lundi 22 février 2016
The audience
was screaming her name. The anchorman was announcing their arrival. He was
taking so much time that Lily thought about throwing a guitar at him to put an
end to their suffering. And finally, he shouted Lily's name. The band got on
stage. The public was shouting, screaming, howling. Some people fainted or
others were crying. For a moment, you could think it was a war scene.
Lily was at
the center of the stage, her band behind her. Isaac was at her right, staring
at the huge arena and the enormous number of people that were waiting for them
to play and sing. Lily took the microphone, waited for the audience to shut
down and then said :
L – I'm glad
to be here tonight.
The public
immediately reacted but before It could burst, she interrupted it :
L – I know
it's been a while since I last sang in an arena like this. To be honest, I'm
kind of afraid because I'm going to present you my new album. So please be nice
to us, and here the first song.
The arena
turned black, with a light focusing on Lily and her band. She approached her
face from the microphone and she started to sing:
L – A long,
long time ago … I can still remember how music … used to make me smile.
The lights
were suddenly switched off, without the technicians knowing why. The panio was playing
a smooth music, and a faint light blue mist started to invade the gap. Lily
continued the song. As she was singing it, the mist became bigger. And when she
said :
L – The day
… the music … Die.
And as she
began the chorus, blue bubbles of lights invaded the arena. They were floating
in the air, wandering above the heads of people already under the spell of
Lily's voice, as they were all showing a delighted face.
Lily started
the first verse in a faster rhythm and in a happier tone. Some Blue bubbles crushed
into the ground, while others remained in the air to lighten the arena, as she
said "Now do you believe in Rock n' Roll". The crushed bubbles
transformed into humans forms, and it revealed that they were all music stars,
from all eras. Living and dead, boys and girls, they were here, together among
the audience, singing with Lily. Some others appeared to sing next to her.
Elvis was dancing with Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan was playing guitar along his
fallen friend Jimmy Hendrix. The Beatles were complete once again and they were
totally rocking it. Next to Lily there were Otis Redding and Freddy Mercury,
who was putting himself on a show as always while singing. People from the mob
were dancing with them, totally in admiration. Lily was granting them a
beautiful gift, and Isaac was looking at everything with childish eyes.
Suddenly, Freddy Mercury jumped into the audience, but before he could reach
them, his poltergeist body exploded and was followed by a rain of blue powder.
Lily, in a quick move, stretched her hand towards the powder, and it triggered
a giant flash. The moment after, the audience was in a giant dancing hall, and
everyone was dressed like in the 20's. They all felt the urge to dance like in
books or films about this era. It was like being in the Great Gatsby. Lily and
her band were still here, playing the song. Isaac was amazed at how people
totally didn't care about what was happening, they were under the spell of Lily's
voice.
The Dance
hall switched areas, from the 20's they went to the 30's and 40's with its
foxtrot and so one. The music was holding them, they could dance until their
death without thinking, and they were as light as a feather. But everything has
an end, and when our heroin sang "I met a girl who sang the blues",
everything turned to black and she was the only one under the light. One could
only hear the piano, and her voice was full of sadness, music was about to end.
The piano stopped as she finished the outro, and Isaac appeared next to her, to
sing the final chorus, and he accompanied her with his guitar. There were both
singing, in a cohesion so mystical that we could think that they were twins.
The last ghosts appeared among the public. Lily pointed out at each of them,
and one after the other, they disappeared, as the music was ending. Music of
the past is dead, and now we should be happy with what we have. Lily sang the
last "This will be the day that I diiieeeee" and once it was over,
they were back in the arena, with everyone left in shock.
Lily gave it
her all, her entire body, soul and mind. Her throat was dry, she wanting to run
away from the scene but it was way too soon, she had to wait for the public
judgment. It had to strike her with its hammer to tell if she was guilty of
genius or not.
After a
silence that could be linked to the death of an important man, the audience
burst. It was a real acclaim, they were chanting Lily's name and shouting for
one more song. The responsible for the TV audience were happy, it was the first
time that so many people had been watching their channel, they were sure to
beat the historical score of the channel.
Lily and her
band bowed and they rushed towards the backstage. Lily was overwhelmed with
happiness and her stress finally went down , to the point that she almost
fainted. Isaac, on his side, was totally out of reality; he was absorbed by his
own music, about what he could produce along Lily's voice.
