Sing for Absolution

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"Matt."

"What? Don't act like I've done something terrible! I'm not-not- blaming her or anything like that! I think she feels trapped here and I don't understand what's stopping her from leaving anyway. She wants to leave, so-so- she should get to leave if she wants to!"

"I agree with you."

"Then what?"

"She's traumatized. She's not going to see it your way."

"Well if she's looking for a caregiver from me she's looking in the wrong damn place."

Dom snorted, "Yeah she is."

"Ouch."

"It's true."

"I know. But you're not supposed to agree."

"You're ridiculous you know that?"

"Yep. Gimme that cigarette."

Dom passed the cigarette to Matt. "You're not a smoker."

"And you were doing well with the quitting," Matt said, grinding the cigarette into the ground. "What'd you do with the ecigarette?"

Dom sighed and went back inside to get it. Matt remained on the porch watching the lake.
 
Alyne shed her hoodie after walking for about an hour, tucking it into her bag as she kept walking. She hadn't seen a single car or person anyway, so it's not like anybody would see her bruises. Plus, it was hot walking. Her body ached with every step, but she kept going. If she didn't do this now, she'd never leave. Matt was right. It was infuriating, but he was right. He barely knew her and had hardly any time to assess the situation, yet he just.. knew. She had needed a fresh take on things to kick her in the ass.


Shaking her head, she wondered what else would become obvious in a new setting. She was musing that and singing a bit to herself when the rumble of an engine behind her caught her attention. Not bothering to look back since she figured it to be the shuttle, she moved to the side and waited for it to pass. It wasn't until the vehicle slowed to a crawl beside her that she looked up.


"Hey, pretty baby. I just went on my lunch break and the strangest thing happened! I went to visit my little sweetheart and she wasn't at home! I thought she may have wandered off and got lost. I was so worried about you, baby!" Perry exclaimed through the rolled down window. Alyne froze and just stared at him as his car stopped.


Defend yourself.. Defend yourself..


She stepped back away from the car door and slowly dropped her bag to the side as Perry got out of the car, still sweet-talking her as if he could convince her to get in. He opened the passenger door and then turned back to her, advancing rapidly. She ducked and dodged his grasp, picking up a hand-sized rock from the dirt along the side of the road that wound up the mountain. He lunged at her and she hurled it at him.


What happened next, she would remember forever. The rock struck him in the forehead and his head whipped back, causing him to tumble over backward. He was too close to the edge, and before she could even think to grab him, he was gone. She blinked and ran to the edge, staring down. There was no sign of him along the sheer mountain face.


Oh, shit!
 
After all that had happened, Matt had sobered completely. He went back into Chris' cabin and had a shower, hoping that would help his leg feel a little better, or if anything, fix his hair. He'd always been a bit particular about his hair. As he waited for the water to warm up, he sat on the toilet and studied his foot. He had a burn mark that ran up his big toe and through the arch of his foot.

You are very stupid sometimes, Matthew, especially when you are drunk. Yet you still seem to think drinking will solve problems.

It's cos I wasn't drinking wine that's all.

Uh huh.

The water was still only lukewarm when he stepped into the shower but it was refreshing and even more sobering. He felt immensely better afterwards and thought he might go do a bit of playing around in the studio.

He wandered down to cabin six and picked up his guitar, feeling more in tune with the music now than he had earlier in the day. It was later than usual for a recording session but he'd barely been playing for half an hour when Chris and Dom joined him. As they played, for the first time in a long time, they seemed to be in sync, like they were supposed to be. Matt was pleased, and was hitting the record button more frequently than he'd done all week.
 
"Oh god.. Oh god.. Oh god.." Alyne whispered to herself, pacing back and forth in a blind panic. There was no way to climb down and find him without falling herself.


"I'm a murderer.. Oh god!"


She had no idea what to do. Her first instinct was to run back to the resort and beg for help, but she refused. Not after what Matt had said.. He was right, she needed to get out and do things on her own for herself. Right? But she had just killed somebody! She was going to get arrested and spend her life rotting in a jail cell! That was even worse than being stuck in a small town!


Her panic rose and her anxiety got so bad that she had a full-blown panic attack and passed out.


When she came around, it was almost sunset and the car was still right there next to her. Nobody had stopped or anything. No cops, no nothing. Maybe.. Maybe nobody would notice he was gone the same day that she happened to leave. Yeah, right. She fought back tears as she struggled to figure out what to do.


"Okay.. Okay, Alyne, chill out. You're covered in bruises and this asshole raped you earlier. That qualifies as self defense, right? No, wait, this didn't happen during that so it doesn't count.. but he was trying to kidnap you! Yes, he did try to get you in his car against your will! Does.. Does that still count as murder? Oh my fuck I'm talking to myself again! I'm an insane killer on the loose!" she raved to herself, sitting on the hood of the car with her face in her hands.
 
The band played well into the night, not stopping until after midnight. But they were all in such a good mood that they went out to the fire to have a few drinks (with the exception of Chris who drank soda) and talk. Matt brought his acoustic guitar out and played old songs of theirs and they reminisced. Matt felt especially close to Dom tonight and leaned his back against him while he played. Dom didn't protest or move away, as he had other times and Matt sighed happily. He did wonder how Alyne was fairing and he hoped she was okay. But he knew this was better for her. As it had been better for him too, so long ago.

"You alright, Matt?" Dom asked.

"What? Yeah."

"You stopped playing."

"I did? Oh… sorry. Was just thinking." He tipped his head back and smiled up at Dom. "Remember that time we pissed on the Mayor's house?"
 
