Summer Shorts-Four Short Stories (7 page)

Craig finally dove into the deeper water
asking "So did you hear me play? What did you think?" Libby smiled
and said "Daddy, you play guitar good!" Terri brushed past him to
get more coffee. "I suppose that guitar cost as much as our car.
You won't be playing anything like that again." Craig ruffled at
her answer and exclaimed "Our car? Honey that guitar is worth more
than our car, this house, our salaries and probably the president's
too." She took her coffee and brushed past again without looking at
him. "You mean my salary…since I'm the only one here who has
one."

The debate was interrupted by a knock at the
door. Grabbing a clean towel to wrap around his boxer shorts, Craig
partially opened the door, peeked outside and said "Yes?" To his
astonishment, there stood Phoenix Gressil's manservant with
something held just outside of sight from where Craig stood behind
the door. The manservant spoke: "Mr. Gressil wants you to have
this. He says that there is a note inside for you." With that, he
held up a black leather guitar case. "Tell Mr. Gressil I said thank
you very much". Craig hauled the guitar case through the partially
opened door and into the house. Looking out the door towards his
driveway, he saw a site that would definitely get the neighbors
gawking: a Rolls Royce town car sitting in his drive with the
engine running. Then he caught a glimpse of someone he hoped Terri
wouldn't see: Edon sitting in the back seat. "Oh Christ, that's all
I need this morning" he muttered to himself.

"Who is it" Terri whispered from the kitchen.
"Don't you dare let them into this house, Craig". Laying the case
onto the sofa, he announced "It's okay. He's gone". Venturing into
the tiny space that passed as their living room, Terri asked
"What's that doing here?" Craig curiously answered "Don't know, but
let's see" Opening the case, he gasped.
"Oh Jesus
Christ…he didn't…no...no...no; he couldn't "

Terri leaned over his shoulder, spilling her
coffee on her robe, to see what was in the case. There it was…the
1959 gold Les Paul guitar. A note was pressed between the strings
to keep it in place. Craig opened the note and it read "Enjoy it,
but bring it with you when you come to see me in a day or so. Don't
be long. We have much to discuss….Phoenix."

"Is it really worth that much?" quizzed
Terri. Craig could almost hear the cash register ringing in her
head. "I'm sure he only means to let me use it for a day or so. He
clearly wants it back" he stressed. "Just remember" she replied
"that you have an interview article to write and a family to spend
time with before you go running off to the bedroom to play your new
toy."

******

Returning from the trip to town to deliver the
guitar, Edon found Phoenix sitting in the sunroom, looking out over
the water. She complained "How can people live like that…in a
wooden hut?" Phoenix softly smiled and replied "We did many, many
years ago. I drove a bread lorry by day. I played clubs by night.
We were poor but young…we could endure anything. Now all I have is
money…and leukemia."

Phoenix soberly lamented
"The time is
running out, my dear. Very soon, very soon…it will all be over. The
pact has run its course. He wants to conclude it."

"Craig will come around. The plan will
come to fruition. You will see, my love."
Edon consoled.

Craig pulled his rusted out Toyota Camry into
the driveway of the mansion. Gris met him at the door and let him
in. "He is in fine spirits in anticipation of your visit. But
please, do not over-excite him. His health is frail, sir." Gris
cautioned. Craig followed him to the study, guitar case in hand.
After a very brief exchange of pleasantries, Phoenix insisted that
they "get down to it" and Craig' eagerness couldn't be obscured.
After teaching Craig his favorite scales and fret board drills,
Phoenix paused and called Gris to bring in tea (no brandy this
time).

"Let's cut the crap, Craig. I'm
dying…leukemia…maybe a month or two is all I have left. Dying in
England is out of the question due to the taxes. My accountants
told me that this geographical area is the best bargain in the
U.S., so that is why I am here in 'BFE', as you all call it". Edon
will detest it for a while, but it's for her own good. My fortune
will thrive and prosper for her here."

Phoenix poured the tea for them both, and
then he continued "As for my music, I want it to live through you.
I sensed your hunger right away when we met. I know that hunger…it
keeps you awake tossing and turning all night. It robs your
thoughts during the day. Ii makes you want to smash your fists
against a brick wall when life obstructs your study… your practice…
your striving to perfection."

