Post by Fiona McFly on Jun 20, 2017 20:49:30 GMT
Act III ~ "In Which Fiona Gets to Know Her Band's Drummer, Who Has a Thing About Rats..."
~29 May 2017 + 1830 GMT, Day 6~
WANDSWORTH BOROUGH + SOUTHWEST LONDON
Fiona McFly had a gut feeling that this wasn't going to be a pleasant experience.
Yet in the back of her mind, she prayed she would be wrong.
She strolled out of the left-hand passenger side of Nigel Richards' 2015 red-and-white-striped MINI Cooper hardtop, feet splish-splashing on the path ahead of her. The recent rains had passed, creating a mostly gray and dampened vibe as Fiona slowly trudged along, gazing upon several older buildings which housed various local pubs along the road, but the area wasn't like Belfast's Gaeltacht ward at all. There were no people roaming about save for a smattering a blue-collar workers and the occasional off-key corner singer, for Wandsworth proper wasn't exactly one of the finer places to live in all of London.
In fact...it was one of the more rougher parts of town, rife with crime as several police cruisers sped by with lights and siren going.
Fiona continued walking down, eventually perking her brows upon hearing a voice emanate from a darkened alleyway to her right. She made the turn and cautiously entered, a stiff chill coming down her spine as the voice grew more pronounced.
MAN:
(singing)
"And there's things I would like to do
That you don't believe in
I would like to build something
But you'll never see it happen"
Fiona anxiously stepped on the rubbish-littered pathway, eventually smelling something up ahead. She pressed on, determined to investigate, coming across a small, unoccupied landmark that used to be a back-alley pub, evidenced by a sign that reads "O'DOYLE'S" on its front. There was no front door, and even worse...no electrics or running water. Yet the smell of an old-fashioned wood-burning stove was prevalent as she stepped inside, gasping at the sight in front of her...
...for it was her drummer Luke Kimble, who placed several cooked items on a small paper plate whilst singing passages from Third Eye Blind's "Motorcycle Driveby." She stepped further inside, solemnly shaking her head as she becomes overwhelmed by the sight of broken stools and chairs, shards of glass from bottles littered everywhere.
Literally, it was hell. Yet Fiona felt a sense of gentle warmth as she watched the drummer sing.
LUKE KIMBLE:
(singing)
"And there's this burning
Like there's always been
I've never been so alone
And I've, I've never been so alive"
Fiona watched as Luke paused for a moment, trying to remain as quiet and still as she possibly could. Yet realising the nature of the tune and its lyrics, she couldn't help but joint in...
FIONA MCFLY:
(singing)
"And there's this burning, aaa-oh
There is this burning, yeah yeah yeah..."
Luke turned slightly, revealing his scraggly, grizzled visage against the soft glow of the fire. He raised his right brow slightly, yet chuckled to himself--for Fiona had gotten the tune right.
FIONA:
I...I-I-I don't mean to bother you. You're a very good singer...
The quiet man, very mild-mannered save for the rare outburst during the recording session, placed a large slab of black meat on a potato bun before putting it on a paper plate and handing it to Fiona.
FIONA:
Oh no, n-n-n-n-n-no...that's your meal, dear. I just couldn't...
But Luke, with his calm and gentle demeanour, bobbed his head and insisted that she'd take the food.
FIONA:
You really want me to try it, huh?
He smiled warmly, prompting Fiona to cautiously place a portion of the sandwich into her mouth...
FIONA:
Mmmm...hrmmmm...
...to which she took a few seconds to take in the taste of this rather strange concoction. Then she took a second bite, mustering a wide grin.
FIONA:
Surprisingly delicious. There's a bit of flavouring I'm not familiar with.
Luke, after taking his cut, allowed himself to swallow his food before speaking...
LUKE:
It's not the flavour. It's the meat.
...and Fiona gasped with delight, noting that this was the first time she heard the drummer say anything to her. Luke grabbed a folding chair and set it up, offering Fiona a seat--a gesture she warmly accepted.
FIONA:
What is it?
LUKE:
Rat.
She perked up her right brow, widening her eyes in shock and disbelief as she looked down at her plate.
FIONA:
This...th-th-this is a rat sandwich. I'm actually eating...a rat sandwich.
Luke calmly shook his head, trying to put his own spin on things...
LUKE:
I...I didn't mean to expose you to that. I know it's not exactly a "proper" meal for someone your stature, and I apologise.
...but Fiona, to her credit, finished off the sandwich before mustering a wide grin on her face.
FIONA:
No need to apologise, lovely...that was wonderful. Different, but wonderful. Thank you very much.
Luke breathed a sigh of relief as he finished off his plate.
