moment of wavering he fell forward to the floor with a thud.
     "Oh god!" Paul yelped after a short hesitation, and quickly ran to George's side. Some reporters cleared out, some crowded further in. John was still frozen in place, and looked considerably pale. But as Ringo dove next to the fallen George, he noticed that George was even paler. He and Paul checked frantically for a pulse, luckily finding a slightly weaker than normal one near his neck. "Someone call an ambulance!" Ringo demanded. Now, the reporters were scrambling from this way and that to get help or to look for a culprit, some were just trying to cash in and get pictures. Ringo would have been angrier than ever, but now there was no time for that. His best friend had just been shot for Christ's sake!
    Minutes felt like hours, and after more pulse-checking and and under-the-breath praying for it to be okay, the ambulance finally arrived. Men in colored medical outfits burst in with varying equipment. One checked the pulse while the others loaded George's thin frame onto the gurney. This all felt like a dream to Ringo, but a horrible, terrible nightmare. Lights buzzed in the distance and sirens started as the ambulance quickly made its way out of sight. All Ringo could do was sit miserable and dazed on the floor, and thinking about how he could've done something to stop this. That man-
    But his thoughts were interrupted yet again, by a still in shock Brian gathering the remains of the band to leave quickly. Paul wiped his watering eyes and sat up, helping Ringo up with him. They started to make their way towards the door, and John reluctantly tailed them looking like he still wasn't mentally back.
   
     And so the four of them walked to the nearby car, all refusing to talk. The memories creeping up and biting at them fiercely, why George?