Craig was on the edge of his seat leaning
into hang on Phoenix's every word, ready to leap to his feet if so
commanded. Phoenix concluded "I can give you what you want…what you
need. But now I need to know if you are willing to commit
all…forsake all…sacrifice anything and all…to meet your destiny.
For if you agree, there will be no turning back. There is no path
of half-measure. That is the difference between attainment and
obscurity."

"I know that in your heart, there is piece
that belongs to others…to Terri…to Libby. Know this: they may have
a place in your heart, but only as long as their hearts are true to
your purpose. You know that table is only as good as the legs it
stands on. When one leg is weak, the entire table collapses. There
can be no weak leg…no distraction…no interference of any kind. I
learned that lesson with my late wife, but through Edon I found the
support that only a true believer can give. I tell you this: if
your eye offends you, cast it out."

Edon entered the study, as if on cue. Phoenix
remarked "Well, speak of…Hello, my dear." She approached Phoenix's
chair from behind, placed her hands on his shoulders, and without
ever taking her eyes off of Craig, kissed Phoenix on the cheek. "I
expected to hear Craig playing the guitar; not a lecture." She
mocked disappointment.

Phoenix replied "So you shall hear him,
dearie. But I have pushed it a bit too far today and must rest. Do
stay and give him a listen. Let me know your opinion of his
progress. Your ear is more critical than mine these days." "Craig--
give her a taste, won't you? Maybe the second vamp from 'Fire
Dance'?"

Craig mildly protested "We haven't gone over
that, Phoenix. Maybe I…" Phoenix cut him off with "Don't tell me
you haven't been practicing it, boy-o. Phoenix knows all. Now I'm
off for a nap."

Craig reset the tape machine, put his guitar
back on, and waited to for his cue from the playback. Edon turned a
leather chair to face Craig and reclined back on it. She fixed her
eyes on Craig and never moved them. Her face was expressionless as
if she were fixed in a trance or meditating on the music.

Some say it is Indian…some say it is
Arabic…maybe an agglomeration of both and a bit of Phoenix's own
creation, but "Fire Dance" started slowly and rhythmically
pulsating with Middle Eastern drums and string instruments. Craig
joined in by adding picking a muted chunking triad on the bass
strings of the guitar. He flew into the intro theme of the song as
the dynamic built something akin to Ravel's "Bolero". Opening his
eyes, he saw Edon still in her trance but slowly opening the button
to her black jeans, then unzipping them. The more furiously Craig
played the Les Paul, the more intensely she played along on her own
body, rising and falling with each crescendo. When Craig could no
longer contain himself, he laid the guitar down, scooped up Edon
into his arms, and then carried her to a nearby leather couch where
they furiously made love to the music which replayed on a
continuous loop.

"Was that a test of my power of
concentration?" Craig quipped as he slipped his pants back on.
Rising to her knees on the couch, Edon put her arms around Craig
from behind him and slyly replied "You lasted longer than I
expected…on the guitar. I must be losing my appeal." Craig
whispered "What do you mean---I nearly snapped the neck off of it."
She kissed him one long, last time and said "I'll let Phoenix know
that you are ready. Then I'll make a few calls to set up your
debut." Before Craig could protest, she added emphatically:
"
I said
you're ready!" Craig smiled at her, then
cased his guitar and left for home.

******

Entering his home through the back kitchen entrance,
Craig brushed past Terri as she was cooking dinner. She did catch
wind of tell-tale smell of another woman's perfume as he passed
with the sixth sense that women have for such things. Needing a
closer examination, she grabbed him by the arm and hugged him in a
familial greeting manner. There was something else in the
air…perhaps the musk of recent sex.

"I have great news" he nearly shouted in her
ear. "Phoenix and Edon think that I am ready to play my first
show…a debut. Isn't that fantastic?" Terri relaxed her grip on his
arm and replied "I think you have been spending way too much time
with those two. What about that article? Is it done? Did you submit
it yet?"

