horrors2

Lynxifer.The_Orches.tex

  1\chapauth{Lynxifer}
  2\chapter[The Orchestra of Nothing]{Luke Bavarious and the Orchestra of Nothing}
  3
  4
  5
  6I pulled my trenchcoat closer to my body, as the cruel autumn winds
  7flicked and bashed against my weary frame.
  8
  9``Some night for a job.'' I announced to myself in my
 10head. Like every true pee aye, I felt it required that I narrate my
 11life, to the voices in my head, the voices that guided me and kept
 12me safe from the others.
 13
 14The run down dreary doors passed me in a blur as I walked swiftly
 15down a street with eyes peering out of every window, my gun
 16shivering under my layers, eager to spill out and deal in its holy
 17cleansing.
 18
 19
 20
 21I wasn't an angel, I wasn't some holy pariah. I was the
 22encapsulation of a human devil, ready to pass my judgement on you.
 23All of you who thought I was the ripe target of abuse and of
 24mocking, all of you who thought you were better, my gun and I are
 25always ready to knock you down a peg.
 26
 27
 28
 29The street twisted into another and then, another as the wind raced
 30around me, the howling growing like a hungry wolf on the hunt. My
 31target was the old opera house off 3rd and 29th. In it's day,
 32it was probably a beacon of talent and beauty, but the sands and
 33ebbs of time had reduced it to a third rate nothing, its former
 34glory haunting it, the same as the drug dealers and scum that hound
 35its bricks and mortar.
 36
 37The streets finally moulded into a conclusion as the opera house
 38came into view. Somehow I didn't expect it to be as clean and
 39fresh as it was. I rubbed the base of my gun's magazine as I
 40approached my goal, taking tentative steps. Although hired by the
 41manager of the house, I didn't trust the guy, he oozed a
 42slimy confidence that put me off base when he called me and
 43enlisted my services, his voice full of practised bravado and false
 44compassion.
 45
 46
 47
 48The doors stood between my fate and me, I took hold of one of the
 49weathered brass handles and tugged with considerable force, which
 50yielded entrance to me. Taking the opportunity, I dashed into the
 51poorly lit entrance foyer and out of the harsh winds that had led
 52me here.
 53
 54Inside, the manager was waiting for me. He was as grimy as I had
 55imagined, his hair slicked back like a funeral director and his
 56suit oddly positioned.
 57
 58``Well har there, bud! You must be thar Private
 59Investigator.'' He said to me, his hand outstretched to shake
 60mine.
 61
 62I did things my way. I looked at his hand, wrinkled my lips at it
 63and left my hands firmly at my coat.
 64
 65``Hello.'' I said calmly.
 66
 67He seemed genuinely upset at my refusal to meet him half way as he
 68retracted his hand. I felt vindicated as he ran his fingers through
 69his hair and wiped the oily residue on the back of his
 70trousers.
 71
 72``Ahm sure I made myself clear on the telephones.'' He
 73said to me, fingering his top pocket slightly. ``Ah just need
 74you to find mah missing Orchestra.''
 75
 76I sneered slightly. The fact that he claimed ownership of such a
 77beautiful thing when he himself had none, was sickening.
 78
 79``I'll find them, don't worry.'' I replied,
 80offering no form of comfort in my voice.
 81
 82Seeing that his snake oil charms would get him nowhere with me, He
 83slinked away, his greasy smell following him as he slinked into the
 84pitiful box he undoubtedly called an office.
 85
 86
 87
 88I loosened my coat somewhat as I began my quest inside the house;
 89my first stop was the pit, as that was usually the location of an
 90Orchestra.
 91
 92The corridors I found myself in were full of regal decoration and
 93warm lighting. I had to stop myself from examining my surroundings.
 94I had a job to do and I was going to do it.
 95
 96
 97
 98The corridor gave way to the auditorium as I breached the unlocked
 99doors with my trenchcoat flapping in the slight wind coming from
100the stage, the entire room dark and lit for a performance. I walked
101with my chest puffed outwards as I approached the pit, my right
102hand firmly on my gun, its cold metal serving to keep me
103attentive.
104
105I twisted my head as I peered into the foreboding pit and saw
106nothing but empty seats and scores strewn around the floor. I was
107about to stand up and abandon this line of inquiry, until the wind
108from the stage picked up to a whistle. This was a break I needed as
109I grabbed my gun and cocked it with deliberate action to put fear
110into whatever was playing this game with me.