Lily stared
at his partner and murmured:
L – It's your
turn now.
I – I know …
Isaac took
his electric guitar and went back to the stage, along others members of Lily's
band. Ethan was in the control room. He didn't pay much attention to Lily's performance,
he knew she would rock it and he dedicated himself to get her new contracts and
sponsors. But then came the turn of Isaac. He turned off his phone and wanted
to see what was capable of the one Lily had chosen. If he was worth it or not.
If he had to get rid of him. Isaac sat on a chair.
Isaac looked
at the audience, played a bit with the cords of his guitar, glared a list time
at Lily who was observing him from backstage. He whispered:
I – Guess
it's time.
The music
slowly started as he played his guitar. His face was marked by stress and
anxiety. The musicians were looking at him, worried about his state of mind.
Then he sang
I – I am a
question to the world …
As the words
came out of his mouth, a little house appeared at the entrance of the arena. A
boy got out of it. He seemed young, and he was carried a guitar. People could
only see his eyes, which were empty. The boy looked at the stage, at Isaac who
was singing. Our hero smiled at him, as if he asked him to come here. The boy
seemed confuse, he didn't know what to do. But at the end of the first verse,
when Isaac sang " I'll never be what you want me to be". The boy
gather up is courage and started to walk towards the stage through a path that
appeared above the public. The audience was stunned by what was happening, they
were witnessing someone who had the same power as Lily. The latter was
overjoyed, she couldn't contain her happiness.
The boy,
along the path, was mocked by many people. The world around him became blue, as
he grew older. His speed got slower, and his face was marked by sadness. The path
was then blocked by a giant wooden door. The boy looked at it, drop his guitar
and was about to return to his house when Isaac end his second verse.
Suddenly,
Isaac rose up and started the first chorus, in a loud voice he sang " AND
I WANT A MOMENT TO BE REAL". The wooden door crumbled, and the path was
clear. The boy regained Hope. He took back his guitar and run towards the
stage. The ground shaken and several cracks appeared along the way, with pillars
of lava escaping from it. The boy dodged the lava, which looked like people he
used to know. As he jumped above the last crack, Isaac started the third verse.
The boy was midway between the stage and his house. Everything became blue
again; he was surrounded by bubbles full of questions and insults "You'll
never be a good musician""Useless""Give up on music".
A shadowy figure appeared behind him and tried to grab him, to send him back to
his house. The figure looked like Ethan. The boy's guitar was crackling into
little pieces, and his heart was corrupted by darkness. But when the second
chorus started, a giant light appeared and chased the monster. The boy looked
at the light, a smile appeared on his
face. A girl got out of the light, gave him a new guitar, smiled and then
disappeared. When this new strength, the boy ran, crossed the light and made a
huge leap to get into the stage.
The boy was
finally in front of Isaac, who was singing the last verse. They both glanced at
each other. Isaac winked at him, and the boy fused with our hero. All this
time, Isaac was telling us his story. He tossed aside the chair and shouted the
final chorus with all his might " AND I WANT A MOMENT TO BE REAL !"
A bright
orange and warm aura escaped from him and spread through the audience. A wind
was blowing among them, it was not an aggressive but a rather weak one , as if
they were sleeping under a cherry tree during spring . They were at ease.
Unlike Lily, who was making them a feel an incontrollable joy and happiness,
Isaac was expressing a warm tranquility, mostly linked to what he experienced.
Lily was the spice and him the sugar.
"I'm …
Still … Here" He ended the song. He was full of sweat because of the
stress and also mostly because of the spotlights. He glared at the public,
whose eyes were wide-opened, surely a result of his performance. After an
akward silence, one started to clap, followed by one another, and finally the
whole arena was cheering for him. Isaac, strangely, wanted to run away like
Lily before, but she appeared and put her hand on his back; she winked at him,
and as the anchorman was shouting their name, they bowed in front of their
audience, ending their first show as a duo.
Ethan was
starring at them, his assistant was scared to death ; he thought his boss was
about to burst into anger. But it was totally the opposite, he was overcome by
joy, his greed was pleased by the view. At the beginning, he had a jewel, but
now, it was an Eldorado that was standing in front of him. It was his duty to
take profit of those two, to the point that they went dry.
