RockMySenses (11 page)

“Yeah,” I said. “Someone had to.” My anger refocused on
them. “Where the fuck were you guys when that was going down?”

The blond guy watched me, taking the whole thing in.

The door opened and Allana appeared. “Hold on,” I told them.
I wiped blood off my hands onto my shirt.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She blinked rapidly. “What the hell just
happened?”

“I saw him forcing himself on you. So I jumped in.”

“Are you insane? You leapt from the stage—where you’re
supposed to be performing—because some guy touched me?”

“I saw the whole thing, Allana. He was stalking you through
the club. And when he grabbed you, I— I— Uh—”

“Lost your damn mind?”

“Lost control,” I clarified in my defense.

She looked past me. “Here come Nico and John. I’ll go find
Lily.”

She headed to the door, but stopped and took two steps back
to me. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek and said, “Thank
you, Mike, you crazy, protective freak. I know you meant well.”

My eyes followed her as she walked to the door with a light
step, her blonde hair swaying down her back. Her tiny waist tapered out to a
perfect ass.

Byron stopped her. “Miss, can you tell to us what happened?”

“What the fuck was that, dude?” John asked.

The drilling kept coming.

“Some dick forced himself on Allana. She pushed him off, but
then he got more aggressive.”

“So you flew over the crowd like some superhero and threw
him before giving him a beat down?” Nico asked.

Reason began to return. What the hell just happened? I was
not a violent guy and I didn’t start fights. We’d gotten into a few scuffles in
clubs, but nothing like what I had just experienced. I was a lover, not a
fighter. A geek, not a bully. Seeing Allana in trouble woke a beast I didn’t
even know was inside me.

“What would you do if someone sexually assaulted Lily in
front of you?” I asked Nico.

He tilted his head. “Okay, I get it.” His features
tightened. “But the way you moved.” He shook his head as if not sure how to
explain. “How far you threw him.”

“You leapt over and into the crowd,” John added. “Like you
were on a suspension line or something.”

My laugh came out with a nervous pitch. “What are you guys
talking about?”

“It didn’t seem possible,” Nico added. “The distance, the
movement. It was more like an animal than a human. And when did you get to be
so strong to be able to pick up a man and hurl him across a club?”

I didn’t know how to answer or explain. “Probably an
adrenaline rush.” I shrugged. “You know how that gives people extraordinary
strength.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” Nico squinted his eyes at me,
unconvinced. “You sure you weren’t strung up by suspensions?”

I shook my head.

“Pretty sick,” John added.

“If anyone asks, we’ll tell them you were rigged up to one.
I don’t know how the hell else to explain it.” Nico gazed off and then peered
at me. “What do we tell the crowd? Show’s over, everyone. Thanks for coming
out. Time to go home.”

I glanced at my hand, bloodied and bruised. “No, I can
play.”

Nico stared at them. “Your mitts look like bloody ground
meat.”

“They’ll hurt worse tomorrow. And be swollen too,” I
replied. “Might as well get what I can out of them tonight.”

“Let’s get out there quick and finish the set before someone
decides to call the cops on you.”

We returned to the stage and Nico addressed the crowd.
“Sorry about the break. We had a bit of the problem with some dickhead in the
crowd. But we’re back.”

People cheered. A few shouted, “What happened?”

Nico glanced at me and I nodded. “Some guy decided to creep
up on one of our friends and most loyal fans. She was just trying to have a
good time at the show, dancing, minding her own business. But no, this tosser
wouldn’t leave her alone. He moved in on her, not taking her
No
for an
answer.”

The crowd booed. Some shouted, “What an asshole!”

Nico continued, “When this wanker grabbed her inappropriately
and forced his tongue into her mouth, my boy Chee over here did the right thing
and jumped in.”

The crowd cheered for me. I had to give it to Nico, he was
the quintessential front man. He spun this situation around to make me look
like the good guy, which I wasn’t even sure I was in this situation. Not only
that, he had the entire crowd supporting me. If the bouncers or anyone decided
to call the cops on me, I now had the majority of the crowd on my side.

“Guys, if a woman does not want to be with you, back the
fuck off. No means motherfucking no!”

