The Blackbird

 
“Ya know,” Zoey said thoughtfully, making me believe she was about to say something serious and mindful. “If you really think about it, these cappuccinos are hella good.”
“Yes Zoey, cappuccinos tend to be that way.”
Zoey had been my best friend since seventh grade I don't know, we just sort of clicked. We had the same sense of humor, and we could understand each other. Zoey and I hadn't been to Bean There, Done That in awhile, due to the fact, that there had been a horrible crash right outside. Where the driver's brain was damaged in the crash, and he killed his mom right there, thinking she was another person. It was pretty horrific.
“So, what's the deal for tonight? There's a party at Jessica's. And wasn't there a movie you wanted to go see?”
“Nah, I've got a better idea, you know the rumor, that someone supposedly burned a battle scene into the huge field by Wakefield Rd? I think we should go check it out, see if it's true. What do you think?” Oh God, another one of her crazy ideas.
“Ohhh, I don't know. Can't we do something not so suicidal?”
“Oh come on, Scarlett, you always say that. I always go with you when you want to go shopping or to a movie, or a party. Can't we do something that I want to do, something fun, something exciting, something different?” I can't believe I was about to say this, but...
“Only, if afterwards we do something non-suicidal, AND, if there’s something strange or creepy, we leave immediately.”
“It's a deal.” I can't believe I just agreed to this. We stood up to leave, and walked together to Kingswood Dr. where I turned left and she, right.
“So meet you in front of Peace of Pizza, at eight!?” She asked.
“Kay!” Peace of Pizza was our halfway point, between her house and mine. We spent a good deal of time there, along with our other good friend, Chloe.
I took my iPod out of my bag, and plugged my headphones to my ears, carrying me through a tunnel of music. I loved music, it was my life. I played guitar, and was the lead vocalist for my garage band, Monumental Lockout. Zoey played bass guitar, and was the other lead singer. Our band was influenced by many bands, including My Chemical Romance, Muse, and Paramore.
When I reached my house, I went straight to my room, carefully avoiding my mom. It wasn't that my mom was a bad person or anything, just that we didn't understand each other or get along. All I really cared about was my music. She thought otherwise. I wished I could drop out of school, and work on making an album, but she wouldn't hear of it.
When I made it to my room, I dumped my stuff on the floor, adding to the mess there, and transferred my iPod to my speakers. Panic at the Disco came blasting out, making me jump. I always forgot to turn the volume down after listening to a quiet song. I loved Panic at the Disco, but my band didn't really play that kind of music. Plus, they were pretty unique, and I seriously doubt whether we could have made music like they do.
I set my alarm for 7:00 pm and sat down on my bed to write. When my alarm went off, I looked down at my writing, disappointed. There was only one poem there worth working on as a song, and it was only a beginning.
 
She walks alone,
Just listening
To the silence.
As if she were waiting,
As if someone would just come
And carry her away.
Up to the stars perhaps,
Or across the ocean,
Where the salty waves
Crash around you,
Or maybe
She's just waiting
For herself.
Because
Every time,
Every night,
It's the same,
She walks alone,
Just listening
To the silence.
 
I got up, leaving my frustration with the lyrics, and went downstairs for food. I raided the fridge, but all that I could find that was edible was leftover pizza. I grabbed the pizza and a coke and went on my back porch steps to eat. While I ate, I thought. I thought about everything; life, my music, my friends, my future, and pizza.
A blackbird hopped across the yard, pecking at the ground, clearly hoping to find a worm. I watched it in interest, somehow I understood it. It was true existence. Once satisfied with its meal, I watched it fly away, to its destination. I pulled out my phone to check the time, it was seven-thirty. I decided that it was time to get ready. So I remorsefully got up, and made my way to my room. I decided that it would be best if I wore simple jeans and a sweatshirt, so if running ever occurred, I would be prepared. I glanced in the mirror, and saw dark circles under my green eyes from my insomnia, and my red hair all tangled and in a mess. 

   “You ready for some excitement!?” Zoey asked, obviously very excited.
    “I suppose.” We roared away in my truck, to something supposedly fun, something exciting, something new. The drive was approximately fifteen minutes of road in the middle of nowhere. When we arrived at the field we parked the car along the side of the road. We climbed through the fence, into a grove of trees. The grove of trees lasted about five yards, then opened to a clearing. There was no burned in battle scene. I looked over at Zoey, hoping she wasn't too disappointed, but she wasn't there.
“Zoey?” no answer. “ZOEY???” Still no answer. Then I heard it, a muffled scream. I froze in my tracks, and turned around slowly, to face the direction the scream had come from. There was another scream. “Zoey!?” I ran in the direction I'd heard the scream. There was one more scream, then silence. I looked where I was, and noticed a shiny object on the ground. I went over to it, and saw that it was Zoey's necklace, the peace sign covered in barbed wire, the one her boyfriend had gotten her on their first date, she'd put it on, and hadn’t taken it off since. Tears welled up in my eyes; I looked farther ahead and saw blood. First it was just little drops, then it became puddles. I gagged, and stuffed my hand in my mouth so I wouldn't throw up, but I did anyway. I ran to my car as fast as I could, falling down many times.
I got in my car and drove as if I were in a car chase, and got into town in seven minutes. A huge crowd of people were crowded around a pole next to the road. I parked my car and got out to see what the huge fuss was. People I barely knew were looking at me in concern and saying “so sorry” in whispery voices. I had no idea what they were talking about. I made it to the front of the crowd and saw it. There was Zoey, all cut, bloody, and dead, hanging from the pole, accompanied by eight blackbirds, four on each side of her. I finally collapsed. I hit the ground with a clunk, but didn't feel a thing.

                    
   I woke up the next day in my bed to my alarm going off, from when I had set it the day before. I got up, and decided to go to the Peace of Pizza, hoping that Chloe or Zoey would be there. I needed some food, after all my sleep. When I arrived at the pizza parlor, Zoey wasn't there, but Chloe was.
“Hey,” Chloe looked up.
“Oh, hi Scarlett.” She had a pained expression on her face.
“You know where Zoey is?” Chloe just gave me a queer look. “I had this really creepy dream I have to tell her. I dreamed that we went to go see a burned in battle scene, and she was taken, then hung on a pole with a bunch of blackbirds, it still makes me shiver, to think about it.”
“Scarlett, are you okay?” She asked really worried,
“Ya, why?”
“Scarlett. That really happened. Zoey's dead.”

Author's Note

if i had, had more time, i would have made it better, but it was part of an assignment, so...
enjoy...

Reviews

[Boris Jonathan Novak]

Another great work. This reads smoothly and is paced quickly, keeping the readers eyes going on for more.