The show was
a blast. The ratings were unanimous. It was a real success. Lily was no longer
alone on top, she was with Isaac. As a consequence, the album was a huge
success. It almost equaled "Thriller" of M.Jackson. Every show, Tv
serial was talking about them. They were the current trend, as no one could equal
their pair and cohesion.
Many groups
tried to oppose them, but imitating or mocking those two, but it didn't end
well for them, as the public, enthusiastic defenders of the duo, ended their
career as a punishment for attacking those two gods.
Isaac wasn't
happy to see how the public was reacting; he felt some unease when they were
chanting his name during conventions. Hopefully, Lily was here to comfort him
and give him the strength to face this jungle.
As the
months went by, they started to be everywhere. Each time someone was switching
on his Tv, in the two minutes that followed, he saw them at least one time.
Ethan was forcing them with contracts, interviews, commercials, shows and
obviously concerts.
It was
exhausting for the two, as they had no time to recover. Lily was hardly able to
see her family, and Isaac had trouble finding some sleep, as they were always
travelling by train, plane or even boat. Their world tour leaded them to
various countries, where they had obviously to promote their music. Lily was doing
most of the job, as Isaac wasn't efficient enough with the communication part
of promotion.
Isaac begged
Ethan to give them some free time, but he always answered:
E – Once
everything will be over. Just a bit longer.
I – It's
been one freaking year damnit !! Lily is on the verge of falling apart ! You've
to stop everything!
E – I'm the
producer here ! I'm doing what is best for you and for your duo. Or maybe you
want to end up in the street again … It's up to you.
I - …
L – It's
okay … If it's just a bit longer. I'll try to keep it up.
Lily was
trying to appease the tensions between Ethan and Isaac, as the latter was
trying to express his views on the former, who wasn't listening at all. Of
course, they were gaining money, but for what purpose ? Isaac was often
wondering about that. He thought they
were singers, they were named that way. But in practice, they were spending
more time on the road, talking to anchormans or fans than singing. They were no
longer what they wanted to be, but products that people could consume, play
with, admire and then threw once they got tired of it.
Isaac was
observing Lily from afar. He knew she was tired, about to collapse, but she was
holding on. Because music was her everything, and because she thought she was
about to achieve what she wanted the most, perfect music, along with Isaac.
They were close, Ethan even suggested that they should be a couple on screen,
to boost the sales. But they refused, since Lily found herself finally someone
suitable for her. Isaac was her confident, but nothing more, and it was enough
for him. They were twins in music.
But what
Isaac feared the most happened, without a warning, on the last stage of their
world tour.
L - …
Isaac, and
the musicians were looking at Lily. She was here, in front of the micro,
voiceless. Nothing came out. She was trying her best, her everything, to let
out just a single sound. But it remained silent. She turned towards Isaac, in
despair. He took over the micro, and sang the lyrics to cover the current
crisis. She rushed to the backstage, under the looks of her staff, and once she
was safe and sound, she fainted without any warning. Flavie shouted so loudly
that the whole arena heard her despite the music. The musicals and Isaac
couldn't be disturbed by it, they had to hold on for the show, but Isaac's hand
was shaking, and he had trouble focusing on the song.
The Medical
Staff took her to the nearest hospital while trying not to be noticed or
followed by some paparazzis. But It was already too late, many people among the
crowd tweeted about it, sent the video on their youtube account and commented
the event.
The info was
heavily spread even before the end of the concert. Isaac checked the news on
his phone at the end of his show, he was disgusted by how the people reacted.
Some were mocking her, others were badmouthing her for her lack of self-control.
It was a huge mediatic storm. Isaac was about to break his phone, but he had
more important things to care of, he turned his phone off and went as quickly
as possible to the hospital. Ethan urged him to go to the after-show interview
but our hero replied :
I – GO TO
HELL WITH YOUR INTERVIEW !!!
Isaac left a
shocked Ethan, and took the first cab he managed to get.
? - …
I - …
? - … Are
you … ?
I – Yeah ?
? - Are you
that guy … I don't remember … Argh … Yeah ! Justin Bieber !
I - … Not
really … At least you've tried.
? - Well … I
must have mistaken then.
