miss the show,” Leah said. “Sure, I hate to see this Red Queen win, but we don't want you to do something you don't want to do. I mean, as long as Isabella will wake up.”
Isabella wrote, 'um.'
“Uh-oh,” Nora said. “What's wrong? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”
'Don't no. Harder 2 move pen. C shadows & lights. Hear whispers. Feel disconnected & tired.' Now that she thought about it, the slowly blinking lights at the edge of her vision reminded her of fireflies, and that was very worrisome.
“Maryann, I thought you said this would wear off,” Nora said.
“Well, it should, but then again, sometimes spells go wrong,” she replied. “I mean, if Isabella wasn't supposed to get kicked out of her body maybe that's a sign something got messed up.”
“Damn. Well, let us know if there's anything we can do to help you.”
“Thanks, but I'll take care of this. Isabella, do you think you can help?”
“I really want to,” she said, but she wrote, 'sorry.'
“I understand. Now, I think I need to talk to Hypnos, but I'll have to go through Morpheus first.”
“The Sandman? Cool,” Leah said.
“Is this a comic book reference I'm missing?” Maryann asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay, well, I'm pretty sure Morpheus is not like a comic book character,” she said.
“He could be.”
Maryann rolled her eyes.
“Maryann, if this doesn't work, we're taking her to the hospital,” Nora said.
“I absolutely agree. Isabella, hang on. I'll try to get this fixed.” She pulled out her Book of Shadows and consulted her notes. Then she went into Isabella and Nora's room to actually cast the spell.
Leah and Nora stayed in Leah and Maryann's room. Leah pulled out her rosary and prayed, and Nora pulled out a Bible to read and pray.
Isabella followed Maryann and was amazed at what she could see. Maryann seemed to glow with orange energy, as did her props. She had created a circle around herself and Isabella could see it glowing on the carpet. “Am I supposed to be seeing all this?” she said out loud.
A shadowy, human-like form appeared in front of Maryann. It looked down at Maryann, then over at Isabella's sleeping body, then at her astral form.
Isabella took a step back.
Leah and Nora weren't looking at Maryann, but even if they were, all they would see was Maryann standing very still and muttering.
“Why have you called on me?” the form said.
“Thank you for answering, Morpheus. My friend is under a spell of sleep. I would like to ask Hypnos to free her from the spell,” Maryann said. “But I know I need to ask you first.”
“I'm glad to deal with a mortal who understands our roles.” The shadow of the god glanced again at Isabella's astral form. “Your friend does not dream and I can see why. How did this happen?”
“I'm not really sure. Someone put a spell on her.”
“A sleep spell should not have produced this effect,” the god said. “This is not going to turn out well for your friend unless it is lifted.”
“Will you please go to Hypnos and ask him to help her?”
“I will do this favor for you, but I make no promises my father will agree to aid you. Whether or not he does, my favor will still come due,” the god said.
“I understand.”
The shadowy form glanced again at Isabella and faded away. In a moment, a different and somehow older but still shadowy form appeared in the circle. It also looked straight at Isabella's astral form, and then looked at Isabella's body. “I see the problem.”
“Hypnos, will you wake her up?” Maryann asked.
“I will.” He leaned over and touched Isabella's forehead.
She felt a painful jerk.
Then suddenly Isabella woke up and saw the shadowy form standing over her.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“It is very dangerous to interfere in outside domains,” the god replied in a very low voice. “You owe your friend a debt of gratitude. Had she not called and I not agreed to aid you, you would soon be meeting my brother.”
“Oh.”
Hypnos walked back to the circle. “It is done,” he said, and vanished.
Maryann slumped forward on her knees.
Leah and Nora immediately went over to her.
Isabella grabbed her glasses, got out of bed, and ran over to Maryann.
Maryann sat up. “Isabella!”
“Yeah, I'm fine now. Actually, I'm starving.”
“What happened?” Nora asked.
“Hypnos woke her up,” Maryann asked.
“But why did Isabella get kicked out of her body?” Leah asked.
“It wasn't supposed to happen,” Isabella replied. “The god said it was dangerous to interfere in outside domains.”
