The Crimson Queen

Chapter 1: Melody Lane

Darkness is never what it seems. We always think of darkness as evil. Its where the monsters and ghosts hide. Its where the most terrifying evils of the world reside. Its where the scariest things are conjured to commit unspeakable atrocities. It’s the bogeyman that your parents warn you about. Or the monsters under your bed, or in the closet. But that’s just what they say. A rumour to keep you in check. Just a bedtime story to get you to sleep. Its not real. None of it is. The truth is... its not all that bad. In fact, I’ll tell you a little secret... The darkness it’s not that horrible after all. Actually, it’s quite inviting. It can be cold, dark, mysterious, some might even say frightening. But it can have another side to it. A warmer, friendlier, more welcoming side. A gentle and kind side. It can make you fearless against the things that have scared you the most in your entire life.

It did for me anyway...

It all started one normal day in school. Just after lunch, I sauntered over to the lockers at the side of the corridor, noticing Needy fumbling with her textbooks. I couldn’t help my lips breaking out into a small smile and stifling a giggle. “Hey, Monistat.” I greeted her as my hand played absently with the pendant at my throat. Her eyes lit up as she looked up and noticed me. “What’s up, Vagisil?” Tearing my eyes away from her, I asked if she was accompanying me to Melody Lane that night. My heart sank in my chest as she protested with the excuse of her boyfriend. My lips parted in a pout. My eyes widened, filled with sorrow. I looked at her from beneath my lashes as a sigh heaved from her chest. “What time is the show?” A wave of relief flooded over me and my lips widened into a smile. She saw this and smiled back. A light blush coloured my face as I looked into her eyes. “Wear something cute, okay?” On the ‘cute’ my eyes darted to the ceiling. My arms swung loosely by my sides as I moved away, not waiting for an answer.

That night, I approached her house, practically bouncing on my heels. My fingers picked at the stitches of my pocket. The tiny, sinewy thread twisted nimbly in my fingertips as I shouted up the stairs. Not long after, the blonde beauty came pounding down the stairs, unfortunately with her dumb boyfriend in tow. Rolling my eyes, I avoided his gaze and focused solely on Needy. As our eyes met, I felt a twinge in my chest. Plastering a smile on my face, I pushed the feeling deep down. Finally, I dragged my gaze to Chip. Ugh, God his floppy haircut and dopey smile made me sick. “It smells like Tai food in here. Have you guys been fucking?” I smiled ruefully, glaring into his eyes. I heard a mock gasp beside me and felt a gentle push against my arm. With a genuine smile, I pushed Needy back. We volleyed for a few minutes. It felt carefree and fun. Like a dance. With one final rush of energy, I pushed Needy up against the door. Her back hit the wood with a soft thud. Her gaze rested on the ground, scarcely daring to meet my eyes. I sensed something stirring in her. It was only there for a few seconds, but the unguarded truth was engrained in her expression. With a frown, I turned away and headed out for the car, leaving her to follow in my wake.

After a short drive, there it was. In our sights. The band only feet from us. As my hand reached for the key in the ignition, it brushed Needy’s. A spark sizzled between us and our eyes met for a split second. In that second, my heart soared. My mind raced. My breath caught. But it was all over too quickly. We both looked away and edged out of the car. My hand pushed against the old wooden door and as I stepped forward, I took in the atmosphere. The soft overhead lighting cast dancing nymphs all around. Together, we ambled in and stood by an empty table, idly chatting about the boys there. We were only interrupted by Roman’s pathetic excuse for flirting. When they flirt, I like to throw a little back at ‘em. “You gonna cuff me?” I winked, cupping my hand around his crotch. Before it could go any further, we noticed the band setting up behind us and turned to watch. As they set up, I noticed the lead singer. His ebony hair glinted in the soft glow of the overhead lights.  His lips were pulled into a friendly smile. His dark gaze held so many secrets. A sigh shuddered through me as I pulled Needy up with me. “I think they need two groupies.” As she protested, I smiled, rolling my eyes at her shyness. “They’re just boys. Morsels. We have all the power. Don’t you know that? These things?” I pleaded with her, taking each of her breasts in my hands with a blush. “These are like smart bombs. You point them in the right direction and shit gets real.” Smiling to myself, I sauntered off towards the band, knowing she would follow. I’d put on a show of being calm and collected when convincing her, but in truth, my heart was racing. A deep breath filled my lungs to steady myself, but I was still on edge.

