Tying back his hair in a quick knot, Adonis snatched the guitar pick from his lips and hovered his hands over the ebony Viper LTD guitar. It was slung over his neck resting like a child of cadent mayhem in his lap. Its Damascus steel color and horns were only half of its magical properties. Heaven torn asunder was the newest riff he had learned, it was thrashy as well as harmonious and blackened in sound. The room was filled with angry cords surely penetrating beyond his closed door and through the walls plastered with posters of his favorite icons. Venom, Cradle of filth and behemoth. It had taken him over a week to get the main chorus of the song now he had to take a break and flip through his notebook to read what tabs were next. Reaching for his book His desk alarm rang out. Reaching towards the alarm now instead he cancelled it. slumping his head against the guitar's neck. The guitar responded with a low squeal.
"I gotta get the Queen," he said toward Falorum, the guitar.
Racking Falorum Adonis left the room to grab his bag, helmet, and keys so he could head out the door. "Mom?"
"Yes?!" she called out to him from upstairs.
"I'm heading out to get Emma, how long until dinner?"
Her footsteps trotted down the steps quickly to peer over the railing with her towel clutched to her chest. Adonis turned his head the other way and shrugged on his leather jacket while they talked.
"How long will dinner take?" he asked again
"Uh, an hour and a half"
"perfect "
Adonis opened the front door.
"We will be back as soon as It's ready"
Mounting the Honda Rebel, he sped off to the high school.
winding hills, a setting sun, and not too many cars to pose a threat to the way Adonis liked to drive. Like a spirit on fire. he loved speed, he loved the fall leaves and the crisp air of September's doom.
Entering the school's driveway, the sun had blinded him, but he could see her slim figure waiting for him under the overhang of the school doors. Adonis removed his helmet to kiss her, slinging her bag she put on his helmet before riding off to their favorite spot. They took a dirt road deep into the forest, at least a mile of trees. Then, they passed a cemetery until they reached the end of the trail in front of an ivory-wrapped gate with blue corroded words. TEMPEST.
Pushing in the left side of the rusted gate provided a gap large enough for Adonis and the bike, slipping behind him while holding the gate Emma followed him inside. Adonis pushed the bike up the short hill through the millions of yellow leaves on the ground up to an abandoned house. pulling the bike up the porch She opened the dirty white front door for him and shut it behind her once he was inside.
Daylight poured through the gaping hole in the roof, spotlighting the dusty damp living room which had plants coming out of the walls and the floorboards. they used boxes of snacks to cover small holes in the floor and tarped up the musty furniture to use. Adonis Docked his bike near the door before handing Emma his bag.
"I've been waiting for this all day" she said, taking the bag.
He sat down under the open roof on a broken recliner. Emma sat on the floor in front of him and pulled out a bottle of wine from the bag.
"How did your English studies go?” she sighed, flicking her hair to the side.
"I passed that fucking test by three points"
The cork popped off and shot through the hole in the roof, she looked up for it just as Adonis caught the cork top.
"Nice!"
looking back down Adonis could smell the wine. Emma was
still looking up at him, waiting for a kiss which he happily planted on her forehead.
"You first" he insisted.
Emma took a brief sip of the red drink and made a face while swallowing it. Adonis smelled it before taking his turn, then handed it back to her.
"Mom said dinner will be ready in the next 45 minutes "
"Well to be accurate she said that about 15 minutes ago "
He nodded staring up at the open ceiling.
"Yeah, but It smelled great. and I'm getting hungry"
She extended her legs on the floor, making herself more comfortable against the chair.
"Too bad we can't share this bottle with Mom"
She pressed her lips to the bottle for another sip while he laughed.
"She would kill us"
Then he re-enacted how bringing the bottle home would go.
"Hey Mom, what do you say we try this wine, that we smuggled from Olly"
Then Adonis raised his voice to impersonate Mom, answering himself.
"What the hell was that old man thinkin' lettin' you kids ride off with that poison"
Emma almost choked on the drink laughing at how accurate his use of words was.
"Shut up are you trying to kill me" she said slumped over the bottle in a fit of laughter.
he laughed watching her fall back against the chair, handing
back the bottle to him.
“Yeah, don’t drink too much “
"you're the one that has to drive sir”
"As you give me the bottle"
Adonis took the wine in his hand and corked the top back on, setting it next to his chair.
"It would go good with dinner, maybe another day we can bring back leftovers with it"
she shrugged and climbed into his lap, resting her head on
his chest. Adonis groomed her orange hair away from her face and let a silence fall between them both, watching the day fade in there peripheral more and more.
Leaving the bottle behind, they made it to the road just in time to greet the all-consuming night. Dinner was waiting for them , together Adonis and Emma prepared the table for the three of them to eat while mom came over with what she had made in a steamy pot.
After dinner Emma already had her hands on the clay sculpture, his gargoyle gift. The armless muscular torso was shaped, and the head was still a wet ball of cement. Adonis watched her get a head start on shaping the horns. one was in her hand, and one was still on a plastic tray. While she worked Adonis went into the walk-in closet, which became a little tighter when he unfolded a small round table and chair to begin a night journaling session.