“I hate it when people are careless with magic,” Maryann sighed.
“Well, we're fine now,” Isabella said, concluding that Maryann had not heard what the god had said about meeting his brother. “So I need some food and then we should get ready for the show.”
“That Red Queen is on a short path to trouble,” the redhead replied.
“Yeah, well, that's her choice,” Nora said. “I don't have any sympathy, especially since she could have gotten you into real trouble.”
Isabella decided not to share what Hypnos had told her with the group; she knew when the god referred to his brother he meant Thanatos, the god of death.
“So we'll just have a totally awesome show,” Leah said. “And pretend like nothing even happened.”
“We could warn her that what she's doing is dangerous,” Maryann said.
“She won't listen,” Nora answered. “She already knows or she wouldn't be working with those kinds of gods.”
“That's probably true,” Isabella said. “We'll just do what Leah said. We'll play well and pretend like nothing even happened.”
“Then we'd better hurry,” Maryann said.
The band made it to the festival just in time. Leah and Nora had settled their argument with the costumes and they were wearing looks inspired by Edward Gorey. While the band was resentful that they had missed out on so much rehearsal time, they played with extra energy. However, after the show it was obvious the ordeal had taken a toll on both Maryann and Isabella. Both of them were more subdued than usual, which was especially noticeable in the normally extroverted Maryann, and it was clear both were exhausted. Still, they gamely mingled with the festival-goers and let Leah and Nora take the lead. They pointedly did not go see Dark Reflections, who played in a later time-slot. They were getting ready to head out when the Red Queen approached them.
“So,” she said disdainfully. She was wearing tight red leather pants and a red corset-style top that looked like it was barely staying in place.
“So what?” Maryann replied snidely.
“I'm surprised you showed up.”
“I don't know why,” Leah said nonchalantly. “We told you we had a show.”
She looked perplexed under her thick make-up. “So you did. Well, are you coming back again next year?”
“If we're invited, and it fits in with our schedule,” Isabella answered.
“Huh. Well, I guess we'll see what happens next year,” she said, and wandered away.
“You think she'll try something like that again?” Leah asked.
“I don't see why not,” Nora replied. “We let her think nothing happened but that doesn't mean she won't try again. We'll just be more careful next time, right?”
“Right,” Maryann said with a yawn. “I can set up wards and stuff but I usually don't need to.”
“And she may get in a lot of trouble anyway between now and then,” Isabella said. “She's playing with dangerous forces.”
“I'm just glad no one got hurt.”
Isabella yawned too but did not say anything.
?
??Well, that was fun,” Leah said, “meeting another doppelganger. I hope we don't run to mine or Nora's.”
“Or Dave's,” Nora added, referring to their agent's son.
“I can't even imagine an evil Dave,” she replied, laughing. “I always kind of thought Dave was the evil doppelganger.”
“I'm sure he'll be really flattered to hear that,” Maryann said dryly.
“It's Dave. He might be,” Leah said. “We'll ask him the next time we see him.”
“Speaking of Dave, I've got the details for our next gig,” Nora said.
“Great,” Isabella said. “Leah, you drive tonight. I'm falling asleep on my feet.”
“Me too,” Maryann agreed.
“No problem. Nora, what's the gig?” Leah replied.
The band switched topics and was soon on the road.
The Lyrics:
Twins brothers were born
Sons of Darkness and Night
They wait until the end of day
When you turn off the light
One brother has three sons
Who carry the world's dreams
And when you enter their domain
Nothing is as it seems
Refrain: Lie down; close your eyes
Fall into darkness so deep
Past dreams and silence
Waits the brother of Sleep
The other brother has no sons
There are no dreams to carry
There is only one place to go
Across the river on the ferry
Everyone tries to run away
And he will never pursue
Because if you cannot stop for him
He will kindly stop for you
Refrain
Every night in an act of trust
The waking world fades to black
We surrender and only hope
We're waiting for us when we get back
Refrain x2
Track 8 - Bad Seed
The Interview:
Kelly: This next track has a country rhythm to it.
Belle: We like to add a bit of twang to our albums.
