2

Six months later

Laila, Cameo, and Delta had gone into town to the Sphinx where Crucifix were playing they had been playing there every Saturday night for the last six months, and Crucifix weren’t just the name of the band it was there stage act too.

The band were playing as the tree girls entered the club, getting drinks their music was pounding, shaking the bar.

‘Isn’t that crucifix?’

‘I think so.’

‘Haven’t you heard?’

‘Everyone’s been talking about them. They say that they pull a girl out of the crowed and tie her to a crucifix get the crowd going by slashing her.’

‘Don’t be gross.’

‘Its true Damon said.’

‘He’d say anything to get in you knickers.’

They laughed.

‘Jokes aside it’s the honest truth him and some of the gang came down the night this place opened he said it made him puke.’

‘It makes me fell sick just thinking about it.’

The band interlude.

‘I’ll get the drinks in.’

‘Sure.’

Laila walked across the dance floor to the bar.

An average built male with red hair and piercing green eyes was serving.

‘What can I get you?’

‘Three bottles of bud please.’

‘Sure.’

He pulled them out of the fridge and opened them placing them on the bar. She passed the barman a ten pound note

‘On me.’

‘No I’ll pay.’

‘I insist.’

‘Thanks.’ She said slipping the money back into her pocket.

‘So you enjoying so far.’

‘Yeah they’re good.’

‘Sorry where’s my manners, Ging.’

‘Funny your hair aint exactly ginger.’

‘Knick name and you?’

‘Laila’.

‘Haven’t seen you in here before.’

‘First time.’

‘Who you with.’

‘Friends’

Ging looked over.

‘Hail over here.’

Hail walked casually over to the bar.

‘Hail I’d like you to meet Laila, Laila this is Hail lead singe of Crucifix.’

She looked over at him he was a little younger than her dark hair make up spread across his face.

‘Nice to meet you you know you look just like…’

‘Marylin Manson every one says that my music’s slightly different than his.’

‘Can say that again.’

‘So are you staying for the show?’

‘Can’t wait.’

‘Well well well wait till I tell your boyfriend he’s really going to love this.’

Laila turned facing the plump girl.

‘Oh it’s you!’ she said sarcastically.

‘Well fancy seeing you here daint think that they were the sort of people that’s in your league.’

‘And what’s that supposed to mean.’

‘Look at you you’re a blimp.’

‘Not every ones perfect try looking in the mirror, oh sorry I forgot you cant it shattered into tiny pieces.’

‘At least I can please a man.’

‘What stretch your legs out and your anybodies!’

‘I’ll take your bloke for a run.’

Laila’s fist shot across her face.

She fell to the floor.

‘Stay away from me bitch.’

‘Or what?’

Laila went for her again, Ging jumped the bar his eyes glazed.

‘Stay away from her got it!’

She nodded.

‘Come on we’ll take you somewhere you can calm down.’

Ging, Hail, and Laila walked away leaving the girl stumped.

Ging draped her arm round her and they all walked away, they took her into another room closing the door behind them.

Hail pulled her down onto the sofa, his arm placed firmly round her.

‘Where’s Laila?’

‘Don’t know’.

‘You looking for your friend?’

‘Yeah.’

‘She’s with Ging some girl started on her he took her into one of the rooms to calm down.’

Ging poured Laila a brandy slipping a clear substance into it. He walked back over to the sofa and knelt down in front of Laila passing her the drink.

‘Here to steady your nerves.’

‘Thanks.’

She took the drink off him.

‘So what was all that about?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Pretty big nothing.’

Laila sipped the drink. Hail and Ging looked at one another.

‘Just an ex I had him she had to take him off me now she’s trying it again.’

‘If she does we’ll kill her.’

Laila choked.

‘I wish someone would.’

‘Leave it to us.’

Laila swigged the spiked brandy off, Ging placed the empty glass on the table.

Her head began to spin it felt heavy and fuzzy, She tried to pull herself to her feet her legs felt weak like jelly she dropped.

Hail caught her.

‘Come on we better get her on stage.’

Hail lifted Laila’s lifeless body up swinging her over his shoulders.

He carried her onto the stage behind the black curtains. Hail loosed her. Her legs dropped aimlessly.

‘What shit did you put in her drink?

‘Good shit.’

‘You’ll have to help me get her on to the crucifix.’

‘Sure.’

They both held Laila’s lifeless body still tying her wrists and anckles to the crucifix.

‘Cheers.’

‘No probs, and don’t get screwing it up.’

‘I won’t.’

Ging leaped off the stage, the set was black, as the band took there places inro-ing,

‘Come on we better get back in its Crucifix time.’

‘What are they going on about?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Go on girls it’s the main act not to be missed.’

‘But we haven’t found our friend yet.’

‘She’s probably still with Ging go in and enjoy yourselves.’

They looked at one another.

‘Well I suppose it wont hurt she’ll come out to us when she’s ready.’

They walked back into the crowded room it seemed to more packed than it was when they walked in. hail returned to the stage the band kicked in. the crowed screamed.

‘You know what time it is? Hail said holding the microphone out into the crowed.

‘Crucifix time.’

‘I can’t hear you.’

‘Crucifix time.

‘I still can’t hear you.’

‘CRUCIFIX TIME.’

‘The room rumbled.

‘That’s better I’m going to do things a little differently tonight.’

‘Oh…’ the crowed sighed.

‘But… I have already chosen.’

The crowd roared.

‘Curtains.’

The curtain’s levered up.

‘This is Laila she’ll be helping me tonight.’

Cameo and Delta screamed. ‘NO!’

The bouncers grabbed them.

‘Sorry about that guys.’

Laila slowly began to come round hazy faces round her. Her eardrums nearly popped as the drums rolled and the guitars kicked in and hail began to sing.

