That’s how I felt as we hurried through the dark towards the back entrance of the building where DED had just taken the stage. Fern and Edgar walked ahead, their breath rising in gasping dark clouds from their silhouettes. I couldn’t believe it was time. I guess part of me thought that it honestly wasn’t going to happen.
I mean, it’s one thing to beat the brains out of someone in a dark alley. It’s quite another to kill an entire band on a stage in front of thousands of people. Do you hear how crazy that sounds? But that’s what was going through my head as I walked behind my friends.
We entered the back of the building, showing our all-access laminates to the security guards. They let us in and I followed Edgar and Fern up the dark staircase that led to the side of the stage. There were several people standing there, watching the show: a few people from other bands, a few scantily clad gigglers, and a bunch of security. DED was onstage. They’d just launched into “This Sad Earth.” I looked beyond them to the crowd. It was packed — a sea of faces, everyone headbanging, undulating, raising their fingers and fists, packed in tight. Lips moving along with the lyrics. Eyes locked to Balthazar as he writhed and gestured. The others in the band flanked him, their long hair flying. The lights flashed, bathing everything in scarlet.
They finished the song and began another. I felt a body press in beside me. Fern was breathing heavily, staring at the stage. Her hand curled around mine. It was sweaty. I looked past her to the five security guards on this side of the stage. I couldn’t see any on the other side, but I was at a bad angle.
“We’re going to get caught,” I said. I don’t know why I bothered. Of course we were going to get caught. She didn’t reply, just stared at the stage, eyes wide, her chest heaving with her deep breaths. I started to feel sick. Prickly and sick. Like I might throw up. I grasped her hand tightly. “Let’s go,” I said. “Let’s leave.”
She didn’t reply. Her eyes looked glazed. “Fern,” I said sharply. “Fern.”
I’d caught her attention, and she turned her face towards me. I tried to plead with her with my eyes. “We can’t. Let’s go.”
She smiled at me, a sad smile. The strange gleam was gone from her eyes, and she just looked like my exhausted friend. My tired, sweet friend.
“I’m sorry, Rachel,” she said. “I have to.”
She squeezed my hand again, and my eyes filled with tears. She let go, and I tensed myself, ready to move with her. I had to do it with her. Beside her.
Beyond Fern I saw Edgar, and when our eyes met, he gave me a big, happy smile. “This is great,” he said, but then Fern moved forward, and I fell into step beside her. Just before I looked away, I saw Edgar’s smile vanish.
It all happened very quickly. Fern walked onto the stage, smiling. She moved fast, like a cat, towards the weapons rack. I followed. As I watched, she lifted a really big sword with a curved blade. I glanced back. The security guards were just standing there watching. I was confused by that. I dared a glance at Balthazar. He was grinning. I guess he thought this was cute or something.
I spun back to Fern just in time to see her swing the sword, burying it deep into Sid’s shoulder. It sliced through his guitar strap on its way, causing the instrument to crash to the floor. The band abruptly stopped playing. I panicked. I lifted the battle-axe out of the rack. It was heavier than I had expected, and I brandished it with both hands, spinning back around.
Sid had fallen to his knees, his black shirt soaking wet with blood. Fern was now on her way to the other side of the stage, raising the sword over her head, towards the other guitarist, Ed. I couldn’t believe that the security guards weren’t reacting. The crowd, meanwhile, was roaring. I was stunned. They think it’s part of the show.
Fern had driven the sword into Ed’s stomach, letting out a scream as she did, and everything erupted into chaos. I saw Edgar’s horrified expression, his mouth wide open in a shriek, and then the guards leapt into action. We were running out of time. I whirled, charging right at Balthazar.