The Concert

The Concert
         “I can’t believe that we have back stage tickets to this concert!”  Jess screamed with excitement.  They had gotten these tickets only hours before from someone who was practically giving them away.  The concert was something both of them had been talking about for months.  Decaying Breath was not a band that most people got the chance to meet in person.  They were a mysterious bunch and while they certainly had a reputation for giving the most spectacular performances, they rarely took the time to meet their fans.  That arrogance and apparent aversion of any publicity was something that only bolstered their image.  Fans took that image and loved every second of it.  So, given the chance to meet all the members in person was something that any real fan would kill for.
         “Look Jess, you need to calm the fuck down before we go meet these guys.  The last thing I want DB to think is we are your typical crazed idiotic fans.”  Trent took a closer look at the special passes they had been practically given.  It really was strange for someone to give them away for so much.  The price tag on them still read $500, but they had salvaged them for $40 each.  At first, the two of them were highly skeptical but with further investigation of the passes, Trent and Jess seemed convinced that these passes were legitimate.
         As they approached the backstage entrance, a large bouncer looked at the two of them approaching.  His great arms crossed in front of him gave too much of your stereotypical image of those you find in the movies, but his incredibly large stature coupled with hair that ran to the small of his back gave this bouncer some flavor from all the others.
         Jess and Trent slowly inched closer to one another as they neared the bouncer and slowly began to present their backstage passes without having to be asked.  The bouncer grabbed both from them, his large hand was clearly twice the size of even Trent’s hand.  Giving a strangely straight toothed smile the bouncer motioned for them to go back towards the band.
         Decaying Breath was an interesting band to say the least.  While they certainly entertained the whole death and evil-style image, their music maintained a more industrial feel.  They fought the constant stream of singers and song writers who would do nothing more than scream into a microphone about ridiculous lyrics that contained demons and devils.  While they contained the typical evil and dark words, they gained their popularity through their stage performances.  Each show they managed to provide something amazing for each audience that seemed to rival the most high-budget films, acts of bizarre murder, execution, and torture.  They had received lots of criticism and public hysteria but they had assured the press that every show was scripted and most certainly fake but, this show was said to be something new, something to remember.
         The two of them walked down the colorless hallway.  The smell of bleach hit their noses instantly as they neared the large black doors at the end.  A small sign read, Band Entrance, in large red letters.  Jess looked at her brother.
         “Is this where we are supposed to go?” She asked.
         “It has to be, this hallway leads right to here.”  He looked back down the hallway but the dim glow of the lights above them made it hard to see the way they had come. 
         “Do you smell that? It’s making me sick.”  Jess asked.  Trent could see her face now and it was turning distinctly pale.
         “It’s bleach, I think.”
         “Are you sure abou-“
         “Yes, I’m sure Jess.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”  Trent said with agitation in his voice.
         “Ok.”     
         Jess reached her hand out to the door, bracing herself as if it would hurt her.  The cool metal of the door handle gave her a slight jump but she swallowed her fear and pulled it open.  Inside was nothing they had expected.  Rumors had followed the band that their lifestyle reflected everything that portrayed on stage but they never expected the backstage at a concert to be a complete manifestation of the hell they said they lived in.
         All the fluorescent lights had been removed and replaced with large torches and burning fires around the spacious room.  Large demonic statues had been set around at five points.  In the middle of the room was what appeared to be a torture rack accompanied with a table full of vicious looking weapons and cruel instruments.  The walls were covered with paintings of those that appeared to be suffering forms of torment.  One that sent a chilling shiver down their spine was a painting of a multiple winged demon with several mouths devouring three people in a lake of ice.  As Jess stared at the painting seemingly transfixed on the horrified screams on the faces of the three being forever eaten, she could swear their mouths were calling her name.  She refused to get herself scared, these were nothing but paintings and she wasn’t going to be a coward in front of her brother or the band, but she jumped when a hand grabbed hers suddenly.  She looked to the left to see her brother almost panting in shock as he looked across the room at what appeared to be china porcelain dolls each wearing a different outfit.  They looked extremely out of place given the décor of the room.  Trent always had a fear of dolls, something his sister never quite understood.  She shook off his hand and walked towards them.
