Beyond the Screams ✔

Chapter Two

"Well, it isn't me," I sighed, "We should probably tell the authorities that I'm, in fact, Alive and well," I gently put the paper back on the desk,

Emily nodded before rushing in and locking me in a bear hug, "Gosh, Rose I was so worried, After losing Klaus and- and- well, you know, I couldn't bear to lose you too!"

I felt my heart sink a little when she mentioned Klaus. She was his agent too and was devastated when he died. And her husband, He had died just before the war ended. No one had told her that he had died, some corporeal had to break the news to her after she had waited three hours on a dock waiting for him to return. She had cried for days, they hadn't been married very long but Emily refused to go out and meet anyone new, completely throwing herself into work. I hadn't even met her then, I had met Emily two years ago when I was nineteen. In reality, Emily was older than me, much much older, while she had married young she was thirty-two which is over ten years difference. It didn't matter though she was still my closest friend, one would go as far as to say, my only friend. 

"Don't worry Em, I wouldn't let something as small as a psychotic murderer kill me, I have the rest of my career in front of me, right?" I joked, trying to make the whole situation a little lighter.

She pulled away and nodded, "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about something," I walked over to the other side of the room and pulled a piece of paper out of a draw, "Three months ago you wrote a song after Klaus's death. We didn't end up recording it as it wasn't the time for this song, but I think that now would be the perfect opportunity to release it, If I'm right, this could be your biggest hit yet!" She said excitedly.

I pulled the paper from her hands and began reading it, I knew what Emily was talking about, this song was written by someone who was terrified and overwhelmed with a sense of grief,

"Well, I suppose we can organise a time, book a recording room and get working?" I asked, handing the lyrics back over to her.

"Well, I don't think anyone's in there right now and I don't remember someone booking it, I say we just go now," Emily stated.

Before I had time to nod or even agree, she grasped my hand firmly and started dragging me downstairs. We went through a door that was connected to the musician's room downstairs and headed into the recording room. I heard a triumphant grunt from Emily when she saw the empty booths. She flicked the switch and the dark rooms were illuminated by the built-in lights. The room was a large glass wall, on one side was a microphone, a pair of headphones and a stool. On the other side - the side we were on now - was accompanied by a large desk covered in different buttons and switches. Emily sat down on the chair and began moving the switches around while I pushed open the large, heavy door and walked into the opposite side. I pulled the headphones onto my head and stood next to the microphone, waiting for the heads up from Emily. I placed the piece of paper that had the notes and lyrics written down onto a stand, facing me. I looked over to Emily and gave her the thumbs up, she returned the gesture and flicked a few more switches.

I opened my mouth to begin singing the words, but I noticed that it didn't sound amplified like I wasn't singing into the microphone, I paused and looked at Emily, a look of confusion flashed over her face. She looked back down at her board of buttons and moved her fingers in a circle, signalling for me to start again, I nodded and began singing again, however, just like the first time, no words came out. All of a sudden the room went black. Immediately I pushed on the door and saw Emily pushing on the door, She hit it with a loud thump and the door popped open. Apparently, we weren't the only room affected hallway was dark, and I couldn't see a shred of light anywhere, I tried to look for an imprint of Emily's figure but came out with nothing,

"Emily?" I whispered, "Em are you here?" I whisper-shouted, my stomach fell when I was met with silence. I ran my hand along the course, brick wall and started slowly moving forward. I followed the distressed sounds of people coming from the other rooms, as long as I made it to a room where there were at least two other people and I'd be fine, not that I wasn't fine, but with the idea of a recent murder - especially a murder that was supposed to be me - floating in the forefront of my mind, Being by myself could be problematic. I finally walked into an open space, I could faintly see the imprint of small desks, the hushed whispers of starving artists told me that there was a large group of people in here.