I – That's
it … Justin Bieber … HELL NO ! Just drive please !
? – Okay ..
Okay … Killjoy ..
Isaac paid the
driver, and ran to the entrance of the hospital. He asked for her chamber, and
was directly sent in the left wing of the building. On his way, he almost
bashed into a little girl and he totally knocked down an old lady who was
trying to imitate Gandalf.
He slammed
the door open, and shouted :
I – Where is
she ?!
She was
lying in a bed, with Roxy and Flavie by her side. She smiled at her friend. He
seemed relieved , but also intrigued as Roxy and Flavie were expressionless. He
asked her :
I – Are you
hurt anywhere ? Tell me you're okay !
She replied
with a nod. A bit annoyed, he replied :
I – You can
talk you know.
That's was
the problem. She couldn't. Roxy answered :
Roxy – She
lost her voice.
I – What ?
Fl – Because
of the stress, the fatigue due to your countless concerts. She went through a
kind of breakdown and as a result, she lost her voice.
Isaac stared
at Lily, who was playing with her fingers, because that's the only she could do
to think about something else. Isaac, in distress, wanted to be reassured by
his friends :
I – She will
heal right ?
Fl – They
don't know … It can take days, weeks, months … They can't give us a date ..
I – But …
Lily took
Isaac by the arm. He looked at her, and her eyes were saying what he didn't
what to hear. Please stop, it's useless for now. Isaac felt the unfairness of
the moment, he wanted to cry out his anger, but for Lily, he stepped back and
remained silent. Ethan entered the room, looked at Isaac, then Lily and he
finally asked Flavie and Roxy to come with him. They went out of the room.
Isaac sat next to Lily. After a few seconds he declared :
I – You know
it's okay if … you cry.
He turned
his head toward his friend and noticed that tears were already flowing from her
eyes. They were silent tears. Those that no one could, and was supposed to see.
He embraced her and she cried on his shoulder, while he was overwhelmed by
sadness and guilt, as he couldn't prevent it from happening.
Ethan
finally came back into the room and claimed :
E – We've
found a solution ! Lily, you'll take all the time you need to rest while Isaac
will assure what I prepared for you guys ! Does it suit you ?
Isaac didn't
answer right away. He took a peak at Lily's face. She smiled at him, granting
him the right to do so. Ethan clapped his hands, and got outside the room to comfort
the production company. Isaac said :
I – Don't
worry it'll be fine ! I'll do my best to be sure that you'll get all the time
you need to recover.
Lily raised
her thumb, and she was then taken by Roxy and Flavie to her house, while Isaac
went back to his flat, to put into songs the things he wanted to say.
In the weeks
that followed the tragic event, Isaac did his best to be sure that everyone forgot
about what happened to his partner, and he succeeded. People stopped talking
about it, and Lily could now focus on her recovery.
But what she
thought simple took a more dramatic turn, as she couldn't make any progress. At
the same time, Isaac career was exploding, since he took the place of Lily as
the voice of the feelings, the one that turned music into magic.
Lily watched
it from afar, and as the days, the weeks, the seasons were flying by, people
forget about her. Isaac was now the shining light of the duo, which became a
solo without her consent.
At first she
didn't seem bothered by it, she remained
the same when Isaac paid his usual visits. Their relationship appeared to be
the same, on the outside but in the inside, Lily was falling deeper into
sadness.
And her
closest friend started to be more absent. He was busy on tours all around the
world. All she could do was to watch him on the TV, where she used to be with
him. A whole year passed, and Lily's voice didn't make it back yet.
It was a
winter afternoon. She was on her balcony.
Sat in her chair, she spent most of her time looking at the snow while
writing songs that she could sing once she would be healed. Suddenly, she
noticed someone at her metal gate. It was Ethan. He opened it and walked on the
path to her house while she went back inside, to welcome him.
He opened
the entrance door, observed all around the huge hall; it was naturally empty
since Lily wanted to be alone in her huge dungeon. She appeared on top of the
stairs, a notebook in her hand so that she could communicate with her manager.
He joined her
and both went to her office, where they would have a proper talk.
Et – It
might be a bit blunt Lily … but I think it'll be better if I say everything
right away.