         “Sis, don’t! please…”
         “Trent, don’t do this now, not when you just lectured me a second ago” The air of confidence her brother had had vanished.
         “Wh-where do you think DB is?”
         His sister only shrugged as she walked near the middle table.  She approached the middle table covered in weapons.  As she picked up a rather vicious looking dagger the urge to see how sharp it was overcame her and she touched its blade, and could have cut herself on a butter knife before this toy. 
         “This stuff is all fake Trent!”
         “What?”  Trent’s voice got caught in his throat.
         Jess picked up another pointed weapon and poked herself in the hand with it barely the trace of a scratch, “All of this stuff is fake! Come here Trent.”  She motioned to her brother and he started to walk over.  When he reached her she brought up a large sword and swung it at her brother, who leapt backwards with a face full of fear.
         “What the fuck is your problem!?!”
         “Would you come here for a second, this isn’t going to hurt you.” She put her hand out and motioned for her brother’s arm.  Tentatively he brought out his arm and held it there.  “Now hold still.”  She said with a malicious smile on her face.  She raised the sword and brought it down on her brother’s arm with a small thud.  They both looked at one another and could not hold back laughter anymore.  The two fell into each other laughing unable to comprehend the fact that they were actually scared to come in here.
         The two of them went through the various items checking that each cruel looking weapon was fake.  “I can’t believe that all of this is fake!” Trent yelled as he picked up a rusty pick and attempted to puncture the table with no success.
         “Of course this stuff is fake, it’s a show.” A voice said from behind them.  The brother and sister swung around to see the lead singer of the band behind them accompanied by his other four band members. 
         “We only put on a show, we don’t really torture people before a concert.”  The man to the lead singer’s right side spoke up.
         Trent and Jess could barely contain their excitement as they were face to face with their idols.  The lead singer took the initiative and began to walk forward extending his hand to introduce himself.  “I’m Lou, the singer, but I’m sure you know that.  That’s Kane, Lillith, and Adam.”  The next hour Trent and Jess spent talking to the band and learned all the interesting things no one would ever have guessed about them.  Three of the four members had attended Ivy League schools, one grew up as a farmer, and Lou and Lillith were actually married.  Time was beginning to draw closer to the concert when Lou left the five of them.
         “Where’s Lou?” Trent asked.
         “Ah, it’s tradition that we have a drink right before each concert.” Adam said as he looked over his should to see Lou coming back carrying a rather strange looking bottle.  It was made of black glass with dark blood red carving into it.  Adam stood up and grabbed a collection of glasses from a dark chest underneath the torture rack. 
         “What’s that?”  Jess asked her face flushed with the laughter and excitement of the past hour.
         “Well, it’s a special drink we picked up a few years ago when we first met, and it has turned into a tradition before every show.”  Lou said as he sat back down with the group of them.  Adam returned with a collection of six shot glasses.  Setting them out for their group.  As Lou began to pour the black bottle a very dark red liquid fell into the shot glasses.  The four members without waiting picked up their perspective shot glasses and raised them in a toast.
         “Well, pick ‘em up!”  Kane said as he looked at both Trent and Jess.
         Trent looked at Jess, and his worried look had returned.  He was looking for an answer from her and she gave it, by picking up her shot glass.
         “Jess…”
         “What could go wrong Trent?”  His sister gave a bright smile as she tossed the shot back feeling it burn its way down her throat.  She looked at her brother as he nervously brought the drink to his lips and proceeded to throw his head back grimacing as the liquid burned its way down his throat as well.  Jess could feel it warm her stomach as she felt her body begin to loosen up.  Her limbs began to feel detached and her head immediately started to spin.  She looked at her brother as his head began to rock back and forth.  Both of them had drank before, so why was this causing them to feel this way?  As the warmth in their stomachs began to grow their vision began to blur and the last thing the two could remember before they fell forward was seeing the band put down their full shot glasses on the table. 