The crowd cheered. I decided to take it from there with the
opening riffs to our crowd pleaser
Let’s Fuck All over Paris
. Nico sang
the lyrics:

No money, no hope

But in Paris, I cope

Sad ghosts fill the air,

Joy and despair

I made it through the show without getting pulled off the
stage and arrested like Jim Morrison during a show with The Doors in New Haven.
After we finished playing, we probably had one of the loudest and longest
applause we’ve ever had. When I brought my equipment backstage, the tall blond
bouncer approached me.

“Can we talk?”

Oh fuck. Here we go. It wasn’t over yet. Pretty soon, I’d be
in the back of a cop car going down to the station.

“Sure, man. What’s up?”

“Alone,” he added. He led me down the hall away from others.
“I saw what happened.”

“Yeah.”

“And how you leaped.”

I narrowed my eyes. “So?” What did this guy want? Was he
trying to blackmail me so he wouldn’t talk or what?

“It confirms what I suspected the last time I saw you here.”

Allana

I found Lily standing near the bar.

“What’s going on? You look shaken.”

“I’m okay,” I said, although my hands still trembled.

“Oh my God, are you the woman Nico mentioned?”

“Yeah. Some guy had too much to drink. I could taste the
whiskey when he forced his tongue down my throat.”

“That’s horrible, Ally!” She touched my shoulder. “Are you
okay?”

“I’m fine. People keep asking me that. Do I look like shit
or something?”

“I have never seen you look like shit.” She smoothed down my
hair. “Just a few strands.” After she scrutinized her work to make sure I
appeared presentable, she asked, “What happened?”

“This guy kept creeping up behind me. I thought he was just
trying to dance and brushed him off and moved away. Only he didn’t give up,
each time he grew more aggressive. He didn’t just try to dance, he grabbed my
hips and pressed himself against me. And he was horny. Unfortunately, I could
feel his erection pressed up against my ass.”

“Ugh. Gross. Like you wanted him to dry hump you in a club.”

“The final straw was when he grabbed my breasts. I spun
around and slapped him, which had the opposite effect from what I hoped. He
grabbed me, stuck his tongue down my throat and his hand up my skirt.”

“Holy shit! I’m going to kill him!”

“I think Mike already did a pretty good job with that.”

“Yeah, I heard he kind of went nuts on the guy.”

“He did.” When I thought about what he’d done, yes, I had to
admit it was crazy, but I was touched. Okay, more than a little touched. He was
a friggin’ rock star with tons of fans there to see him and he abandoned all that
to come to my aid. He leaped into the crowd to do so.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t up there with you,” Lily said.

“That’s okay. I know you’re more comfortable away from the
crowd.”

“This just sucks,” she announced. “Can I get you anything?”

“I could use a drink.”

“What do you want?”

“Don’t make me think,” I answered. I couldn’t make any
decisions right now. “Anything.”

While Lily got the pink-haired bartender’s attention, I
scanned the club. The band was onstage, people jumped around and sang along,
everything was back to normal. Except maybe me. I was still a little shaken up
from the whole experience, despite whatever I kept telling people. Having
someone force themselves on me left me feeling vulnerable. If I’d been alone in
an alley, I could see, but in the middle of a club, surrounded by people? It
was disturbing that it could happen that way. I’d been to dozens of clubs and
shows and although men have been aggressive before, putting their hands where they
shouldn’t be when trying to dance, it had never been quite that invasive.

“Here you go.”

Lily handed me a drink and I took a sip without asking what
she picked out. Besides a selection of beers, wines and liquor, Vamps offered a
number of specialty drinks with names like Tempting Fate and Fruits of
Temptation. This one had cranberry juice and some kind of alcohol I couldn’t
place, maybe a mix. Best of all, it was cold and went down smooth. “Ah, this is
good. What is it?”

“A Bloody Carrie.”

I giggled. It felt good after a rough night, like things
would go back to normal soon. “Haven’t tried this one before. I think it has
cranberry juice instead of tomato.”

“I’m glad to hear you laugh.”

“Me too. What a weird night. I wasn’t expecting it to go
quite like this.”

