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Chapter 11
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2024-10-29 19:42:56INSIDE, THE LIMO IS cool and softly lit. I slide across the leather seat until I'm sitting opposite Felix.
There's a cold, fluttery feeling in the pit of my stomach.Felix places the guitar case on the floor between us. He stretches back, crossing his long legs out in front of him at the ankle.I notice he's wearing the same outfit (a dark top, black jeans and navy blue converse sneakers) he was wearing in one of Lyall's Instagram updates from earlier in the day.It's all just so surreal.I look down at my own outfit and realize we're wearing practically the same thing. I didn't change after school, so I'm still in my skinny jeans, converse and a red hoodie.I'd give anything to be wearing a pretty dress right now. Or some killer lipstick or even just eyeliner. I can see Jamie's logic in wearing makeup 24/7 now.But there's no way when I was rushing to get dressed this morning I could have known I'd be going to the concert, escorted by none other tRelated chapters
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AS WE PULL INTO the stadium parking lot, I realize that the screaming is coming from a huge crowd of girls hanging around outside.Zee, Grace, Jamie and everyone else who has a ticket will be inside by now.These are the fans who didn't get concert tickets in time.Most of them are standing around waving signs that read "FABLE FOREVER" OR "ENFABLER4LIFE", singing, screaming, showing their support even though they won't get to see the actual show.When Fable first started getting popular, their fans were mostly teenaged girls. The press were quick to label them as a boy band, even though they play their own instruments, and their sound is closer to rock than pop. As they started winning awards and earning respect, the press changed their tune. They were the band that "brought rock back". The cherry on top was when David Bowie, dressed head-to-toe in his Jareth costume from Labyrinth, joined the boys onstage during a performance of Déjà Vu at Central
FABLE Chapter 13
"THIS WAY," TODD SAYS, walking down the corridor at a fast pace.As I follow the security guard past several sets of frosted glass doors, I remember Beth boasting that her dad got her a suite.If she was telling the truth, it means she and the other Bs are probably somewhere nearby on the same level of the arena.I might even run into them.Oh hell no.Although even if that were to happen, it’s no big deal. Nothing could ruin my good mood. This is shaping up to be officially the most amazeballs night EVER, and it’s only going to get better. I still can't believe I'm going to meet the rest of the band after the show.I'm not too nervous about meeting Lyall or Elliot, because everyone knows that Lyall's a total sweetie and Elliot's super nice. Ben has a bit of a "hothead" image going on but he's really fun, and Alastair is... Alastaire.I have no clue what I'm going to say to them.Todd finally stops in front of a brightly lit room w
FABLE Chapter 14
THE MOMENT THAT KITTY leaves the suite, the three angels swoop down on me.I shrink back from the cloying semi-circle of bleached blonde hair, fake tan and too-sweet perfume.They look a few years older than me, possibly seniors at another school.I was so worried about running into the Three Bs, and instead I've ended up with another (possibly worse) trio of angels.Unfortunately it's not as coincidental as one might think.Alastaire's fans always seem to travel in packs. All Enfablers are like a big family, a sisterhood that spans the globe – but the angels take it to the extreme.Angels stick together with one goal in mind. Their sole aim is to get chosen. To get noticed by their idol, and to have the honor of being one of the special angels that "Alastaire takes up to heaven" after each concert.That's what the rumors online say, and it looks like there might be some truth to them.The girl in the sparkly gold top is smiling
FABLE Chapter 15
I TAKE A SEAT AS far away from the angels as possible, at the far end of the row.The view really is incredible, and I sit for a while just looking down at the crowd. Somewhere in the mass of bodies, Grace, Zee and Jamie are singing, dancing, probably crying (tears of joy, of course).I'd love to spot them, but I know the chances are slim.As I think of my friends, it dawns on me that since getting into the limo with Felix, I haven't messaged them even once. They have no idea that I'm even at the concert.I try calling Zee first. Her phone rings for ages, and eventually I get through to her voice mail. When she doesn't pick up I try Jamie, with no luck.It must be so noisy on the floor that they aren't hearing their ringtones.Calling Grace isn't an option – she doesn't even have a phone.Her parents think that cell phones equal sexting, which equals underage sex, which equals teen pregnancy, dropping out of school and a life turning tricks o