LUKE:
You're very welcome.
Fiona moved her chair closer to Luke so she could get to know him better. Her fast-talking Northern Irish dialect, amidst the quiet ambience inside the run-down pub, became replaced by a warmer, more loving tone.
FIONA:
How long've you been out here in this...horrible place?
Luke took a moment to close his eyes, then answered Fiona in his distinctive Manchester accent.
LUKE:
Little o'er a year now...but it's another part of my life, I'd say--fucked up since I was a young lad. My father was murdered when I was just a mere infant, and my mother...she's been a pillar of strength for me ever since.
FIONA:
Your mum?
LUKE:
Regina Kimble.
Fiona's smiled turned into a deep frown as she sighed, knowing that she was going to have the unfortunate responsibility to tell her newfound friend that his mother was fighting terminal cancer and had only months to live...
...but Luke queried before she could say anything else on the matter.
LUKE:
I see the look on your face. You...know her, right?
FIONA:
I met her July 1994 in Fredericksburg, Texas whilst I was a child. She's helped me in more ways than I can even imagine, but...she never told me about you.
LUKE:
Secrets are a part of living, no matter how good or bad they really are. After all...if I wasn't with her, I was back in the homeland at Manchester, visiting relatives. Truth be told, I haven't seen her since I graduated secondary school back in 2001. She knew I wanted to make a life for myself, so she bought me a ticket to London...and that's when I started learning to play drums. In reality...I wanted to be a singer, much like George Michael or David Bowie. So Nigel stepped in, he's been a father figure to me...
FIONA:
How'd you end up in a place like this?
LUKE:
I was in a band with this fresh-faced gent and a plucky, hot-looking lady, and...well, we were a moderate hit locally. Once upon a time we opened for Metallica at Wembley, and it was such a thrill. Ninety-thousand crowd, packed to the rafters, God that was a thrill.
Luke pulled out a small framed photo of his old band, a trio consisting of him on drums, a fresh-faced, bald-headed gentleman on guitar, and a seasoned, plucky-looking female on lead vocal, and handed it to Fiona. She calmly looked at the picture, earmarked with the date "15 May 2008," and smiled whilst carefully handing it back.
LUKE:
But as rock 'n' rollers, we also dealt with the usual suspects--drugs, booze, women, shagging, etc. When the money ran out 'cos we were so stupid in making these choices...we split. And there you have it--another victim of rock 'n' roll excess.
Luke started trembling slightly, reflecting upon some of the bad choices he'd made that landed him in this dark, dank hellhole in Southwest London. Fiona reached over and placed a hand gently, yet firmly, on her friends back to calm him down.
FIONA:
You've lived a turbulent life, I can tell...but deep within my own heart, I'm sure your mum's very proud of everything you've accomplished. I mean, opening up for Metallica at Wembley? What an honour indeed.
She inched closer to him, talking very directly and succinctly.
FIONA:
You want to become a singer, and most importantly...you want to see your mum. Right? Well, Nigel's given us a fortnight so we can ALL get our act together.
LUKE:
What about the Mercurys?
FIONA:
He's gonna work with them. Thing is...they can play the guitar, no doubt about it, but...they need to learn how to do it the right way and work together, not against each other.
LUKE:
What about me?
Fiona, after gently rubbing and patting Luke's shoulders, stood up to face him, confidence in her visage.
FIONA:
This is where I come in. I don't want this album to be about me, I want it to be about the music from you and them. I'll help you all I can so you can live your dream of becoming a singer, and believe me...you *will* see your mum again, I swear by that. But in return, you must promise me something...
LUKE:
That I stay on the Open Book project.
FIONA:
Exactly!
Fiona smirked lovingly, panning up and down at Luke's raggedy form.
FIONA:
First thing's first...you need a new image. I can't bear to see any human being live in such squalor and misery, so I'm gonna get you a nice flat, a new car, a new wardrobe...
The drummer's eyes grew wide with joy, for nobody had ever tried to help him out of his situation until now; Fiona nodded her head before pointing to her friend's shaggy beard and hairstyle.
FIONA:
...along with a shave and a haircut. By the time our fortnight break's done, you'll look professional, and in my "other" occupation, you've got to be able to look the part. Do we have a deal?
Luke closed his eyes once more before reaching out to hug Fiona, and the two shared a somewhat awkward yet long embrace before the latter stood up and checked the old clock on the wall.
LUKE:
I...I-I-I dunno what to say, except...thank you, and yes I'll repay for everything by sticking with the project. Although I must admit, I was just starting to enjoy rat sandwiches...
~TO BE CONTINUED~
Well howdy there pardner.