“What a jerk that guy is. You should press charges. That
will make him think twice before he pulls that shit on anyone again.”

“I think Mike got the message across.”

Mike

I didn’t know what was up with this blond dude. Why had he
pulled me aside and what was he trying to tell me?

“What you suspected? What the hell does that mean, bro?”

“Mike,” he said in a deep French accent. “My name is
Danton.”

“Danton, eh? That would be a sweet stage name. You in a
band?” Although my radar was up, I tried to keep the tone light, focused on
music.

“No.”

He didn’t use my stage name, which is how I was known in
this club. “How do you know my name?”

“I’ve been in this club for many years, watching what goes
on night after night.”

“So what does that mean? You overheard someone saying my
name?”

“Perhaps.” A slight smile emerged. “My sense of hearing is
quite acute.”

What was so funny about that? This guy was some sort of
strange egg.

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re a bouncer, right?”

“You might say that.”

“I might say that,” I repeated, growing frustrated with this
circular conversation. “What’s up with the cryptic talk? You are or you’re
not.”

“What I have to tell you is—” he paused, waving a hand, and
added, “complicated. I come from an ancient family. One that has certain
characteristics most people don’t have.”

“Whoa, dude. Are you on some weird-ass drugs or something?”
What the hell was this guy talking about? “I know the club scene is rife with
that shit, but I don’t touch that.”

“Listen to me, Mike. This is serious. What I’m telling you,
most people don’t know. They wouldn’t even be capable of understanding if I
told them.”

A shudder crept up my spine. “You’re starting to freak me
out.”

“I’m not trying to frighten you. Now hold on a moment. I’m
going to try something on you now.” He stared into my eyes, concentrating as if
his life depended on it. “You will turn away and walk back into the club. You
will forget you ever saw me.” His eyes bore into mine for several long moments
before he blinked.

“Why are you trying to control my mind with some voodoo
shit?” I asked with undisguised annoyance.

“That’s the thing, Mike. It doesn’t work on you and it
should. Mind manipulation is not something you can use carelessly. It’s only
warranted in extreme circumstances.”

Mind manipulation? What a freak! “All right, man. I’ve had
enough of your crazy talk. Have a good night.” I spun in frustration and walked
away.

“Wait,” he said. “You haven’t even let me ask you anything.”

“What?” I turned back to face him, already exasperated with
this conversation. I hated drugs, having seen too many people destroy not only
their lives, but those who loved them. If this guy was on some whacked-out
shit, I wanted no part of what he was offering.

“The way you leaped into the crowd earlier was not possible
by any ordinary human.”

“It was an effect of all the adrenaline coursing through
me.” My explanation weakened each time I was questioned about it. “Some guy
attacked a woman I care about. Any guy would have reacted the same way.”

He shook his head. “No, Mike. You may have had adrenaline in
your system, but even so, the distance and the arc is not possible by humans.”

I didn’t dare blink while I waited for him to continue.

“I can sense something different about you. Some of the
abilities you’ve displayed are characteristic of my kind.”

“What?” That was the only thing I could think of to say.
“What?” I repeated.

“I think you have our blood in you.”

“And what kind is that?” This guy may have been out of his
mind, but I couldn’t deny my curiosity.

“Before I continue, you must swear to guard our secret. Few
humans are trusted with it.”

“Okay. I swear,” I said halfheartedly. “So what are you?”

“A gargoyle.”

I raised my hands. “Okay, hold up. I was curious up until
this point to see what you’d say.” I laughed to mask my uneasiness. “But now
I’m convinced you’re either on some whacked-out drugs or you’re downright
insane.”

“I am neither. I am a gargoyle. From an ancient tribe in
France.”

“Yeah, whatever, dude. And I’m Aragon from
The Lord of
the Rings
.” I turned to walk away.

“You must not leave yet,” he commanded. “We haven’t even
begun to discuss what this means.”

“Oh, I know what it means. You’re insane.” I pointed to him
and then at me. “And I’m out of here.” I turned away again and called back.
“You should probably tell your stories to a shrink.”

“I must know who your ancestors are. Tell me your family
names.”

“I’m not telling you anything about my family, weirdo.” I
turned back to face him to get my point across. “Nor anything else about me.
Stay away from me.”

