Sonata

Curtis wasn't joking when he said that the show was a secret.
It took over 45 minutes to get there. We reached downtown in a decent 15; but it was the various twists and turns, in addition to the heavily concentrated traffic that made the other remainder.

It wasn't hell in the van, but it wasn't no purgatory.
So split those dimensions into another and you'll get what I'm trying to get across.

Matt N. was an apparent backseat driver; yelling commands at Curtis constantly, while they were deemed unimportant. Lee was the only one to keep egging them on, and everyone else was tired.

"Malia's a twat. He's always stirrin' up someone's shit." Oli told me after Lee single-handidly brought the bickering to a louder level.

As for Oli, I didn't know what to think about him.
There wasn't a chance for an opinion to be born.
He didn't really talk; only minor imput here and there in regards to one of the other boy's statements, but nothing on his own.
It was witty; but still scarce.

He didn't attempt to get to fraternize with me like the others, who at least put in a slight effort.

That might strike as conceit.
That might be the sign of egotism.

Granted, I didn't consider myself 'the shit', but it made me feel somewhat inadequate to see Oli looking in the opposite direction when I peered his way.
Despite all this, I still found him fairly alluring.
Tattoos, piercings, his modest sentiment; I couldn't help but wonder.

"Oi, we're 'ere!" Curtis announced.

The boys cheered, raising their fists in the air; generally, just overexaggerated gestures, and I only unbuckled my seatbelt and quietly thanked the lord.
Matt N. grabbed the door handle and yanked it to the left; allowing a picture of the Earth to become more accurate to our eyes. The outside had transitioned from a glowering, beautiful horizon line to pitch black nothingness.
The moon wasn't even present.

I deeply inquired how I didn't notice the change in lighting from driving around.

Where we had parked, where the club was supposedly located, had no streetlamps around close enough to even see my own hand in front of me. Trust me, I tried.
Matt hopped out, and it was like he spontaneously evaporated.

"Keep the 'eadlights on Curt." He said.

His voice was just a pitch in the vast abyss.
He sounded close, maybe even right in front of me, but I couldn't tell you for sure.
I was hesitant to move at all; petrified that if I made an endeavor to get out of the vehicle that twelve arms would grab for my body and bind me.

I had every damn right to be fearful.

Once Curtis had turned the car back on, the new light source revealed, like I had predicted, an alley. Both buildings on either side were made of grey bricks; not very welcoming to your neighborhood drugdealer, prostitute, robber, rapist(s), or victim.

This is strange, no doubt, but my first fleeting thought when I saw those walls was I'd rather be attacked against red ones at the least.

There were tall patches of dead straw grass where the building wall and dirt road met, and gravel where we had driven.
I think it might have been Oli who pushed me gently to urge me out, not that it mattered anyway considering he would be holding me down soon.

I gulped pathetically and scooted off my seat, to the outside.
In the glare of the lights, Matt N.'s eyes gleamed as he smiled.
Hopefully out of something positive as opposed to the side of a cynical emotion.

Next only came out Lee from the same aperture I did, then Tom, Oli, and the other Matt who then walked around. We all stood in a half circle, with Matt K on my right and Tom to my left.
Curtis, on Matt's right, sighed loudly and popped open a drink that sounded like soda, or more likely, beer.
We glanced over at the direction of the cackle; startled.

"Where'd ya get tha'?" Lee asked, completely puzzled.

They all held that same face as Curtis shrugged and slurped down another gulp.
With a burp, he replied:

"Saved it mate. Last thing I wanted happenin' was the pigs pullin' me ov'a for intoxication an' Metallica."

"Tha's not fair, why didn' yeh pinch me one?"

I caught Matt N. roll his eyes at Lee, and held in my chuckle.

Curtis scoffed, "I ain't yeh wife."

"Where the hell are we?" I asked abruptly.

It had been bothering me, clearly.

I didn't know Curtis already had out a cigarette, and now Lee was chugging down his beer. But I must have spaced out.

"Don' get yer gunties in a bunch, we 'ad teh park 'ere so the feds are thrown off incase they spot this hunk 'o junk,"

Then he kicked his foot back and hit the van with his heel loudly.
I can see he's being discreet.

"So what do we do now?" I questioned.

"Shank's pony." He replied; clicking his lighter closed.

I raised an eyebrow, and he clarified.

"We walk."

[&&&]

We had been roaming around for a little over three minutes, or however long it takes someone to sing any average rock song in their head.
The boys had been fairly quiet, which only strengthened my theory of them raping and killing me.

It's not that I was cynical, but you would be scared too if you were roaming around a slew of alleyways with strangers.