111
112I walked towards the steps with army style stealth and crept up
113them, peering towards the undecorated back of the stage.
114
115As I slinked across the stage, I felt the wind intensify, until all
116of a sudden the stage lights erupted into a ball of white-hot light
117and illuminated the entire stage from its murky prison.
118
119I twisted around with precise movement, my gun raised and ready
120shoot, but became filled with horror was I surveyed the scene
121presented to me.
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123
124
125Although the lights on the stage were blinding and piercing, my new
126tormentor had left a small channel for me to survey my audience.
127Ghouls. Zombies, Rotting Corpses. Call them what you will, they
128were now watching my every move, their rotting flesh falling off,
129and congealed blood spilling to the floor like rancid rain.
130
131Whatever was going on, I wanted no part of it. This was not my gig,
132I hadn't signed up for this, and it was my time to
133leave.
134
135Fate had conspired against my quick escape and had removed the
136steps to my freedom, leaving only an expanse of nothing.
137
138
139
140``AAAAAAAnd now!'' A voice rang out from behind me. I
141twisted and saw a twisted figure of bone and seared flesh holding a
142wireless microphone, wearing the same greasy suit as the
143manager.
144
145``The one, the {\em only}. Luke. Bavarious!'' He announced to
146the deathly audience.
147
148I raised my gun to his head, and lined up the sights to his head. I
149didn't like his style and thought he needed to learn of
150justice, Bavarious style.
151
152
153
154A noise, stopped me from enacting his punishment. A deathly clatter
155of strings and pipes, arranged in a screech and howl. I spun
156around, my gun ready to deal with this new nemesis as the source of
157this new sound became apparent.
158
159An orchestra of 12, probably the very orchestra I had been sent to
160find, were there. Each in dirty and torn tuxedo's,
161they're appearance was no better than the crowd of demons
162watching this harrowing event unfold. Some were missing jaws, eyes,
163some even missing limbs, but each player managing to play their
164instrument of death in the symphony of horror.
165
166
167
168I'd had enough of this game, the rules weren't to my
169liking and the umpire was bent.
170
171Like a holy angel, I raised my pistol to the Tuba player. Obviously
172gluttonous in his previous life, I decided he was the first to
173experience cleansing. I aimed for the largest portion of his head,
174held my breath and squeezed the trigger.
175
176The bang of the gun had silenced the approaching orchestra as the
177round rippled through the air and smashed into the players head,
178but bounced off like a ball on a wall.
179
180
181
182I shook off my surprise and aimed for another, this time it was a
183violin player. A once cute broad, but her new bandmates had
184corrupted her into join the legion of the dead. Again, aiming for
185the head as the band started playing their deathly march and
186advancing faster this time, I peered down the sights and
187squeezed.
188
189Another veil of silence enveloped the house as the same happened
190again, the round bouncing off harmlessly.
191
192
193
194I could have fired the rest of my chamber on the advancing horde,
195but I didn't think my metal protector deserved that
196fate.
197
198As the band approached, I heard the crowd moan and scream. I
199guessed that this was the undead version of a cheer as the players
200came closer and closer to me, closer to whatever endgame they had
201decided for me.
202
203I wasn't about to grant them this, I never planned to go out
204this way and I had a long way to go yet.
205
206As I considered the situation, the pieces of the puzzle fit into
207place. I'd worked out why the orchestra had gone missing, why
208they had turned into the grisly afterimage and why the audience had
209joined them in the ranks of the undead.
210
211
212
213Grasping my angel, I placed the barrel under my chin, aiming for my
214precious grey matter and I squeezed.
215
216
217
218The round screamed through my head, smashing through my
219skull.
220
221
222
223As I fell to the ground, I saw the orchestra scream out in pain and
224begin to disintegrate, as if the blinding gleam of the stage lights
225were holy light, coming the cleanse them.
226
227The Audience was sharing the same fate, as they melted into a gloop
228and started to run towards the stage area.
229
230With my last breath, I placed my gun back in its holster, my job
231done.
232
233
234
235Two days later I woke up in the hospital. I could feel a bandage
236wrapped around my head, holding my essence in.
237
238
239
240``Well done.'' The cute nurse said, seeing I was awake.
241``You found the orchestra.''
242
243
244
245Like the Mounties, I always get my man. 
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