She knew
what he wanted to talk about. It was pretty obvious. She stayed motionless. He
took again :
Et – It's
way too long Lily … You're too costly for us … Even you. I'm not sure you'll
even get your voice back. And we already have someone to take over your place.
I'm sorry for you but it's my business before everything, you know that. I hope
we'll stay in good terms.
Lily smiled.
She rose from her chair, looked at her manager, took a book and hit him with
all her strength. She threw everything she could find at him. He ran away and
once he was outside, he shouted :
Et – Well …
Too bad you take it like that … I might have taken you back you know … But it's
not a problem since he has an incredible voice. A thing you've lost.
And he left.
Lily's anger
had to be expressed. She went back inside and she destroyed everything that was
linked to her past life. Her golden CDs, Her records, her pictures. She threw
them in fireplace and she burned everything. She broke her paints, she
destroyed the walls. She let out screams that no one could hear, insults that
no one could grasps.
Isaac heard
about the news from Lily and Flavie. He had a show in Italy but he cancelled it
to pay a visit at Lily's mansion. Flavie explained on the way that no one was
allowed to enter the place, except her and Roxy. For the two, they were allowed
to enter the house. Lily spent most of her time in her room, which the two were
not granted the access to.
Isaac, once
arrived, noticed the pressuring despair that was escaping from the mansion.
Snow was falling around it, the grass was black and the walls were tainted by a
black mist that seemed to suck up the house of its life.
Our hero
slowly walked to the place, he didn't know how Lily would welcome him. He
opened the door, took a little peak. The hall was empty. He pushed the door and
entered in the house. He checked it a bit. The dining room was dusty; coffins
in the living room were torn apart. Faceless portraits were hanging on the
walls and bits of disks were covering the floor. He went upstairs, and tiptoed
to Lily's bedroom. He slowly opened its door, and saw Lily standing in front of
her window. She must have seen him walking in the garden. He asked :
I – Can I
enter ?
She waved
with her hand. He went through the door, and once inside, he said :
I – Sorry …
I've been very busy lately … I hope you're not mad at me …
She wrote
"No" on her notebook. Isaac continued :
I – I heard
about what happened … Listen I'll do whatever I can to …
"Don't".
Those 4 letters stopped Isaac on the spot. "He's right", "I can
no longer sing""You're better without me". Those words were like
sharp knives into Isaac' heart. He tried to interrupt Lily in her writing :
I – Don't
say that … What about your dream ? you wanted the world to be happy with your
music …
She replied
with her notebook:
L - What's
the point of having a dream like that if I can no longer sing ? It hurts. I
don't want to hear about music ever again.
I – Music is
your life !!!
L – Right
now … My life is as silent as my music … It's useless.
I – What
about our duo ? It's because of you that I'm here today … People are waiting
for …
L -They're
not, they've forgotten about me. Now you're alone … It served you quite well,
I'm sure you're happy with the situation right now.
I – What are
you saying ? It's insane ! How could I
..
L- Leave.
I – But …
L- Leave and
never come back.
Isaac didn't
know how he could reply. He was about to answer, but he sighed instead and left
the room without saying goodbye. Lily turned towards the door, she threw her
notebook and she started to cry, hiding her tears between her hands. She had
done it. She cut ties with the only that was still supportive of her, now she
was really all alone.
Isaac went
back into Flavie's car. She questioned:
Fl – So …
Isaac, in a
determinate tone, replied:
I – I must
help her …
Roxy – How ?
We've been her friends for years and we couldn't do anything about it …
I – I'll
find a way …
Isaac was
laid in his couch. He kept looking at the roof. Lily was now the same as he was
back then. No one could hear what she had to say, her music was silent and she
was desperate as a result. And because of that, he was the only one that could
help her. He had to find a way. No doctors could help her. There must be a
way. He started browsing on the web and
he noticed a few fan sites about her, people were waiting for her, she wanted
her back. But showing her that wasn't enough. He had to do the same thing she
did back then. Even if it meant taking back her voice from the abyss of silence.
Suddenly, he remembered something she told him a long time ago.
It was about
her brother. He was a novelist that went on exile to gain inspiration. Maybe he
could find a way to cure her. He called Roxy to ask her if she knew a way to
contact him. She replied that, along everyone, didn't know where he was and she
was unable to contact him. Flavie answered the same.