FABLE Chapter 16
KITTY COMES BACK BEFORE the end of the show, this time holding a sparkly silver purse instead of a clipboard.She's changed out of the playsuit and is wearing an elegant black cocktail dress with a plunging neckline.If only I'd put on a pretty dress today. FML."This way, ladies," she says gesturing out the door.The Alastair's Angels push in front of me as we walk to the door.Kitty leads us through a labyrinth of corridors and elevators, all the way to the backstage area on the ground floor.We're ushered into a small, brightly lit dressing room, with several leather sofas and racks of clothes.The walls are covered in mirrors, and the angels quickly whip out their makeup.We haven't been in the room more than ten seconds before they're inspecting their reflections, puckering their lips and adding that all-important final coat of lip gloss.I don't have any makeup or even a hairbrush with me, and there's no way in hell I'd ask
FABLE Chapter 17
"What the hell were you doing to her?" Felix says, his voice practically a growl.He's looming over the angels as they huddle in the corner of the room. He's lost the top hat, but he's still dressed in the vampiric black ensemble he wore on stage, adding to the air of menace. Even though he's standing casually, almost relaxed as he addresses them, at any moment I could imagine him lashing out and grabbing one of them in a chokehold."Explain," he says. "Immediately.""Did they hurt you?" Alastaire whispers to me, his mouth right next to my ear. He pulls me to my feet and steadies me in his arms. I feel faint."No. I'm ok," I say.I'm not totally sure that I'm telling the truth. The curly-haired girl seems to have blood dripping from one of her hands.Did they stab me with the scissors?My body hurts all over and my mouth tastes like salt and metal. I think I might be sick.The girl in the sparkly gold top bursts into tears whil
FABLE Chapter 18
I'M ON THE BUS again, dreaming the same old dream I've been stuck on since the accident.Everything starts off the same.The bus winds through the late afternoon sunlight, jagged cliffs and sparkling sea far below.Evan's on my right, looking out the window. Mia's on my left, sharing the iPod earphones. Our favorite Fable song, Déjà Vu, blasts into our ears.Usually at this point in the dream, Mrs. Blythe starts teaching math on a huge chalkboard at the front of the bus. Which leads to me pulling the glassy seaweed out of Evan's hair, and him vomiting up seawater, and everyone on the bus turning around and Mia whispering to me before I wake up.Tonight, however, the dream doesn't run its usual course.Tonight, the dream is different.Tonight, I'm not dreaming.I'm remembering.Just as it happened on that day, Mia reaches over and turns up the sound on my iPod.She mouths out the words to Déjà Vu, her
FABLE Chapter 19
PANCAKES. PANCAKES WITH CRISPY bacon and syrup.I wake up to the smell of my dad's Saturday morning specialty. The sudden pang of hunger literally makes me nauseous, as if I haven't eaten in forever.What did I have for dinner last night?My appetite is gone in an instant, as the events of the evening come back to me.Oh yes, that's right. I didn't have time to eat. I was too busy having my clothes ripped off by a pack of psychotic girls.And after I went to sleep... I had the dream, but it was different.No. That wasn’t a dream.That was a memory.My mind wanders to the shadowy shape in front of the bus just before we went over the cliff. I'd never noticed that before. I'm sure it didn't really happen. There couldn't have been anyone there. Just my dreaming mind adding little embellishments to my memories, as if the actual event wasn't already horrifying enough. I pull the covers over my head, terrified of falling asleep again, bu
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FABLE Epilogue
She sits high up in the branches of an ancient blackthorn tree, draped in a darkness blacker than midnight.They’re still searching for her.She can hear the faraway shouting, the breaking of twigs underfoot, even the beating of their hearts.Now she watches those five blazing hearts dancing through the dark far below, glowing like red embers in the dying fire.Her eyes travel further afield, to the heart of the forest, where a nimbus of brilliant silver blooms in the shadows.She smiles as the cold wind tugs on her hair, and she sends a tune out along the breeze, towards the silvery light.The oldest song she can remember.A lullaby.Soon, she’ll be free.She’ll destroy it. Music made magic, the chain unbroken for a thousand years.
