All the Lights on You

“Who is he?”

Christine's voice was soft in Amanda's small apartment. She was sprawled over a old beat up maroon couch filled with stains ruining the microfiber. Amanda sat neatly next to her on a matching rocking recliner crocheting some new blanket. Christine had deiced to sit in this room till Amanda left to meet mister mysterious. She knew the two had to meet up soon. Perhaps he came through the apartment into theatre, or maybe Amanda would let him in through the front lobby. Regardless, Christine running thoughts needed to be settled.

“Darling, ask me again and I will poison you.”

Christine groaned and rolled onto her side, “But why not? You've trusted me this long. I haven't told anyone yet. Including Ryan.”

“And I'm grateful,” Amanda continued a new row with her yarn, “You have to understand there is a time and place. It's nothing bad. Its giving us some publicity for God's sake. Take it and embrace it.”

“Then tell me things about him. How does someone have a voice like that and still be unknown?”

“He is well known.”

Christine's eyebrows furred together. If this actor was so well known he had no need to be here in this dark empty theatre. He wouldn't have to hide away. If this was a publicity stunt then he had to be famous. Average Joe's would have to recognize him. Christine couldn't even do that. Possibly it was someone that used to work here with Amanda, the actor could be trying to revive his career at the theatre. That was somewhat believable.

Christine's curiosity was still peaked, “Can you tell me anything about him then?”

“He's an Aries and he's really fucking stubborn.”

A groan filled the room, “Oh come on, tell me something about him. Give me a hint, something to try to figure out who he is.”

“And what? Have you fall for him on top of it? Let it go.”

The snap in Amanda's voice told Christine to back off. She sunk lower into the couch knowing she angered Amanda and could have ruined her chances of meeting this man. Christine admired that Amanda could keep a secret this long, there was a lot of trust in this relationship. Years of trust it seemed.

A knock at Amanda's front door startled the women as a voice rang out through the thin door, “Hey Amanda is Christine here?”

Christine frantically shook her head no as she stood up from the couch. Amanda nodded and shooed her towards the kitchen as she headed for the door. Ryan's voice still summoning Amanda and asking for Christine again. Christine hid around the corner leaning on the kitchen wall hearing the deadbolt unlock.

It wasn't that she was avoiding Ryan. Honestly, she never would but skipping rehearsal to spend time with Amanda might not bode well with Ryan and his production crew. Regardless she knew Amanda wouldn't let her down and would send Ryan on his merry way to continue looking for her. She would send a text later saying she had an emergency, telling him not to worry.

Christine quietly let out a shaky breath as the conversation between the too continued but out of ear shot. She slowly glanced around the room seeing a mug with a tea bag in it, steam still rising from the rim showing the liquid was still hot. Perhaps Amanda had made a cup but forgot.

No.

Amanda hadn't moved from that chair in nearly an hour, the tea would be cold. A pang of guilt hit Christine. She could have intruded on a guest in Amanda's place. First Christine thought of a potential boyfriend but she shook that thought off. No, the masked man. Her friend, the man she had been waiting for. This could be a cup from him after his arrival.

Again, it would be cold by now, this was fresh.

Christine cautiously took a step forward feeling her foot catch on the old wool rug on the floor. Square and large in size, merely meant to be an area rug for the room. She reached down to unfold the material when she caught sight of a different style of wood underneath the rug. Christine pulled the rug up and away revealing a trap door in the middle of the kitchen.

“You've got to be kidding me.”

Christine's hand shakily reached for the handle on the trap door. She must have been dreaming, this couldn't be real. Who the hell has a door in their kitchen floor? A possible cellar, but Christine felt that a basement wouldn't be what she found.

The door never made a sound as she opened it. Christine was met with stairs leading down to a dark abyss. She question her sanity as she contemplated going down the stairs. She couldn't see how far they went or how stable the steps were.

Christine moved to the kitchen drawers looking for a flashlight of some sort to help her see. Her wonder was too great to miss this opportunity to explore. This was the entrance she had been looking for, it had to be. Christine finally found the small flashlight and returned to the hole in the ground. She listen carefully as she heard Amanda and Ryan continue to talk. She had more then enough time to go through with this snooping.

Christine shined the light down towards the stairs and slowly took each step cautiously down. She was met with a narrow hallway that seemed to stretch on for miles. Her flashlight seemed to only reach down a few feet down the hall but was swallowed by the darkness. Christine couldn't figure out what this building was made for originally but the more she explored the more the architecture seemed unreal.

Out of no where Christine was rushed by a figure that came out of the darkness besides her. She backed up but the figure quickly reached her. Her flashlight was knocked out of her hands and rolled across the floor as she was stumbled backwards. Christine landed in a seated position against the stairs. She let out a small yelp as her back hit a step. The light shining down from Amanda's kitchen reveled it was the mask man that had surprised her. He was nearly on top of her as he covered her mouth with his hand as he looked up at the kitchen.

Christine could see the man wearing a grungy tee shirt but his masquerade mask tied to his face with elastic, “You can't be down here.”

She pried his hand off of her mouth, “And why not? You're the one breaking and entering.”

“It's not breaking and entering if I live here.”

Christine had no words for the man above her. The more they spoke the more confused she got. She looked at what features she could see of him and tried to recognize him. She could see his brown eyes glow with a fire of passion. Cliche but she could see a sizable amount of anger. He had a scar running from the left side of his forehead under his mask and peaking under close to his lip. She wondered if the mask was for his identity or for the scars. Finally, she noticed his lips, the bottom lip fuller than the top seemed to pucker out when he spoke.

Christine sat there almost angry as she focused back on the conversation, “Who the hell are you?”

“I'm a nobody,” His voice sounded annoyed, “Nothing I do will affect you. Who I am is not a concern. Anything that happens doesn't include you. If you keep this secret you're safe. If you even mention I'm here, I will kill you.”

“Why does it matter? Why would you do all this?”

“If I trusted you I would tell you. Actively, you could ruin everything I've been waiting for.”

Amanda's voice caused the two to jump slightly, “Just tell her who you are. She's not going to give up. We're going to have to trust her.”

Christine watched the male contemplate. He backed off of Christine to stand up straight. A sigh left his lips as he shook his head in disapproval. Christine's didn't blame him for not wanting to reveal his face. She could easily turn him over to the cops but that seemed to be the last thing Christine wanted to do. She wanted to know what this guy's master plan was.

The gold mask slowly came off and Christine let out a gasp, “Oh my god.”

Brendon Urie.

He needed no introduction. It had taken her a second to realize who was standing in from her her. He was aged from the young adult she had seen years ago but there was no doubt about it. She almost smacked herself not recognizing his voice. It had been so distinct.

“You died! I was there that night. There was no way you could have survived.”

Brendon placed his mask back on, “I got lucky.”

“You've been down here this entire time?”

Amanda chuckled, “I didn't find him for awhile. The search crews kept removing timber but by then Brendon had made it underground. This building is built with many tunnels. Originally, we thought smuggling routes for the prohibition days but it seems more then that.”

“Its a maze down here.” Brendon looked behind him, “Took me a few days to find the way up to Amanda's. I didn't think I was going to make it.”

“Why didn't you come up? You had a funeral.” Christine was in a stupor, “Why would you stay like this?”

Brendon click his tongue and looked Christine dead in the eyes, “Because that 'accident' wasn't one. Someone tried to kill me.”