He had to
find another way. Lily before a show gave him his name so he tried looking for
him on the web. He googled for hours, for nothing. He knew he had to go deeper,
so he went on the dark web. After longs research he finally found something.
It was a
restaurant in the depth of Irland, that was called the Barzbeu's House; He
immediately called the number that was indicated on the website. He waited for
one ringtone. Two. Three.Four. Fiv …
? – Mochi
Mochi ?
I – Wut …
Hum excuse me … Is there someone named Max who works here ?
? - …
I – Hello ?
M – It's me
… Why do you ask ?
I – Oh dear.
I've to talk to you about your sister !
M – Lily ? …
Go ahead.
I – I know you
must have heard about it, the fact that she undergoing a huge crisis. I won't
comment how you're not fulfilling your
role as a big brother but … Damn dude ! Yeah Whatever ! Please … I will ask
just one thing … Help me to get her voice back.
M – … You're
Isaac right ?
I – How do
you …
M – I saw
her talking about you during an interview … I'll help you.
I - Oh yes ! Great ! … But how ?
M – Give me
your e-mail address.
I – What ?
Are you serious ?
M – I am !
M – HahaHaha
okay I've noted it down.
I - … Then
what's next ?
M – Check it
in five minutes ! I'll send you something that I wanted to give her personally
once I was done here … But it looks like she needs you more than me right now. I must hang out right
now.
I – Okay …
Thanks for everything.
M – I'll do
everything for her … And by the way … Thanks for taking care of her.
Max hang
out. Isaac directly checked his mailbox, and he waited for the precious
solution to arrive. The few seconds seemed hours for him. Finally, he got an
e-mail from an unknown address with a word document attached to it. He
downloaded it. He opened the file. It came as an evidence. Why didn't he think
sooner about this. It was so simple after all.
Ethan – What
?!
I – I'm
breaking up my contract with you.
Et – Are you
serious ?
The both of
them were in Ethan's office. It was a big room with blank walls and filled with
white furniture. Isaac was boiling in his black suit, he didn't expect that to
happen. Isaac replied :
I – I am. I
no longer want to work with you.
Et – Why ?
Did I do something wrong ?
I – You've
fired the only person I want to work with. She freed me from my birdcage, and
now I realized that without her, It's not fun at all. I'm a bird without my
wings.
Et – You
can't break your contract like that ! I will sue you.
Isaac smiled
and answered :
I – No … You
won't.
Et – Why ?
I – Because
I've a special clause in my contract.
Et – What ?
I – You've
haven't read it ? You should have, it's very interesting.
Ethan,
worried, opened his desk and checked Isaac's contract. He found at the end, a
little clause that he didn't notice … because he didn't entirely read the
contract since he trusted Lily, the one who made it. It said that if Isaac
wanted to, and if he felt that Ethan was too abusive, he could break terms with
his manager. Ethan was stunned, because of carelessness, he was about to lose
his gem. Isaac stood up, and calmly said :
I – I'm
leaving now … Thanks for everything … I had a good time … But I've to go where
I really belong now.
Et – Now …
Don't … Please … I'm the one who made you … You can't do …
I – Now …
You've exploited me … That's different. But I won't end up like her …
Isaac left
with an Ethan on his knees, begging him to stay. But Isaac didn't looked back. Ethan
rose and shouted :
Et – I WILL
CRUSH YOU !!! YOU AND THAT DAMN BRAT !! I WILL FIND SOMEONE BETTER THAN THE
BOTH OF YOU !
Isaac didn't
listen the words of his old boss. His resolve was so strong so nothing could
budge it. It was now his time for him to help Lily.
