The Art of Destruction

Chapter Twenty-Nine * Piano Fire

Formerly known as "Enough is Enough". This chapter was rewritten in order to prepare for the final chapter but also to remove filler scenes. Thank you for your understanding. 

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Friday March, 2029

"Looking good, boss." Carver winked as Daniel stepped out into the light of the dining hall.

Daniel looked to his left where three men and a woman were setting up instrumental equipment as he walked over to the table where Michael and Carver sat eating.

The woman was dressed in very western like clothing; a long sleeved dress that went down to her ankles and button-up, black, heeled boots. All three men were dressed in similar, old-fashioned clothes, even for 2029- it made them appear straight out of the 1800's. They wore slacks with overalls and loose-fitted long sleeved shirts. One of them had a dark brown vest on. Despite their old looks they were all relatively young.

"What's with the kids?" Daniel asked and adjusted the oversized flannel shirt that Judy had given him to change into.

Michael shrugged a shoulder and looked over at them as though for the first time.

Around a mouthful of food, Carver spoke up. "I asked them if they were a hipster band, know what they said?"

Daniel looked at him, uninterested even as he pulled up the baggy pants higher on his thighs before sitting down at their table. "What?"

Carver swallowed and immediately shoveled in another forkful of meat and potatoes before speaking, again eating around a puffed cheek of unchewed food. "He asked me what a 'hipster' was." He finished and started to chuckle..

"They're kids..." Michael pointed out, "They're too young to know what a 'hipster' is."

Carver shrugged one shoulder dismissively as he took a drink of the beer he'd ordered, "Yeah, well."

Daniel dropped his head into his right hand and rubbed the side of his clean-shaven cheek and noted that Carver and Michael were also wearing oversized clothes provided by the burly Hamm behind the bar.

"Why do you even bother shaving?" Carver asked and pointed at Daniel with the end of his dinner knife.

"Because I'm not an animal, Jack." he indicated to Carver's own scruffy beard that was almost long enough to start shaping.

Carver chuckled to himself as he nodded and started to cut into his food.

Daniel huffed out of his nose before running his hand down the front of his face. He dropped his hands to the surface of the table, making a slapping sound against the surface. "Michael, have you seen Ella- has she come down yet?"

"No," Michael shook his head slightly, leaning back in his chair.

"Uh-huh, okay, I'll be right ba-" he started to stand, his hair screeching against the hardwood when she walked through the door to his right.

Ella shifted her weight to one leg as she looked across the tables in search of the three men in her life- continually rolled her shoulders in an attempt to find mobility in the restricting, long sleeve dress. Unlike the musicians dress, Ella's only came down to her knees- exposing her soft pale skin, blemished only by bruises from her fall in the mansion. Her dusty black boots contrasted heavily with the clean blue dress she wore but it added a unique style to the dress.

Daniel smiled at the bow in her hair that she fidgeted with, wanting to pull it out. Just as she was about to rip it from her head, Judy came up behind her and smiled- Ella's hand immediately fell to her side.