I looked over everything again; Curtis and Matt meeting me, agreeing to join them on a wednesday, and still, after plenty of oppurtunity to turn them down, I ignored my intuition and climbed into their van.
Music has driven me to risk my own life.
Give it up and get a tune.

I really had no one to blame but myself if they ended up turning my insides out and throwing me out into the river.

What will be told to my father?
What will he do when a couple of his peers come up to the door I had sneaked out of numerous times previous and inform him that his daughter's liver was caught on a hook by a local fisherman?
Would he even know who they were talking about?
Would he tell them that they had the wrong house?
Would he-

Cold wet lips suddenly clouded over me; raping mine in a quick, unpleasant kiss that lasted for what I would classify as an eternity. I pushed whoever it was off me harshly as the same type of laughter that felt like of one of the boys, or even all of them, were in on the joke.

When my vision focused from the crowded view of a face, it turned out to be the same face of my personal creeper; Matt K. and with him laughing was Lee.
Matt was already bolting away ahead of me to I don't even care where because I was fuming with confusion/anger.

"What the fuck was THAT?!" I screeched.

They all looked as confused as I was, until Lee could control himself and say huskily,

"T'was Tony's idea."

Then they all seemed to understand; except for me.
The same sense of laughter just mentioned, only downgraded to grins.

"Tha' bastard." Curtis said with a chuckle.

My eyes hopped around from one face to the next; trying to uncover whatever it was they had knowledge of.

"Tony? Who's that?"

"Tony is Willy Wonka, an' Matt jus' got 'is gol'en ticket teh the chocolate factory."

"What?"

Matt N. never failed to confuse me with his bizarre analogies.
Or maybe just the fact that he used them for every time he was trying to explain something to me.
The Operant word there being 'trying'.

He, as always rolled his eyes, and told me to just follow them, drop my pants to the ground, and don't scream.

Maybe not, but it was coming I was sure.

He walked briskly with me behind; trying to catch up to the others. If I could tell you the time, I'm almost positive it would have read somewhere around 9, even though the show began at 8.
I didn't have much faith in these boys.

I was hesitant to actually pull out my phone to check, because I felt as though we were all trying to keep ourselves discreet, maybe even invisible; and I didn't want to be the one to ruin that.
Another factor that could help predict the time was the fact that outside was getting really chilly, and I was thankful that I had brought a jacket.

As we were out there, many different sounds of horns and unknown mechanical noises that come with all cities left the atmosphere bombarded with pitches and tones.
It got me slightly excited to think that very soon, that air would be filled, instead, with harmonies and lyrics.

We had all finally stopped in front of a dingy structure.
A shanty for the homeless was my first thought.

I swear those walls were made of wood that dated back to the Dust Bowl, so please, understand the bird of uneasiness that shitted on me as I stood there. Lee stepped up to the door, barely hanging on its hinges, and knocked.

"'Ey, Tony, what do I 'ave teh do?" he yelled.

I'm pretty sure that wasn't necessary; he could have probably whispered and this Tony guy would still hear him through that unstable entrance. I gasped softly when the seemingly brittle door opened up at eye level.
One of those that you could slide back and forth.

The dark, borderline black pupils of a stranger gleamed under the right lighting, and they first looked at Lee, then proceeded by staring everyone else down. When he saw me, he motioned over in my direction by raising an eyebrow and asking,

"This is the girl Matt kissed?"

I frowned in disgust at the title.
His voice was as dark as his eyes, and I couldn't help but be scared. Lee looked over his shoulder then back to the man, nodding.

"Tha's Evelyn, bu' 'urry up Tony an' tell meh my dare."

It was silent for a while, which could account for the time the guy took to conjure up the dare.
Whatever for was just another mystery to me.

Suddenly, a fist came crashing through the door; sending chips of wood flying in all directions, and punched Lee where it hurts. He yelped in pain, then staggered around us all with his hand holding his crotch.

I was still in shock about that dude putting his hand through the door.
It's an obvious guess that all the boys were pretty much dying themselves from the hawking up their lungs in sporadic roars of humor, and Lee yelled,

"Yeh suck Tony."

"Not those nuts bro."

This only made everyone howl louder, even Tom. I watched as his face boiled red and he clutched his gut to ease the tension. I figured I better catch it now, because there wouldn't be another.
Lee came back to the door, still recovering with a scowl cursing his lips.
Tony's eyes were more full of life than before.

"Can I go in now, yeh bastard?"

The man nodded, still chuckling, and opened the door. From what I could see, there was nothing but more bleakness. Lee went inside and descended. I guess there were stairs.
We were standing in that half circle again, and Tony called Curtis over. He skipped the couple of steps there; smiling estatically.