Lily was,
for once, watching the Tv. She had knacks on the table next to her and she was
zapping channels, until she stopped on the biggest music channel of the
country. A big event was scheduled in the upcoming hour. Since she hadn't check
the musical world for a while, she wanted to know what the current trend was,
even though she knew deep down it was obviously Isaac. The Camera showed one of
the biggest buildings. There were bigs speakers attached to it, and someone was
standing at the top of the structure. It was Isaac. Lily was about to turn off
the TV but she changed her mind in the end and continued to watch the show. It
was announcing the return of a huge star. Lily wondered about who it was. Isaac
took the micro and claimed :
I – Welcome
folks … It might be a bit surprising to see me up there, with this strange
installation but don't worry … It's for the good cause. You know … A few years
ago … Someone helped me to become … What I am today. It's all thanks to that
person that I'm standing on that roof today. And a celebration, I'll make a
worldwide, free concert with that person … But before that …
As Isaac
continued his speech, Lily's mind became messy. He was talking about her ? It
was obvious but it was impossible for her to return now. She was unable to say
a single word so imagine what a mess it would be with an entire song. She
turned off her tv and rose from her chair to go out for a walk. But when she
turned towards the door, she saw Flavie and Roxy waiting for her. They stared
at each other, and Flavie finally declared :
Fl – You're
coming with us.
Lily replied
with a negative nod. Roxy added :
Roxy – It's
something you can't refuse … plus we have some friends to help us.
Emma and
Viviane, Two childhood friends of Lily appeared to save the day. The poor girl
was happy and deceived at the same time, cause they were about to force her to
do something against her will. She threw a few cushions at them, after that she
tried to run away but at 1 against 4, she couldn't do anything. They caught
her, dressed her and finally put her into the car. They remained silent. After
a while, Flavie said :
Fl – It's
for you … He's doing that for you. We know that you went through hard times …
But now it's for you to recover. Don't be afraid Lily.
Lily looked
at her. She was aware that she wasn't able to heal because of her fears. To be
left behind by the one she discovered, to lost sight of her dream. Her hands
were shaking. Flavie and Roxy both held one of her hand, to appease the stress
of their beloved friend.
They arrived
in a dark alley behind the famous
building, where Lily could enter the building without being spotted. The 3
girls went out of the car, while Emma and Viviane waited for them. They took
the back door, and rushed toward an elevator. Roxy and Flavie pushed Lily inside
and the latter said :
FL – You're
going alone !
Lily tried
to riposte but Roxy interrupted her :
Roxy – You'll be fine … It's him.
Roxy pushed the button, the gates closed and the elevator went up.
What if her voice didn't make it ? What if he started singing and that
she remained silent in front of millions of people ? Thoughts were howling in
her head, she was feeling dizzy. But she had to keep her composure. Even if she
lost faith in herself, maybe he would heal her and who knows, they might sing
together as well.
The elevator stopped at the roof. The door opened, and one step after
the other, she got out of the steel box. He was there, speaking to the crowd
under him. There were 2 micros. Lily immediately saw a memory of their past
together, where they used to sing next to each other, as equal. She walked
towards him, slowly, as if she was trying to not scare an elusive dream. Isaac
stopped, and turned his head. He couldn't contain his joy and he immediately
smiled at her. She smiled back, even though her stress unable her to be very
happy by the reunion. He took his micro and claimed, despise the signs of
disapprobation of Lily :
I – Finally … The one I was waiting for is here beside me. Please
welcome my friend, my mentor and one of the greatest singer of its generation,
LILY !
The crowd reacted straight away. A huge ovation echoed in the whole
city. Lily showed her face to the public. Many among them were crying. People
had been waiting for her. Isaac said :
I – you see … They've been waiting for a long time. It's time to end
that silence that lasted for too long … Don't you think ?
L - …
I – Here.
Isaac handed a little notebook to Lily while saying :
I – It's the song we'll do together.
L - … !
I – Don't worry. I'm sure you'll rock it.
Lily read the song. It was not something she or Isaac wrote. It wasn't
their style. She looked for a name and she found it at the bottom of the page.
When she saw who it was, tears immediately flew from her eyes. She turned her
head, with a desperate expression of her face, asking Isaac How. He answered :
I – He gave it to me as a cure. And also I thought … It's the first song
he considered worthy enough for you.
L - …
I – Want to give it a try ?
Lily's eyes seemed to say that even if she wanted too, it was still
impossible. Isaac sighed and declared :
I – Do you love music ?
Lily immediately reacted to those words. Isaac asked her the same
question the first time they met. She saw herself, standing in front of that
guy with that huge scarf playing his guitar, with nobody listening to him. This
time, it was her that nobody could listen to. She replied yes by waving her
head. He clapped his hand, cleared and whispered :
I – That's not quite the answer to get but well … I'll be contented with
that for now so … Let's sing my dear.
