Page 1 of Rock Me

PROLOGUE

It’s silent.

Totally, completely, silent.

And dark.

So dark, the gentle green glow of light from the exit signs in the far-off distance provides the only relief for the eyes.

Something to focus on, other than the abyss.

Something to focus on, other than the burn of the chemicals flooding into each and every one of my cells, signaling that it’s almost time.

Adrenalin.

It’s fight or flight.

Fight.

Every fucking time, I choose fight.

Fight for my right to be here, right here, and nowhere else in the world in this exact moment in time.

It’s time.

And right on cue, our world explodes into life.

Pure, white bright light. Cleansing everything and everyone of all that came before it.

Nothing exists except what is happening now. It is the new age.

Then, as suddenly as it appears, light recedes into nothing.

And it’s dark again.

We wait, until the cheers die down and it’s silent again.

A single spotlight appears and shines just on me, and I take one long, slow breath.

And I count it in.

One. Two. Three. Four.

It’s fucking on, bitches.

I stomp my foot and clap my hands to the beat in my head.

That unmistakable, iconic, rock of all rock beats.

Queen’s We Will Rock You.

Dum Dum Da. Dum Dum Da.

My bandmates join in on the second loop, from their spots around the stage, still cloaked in darkness.

Dum Dum Da. Dum Dum Da.

And finally, I pull my bow over my cello strings, the driving, thumping, almost repetitive melody dancing over the beat of the stomps and claps.