“Wait one moment.”

“Why?”

“I may appear flesh and blood to you right now, but I don’t
always appear this way.” He glanced around backstage to make sure we were
alone. “This is dangerous to do back here with so many people around, but I
know I must show you what I truly am for you to understand.”

“Okay.” I folded my arms. “I’ll humor you. What would you
like to show me?”

“Restroom.”

I followed behind him, but rolled my eyes. “You better not
try anything sexual on me, bro. That’s cool if that’s your thing, but I’m into
the ladies.”

“That is not my intention,” he said in a flat tone.

He entered the bathroom backstage and I followed him. He
locked the door behind me and then he removed his shirt.

“I’m warning you. Don’t do anything creepy.”

“That will be enough of that talk,” he said, unbuckling his
pants.

“I knew it!” I turned to unlock the door.

“Don’t assume my intentions are to seduce you in a club
restroom.”

“What do you expect me to think? You lock us in a bathroom
and start taking off your clothes.”

“Because I don’t want to ruin them when I transform. You
don’t believe what I am so I must show you.”

He continued undressing until he was buck-ass naked in front
of me. I searched for anything to focus on, anything but his junk, and saw one
of our flyers taped on the wall for tonight’s show. It read Velvet Cocks and
featured our logo of a scrolled VC with a rooster wearing a smoking jacket. One
of our more goofy ideas when we came up with the concept for our band, but it had
stuck.

I glanced at Danton’s face and my eyes almost popped out
when I noticed the color darkening. His skin was no longer bronze in color, but
more of a grayish hue.

Gray? The only reason that could explain that was that he
was sick. Maybe dying.

Even more disturbing were his features. They distorted into
a parody of what they once were. He was a good-looking dude normally but now
his over-large eyes and wide, protruding nose gave him the look of something
far more grotesque and rather sinister.

“What the hell are you doing, man?”

“Do not fear me when I change. I am not a monster, I will
not harm you.” I watched, transfixed, as his long blond hair retreated into his
skull. Black protrusions extended out of his back.

“What the fuck is growing out of your back!”

“My wings.”

“Your—wings?”

“Stop shouting. You’re going to attract attention.”

Forget shouting, I couldn’t even speak as I gawked at the
rest of the change. He hunched forward onto his hands and shrunk down while his
body widened. Then his body stopped reshaping and went still. His skin tone was
now universally gray. I marveled at how he could freeze in one position after
all the movement.

“Danton?” I whispered.

He didn’t reply.

“Hey. Are you all right?” I reached to shake his shoulder,
but once I touched it, I froze myself. He was no longer human flesh. He was
stone.

“Oh my God!” I cried. “I’ll get help.”

What the hell was I supposed to do? Run to get help? Call 9-1-1?

I turned to the door but fumbled as I tried to unlock it. On
the third try, I turned the lock.

“No!”

His command made me turn back. The crouched stone figure was
transforming again, the exact opposite of what I had just seen. Within a few
terrifying moments, Danton stood before me again as a stark naked man.

“What the hell, dude? What the hell!”

“I told you. I’m a gargoyle.”

He reached for his clothing and dressed, as casually as in a
gym locker room. Not like someone who had just turned to stone and back.

“That doesn’t explain one damn thing.” I turned again and
threw the door open.

“Don’t you want to find out more? Find out who you may be?”

“I’ve seen enough. And I’m nothing like you. Leave me the
fuck alone.”

Allana

Mike noticed me at the bar and strode over with haste. Worry
lines etched in his face. “We have to get out of here. Now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Some fucked-up shit backstage,” he said. “I can’t explain
it exactly. But we have to go.”

His urgent tone spurred me into action. I turned to Lily.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Mike just seemed to notice her. “You and Nico should get out
of here too. I don’t know what the hell is going on here tonight but I don’t
think it’s safe. Tell John too.”

He grabbed my hand and led me to the back door. I struggled
to keep up with his frantic pace. “Wait, what about your equipment? Your
guitar?”

“The guys who work here helped us load up the van. Let’s get
outside. I need fresh air.”

The blast of cool winter night air hit my face. Mike powered
ahead, eyes wide.