The click of my heels on the hardwood floor grounded me as I walked up to the band, holding out my hand. “Hi, I just wanted to meet you, or something. I’m Jennifer Check. Aaaand this is my friend.” As he shook my hand, he looked so carefree. So inviting and stylish and shit. “Hey, um, can I buy you a drink?” I asked nervously. “Sure, what’re we having?” He replied with a crooked smile.
“Uh, they have this 9/11 trigger shooter that’s red, white and blue, but you have to drink it really fast or it goes brown and shi-”
“Oh, right. Well we’ll drink it fast.” He interrupted me with a wolfish grin as I turned to walk to the bar. Before I could take two paces, Needy stopped me. “Wait, how are you gonna get alcohol?”
“Uhh, I don’t know, I’ll just play Hello Titty with the bartender.” I said before moving over to the bar, puffing up my chest and readjusting my bra. “Heyyy there, beautiful.” I said, leaning over the bar and tracing my finger along her jaw. “Can I get two of those 9/11s please, pretty girl.” I pouted, making sure to lean over in a way that revealed my bare chest.

After she’d poured the alcohol, I carefully carried it over to where Needy stood near the band. “Ugh. Those guys are rank, Jen. Just forget about it.”
“I think the lead singer wants me.” I said, biting my lip.
“Only cos he thinks you’re a virgin. I heard them talking.”
“What?!” I hissed. That was practically an insult for me. Me? A virgin? As if!
“I’m not even a back-door virgin anymore, thanks to Roman. And, by the way, that hurts. I couldn’t even go to Flags the next day. I had to stay home and sit on a bag of frozen peas.” At that moment, static crackled through the speakers, indicating the start of the show.

The band started playing their instruments, singing passionately. The way the notes carried through the air stirred my courage. With a sudden burst of bravery, my hand leapt out and took Needy’s, holding it tightly with a giddy smile. Still holding her hand, I turned my attention back to the band, ensnared by their performance. It was almost magical, the way I just couldn’t look away. Couldn’t draw myself from the beautiful music.

Suddenly, the sounds of screams from behind me shook me from my reverie. Screams of the damned. Screams of the fiery abyss. Screams of both the holy and the unholy swirled together in a choir of the doomed.

My body was jostled by the sea of people surrounding me. Drowning me in their confusion. A bright light caught my eye. Topaz tongues licked the support beams of the ceiling, which surrendered to exhaustion and collapsed wearily. The hunched flames jumped up, clinging to the flammable wood of the room. The bright orange flickering flames lassoed my gaze with their sinewy tentacles. I felt a sharp tug on my arm and turned to see Needy behind me, pulling me to safety. She pulled me to the one toilet in the place. It was black, not by design. The metal was covered by now unreadable signs and stickers. The room was a tiny, filthy coffin. Its only saving grace was the small window at the back. She lifted it up and shuffled through, pulling me behind her.

The fresh air hit me like a punch in the chest. It caught in my throat, somehow choking me harder than the smoke in the bar. My vision clouded and darkened, spinning wildly. My stomach lurched. My legs faltered. I fell on my knees, wandering through a dream world. I was lost in the woods. No way out. Surrounded by the guarding glare of the trees. I was brought back to the real world by two delicate hands grasping the sides of my face, cradling it in her grip like a precious stone. Her azure eyes burned brightly into mine, anchoring me for only a moment. Then, I was gone again. Lost in those woeful woods. Wandering hopelessly.

Explosions sounded behind me. But I barely heard them. People screamed. But my ears were blocked. All I could see was those fucking trees. Thick, wooden bars imprisoning me in the forest. In my daze, I was barely aware of the glass being pushed on my lips. As the strong liquid filled my mouth, I reflexively swallowed. I felt my legs stand without instruction. My mouth opened and spoke words that weren’t my own. My legs carried me into a large, steel coffin. A death trap on wheels. My eyes found Needy’s in the haze, giving her one last lingering look before the doors shut closed and separated us with a steel barrier. Separated forever...