The Mocha Music TV Challenge

“JASON!” Lars yelled, realising who was in front of them. Lights appeared from under the gaps in the doors and muttering and stirrings could be heard coming from the rooms. “Jason, what the hell are you doing?”

“I could ask you guys the same thing?” Jason gasped, still shook up from his encounter. Two doors opened and the Flotsam and Jetsam guys stumbled out of their rooms.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s all the screaming for?”

“Did you guys see a ghost?”

“No, it was Kirk and Lars, prowling about like a couple of tom cats” Jason grumbled.

“I like that!” Kirk said indignantly. “You were prowling too!”

“OK, OK” said Eric. “Calm down, guys. So, what were you all doing out of bed?”

“We heard weird noises and went to investigate” said Lars at once.

“So did I” said Jason.

“What kinds of noises?”

“I heard footsteps” said Jason. “It must have been Kirk and Lars”.

“Our noises were weird” said Lars, now sounding eager to retell his adventures. He didn’t feel at all scared, now that he had a willing audience. “First, we heard footsteps. Not normal ones…eerie, slow footsteps. Then we heard a horrible, deathly clunk. THEN, we heard a terrible clanging sound, as if hundreds of chains were being rattled at once”.

The Flotsam and Jetsam lads looked at each other nervously. Jason rubbed his chin, thinking.

“Um, Lars? What time did you hear those noises?” he asked.

“Not long ago” said Lars. “Maybe ten or fifteen minutes”.

“Ha!” said Jason, clapping his hands triumphantly. “That was me!”

Kirk rounded on him at once. “You? So you were prowling about like a tom cat, making scary noises and frightening us!”

“No, well I didn’t mean to” Jason said. “I heard a weird noise, a hooting noise…”

“Was it a ghost?” interrupted Kelly David-Smith.

“Nah, just an owl. But it woke me up, so I went to investigate. There was a window open, which was why the owl sounded so loud”. Jason grinned at Kirk and Lars. “I shut the window, I bet that was the clunk noise you heard”.

Kirk raised his eyebrows. Lars blushed.

“Ohh, yeah, probably” Lars said.

“Then I went back to my room” Jason continued. “And it was dark and I accidentally kicked a beer can in James‘ bag. I bet that was the clanking metal sound you guys heard too”.

“One can?” said Eric, frowning at Lars. “Not a load of rattling chains?”

“Well it sounded louder in the dead of the night” Lars said defensively.

“Anyway, it was probably me” Jason said. “I’m sorry guys”. He looked guilty. “I tried to be quiet so as not to wake anyone up”.

“It’s OK buddy” Kirk comforted him. Now that he realised their first scare had just been Jason, he felt relieved and much better. “We were already awake, that’s why we heard the noises”.

“Yeah and they weren’t really that loud” added Lars.

Jason grinned weakly. “Emergency over then?”

“More like false alarm” said Eric. “Hey but at least we’re all alright”.

“Yeah” Kirk giggled. “Owls and beer cans but no ghosts…yet”.

**************************

The guys made their way back to their rooms, yawning and talking about what had just happened. Lars seemed excited but he was also sleepy and Kirk couldn’t help but think how cute it was as he chattered away but paused every few seconds to deliver a huge yawn.

“Did you notice Kirk” he was saying. “James and Cliff didn’t wake up at all”.

“Um, yeah” said Kirk. He opened the door to their room and guided a sleepy Lars inside. “I can’t believe they slept through all our screaming and shit”.

“James can sleep through an earthquake, though” giggled Lars.

“Good point! Especially when he’s had a few beers” Kirk added on.

The two guys tumbled into their soft four poster and Kirk pulled the blankets over him and Lars. The room was warm and cosy and even the darkness seemed comforting, rather than threatening.

“Ah, I’m so tired, that even if a ghost came in through the door right now, I’d just look at it, say Shusssh! and then go to sleep” said Lars.

“Me too” Kirk murmured.

“I hope one doesn’t though” Lars continued. “I just wanna go to sleep and have a nice, peaceful night. No more owls, no more meeting Jason and us scaring each other shitless, no more…hey Kirk? Are you listening?”

There was a quiet snore from the guitarist.

“Ha, I guess you’re even more tired than me, yeah?” Lars chuckled. “Ok then, you have a nice sleep Kirk and I’ll look after you. I won’t let any ghosts scare you. I’m a lighter sleeper than you…so, so I can…”…

Lars’ eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep too; relaxed and peaceful.

*****************************

Time crept forward, slowly buy surely. The moon moved across the sky; a silver sphere heading towards the western horizon. Owls hooted again but now that the window was closed, they could not be heard within the hotel.

Jason awoke suddenly.

The room was still cold, even the heat form the heater couldn’t penetrate it.

The light was different. Cold and white. There was a gap in the curtain, through which the setting moon was visible. A long, white blade of moonlight scored the dusty old carpet.

There was a clanking sound.

Jason sat bolt upright in bed. It wasn’t James’ beer. James and Cliff were both sleeping peacefully nearby.

The clank occurred again, echoing hollowly. It rose up through the floorboards.

Jason felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

This wasn’t his band mates. It was something more sinister…this time, he was sure of it.

Another mournful clank. A shifting sound to Jason’s side and he saw James sit up, groan and rub his eyes.

“Fuck! My head! How much did I fucking drink?”

“James” Jason whispered, his heart beating swiftly. “There’s something clanking about downstairs”.