Dagger

IRIDESCENT

I spot the two men that I have been waiting for in the crowded bar. Finally! I thought they would never get here. Damn Bobby! He obviously didn't give them enough clues when he sent them
around. Then again I probably should be a bit nicer to the old man, he is dead after all. He did well to make sure that they would be able to find me, even if they had to search for me without him.
I study the two men. One is tall, probably about six foot. His body ripples with muscles from a lifetime of hunting, the same basic physique as the older man next to him at the bar.
He has deep chocolate brown eyes and slightly over-long brown hair that flops over his forehead. He wears jeans, a pair of CAT boots and a black jacket. He fits in with the clinetele of the bar
nicely. I know that this man is Sam Winchester. I know because of a picture that was given to me of the two men and also because it is abundantly clear to me that he doesn't belong in this bar.
The loud music bothers him.
Having identified Sam I know that the man stood next to him is his elder brother; Dean. He is quite a bit shorter than his younger brother, giving him a stockier look than the other
man. His hair is a brown a couple of shades lighter than Sam's and his eyes are a piercing green. There is a lot of pain and sadness in his eyes that is carefully hidden, but not from me. It's not
easy to hide anything from me. A lot of peope have found that out pretty quickly. He will too and fairly soon if I have my way. He is dressed similarly to his brother but wears a leather jacket.
A hand descends on my shoulder, the touch familiar and comforting. "We have to go Dagger, the guys have nearly finished setting up."
I turn and look into the honey coloured eyes of my bassist, Sean, and reach up to him for a kiss. We've been together for a long time, before we even began the band. It was
everything that he had ever wanted. He knew for me it was a cover for my real work but he was more than content with the arrangement. As long as he can play his music he really couldn't care
less. I take one of his large calloused hands in one of my own smaller ones.
I let him lead me to the rest of the band. Hannah; our lead guitarist is screwing around with the pick-ups on her amp while her partner Alex tunes his guitar. Xander our drummer moves
towards me with a microphone. I take it from him and give him a nod as Sean bends down to kiss me once again and we take our positions on the stage. The curtains are drawn open as the
beginning strains of Iridescent by Linkin Park sound.
I am seated a the piano, my body rocking back and forth as I work the pedal.

WHEN YOU WERE STANDING IN THE WAKE OF DEVASTATION
WHEN YOU WERE WAITING ON THE EDGE OF THE UNKNOWN
WITH THE CATACLYSM RAINING DOWN
INSIDES CRYING SAVE ME NOW
YOU WERE THERE AND POSSIBLY ALONE

Bingo! I've got them, I can see both of the brothers staring at me, completely transfixed by my voice. This is only a small part of my giftsbut an incredibly useful one. People are drawn
to my voice. It doesn't matter whether I'm singing or speaking, people fall under my spell.

DO YOU FEEL COLD?
AND LOST IN DESPERATION
YOU BUILD UP ALL
THE FAILURES ALL YOU'VE KNOWN
REMEMBER ALL
THE SADNESS AND FRUSTRATION
AND LET IT GO
LET IT GO

The two men look at each other and nod. They move closer to the stage, each one of them eyes locked on me. This is why I chose this sond, and wy we've been opening with it all this
week. I knew that the lyrics would call to the brothers, adding stregth to the power of my voice. They stand, Dean leaning against the edge of the stage, Sam standing poker straight. Both of
them seem to be trying to catch my eye. I seemingly ignore them, while keeping them in the corner of my eyesight, watching them as they react to my song. I made the perfect choice, the lyrics
call to their situation. Maybe even leaving them a little more open than they previously would have been to the offer that I plan to make, not that they know about that yet of course. The rest of
the band do though and Sean has even ofered to help. I know that he doesn't agree with what I am proposing to do but he knows that he will not change my mind and so has decided to come with
me.

AND IN THE BURST OF LIGHT THAT BLINDED EVERY ANGEL
AS IF THE SKY HAD BLOWN THE HEAVENS INTO STARS
YOU FELT THE GRAVITY OF TEMPER GRACE
FALLING INTO EMPTY SPACE
NO ONE THERE TO CATCH YOU IN THEIR ARMS

I am becoming caught in the musc now. My eyes quickly leave thr brothers and I look around the room, just as every night before the bar is still and silent. People have stopped talking
and drinking, now they just sit and stare. Only at me, never at any of the others, this is what sets us apart from everyone else. In every band different people get fixated on; guitarists pay
attention to guitarists; bassists to bassists and so on. With us, however, everyone fixates on me, the others just smile nowingly at me every time, just like they're doing now and I return it with
one of my own secret smiles. Its one of the reasons that I rarely play an instrument myself, people seem to get frustrated when they can't fully see me. Though I'm a pianist, a guitarist and a
violinist myself few of these instruments ever make it onto a stage with me. This song is the exception, not the rule.

DO YOU FEEL COLD?
AND LOST IN DESPERATION
YOU BUILD UP ALL
THE FAILURES ALL YOU'VE KNOWN
REMEMBER ALL
THE SADNESS AND FRUSTRATION
AND LET IT GO

I suddenly stand, kicking back the piano stool in the process. This is another reason I don't play instruments on stage very often, I can't focus on them very well. I get too lost in the
music and suddenly I have to be able to move, I have to be able to entertain the crowd. What's the point of being a front-woman if you can't even do that?? What's worse is that I know that I
shouldn't. Especially now, it seems. Pain shoots thrugh my back, neck, hips and legs but I just smile and continue, circling the stage so that I pass in front of each of my fellow band members.

LET IT GO
LET IT GO
LET IT GO
LET IT GO

Everyone on the crowd gets a good look at me from every possible angle as I move and the hungry and slightly irritated looks in their eyes instantly melt away. I catch Sean's eye as I
go to move past him. His eyes are narrowed and his lips are pressed into a thin hard line. Uh oh. He's definitely angry with me but I know it will only be a short lived anger. Between his slitted
eyelids I can see concern gathering in the warm depths of his eyes. He knows that I'm in pain, even when no one else can see it.

DO YOU FEEL COLD?
AND LOST IN DESPERATION
YOU BUILD UP ALL
THE FAILURES ALL YOU'VE KNOWN
REMEMBER ALL
THE SADNESS AND FRUSTRATION
AND LET IT GO
LET IT GO

I turn back to the audience as I belt out the final chorus of the song. Applause roars through the room but there are two men stood directly in front of the stage who do not move.
One pair of brown eyes and one pair of green. The orbs shimmer with concern and pity. How do they know?? No one ever knows. Except Sean. The rest of the band know that something is
seriously wrong with me. They know that I will hardly be able to move after the set but they never know when the pain starts. Yet these two men, men that I have never even spoken to know
instantly. I shrug it off. It's probably because they're my brothers.