Chapter 1: One Night Out
"Do you even know where we're going?" Michael asked as he looked out the car windows at the last of the streetlights before heading off into a dark road that he had never traveled before.
"Of course I do," Ben answered with a slight chuckle in his voice. "We're going to a party and it's going to be great. You need to relax and just trust me. I always have your best interests at heart."
Michael flashed Ben a disapproving side-eye and then continued to linger out the window. It's all trees, passed them by. Trees that didn't seem to fit the city that they had just left. They were tall and ancient Like they had never been cut down Somehow they had escaped the inevitable wave of progress that had torn down so much of what had stood here before.
They hadn't driven long enough to be outside the city and beyond the suburbs So this couldn't be a country road, though it felt like one. The turnoff itself was surrounded by ivy and hedgerows that almost masked it. In fact, if Ben hadn't turned, Michael wouldn't have noticed that the road was even there.
The headlights illuminated the dirt road, but no dust came up behind them. The car rode oddly smooth over it as well. Not a single pothole or divot. Yet, it appeared to be nothing more than compressed earth. There wasn't even gravel mixed in.
As they winded their way into whatever forgotten corner of town Ben was taking them to, Butterfly's troubled Michael's stomach. He wasn't really the kind of person who liked to go out and to go to a party at a stranger's house really didn't sit well with him. He trusted Ben, but they'd only known each other for a couple of years, so this might be that moment where he really had to start questioning exactly what he knew about the man.
Michael brushed off his concerns. Ben had never steered him wrong, so this had to be okay. Obviously he knew somebody who lived out here who was throwing a party and thought that that he would enjoy going to it too. He had insisted that they dressed up for this party, so Michael assumed they were heading out to a club. He put on his best goth regalia and even put makeup on for the occasion. Maybe there was a park out here and they were heading to a bonfire.
As if he had willed it into being, the soft orange light of a campfire danced in the tree limbs high above the road ahead. This was a park party and those provided an interesting chance for special encounters
Ben pulled over to the side of the road into a little area by a pond, turned off the car, and slapped his hands on his lap.
"Before we get out of the car," Ben said with a seriousness that you rarely carried in his voice, "I need you to understand a few things about this part. I don't know everyone who is here and I can't vouch for how upright they are and how much you should put any stock in anything they say. I have a few friends that are actually throwing it and they can be trusted. I said, I'll introduce you to them as soon as we can find them. Other than that, have fun. This is a night to let go. You've been going through a lot lately and you need to just relax. Relax. Meet some people. Have a good time."
"Do you think there are going to be dangerous people here?" Michael asked.
"You never know when it comes to a gathering in the woods, anybody could show up. I just didn't want you to think that I was vouching for everyone definitely I have some friends here but I don't know who all that they invited or who the people they invited invited." You know what I'm saying? Ben smiled and relaxed his shoulders.
Michael pressed a fake smile across his black lips and nodded his head. If he hadn't been worried about going to a stranger's party, he was worried about who who might be there now. He was sure Ben wasn't trying to freak him out, but there was something about the urgency or maybe it was the sincerity in the way that he talked that set Michael on edge. He met Ben a couple years ago after he graduated from high school and Ben had always been the kind of person who always had a smile on his face and a good word to say about almost everyone. In all the years that they had known each other, He'd never known him to be all that serious. So this serious demeanor was odd. Maybe he was just trying to keep Michael safe Or he knew something that he wasn't saying
They exited the car and the strong scent of burning wood mixed with sweet berry meads and stronger wines and liquors filled the air. the hot sweat of people's bodies lent a muskiness to the odor that reminded Michael of a club. His stomach tightened. It was time to go into party mode. to have fun and not worry about all the things that he might do wrong or the people he might confuse or upset. He was here to have fun.
He repeated that phrase to himself like a mantra as he and Ben walked towards the firelight. Ben was talking to him about something but he wasn't really able to pay attention. People wove in and out of the shadows as like strange specters and a horror movie The ghostly makeup that they wore along with the black or period clothing gave a very uncanny first impression. Michael had been to many goth clubs and knew what the crowd generally looked like and this fit the bill, but there was something almost feral about the people as they danced and and moved around in the woods. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Little Red Riding Hood
They stopped at the fire which had several logs pulled around it and a couple other large and large stones arranged for people to sit. Ben pointed to a man sitting close to the fire with long raven black hair and eyes so ghostly blue that it almost looked like they were just little pin bricks of black in a sea of white.
