Tangled Tales: For Your Voice

Andy opened one eye, then both, to discover he was in a blood splattered room, and with the worst sore throat he could imagine. What the crap happened? 

After sitting up he realized he was sitting in an obviously abandoned house that should have been torn down years ago. Not again. Why did these things always happen?

Holding onto an old kitchen chair he steadied himself up. The white shirt and jeans he’d been wearing were covered with blood and dirt. He’d been wearing a gray and black paisley vest but that was gone. Damn it. He loved that vest. 

Yesterday he’d gently reminded his agent that, as a Vampire, he would prefer small venues, and smaller recordings. He didn’t need the money or the fame. This wasn’t some fictional novel. He knew his voice was beautiful. He’d known it for over 150 years. His voice was a gift he wasn’t going to squander or exploit.

Damn, his hands were full of splinters. As he picked them out his friend James came through and empty doorway.

“James, what happened?”

“You happened. We were followed from the club after your set and they separated us. Let me see your neck?” James gently pushed Andy’s head back and slowly put his fingers on a few ugly slashes on Andy’s neck. “Damn, Andy, if you weren’t a Vampire you’d be dead. Jesus, it looks like they were going for your larynx. How do you feel? Does it hurt when you talk?”

“It hurts when I move, but no, they didn’t hurt my voice. Damn.”

“Did you get a look at the people who attacked you? Were they people?”

“They were people. Regular people. They weren’t Vampires like us.”

“You should have ripped their throats out Andy.”

“I should have but it all happened so fast. That’s no excuse. They knew what they were doing. That said James, the blood on my collar is from my own neck. The blood on my pants and the rest of my shirt is not mine.”

After James got Andy home and in bed he checked his best friend’s landline answering machine. He wondered why in the world Andy even still had a landline. Sometimes his friend was hopelessly old fashioned. 

There were several messages, but the one from Andy’s agent stood out.

Andrew, where are you? Everyone is looking for you. I mean everyone. Hey, you need to do a new EP and a tour, like right now. Small venues, the kind you like. There are people who would kill for your voice.

Yes indeed, thought James, there are.

Thanks for reading this somewhat fragmented and absolutely true story about my brother Andy that happened just this past weekend. Keep checking back for more interesting stories, holiday cheer, Thanksgiving recipes, and musings from a Vampire mom.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman