Your Cigarette Still Burns {Damon Albarn}

3

Cₕₐₚₜₑᵣ ₃ ~ ₑᵤₚₕₒᵣᵢc

30th October 1994
Birmingham, England
Madeline Summers Perspective:

A knock at the door was suffocated by the vibrating off the guitar strings and the echoes of the drums cymbals.

Another knock came and went, still struggling against the hefty noises from the instruments and my smooth voice.

Finally, the staff member pushed the door open, halting our song in its tracks.

"You are going on stage in five minutes, you have to come up now." He was sticky with sweat and his belly overhung his button up brown trousers, leading us down the twisting halls and corridors.

"Your instruments are set up on stage, and like you already know, try your best." He breathed out, stopping us behind the stage, a black curtain shielding us from a band that was currently playing.

I believe we are the last band.

The music came to an end and a round of applause echoed through the arena.
It didn't even sound that good to be fair, there were so many slip ups.

Before I knew it, Juno pulled me into an embrace, her sweet perfume filling my senses.
"You're shaking, Mads." She whispered, pulling away to hold my hands.

"I'm so fucking scared Juno." I shook my head, tears swelling up in my eyes.

"You're going to kill this babe." Juno smiled, her bottom lip quivering.
Juno was terrified too, I could tell.

"I don't want to do this." Violet flatly said, staring blankly at me and Juno.

"I'm pissing myself I'm petrified." Buffy agreed.

Juno shook her head, "get it together for fucks sake guys! We are going to smash this, just imagine that we're back in our house practising to Lady."

I took a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest. I felt like I could throw up any second, my heart skipping five beats per second, my lungs in my mouth.

I could seriously pass out right now and I'm not even on stage yet.

"Welcoming our last band, Sixteen!" The host called, the familiar sweaty man pushing us all up onto the stage.

As soon as we got on, I froze, chills taking over my entire body.
I walked over to the microphone stand, looking down at my feet.

"One, two, three, four.." Juno whispered, starting to play the drums slowly.

Violet and Buff joined in instantly, still going at a slow pace.
"Oh make me over, I'm all I wanna be.." I started to sing, my voice a tiny bit shaky, unnoticeable really.

My heart was still ready to drop out of my mouth, the sound of my lungs contracting taking over the music.

My ears rang and my vision blurred from the stress tears.

I had to carry on.

"'A walking study,
In demonology."