Taken aback by her rebuff, Craig muttered
"It's done. It's been submitted. So I take it you're not thrilled
by the news?" Terri snapped her reply right into his face: "I want
my husband back. Libby wants her father back. Understand? I don't
know this new you. You play that damn guitar from morning tonight.
You're not a kid anymore and you're not that good, whatever Lord
Phoenix may say…or that slut that lives with him."

Craig became defensive "Look, maybe you want
me to become Elmer, our sixty year old neighbor, dress like I'm
going to the lodge golf outing, and get a good post office job.
That's not me…I'm not dead yet. Phoenix believes in me, and if the
greatest guitarist alive thinks so, then that's good enough for me.
I'm doing the show with or without your support."

He stormed off to the bedroom, slammed the
door, put on his headphones, and practiced the rest of the evening.
Libby asked Terri "Are you and Daddy fighting again? Is it about
his new guitar?"

Terri bent down to her, kissed her forehead
and whispered "Sometimes I forget which of you is the child and
which one is the parent". After putting her to bed later that
evening, Terri had a glass of wine and curled up to sleep on the
sofa. She tossed and turned her way into a nightmare. In her dream,
the dog Sykes appeared through the fog at night. He morphed into
Phoenix, all dressed in black. Terri demanded "Why are you here?
What do you want?" Phoenix took her by the shoulders and stated
coldly "He wants his price paid …through sacrifice. He wants Libby.
I am here to take her to him". Then in her dream, Terri cried "No.
You cannot take my daughter." When she turned to re-enter her home,
Phoenix had changed back into Sykes…snarling and growling at
her…blocking her path back into the door.

Terri emerged from the dream soaked in sweat
and shaking. She didn't go back to sleep that night. She wouldn't
sleep for nights to come either. The next morning while Craig
slept, she showered and dressed for work. She left without saying
goodbye to him. At the office, she threw herself into her work to
try and push the nightmare out of her thoughts; but at her lunch
break, she remained at her desk and searched the internet for
stories on Phoenix Gressil. Most particularly, she read all she
could about the demise of his fellow band mates.

******

Craig awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. It
was Edon with news that she had managed to get Craig a spot at a
music festival the following night in Austin Texas. All it took was
the mention of Phoenix being there for the event, and the promoters
insisted that he play. She hadn't informed them that it would be
Craig playing in his place. Phoenix agreed to go and introduce him.
They would leave for Austin later that very evening…with Craig.

Terri was not at all happy with the news when
Craig called her at work. "What about Libby and me? We can't go.
We'll be all alone without you. We're not used to you not being
there. I don't like it."

Craig reassured her "Phoenix will have
someone to stay with you from his security staff. You'll be safer
than if I was there." Clutching at straws, Terri added "Well, what
will you wear? I don't suppose your golf shirt and khakis fit into
that crowd." Craig blurted out without thinking "Edon will take
care of that." Terri snapped "Oh yes, of course. I should have
known. Will there be three rooms at the hotel or just one?" Craig
ignored that. He concluded the call with a "See ya before I
leave."

******

Back at her internet search, Terri found that the
three former Black Raven members died from separate, non-related
incidents. Reading the archived news items, one common thread
linked the deaths: the presence of a black dog…a large black dog.
Ian the lead singer had swerved his car to avoid one. Jake, the
bassist, died from a heart attack caused by being startled by a
large black dog. James, the drummer, died from what was reported as
a strong allergic reaction…to a black dog.

Curiously, no one had noted the common
denominator in the deaths. The press had previously described the
deaths as being "drug related", and as is normally the case with
inaccurate headlines, when retractions were later issued, they were
relegated to back pages. "Death by dog" was just too un-rock &
roll, and was deemed bad for the band's image.

More interesting and disturbing were the
rumors surrounding Phoenix's so called "pact with the Devil" and
Satan worship. Some insinuated that Phoenix's bandmates refused to
join his pact and were punished by Satan. Others alleged the
bandmates were sacrificed for Phoenix's personal fame and
longevity. It became clear to Terri that as far as the Satan
worshipping clique surrounding Phoenix was concerned; one was
either "in" or one was "out". The "ins" (the true believers)
prospered and endured; the "outs" (non-believers) died well before
their time.