"This is my friend Isaiah Travers," Ben said with a smile.
The man gave a cursory wave with his right hand, but didn't take his eyes off of the fire.
"He's responsible for this party and asked me to invite some interesting people to the event." Ben continued as if they had been greeted cordially.
"I don't remember asking you to invite anyone, Ben, but then again, you always do bring someone, one, don't you?" Isaiah said in a distant voice, still not taking his eyes off the fire.
"I can go if you like," Michael said.
"Don't worry about him," Ben said. "Isaiah is apparently in one of his moods tonight."
Isaiah shook his head and almost smiled. then said, "I'm not in a mood I just I don't know something feels off and I can't quite put my finger on it. But it's been gnawing at me and it's making it difficult to really get into the spirit tonight."
"The moon is full, the fire is crackling, and the spirits are flowing freely. What more could you ask for?" Ben said.
"Nothing. Everything. I guess like everybody out here, I just want a sunrise that doesn't bring regrets." Isaiah looked up for the first time and smiled, the cruel smile at Ben.
"On that cheerful note let's get to it this party isn't going to debauch itself," Ben cackled at his own joke and grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him off into the woods.
As the last notes of an O Children's song faded into the night, another by the Sisters of Mercy began to play. Michael felt a lot like Isaiah, or at least how he interpreted Isaiah to feel. A night out at a party in the middle of the woods, surrounded by strangers that one can go away from the next day without regrets would be a wonderful thing. The problem is he knew that he had a wild streak in him and once he got into the party he would let himself lose control. And not even the gods knew what he would get up to.
The chiming guitars broke into the thunderous drums and melodious guitar groove of Black Planet. Michael loved this song He felt a special kin to it because not only did it explain how he felt in the world, but it also happened to be the name of his favorite goth club in town. The music called to him and his body started to move. He saw a group of dancers around one of the campfire and slipped out of Ben's hand and joined them. The rhythm of the music spoke to his soul. the butterflies joined the dance and then disappeared
Music always had this wondrous ability to cast a spell over him, enchant his mind, casting his care so far away. someone handed him a glass with a rich honey mead in it. he took a large squig and felt it warm his throat and a small tingle in his body. He danced with the strangers. strangers. He forgot they were strangers. The music made them all friends.
"Of course I do," Ben answered with a slight chuckle in his voice. "We're going to a party and it's going to be great. You need to relax and just trust me. I always have your best interests at heart."
Michael flashed Ben a disapproving side-eye and then continued to linger out the window. It's all trees, passed them by. Trees that didn't seem to fit the city that they had just left. They were tall and ancient Like they had never been cut down Somehow they had escaped the inevitable wave of progress that had torn down so much of what had stood here before.
They hadn't driven long enough to be outside the city and beyond the suburbs So this couldn't be a country road, though it felt like one. The turnoff itself was surrounded by ivy and hedgerows that almost masked it. In fact, if Ben hadn't turned, Michael wouldn't have noticed that the road was even there.
The headlights illuminated the dirt road, but no dust came up behind them. The car rode oddly smooth over it as well. Not a single pothole or divot. Yet, it appeared to be nothing more than compressed earth. There wasn't even gravel mixed in.
As they winded their way into whatever forgotten corner of town Ben was taking them to, Butterfly's troubled Michael's stomach. He wasn't really the kind of person who liked to go out and to go to a party at a stranger's house really didn't sit well with him. He trusted Ben, but they'd only known each other for a couple of years, so this might be that moment where he really had to start questioning exactly what he knew about the man.
Michael brushed off his concerns. Ben had never steered him wrong, so this had to be okay. Obviously he knew somebody who lived out here who was throwing a party and thought that that he would enjoy going to it too. He had insisted that they dressed up for this party, so Michael assumed they were heading out to a club. He put on his best goth regalia and even put makeup on for the occasion. Maybe there was a park out here and they were heading to a bonfire.
As if he had willed it into being, the soft orange light of a campfire danced in the tree limbs high above the road ahead. This was a park party and those provided an interesting chance for special encounters
Ben pulled over to the side of the road into a little area by a pond, turned off the car, and slapped his hands on his lap.
"Before we get out of the car," Ben said with a seriousness that you rarely carried in his voice, "I need you to understand a few things about this part. I don't know everyone who is here and I can't vouch for how upright they are and how much you should put any stock in anything they say. I have a few friends that are actually throwing it and they can be trusted. I said, I'll introduce you to them as soon as we can find them. Other than that, have fun. This is a night to let go. You've been going through a lot lately and you need to just relax. Relax. Meet some people. Have a good time."