Lee: We want as much variety as possible on our albums.
Bryan: It also means your songs may top more than one music category chart.
Lenore: The more exposure our songs get the better.
Bryan: So it's a business move?
Anna: Not exactly. We just thought a country rhythm was the best music for the lyrics.
Kelly: This seems to go against some of the other songs on this album and your last album. Isn't this kind of celebrating the bad boy?
Belle: You could take it like that.
Lenore: Or you could assume, in the context of our other work, that it's kind of a sarcastic song about the bad boy stereotype.
Bryan: It sounds like that's your take.
Lee: Well, you know, what we intend and what people interpret are not always the same. But hey, as long as they like the song, that's fine by us.
Lenore: Lots of artists have their works misinterpreted. It's inevitable, really.
Kelly: And it doesn't bother you at all?
Lenore: Maybe, but it's not our job to make sure people get our art. Some artists are pretentious like that, but we aren't.
Anna: Our job is to make music. That's all. If people like it, great. If they get it, even better. If they don't get it but still enjoy it, that's fine too.
The Inside Story:
The band called Nevermore and the Ravens was heading toward their next gig.
"I don't know about another festival," Nora said from her usual spot in the front passenger seat of the van. "The last festival Mr. Rafel booked for us was a disaster."
"It wasn't a complete disaster," Leah replied from her usual spot behind Isabella. "We got some new fans and avoided getting heatstroke."
Maryann sighed, thinking of the young man she'd met there.
"Anyway," Isabella said, "I told you Mr. Rafel didn't book this one. His son David booked it for us. We're supposed to meet him at the hotel before we head to the show."
"I don't mind camping," Maryann said.
"Then you borrow the RV from your grandmother next time," Leah said.
"Ladies. Anyway, I did look into this. The Rockin' in the Catskills Music Festival is small, but it's pretty well respected."
"One day, Bonnaroo," Leah sighed. "Well, at least it's cooler and the scenery is really pretty."
The hotel was a national chain and it took them a little time to get checked in because the hotel was very nearly booked solid with festival-goers.
"Man, maybe we should have just camped with the rates we have to pay," Leah said to Maryann, whom she was sharing a room with.
"No camping," Nora replied as Isabella unlocked the room next door they would be sharing.
"You just don't know what you're missing," Maryann said.
"Bugs, heat, bears. Yes I do," Nora retorted.
"Hey, I just got a text from David," Isabella said. "He's waiting in the lobby. Let's go meet him."
They dropped off their luggage and headed back down the stairs.
David Rafel was a tall, pale young man with thick glasses. He wore black jeans, black sneakers, and an overlarge black t-shirt with a carnivorous dinosaur skull on it. "Hey, are you Nevermore and the Ravens?"
"Yes," Isabella said, and made the introductions.
"Call me Dave. I'm glad to finally meet you guys. I hope this gig works out. Dad didn't want to let me book any bands, but I talked him into it."
"Oh, you want to get into the music business?" Maryann asked.
"Sure, once I'm done with college. But I'm still trying to learn the business. So, anyway, I've got all the details for tonight if you want to talk."
"Sure!"
"So, do you like dinosaurs?" Leah asked.
"I'm not, like, into dinosaurs. I like skulls," he answered.
"I have no response to that."
"So, is there a place to get some food while we talk?" Nora asked.
Dave took them to a nearby, somewhat crowded restaurant. He patiently answered all their questions and asked about their plans for the show. This surprised them since Mr. Rafel had never asked them how they ran their show.
They separated so the band could change into their costumes. They dressed identically and had identical make-up. They wore short black dresses with a gauzy skirt and handkerchief hem, sleeveless tops, sheer black tights, and black leather short boots. Nora's hair was in a bun and the others wore black wigs in buns. They each had a black feather accessory in their hair/wig. The overall effect was something like a Goth fairy costume.
The festival was about an hour and a half drive from the hotel. It was located near a state park's very popular campground. The late summer weather was just about perfect; it was sunny but not too warm; the leaves on the trees were mostly green but turning colors on the edges. All and all, it was a lot more pleasant than August in the desert.