It's been a year since they've last been like that. Lily, even if she
was afraid, was also overwhelmed by happiness and excitement . She couldn't be
more delighted. Under them, there was a huge crowd chanting their name. The show that Isaac settled was watched all
around the world. Almost two billion of people were in front of their Tv,
waiting for them to sing. Mostly people who liked them, but also those who
hated them. Youtube created a live stream on their website and even the Radios
were broadcasting the event.
Friends, Familly, strangers were looking at what could be the biggest
musical event in years.
Isaac took the micro. The hubbub made by the mob instantly stopped. He
took a deep breath, glanced a last time at Lily and sang :
I – Well … This is just a simple song … To say what you done …
Everybody then looked at Lily. It was her time to sing. A strong anxiety
was travelling from her head to her foots. She was not sure if it would work
but well, it was too late to go back now. Isaac put his hand on her shoulder
and she looked at her with his benevolent face. Now she had the strength to
fight her silence. She tried to sing the following lyrics :
L - ….
Isaac thought :
I – Please … Please …
L – I told you about all those fears … and away they did run ..;
Isaac almost shouted his joy and Lily's body shook because of the thrill
but they contained themselves because they had to finish the song. The public
also immediately reacted, as they cried Lily's name, and so she was in full
spirits to continue the song. They both sang :
I+L – You sure must be strong …. You feel like an ocean, being warmed by
the sun.
As they finished the first verse, a huge shockwave spread in the world,
with them as an epicenter. The shockwave was filled with their voices, and
their music echoed in the entire Earth. People no longer needed their Tv or
their radio to listen to was producing the duo. The public was under the spell,
as they used to be back then. The incontrollable happiness of Lily's voice
returned, and was invading the mind of their public. They couldn't control
themselves. They had to dance together, to sing together and family members
were embracing each other. In mind, they had their most beloved memories and
they couldn't stop themselves from smiling.
But everything changed with the duo started the first chorus, as the
voice of Isaac took over Lily's. The overwhelming happiness disappeared and
gave way to an incredible peace of mind. It was as if his voice was filled with
cherry blossom and was going through people, to appease them from their
worries. Nobody was fighting anymore, they were enjoying the moment at its
fullest. Everyone had in their mind now peaceful memories, a walk in the
forest, and the sound of a stream.
It went on during a good part of the song, the voice of one taking over
the other, but when they reached the last chorus, they stepped forwards to be
closer to the end of the roof and they both sang louder the lyrics, with now
their voices mixing into one.
A final shockwave scattered on the entire Earth. Every person, whether
it's a child or a old man, a man or a woman, they were all looking in the same
direction. Without any particular reason, they were just starring at the origin
of that music that was invading their personal space. Then the night took over
the day, even though it was still early in the afternoon. The whole planet was
in the dark, and the sky was filled with stars, which were made of all the
colors that were known by humanity.
The song sang by the duo became more and more intense, as it touched
directly people into their heart. They didn't have any thought in mind, they
simply wanted to listen. People were no longer fighting, killing each other,
insulting, crying. The dying had a last moment of happiness and the newborn had
a warm welcome into life.
A giant light popped above the 2 singers, and it sent shooting stars all
around the world. From space, Earth was now a black sphere with flashing lights
spinning around it. It was beautiful. Those shootings stars were dancing into
the night, and they were enlightening the day of those people. Oddly, it gave
them the strength to go on in life, to forget about their past and to start
anew. They were the result of Lily's wish, those 3 minutes were the world was at
peace, and when it looked in the same direction, in her direction.
They ended the song. The sky turned back to normal and the shootings
stars disappeared. Isaac and Lily were breathless. They had an accomplice look
towards each other, and they they glanced at the crowd. There was a cold
silence, that would send back the living dead into their tomb. A person in the
mob cried that they were awesome, followed by one another, and after that the
whole world was chanting their name. Lily wasn't able anymore to contain her
tears, she realized her dream. Isaac smiled, he paid his debt back, they were
even now. He calmly asked :
I – So … What's my answer now ?
She turned towards him, laughed and shouted, so that everyone could hear
her :
L – I FUCKING LOVE MUSIC.
The Voice of a Lily
The End.
Theme :
American Pie – Don McLean.
I'm still here – John Reznik
Simple Song – The Shins
