to lift me up from this hellish ground
Her voice, clear and bright, effortlessly wove with his, smooth as velvet, as if they'd harmonized for lifetimes, though they had only sung together a handful of times.Music ran in the veins of the Garvins.A wide smile spread on Ry's face, mirroring the joy in the air.
Walk down the boulevard,
past boarded-up shops
a reflection of what was mine, now lost
what we gave up for our dreams,
your touch tracing my limbs gone forever
He sang the chorus again, belting out higher notes on the fly, and Ella matched him in harmony.
Predawn light a fragment of me
still a shadow, I haunt these streets, searching
only minutes left until our ending.
The last of the chords dissipated in the sound-dampened studio.Ella rushed to the control room.After what seemed forever, the song played back through their headphones so they could listen again.
“Well?”Alex asked, adjusting his guitar out of nerves.They’d written the lyrics together, each about their own pain from the old days.
Lon smiled, though it was a little sad.“It fits with our style for sure, but it has something different.I’ve got some ideas, but’ll wait for others to talk.”
“I’ll need to work on some melodies and adjust a few chords, but overall, I think this could be the heart of our new album.So, who shall we be?”
“Astro Calamitas,” Ella said.“That’s who you were in high school, you know, returning to your roots.”
“And we’ll be better,” Ry said, motioning for Ella to be part of the group.
“Fuck yes,” Lon said.“It’s a cooler name, anyway.”
“Indeed,” Brand said.“Now, what were you going to say?”
“I’d love to do something fresh.We’ve been playing similar music for almost ten years.Why don’t we do more upbeat songs?A sort of darkness to light motif?”
He bit his lip as if he expected a no.
Alex grinned.“Couldn’t agree more.Our fans will still adore us.But we are moving on as a different band, and we need a distinct sound.With Ella’s vocals and instincts, I’m confident we’ll do just that.Might even have her featured on a few tracks to showcase that powerhouse.”
Ella blushed again.“Maybe?”
“Good idea,” Ry said.“Well, what do you say?Mess around and see if anything comes of it?Each of us will have the recordings to listen to.There’s no rush now.After the shit we’ve been through, we deserve fun.”
“Just one thing,” Alex said, pulling out his phone.“Time to post a group selfie in the recording booth.”
That image traveled fast on the internet.Their followers went wild with theories, freaking out about new music.Of course, the #staytuned didn’t help the poor fans much.But Ry remained pleased.This was the beginning of something great.
EPILOGUE: PRESENT
Ry rolled his shoulders, the fabric of his shirt twisting with the movement.The air in the backstage hallway hummed with a low, anticipatory buzz—the murmur of the crowd filtering through.This was their first time on stage since Astro Calamitas had formed.They were one of the opening acts, a novelty after years of commanding the headliner’s spotlight.A wide grin stretched across Ry’s face, the familiar knot in his stomach present, but now interwoven with an electric current of excitement, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in ages.
Alex shook himself while Brand adjusted his glasses.Lon rolled out his neck, a series of soft pops echoing as he loosened his hands and legs.Ella had closed her eyes, rocking back and forth on her heels.
“You all ready?”Ry asked quietly.