"Do you think there are going to be dangerous people here?" Michael asked.
"You never know when it comes to a gathering in the woods, anybody could show up. I just didn't want you to think that I was vouching for everyone definitely I have some friends here but I don't know who all that they invited or who the people they invited invited." You know what I'm saying? Ben smiled and relaxed his shoulders.
Michael pressed a fake smile across his black lips and nodded his head. If he hadn't been worried about going to a stranger's party, he was worried about who who might be there now. He was sure Ben wasn't trying to freak him out, but there was something about the urgency or maybe it was the sincerity in the way that he talked that set Michael on edge. He met Ben a couple years ago after he graduated from high school and Ben had always been the kind of person who always had a smile on his face and a good word to say about almost everyone. In all the years that they had known each other, He'd never known him to be all that serious. So this serious demeanor was odd. Maybe he was just trying to keep Michael safe Or he knew something that he wasn't saying
They exited the car and the strong scent of burning wood mixed with sweet berry meads and stronger wines and liquors filled the air. the hot sweat of people's bodies lent a muskiness to the odor that reminded Michael of a club. His stomach tightened. It was time to go into party mode. to have fun and not worry about all the things that he might do wrong or the people he might confuse or upset. He was here to have fun.
He repeated that phrase to himself like a mantra as he and Ben walked towards the firelight. Ben was talking to him about something but he wasn't really able to pay attention. People wove in and out of the shadows as like strange specters and a horror movie The ghostly makeup that they wore along with the black or period clothing gave a very uncanny first impression. Michael had been to many goth clubs and knew what the crowd generally looked like and this fit the bill, but there was something almost feral about the people as they danced and and moved around in the woods. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Little Red Riding Hood
They stopped at the fire which had several logs pulled around it and a couple other large and large stones arranged for people to sit. Ben pointed to a man sitting close to the fire with long raven black hair and eyes so ghostly blue that it almost looked like they were just little pin bricks of black in a sea of white.
"This is my friend Isaiah Travers," Ben said with a smile.
The man gave a cursory wave with his right hand, but didn't take his eyes off of the fire.
"He's responsible for this party and asked me to invite some interesting people to the event." Ben continued as if they had been greeted cordially.
"I don't remember asking you to invite anyone, Ben, but then again, you always do bring someone, one, don't you?" Isaiah said in a distant voice, still not taking his eyes off the fire.
"I can go if you like," Michael said.
"Don't worry about him," Ben said. "Isaiah is apparently in one of his moods tonight."
Isaiah shook his head and almost smiled. then said, "I'm not in a mood I just I don't know something feels off and I can't quite put my finger on it. But it's been gnawing at me and it's making it difficult to really get into the spirit tonight."
"The moon is full, the fire is crackling, and the spirits are flowing freely. What more could you ask for?" Ben said.
"Nothing. Everything. I guess like everybody out here, I just want a sunrise that doesn't bring regrets." Isaiah looked up for the first time and smiled, the cruel smile at Ben.
"On that cheerful note let's get to it this party isn't going to debauch itself," Ben cackled at his own joke and grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him off into the woods.
As the last notes of an O Children's song faded into the night, another by the Sisters of Mercy began to play. Michael felt a lot like Isaiah, or at least how he interpreted Isaiah to feel. A night out at a party in the middle of the woods, surrounded by strangers that one can go away from the next day without regrets would be a wonderful thing. The problem is he knew that he had a wild streak in him and once he got into the party he would let himself lose control. And not even the gods knew what he would get up to.
The chiming guitars broke into the thunderous drums and melodious guitar groove of Black Planet. Michael loved this song He felt a special kin to it because not only did it explain how he felt in the world, but it also happened to be the name of his favorite goth club in town. The music called to him and his body started to move. He saw a group of dancers around one of the campfire and slipped out of Ben's hand and joined them. The rhythm of the music spoke to his soul. the butterflies joined the dance and then disappeared
Music always had this wondrous ability to cast a spell over him, enchant his mind, casting his care so far away. someone handed him a glass with a rich honey mead in it. he took a large squig and felt it warm his throat and a small tingle in his body. He danced with the strangers. strangers. He forgot they were strangers. The music made them all friends.
Comments