“Mike, slow down. I can barely walk in these high-heeled
boots, let alone rush.”

“Yeah, sure.” He glanced around the parking area, his breath
coming in short pants.

“Are you okay? Your hands are trembling.”

“I will be. Just give me a minute.” He rubbed a temple with
his free hand.

“Your breathing is erratic. Your body will relax if you slow
down and take deep breaths.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose.”

“This isn’t one of your yoga classes, Allana,” he snapped.

“Just bear with me,” I said. “It will help you calm down so
you can think more clearly.”

“Okay,” he agreed. His eyes darted around. “But do this
quickly. We can’t stick around here.”

“Close your eyes,” I repeated. “Inhale through your nose.
Hold it for three. Now exhale deeply. Let out everything you’re holding
inside.”

He followed my instruction, but opened his eyes while
exhaling. “I can’t keep my eyes closed.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Let’s try it again.” I repeated the
instruction for a few more breaths. “Better?”

He gazed off. “Yeah. I am better now. Thanks.” He pulled out
his phone. “I have to tell the guys we’re leaving.”

He spoke into it, dictating a group text to Nico and John.
“Watch out for the bouncer with long blond hair. He pulled some whacked shit on
me. Get out of there as quickly as you can. I’m leaving with Allana.” He turned
to me and said, “Let’s go. I have my car.”

“Isn’t your stuff in the van?”

“I met the guys here.”

Once we were in his black Mustang, he peeled out of there.
“What’s going on? What bouncer? What did he do?”

Mike gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white.
“Everything’s fine, Allana,” he said in a slow, soothing tone. “I’m just a
little rattled. Don’t worry about me.”

“Don’t patronize me. Tell me what happened.”

He stared straight ahead. “I can’t. I don’t even know how.
What I saw I don’t believe myself.”

“Start from the beginning.”

He started speaking a few syllables a few times, but then
stopped. Then he tried again. “It all started when that guy grabbed you.” He
turned and looked at me. “Wait. I haven’t even asked you how you are after all
this. Are you okay? Forget about me and my crazy story. Were you hurt? Should I
take you to the hospital?”

“I’m fine.” I coaxed him, “Go on.”

He spoke through clenched teeth. “Some guy touched you
against your will.”

“And you beat the crap out of him. I’m sure he’ll think
twice about doing anything like that to another woman.”

“I wanted to kill him. Rip him limb from limb.” His jaw
clenched, a vein throbbing in his neck. “I still do.”

“Mike—”

“If I wasn’t there—if this had happened without anyone else
around—he could have…”

“He didn’t,” I said. “It didn’t.”

“But—”

“I’m fine thanks to you.”

When he turned to me, his hazel eyes were filled with
concern. “What happens the next time when I’m not around?”

“Who’s to say there’s going to be a next time? You worry too
much.”

“The last time we were there a woman bit you. This time some
guy forces himself on you. Of course I’m going to worry about you.”

“Okay, point taken. Now stop stalling and tell me what
happened backstage.”

Mike exhaled. “Apparently when I leaped into the crowd to
get to you, it was, um, not typical.”

“Not typical? For what?”

“For humans.”

“Humans?” I repeated, puzzled.

“Oh God,” he said. “I’m already talking like I believe what
he told me.” He pounded the steering wheel. “Fuck. This is insane!”

“Mike, it’s all right. Take a moment to regroup and tell me
when you’re ready.”

He stared straight ahead for several moments. I took the
time to crank the heat. The biting temperature outside was not compatible with
my tiny dress. Clubs and cold weather never seemed to go hand in hand.

“Do you remember the blond guy who intervened the night you
kissed that woman backstage?”

My cheeks flushed remembering the kiss with Nike. “It’s a
bit hazy, but yes.”

“He was back there tonight.”

“I saw him.”

“He told me he saw things in me that he recognized. As part
of his kind!” He then laughed as if disbelief. “He said he was a gargoyle. A
gargoyle!” Shaking his head, “And then he showed me. He transformed into a
stone beast right in front of my eyes.” Mike glanced at me with widened eyes.
“I watched him change into a gargoyle statue. And then back into a human!”