"Wha' is it mate?" He asked.

Tony whispered something in his ear, only murmers to me.
Curtis nodded once.
Nodded twice.
And Tony opened the portal again; granting Curtis entrance.

"'Ey, wha' the 'ell man?! Curt ain' gotta do anything?"

I looked to the right, seeing Oli with outrage drenching his face, along with Matt N.; pointing at the door as though Curtis was still there, and screaming obscenities to Tony. I didn't understand what the big deal was, and Tom was as quiet as I was; observing the dispute unfold before him, and tugging at the hem of his shirt, nervously I presume, like a child.

"It's your turn, you piece of shit." Tony said with his eyes only seen through slits.

Tony the Python.

His demand was directed towards Oli, who sighed defeatedly, but nevertheless, approached the door.

"Aw Tony, yeh know I was jus' pullin' yeh'r chain. I'm jus' ancy." He said apologetically in an innocent voice.

Matt snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Alright Oliver," Tony established in a whisper.
One full of mischeif.

"I've got the perfect task for you."

I could hear Oli's spit forced down his throat.

"Why do I get the feelin' tha' it's gonna be bad?"

His tone had lost its edge and its innocence, and all that remained was fear. Tony blinked, not out of normality, but something I can't exactly place my finger on, and closed the only hole where our communication could intersect.

Unless you count the one freshly made.

It sounded like he was spitting out something, something unknown, and then it was quiet until the door opened. Out came a closed hand that held the ellusive substance; no doubt for Oli's dare.

"Hold you hand out." He said roughly.

Oli stretched out his right arm unwillingly, palm open, and Tony let a bumpy, dirty pink piece of what appeared to be gum fall.

"Ew!"

I could see him about to drop it, then decide against it instantaneously after.
I made a face.

"Chew it til I say 'stop'-"

"ARE YEH KIDDIN' MEH?!" He bellowed.

We were shocked at first, but one by one, we snickered accordingly to ourselves at Oli's dilemma.
He stared at it, cringed, then popped it into his mouth without so much as a second thought after.

His lips, puckered by repugnance, moved in deep circles; perhaps proving to Tony that he was no bitch.
It didn't matter though, he was practically breaking down the old wooden entry with his giggles.
Oliver stepped to the side; enjoying his spearmint.

"As for you, Matt Nicholls...give me your beer."

He cursed under his breath, and trudged over letting it hang from the tips of his left hand.
He took one last sip, and gave it to him.

"Alrigh' To-"

The beer, the one that was just given to Tony...
Well...
Now it was bathing Matt; bubbles and stench included.

"That's what you get for questioning my methods." Tony smirked.

He shook his head around like a hound, squeezed the edge of his shirt; anything to decrease the amber liquid that soaked him from skull to phalanges.
I was starting to develop some sort of unusual, love/hate relationship with this guy, for I thought he was a dick for doing these things, yet I still laughed.
The door opened again for the billionth time, and Matt passed through not even daring to sneak a look at the gatekeeper.

"'Eh, Tony, wha' do I 'ave teh do?"

Poor, shy spoken Tom.
I was really hoping that it wasn't anything too bad.
The other guys seemed more, what is the word, acceptable, to that sort of, what's the other word, prank.

Tom was too sweet to be taken advantage of like that. He was my favorite so far, and I would get angry at this Tony fellow if he poured beer on someone who, from what I've seen, hasn't done anything to anyone. Tony's eyes lit up again, and I could tell that it was out of admiration.

"You can give me a high five for being awesome." He said; holding out his calloused hand.

Tom smiled. Small, but it was still there. He stepped right up, collided skin that made that smack sound at the contact, and disappeared into the dark stairwell.

Oli's jaw dropped, and with it tumbled out the gum that he was supposed to be chewing.

"ah ah ah," Tony warned while shaking his head at Oli.

"Don't make me tell you to keep chewing on that gum. I'll make you pick it off the ground."

He nodded dilligently and began stalking off after the others, that is until he noticed me standing cluelessly.
He leaned on the doorway and said,

"Wha' about 'er? Does she 'ave teh do anythin'?"

I was hoping that I could just get cut some slack, due to the fact that I was new.
If Tom could get by with being nice, I didn't see why I couldn't get by being dissimilar to him.
There was always another time; another night.

Tony stared at me skeptically; his eyes leaving mine, then trailing to my breasts.

Oh hell no.
Oliver must have perceived this too, for he snorted and grabbed my arm, pulling me with him.

"Nice try Tony."

And then, he shut the door behind us to only go downstairs, and into this strange place.
This was the point of no return.
NO TURNING BACK.