Bring It On
“Where is he?!! Dave?! David!!” He ran across the stage and jumped down, surveying
the empty warehouse as he walked around on the ground floor, wondering what had happened to
the hundreds of people packed in to listen to them play. There was no sign of struggle anywhere,
no turned over chairs, no bodies lying around, no blood, no chaos of any kind left behind. It felt
like a ghost town, but he had just performed for hundreds of people, singing along and chanting
with them while his idol brought them all together on the stage. He wiped away a tear quickly
while his back was to Patrick and her friends.
Joel was great at the crying game. He had excelled in the art of crying silently, not
leaving any hint of eye redness or trace of tear stains noticeable, perfected while at The
Disciples. He shook his head and threw his arms out. “What happened here?! Damn it!
David?!!! Come out, come out, wherever the hell you are?!!” He screamed to the ceiling,
running over to the bar to look over and behind it and not finding a single soul. He turned to the
few survivors still standing on stage and barked orders for the first time in his life. “Survey the
area and make haste! If you wish to remain in my presence, you will do as I say from this
moment forward! I want this entire warehouse searched for signs of life! You and you – go over
there; you and you – check the balconies – and Patrick, check around the stage area! He couldn’t
have just disappeared!” Joel knocked a glass off the counter and heard it hit the floor, the
splintering and crashing sound comforting in the quiet doom of his existence. It quickly
reminded him he wasn’t dreaming, something he did frequently since coming to this Hell; he
liked to hear the noise he created. It grounded him.
Feeling he was nothing without David and no longer driven to excel or prove himself
worthy, Joel felt simply defeated. He had let David down; he should have stayed and died trying
to defend him. But I didn’t think he’d just disappear! I didn’t think the world would vanish with
him! I thought the Dark Lord would stay and at least discuss his future, and maybe I could go
with him - but I turned away and hid for a second and he’s gone! “I didn’t know what was
happening and,” he turned and glared over at Patrick, watching her look around the stage and not
noticing his mean, accusing stare, “You grabbed me when I wasn’t paying attention to my
surroundings…I didn’t even see it coming…” He whispered to himself as his thoughts whirled
around his head. He stood there in shock over his newest reality.