‘She’s on the crucifix what shall I do?’

‘Kill her!’

‘She’s hung for doing wrong what shall I do?’

‘Kill her!’

He held the microphone out to the crowd.

‘I can’t hear you.’

‘Kill her!’

Her friends screamed tears flooding down their faces. They’d been told about the crucifixion, but never had expected, or believed that it would happen to one of them.

He pulled a knife out of his pocket showing it to the audience, they stood shocked.

‘Child of the crucifix could do no wrong but she lost her way what shall I do?’

‘Kill her!’

‘The gods have spoken we must kill the child of the crucifix of the devil.’

Hail turned winking at Laila.

He slashed her.

Her head hung limp.

‘A cross I leave on the child of the crucifix now she is dead the devil is no longer.’

The room filled with wolf whistles.

‘Goodnight and god bless.’

The lights dimmed the curtains closed.

The crowed cheered as her friends were pulled away.

‘Will she be okay?’

‘Yeah it’s fake.’ He answered bending the knife.

‘So why’s she like that for?’

‘Fainted I guess.’

They pulled her off the crucifix he placed Laila over his shoulders.

‘I’ll take her back to the flat.’

‘I’ll see you in the morning to check everything’s okay.’

Hail slipped out the back stage door as Ging went back behind the bar.

Laila gradually woke, her head lay on a soft pillow she turned only to be faced with a beaming white tooth smile staring at her. ‘Where am I?’

Hail’s smile faded. ‘In my flat.’’

Laila’s eyes finally focused her head still a little fuzzy.

‘Hail.’

He smiled.

‘What am I doing here?’

She pulled herself up, her head spun, pains shot across her head, she squinted. She placed her hand on her head.

‘Chill Laila.’

‘How long have I been here?’

‘Since two this morning.’

‘Shit Cameo and Delta.’

‘Don’t worry about them.’

‘They’re my friends.’

‘So am I.’

‘What’s going on?’

‘Wait till Ging gets here then all will be explained.’

‘What’s there to explain? My friends are probably wondering where I am and why I left them.’

‘I doubt it they probably think you’re dead.’

‘Wha!’

‘I’ll get Ging to explain he does it so much better than me.’

‘But.’

‘Shh.’

He placed his finger on her lips.

‘Ging will tell you everything.’

He smiled taking his finger off her lips replacing it with his lips before she had chance to ask any more questions.

He moved away and placed his hand on her face

‘Now get some rest all your questions will be answered soon.’

She smiled vaguely.

‘Now rest’

He pulled himself up of the bed and walked away. Laila laid her head on the pillow wondering what the hell was going on, and why her friends would think that she was dead? As she gradually closed her eyes.

‘How is she?’

‘She’s got a headache, but apart from that she’s fine.’

‘Good.’

‘She’s been asking questions.’

‘What sort of questions?’

‘Like the why she’s here and the what for type of questions.’

‘Did you tell her anything?’

‘No I told her I’d let you explain.’

Laila slowly woke.

‘Babe.’

Ging looked at Hail angrily.

‘Sorry habit.’

Laila pulled herself up looking directly at Ging.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Geese daint take you long to ask that question.’

‘Well!’ She snapped.

Ging and Hail walked over to her. Ging sat on the bed taking her hands in his, Hail staring angrily at them.

‘Look it’s a thing we do every Saturday to get the cowed going.’

‘What the crucifix thing?’

‘Yeah.’

‘So you’re telling me slashing a girl to pieces half to death amuses people?’

‘Well yeah.’

‘You’re sick.’

He smiled

‘Well it gets people in don’t it?’

She stared at him she would’ve admitted it was true but how could she when she’d never saw it.

‘So who was you victim last night?’

‘You.’

‘But I thought someone was picked form out of the audience?’

‘Rules can be changed.’

‘So last night was all just an act to get me up on stage?’

‘Well not how we planned it.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I picked you long before we were introduced’

‘You’re sick.’

They smiled.

‘So how come I’m still here? Why aren’t I dead? What do you want from me?’

‘Whowh one question at a time.’

‘Just answer me!’

‘Well one you’re still here because the act was fake and two is the same as one, and three is that we want you to be part of the act every Saturday Hail will choose you from the crowed for you to die on the crucifix every Saturday for say mmh six months.’

‘You’re crazy you’re seriously tapped in the head what if I say no?’

‘Then we will kill you.’

‘What if I say yes what happens then?’

‘Not sure we’ll decide when the time comes.’

‘What about my friends and my boyfriend?’

‘They’ll see you sooner or later, but for now we will let them think you are dead.’

‘You’re crazy.’

‘Well you in or not?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You’ve got till the end of the week then you go on stage understood!’

‘Yeah.’

Ging loosed her hands pulling himself up off the bed.

‘I’ll see you Saturday try and get her to change her mind.’

‘I will.’

Ging looked at Laila.

‘Choose wisely the wrong answer might cost you your life.’

He turned to Hail. ‘Saturday.’

Hail smiled, Ging closed the flat door behind him. Hail locked it three bolts in all.

‘Why are you locking it?’

‘Just encase.’

Hail walked over the room sand sat on the bed looking at her.

‘What gives anyway how come he gets to tell you what to do?’

‘It’s the way it’s always been.’

‘What you his shadow?’

‘No his brother.’

Laila looked at Hail.

‘So how come he can get away with this shit?’

‘He is the owner of Sphinx.’

‘But he’s just a barman.’

‘That’s what he wants people to think.’

‘How many times have you done this before?’

‘A few.’

‘So why me? Why not any other girl?’

‘Because I like you.’

‘Oh.’

Laila fell silent stuck for words. She looked at him. ‘But.’

‘Shh.’

He placed his lips on hers kissing her, she foolishly returned his kiss.