Dave met them at the site and helped direct them to the correct stage and get set-up. They were on the stage designated for new bands, so they didn't get a very long set, but they felt they played enough to show off their talent and style.
"That was great, guys," Dave said as the band emerged from packing up their gear to mingle with the festival-goers.
"Did you ever doubt us?" Leah asked.
"No, no, I'm just glad to see this working out for you guys and for my dad."
A handsome, wiry, youngish-looking man with curly, short brown hair, wearing green corduroy pants and a tight, dark green t-shirt walked straight to Maryann. "Hello, fair lady Anna," he said, bowing slightly. "I'm glad to meet you."
She blushed and noticed he had startling green eyes. "Well, hello, kind sir," she said with a bit of a giggle.
Leah rolled her eyes and Nora and Isabella shook their heads.
"You can call me Jack and I'd like to buy you a drink and get to know you a lot bette
r," he said with a charming smile. He held out his arm.
"Certainly," Maryann said, and took his arm.
"He's trouble," Nora said as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Of course," Isabella sighed.
"They find her. They always find her. How do they find her?" Leah lamented.
"What?" Dave asked.
"Maryann has a boy problem," Nora answered. "Boys like her and they cause us problems."
"Like what?"
"Well, she met a guy at the Pandemonium Festival and he had a dangerous pet that got loose," Leah answered. "We had to chase the damn thing down."
"And I said he was trouble too, didn't I?" Nora said.
"We're not doubting you, Nora," Isabella said mildly. "But they aren't always so much trouble."
"No; we just end up with Maryann crying her eyes out over a guy she'll never see again."
"Until she meets the next guy and then she's all better," Leah added.
Dave kind of laughed. "Well, it sounds like it keeps you entertained when you're on the road."
The other three looked at each other.
"'Entertained' is not the word I would use," Nora said dryly. "But anyway, we're glad you could come to a show and meet us. And if you could maybe possibly suggest to your dad that maybe a music festival in the desert in the summer is not a great venue, that would be nice."
He shrugged. "Hey, he's the boss. I can book some bands some times, but that really depends on how busy he is. But I'll try to give him a nudge here and there. I think sometimes he's so focused on getting jobs he forgets to make sure he's got the right band for the gig."
"Oh, I can't wait for that."
"Dad's a businessman. See, his philosophy about the music business is that there are two types of people who get into it. There are people who love music, and then there are people who know business. If you love music, but don't know business, you fail. But you don't have to know anything about music to know business and succeed. That's why sometimes he focuses more on jobs."
"That's really cynical," Leah said.
Dave shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I don't agree; I think the music is just as important as business know-how. But in case Dad's right, I'm getting my MBA."
"And in case you don't make it in the music business, you can still make it in business?"
"Exactly."
"Good plan. Probably better than ours. Well, let's get some food and make sure we can find Maryann."
The band mingled and talked with festival-goers who had seen their show. Dave helped try to sell the band. Maryann spent her time with Jack, who was energetic and fun. They wandered through the festival listening to other bands and looking through the shops, and her costume inspired a long conversation about folklore.
"Anna. Anna!" Leah called. "It's time to go."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Jack. I have to go back to the hotel."
"There's another day of the festival. Are you coming back tomorrow?" he asked.
The rest of the band and Dave had caught up with them.
"Are we?" she asked.
"Well, the Widgets play tomorrow," Dave said. "Dad's their agent too."
"Oh, you're cheating on us with another band?" Leah teased.
"What can I say?" he replied with a smile. "It's really a good time if you guys want to relax for a day. I think you'll have time before you need to get to the next show."
"Oh, can we?" Maryann asked.
Nora and Leah rolled their eyes.
"Sure, why not?" Isabella said.
"Yay!"
"No one says that," Leah mumbled.
"So I'll see you tomorrow, Jack."
"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
"And now we're going back to the van," Nora said, taking Maryann's arm and gently pulling her away.
The band gave Dave a lift to the festival the next day. He left almost immediately to go find the other band and Maryann immediately started looking for Jack.
"Do you think he'll recognize me?" she asked worriedly. "I mean, this is way different from our