Lifespan Deathwatch

[Damien McEwan]

Nivek Erieth disembarked the transport, setting foot onto Freeport 6 and followed the other passengers out of the hanger; towards the western bio-dome.

A rush of tingling excitement electrified him. He's seen all the bootleg videos of the band. He's collected all of their albums. He learned the words to every one of the songs, (even those that sucked,) and this was the first time he's ever had the opportunity to see them play live in person...As a matter of fact, in all of his twenty-four years, this was his first time attending any live concert whatsoever, so, just simply being here made him instantly happy.

He flowed along with the current of the crowd as they all meandered closer to the dome. He let the moments wash over him and allowed his brain to commit everything to memory.

The dull murmur of the throng registering indistinctly in his ears as they herded towards the entrance like cattle. The vendors off to the sides hawking overpriced T-shirts and posters. The drunk and the stoned, cheering at random intervals things such as, "YEAH! SPIDERBABIES!!" or "F***IN' ROCK!!" and the like. All-of-it marking the experience for him, over the low-fidelity echo of recorded music of other bands playing through the Freeports P.A. system, that Nivek- from now on, will look back on and remember as the interlude to the soundtrack of a truly unforgettable night.

After he paid for his ticket and made his way through the turnstile past the bouncers, he opened his wallet to stuff his stub into it as someone slammed into his shoulder, making him drop both to the floor.

He bent down, grabbed his wallet, searching for the stub but not locating it, until he glanced up...finding it right in front of his face, being held by the fingers of a hand connected to a truly unforgettable girl. Embarrassed, she said to him, "Oh, s**t! I'm sooo sorry! Are you OK?"

Nivek knew she was saying something to him...He could see her lips moving, but he couldn't actually hear her words, because when looked further up her face and met her ice-green eyes, all he could concentrate on at that particular time was how it felt as the whole of her burned right through him. The sinking in his stomach being akin to one of those falling moments on occasion that jolt you fully awake while you're drifting away into sleep.

He likes to think he replied with something witty and cool in the moment that followed, but honestly, he really didn't.

As they both rose to their feet, she returned his stub, apologetically rubbed his shoulder where she collided into him and said, "Yeah. I think you'll probably live." She then straightened the backstage pass around her neck and flashed him a very warm smile over her shoulder as she turned and vanished back into the crowd to catch up with her friends.

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