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This can't be happening.The massive ball of silver light hanging in the air unfurls, opening up like the petals of an incandescent metallic rose.In the circle of luminosity, a wavy ribbon of radiance seems to move in a slow pattern, weaving in and out of itself like a twisting knot of smoke.As my eyes adjust, I make out its real shape.Impossible.A long, coiling body covered in glinting scales like a thousand tiny mirrors, reflecting the light of the full moon. A coffin-shaped head bobbing slowly on an invisible current. Two wide, glittering green eyes shining like emeralds.Even though it must be at least twenty feet above us, I can clearly see a series of markings on the underbelly of the serpent, darker scales or scarring, running down its length like Hieroglyphics or some ancient script.A figure-eight on its side. A cross looped o
FABLE Chapter 50
The forest is bathed in bright silvery moonlight as we make our way along the trail from the car park.Despite Felix and Alastaire's spat, the evening served its purpose.Satisfied now that they'd met – or rather, interrogated – the band, my parents were totally happy to send me off with them at the end of the night with my overnight bag, a flashlight and the remaining strawberry cupcakes in a tupperware.We agreed I'll stay with the guys as long as it takes to get the album recorded – maybe up to a week or longer – and I'll phone my mom to check in every day.It'll be so much better not having to do this long walk twice a day. And staying over at the cabin's gonna be fun. Like a summer camp. Even if I'm feeling sort of nervous about being around Felix after the… thing… that happened in my bedroom.Now, as I pick my way along th
FABLE Chapter 49
I'm putting the finishing touches on a strawberry cupcake when I hear the doorbell ringing, followed by frantic knocking.I run to the front door, and swing it open.Kitty's standing on the front porch, looking like she just stepped out of The Great Gatsby. She's wearing a chic forest green silk dress, and her bob of dark hair is tied back with a filmy white scarf, which trails down her back. Fluttering in the breeze, the scarf makes it look almost like she has a set of translucent wings. A pair of huge dark glasses – the sort celebs wear when evading the paparazzi – in combination with the scarf wings makes me think of a bug.In fact, Kitty looks a lot like a dragonfly right now – a dragonfly crossed with a gorgeous glamazon heiress.As soon as I open the door, she's visibly relieved.She turns towards the road and gestures behind her, at a black Jeep parked just a
FABLE Chapter 48
The rest of the week slips by, and Thursday night arrives way before I'm ready for it.After practicing with the boys for hours on end from sunrise to sunset, plus the long walk to the cabin and back every day, I'm exhausted.The last thing I feel like is having to sit through a long dinner while my mom tries to convince the boys that she's "hip" and "knows how to use the Facebook" – while my dad cross-examines them like a detective in an 80s cop show.Plus, knowing them, they'll have prepared a ridiculous feast of epic proportions for the boys. The last thing I want is to give off the impression that we're trying too hard.To make matters worse, I've barely seen my friends this week, and I know I should ask them if they want to come over tonight. They could show up after dinner, and hang out with the guys a bit.But the memory of Felix blatantly ignoring Zee and Jamie the othe
FABLE Chapter 47
By the time we wrap up and leave the recording studio, I’m feeling on top of the world.Elliot was totally right. As soon as we started jamming, everything just fell into place.The boys had already written most of the music and lyrics for the new album. They’d been practicing the songs for weeks, and the only thing missing was the acoustic guitar.At first they just played through what they had, and I slipped in, adding the sound of my guitar to the music they’d already created.It was clear to see why Felix was so determined to include acoustic guitar on the new album. Without it, the songs had the same old familiar indie rock sound of their previous singles. But with the addition of the extra sound, everything seemed to take on a mystical, romantic, almost eerie quality.After hours of revisions and experimentation, we have the first song ready to record.
FABLE Chapter 46
By the time I reach the boys’ hideout, it’s already past 9am.Someone’s gonna be sooo pissed.A mental image of Felix impatiently sitting on the steps outside the front door with a scowl plastered on his face pops into my mind, and I find it oddly satisfying.Let him wait. I’m not his slave.But as I leave the forest and walk across the clearing towards the cabin, I can see that the steps are empty. He’s not waiting.Maybe he forgot.I’m glad to finally be finished the long walk – I bought my guitar along in its case today, and it gets surprisingly heavy after almost an hour of carrying it.I pause at the foot of the steps, looking up at the carpet of brilliant red roses clinging to the front of the cabin.As the princess lay slumbering, around the castle the
FABLE Chapter 45
I wake up crying.The image of Mia with a bloody rose blooming from her lips makes my stomach turn, and I realize I'm about to hurl.I make it to the bathroom in the nick of time, and I throw-up up until I taste bile.Afterwards, I take a hot shower, scrubbing away the night's memories and terrors.If only I could forget it all.Forget the nightmare. Forget the accident. Forget Evan and Mia.Once I'm done in the shower, I change into skinny jeans, a white cami, and my red hoodie.The same hoodie that the Alastaire's Angels tore to shreds the night of the concert. I never did ask Felix how he mended it so quickly. Although it's not like he would have mended it personally. Maybe someone at the hotel did it.I run my fingers over the seams, looking for some stitch out of place, a clue, but it's as perfect a
FABLE Chapter 44
I'm standing beneath a starry sky on the edge of a jagged cliff.Ocean waves crash against a rocky shore far below, churning up swirling sea foam bathed in silvery moonlight.My hair whips around me; the wind stings my eyes.I stand for a long time, looking down at the raging seas.Somewhere in that dark ocean, the bus is sinking, a metal coffin falling forever.I can feel the cold interior slick with blood; I can hear my classmates calling me.There's a tug in my chest, like an invisible string pulling me forward.Somehow I know that if I look too long, I'll float out to sea, and I'll never be able to swim back.So I focus my attention on the pale white ribbon of sand that stretches like a snake out along the base of the cliffs far below, glowing faintly with trapped moonlight.A procession of figures in silver