         Fighting the urge to blackout, Jess tried to keep her eyes open as she saw the four of them advance on her and her brother.
         “They’re ready for the show now…”
*          *          *
         Jess felt herself jerked awake with the blaring of a guitar chord.  She fought to keep her eyes open but they were being pulled closed by the drugs she was given.  Attempting to move her hands, panic swept over her as she realized that her hands were tied into place.  Fear began to wash over her and the surge of adrenaline began to fight off the effects of the drug.  She attempted to stand when she found her feet bound as well.  The overwhelming fear gripped her as she shouted at the top of her lungs.  Her eyes shot open as her body began to shake with fear.  She looked around and she could see a concert crowd before her.  Everyone was cheering, jumping, and lost in the show.  She quickly realized she was tied in four places to a wooden X.  The grip of fear in her body was beginning to take hold and she could not control her breathing anymore.  She panted as thoughts raced through her head.  She looked to her left to see her brother still tied to a similar large X.  She shouted for him to wake up but the sound of the band and the cheering crowd drowned her out, when she recognized a smell coating her.  Gasoline.  The wooden X she was on was coated in gasoline, her clothes that she thought were coated in sweat or even water were doused in gas.
         The song gave way and the band made its way to Jess and her brother on stage.
         “We promised you something special tonight and here you have it, a sacrifice to those most evil.”  Lou said as he slowly placed his hand in his pocket.
         “Oh God!”  Jess screamed, “This isn’t an act! HELP ME!”  She yelled but everyone in the crowd cheered in anticipation.  Why would they help her?  How many times had she seen executions at their shows or other grotesque acts of torture and cheered along, they all think it is fake.  She fought with her restraints, the chains that held her in place but she saw there was no hope. 
         Lou pulled a silver lighter from his pocket and ignited it as he neared her brother. 
         “Don’t you touch him!” Jess yelled.  Every obscenity she could think of flew from her mouth as she cursed him to hell if he would even think of it but all he could do was smile at her as he neared the lighter to her still unconscious brother. 
         “Not everything in this world is as fake as we think it is.”
         “Why!?!” She yelled, “You don’t have to do this!”
         “But they want me to.”  Lou said as he motioned with his eyes to the crowd.
         “Please don’t! I’m begging you.”  She could not hold back the tears now that anger had left her as despair had set in.  She was going to die on stage in front of people who thought it was nothing more than an act.
         “So are they.”  He said as he tossed the lighter onto her brother.  The flames erupted into a massive inferno, as the horror before her eyes gripped her.  Her brother awoke shouting in excruciating agony before he was quickly silenced.  She screamed back as she could feel the pain in herself as well.  The pain her brother had swept over her as she felt his skin burning away, the flames melting his organs.  Amidst all the agony before her she began to laugh.  Her sanity had broken and all the order of her mind was shattered.  The crowd began to shout for a second sacrifice as Lou looked up at her puzzled.
         “The devil has a special place in hell for you Lou.”  Jess said as she continued to fall into madness.
         “I am the devil.”  He said as he tossed a second lighter onto her.
*          *          *
         “Could you believe that concert?” Frank shouted as he could barely contain himself as he walked back to his car with his two friends.
         “That was so real! I actually thought I smelled burning flesh for a second.”  Steve said as he produced the keys from his right pocket.
         “How do you think they make everything seem that real?”  Brian said.
         “They have some of the best pyrotechnicians and stunt devils in the business!”  Frank shouted still in awe of the spectacle they had just witnessed
         “Hey you three!”  They heard a man shout from behind them as they turned to see another concert-goer running to them.
         “What’s up?”  Steve asked.
         “How would you three like to meet the band?”