A late night bus shuttle filled with drunks from the city was headed back to the resort. It stopped and the driver leaned out, yelling to her, asking if she was okay and if her car was broken down. She looked up, realizing the dark hid her bruises and how pale she was. Broken down car.. yes. That was a good excuse. She nodded and pulled on her hoodie, climbing on the bus after thanking the driver for giving her a ride. He asked if she was from the resort and she said yes, not wanting to get into a long explanation.


As they were all dropped off, she paused. Well, now she was back at the resort, but she didn't know what to do. It was too late to go look for Matt or Dom since they would either be with friends or sleeping. She didn't want to disturb them anyway. She had to stop relying on them - they probably didn't even care. They were recording artists, not babysitters.


She shoved the thought away miserably and started walking around the resort, giving it a loop. Her plan was to go to the path, go back home, and act normal tomorrow. Maybe it'd all go away and this would be a bad dream.


Yeah, right.
 
[Random fact: My Head is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men is my theme album for this rp. I don't know if it's the setting or what.]

After having a laugh about adventures they'd had as kids, Matt started playing again. Without fully realizing, he'd begun playing one of their new songs and before he knew it, Dom had joined in, tapping out his part with sticks on a log. Chris, bass-less still joined in with backing vocals, an acoustic version of one of Matt's favorite new songs. The song showcased his voice, high-pitched, raw, and young. The song began with it's catchy riff and Matt's vocals, nearly as low as they could go. As the song progressed his voice got higher and ended in a more operatic falsetto. He finished with a hiccup and laughed.
 
[xD Woo, we have a soundtrack!]


Alyne paused about halfway around the resort when she heard music. She couldn't see the source directly, but she recognized the voice as Matt. They were still awake and having fun, she should.. No, she shouldn't. There was no way she could show up and just have a random good time like the first time she had shown up with Matt and sat at the fire. That was so much fun, she recalled. Liberty caps and all.


"Oh well.." she murmured to herself, turning away and continuing on around the resort toward the path. She could not give in and seek company. Not after everything.
 
The drinking, trekking up and down the mountain, and emotional ups and downs of the day had worn it's path on Matt, however. Shortly after he'd finished playing, he sprawled face down on the big log, one arm and one leg hanging down each side, his cheek resting against the rough grain of the wood. He fell asleep almost immediately. Dom and Chris debated whether they should wake him and get him into bed, carry him there, or leave him as he was. After a few minutes of debate, Chris, strong as he was, lifted Matt over his shoulder like a sack of flour and carried him to bed.

"Matt Matt Matt," Dom mumbled as he held open the door of Matt's cabin for Chris, "Your place is a mess."

Dom began picking up Matt's clothes as Chris dumped Matt on his bed. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"His laundry for him."

Dom shrugged, "I don't mind. He was never good at it, his clothes always get ruined if he tries. Besides, I owe him."
 
It didn't take long to reach the end of the path since she was lost in thought. She went home, dropped off her bag, grabbed a basket and filled it with random food and juice bottles, and left again. Here she was, back in the village. She was going to die here without ever seeing the world now, because she was scared.


True, her risk of being caught was higher here, but.. Why had she come back? She could have stayed at the resort for a night and then taken the morning bus in town.. Or she could have told the bus driver to take her with him back to the city. Why had she come back?


She went to the spot that she had taken Matt and munched her food without looking to see what it was. As she took a sip of juice, her gaze caught on a liberty cap, all lit up in the moonlight. She hesitated, then plucked it up and popped it in her mouth. Almost instantly she was smiling, still thoughtful.


Matt, she realized. That was why she came back.
 
Matt slept well into the next day and Dom and Chris didn't bother to wake him. When Matt finally emerged from his cabin around three in the afternoon, Dom had already finished his laundry, folded it and put it away, cooked up lunch and played around with some of the tapes they'd made last night. Matt wandered into the studio with hair sticking up randomly. Dom handed him a plate of food and he scarfed it down hungrily.

"Was on tha agenda tohay?" Matt asked with his mouth full of food.

"Bells?" Dom asked.

Matt brightened and nodded and pulled out the already recorded string arrangements, pushing the cd into the player and listening to it again. He finger pianoed with one hand as he ate and listened. "wight here-" Matt pointed at the player. "They should come in. Echo the bass drum? But follow the chord progression of the piano. Play through the climax. Then… nothing… wait till the very end… and finish it off softly, on the high end. Give that a try and then we'll go from there."
 
Alyne woke up late in the morning, sprawled out on the mountain top. She groaned and rubbed her forehead, sitting up slowly. For a moment she tried to recall what had happened after she ate that liberty cap last night, but she couldn't. She had forgotten entirely. Oh dear. Frowning at herself, she packed up her picnic basket and went back down the path. Nobody was around, so she just went to her house and stood there in the entryway.


Her life hung in the balance. She wasn't going to die, but her fate was going to be decided by what she did next. It was a disturbing feeling of power, one that she didn't enjoy. Should she unpack her bag and go on living normally here and hope that nobody asked questions about Perry's disappearance.. Or did she eat breakfast and leave to never return and let people assume they ran off together to elope or some such nonsense?


See the world.. Stay in the village.. See the world..


There was no contest. She grabbed an apple and repacked her bag with more clothes and took a look around her house. There was nothing here that she hadn't packed that she couldn't part with. Smiling to herself and feeling more free than she had in years, she left the house and skipped down the path toward the resort.


She had a car to pick up.
 
Matt hit play for the umpteenth time. Pause. Play. Pause. Play. Switch CDs and repeat. He was trying to decide between two different versions. His. And Dom's. On the one hand Dom had an understanding about percussion that Matt did not. On the other hand Matt knew exactly the kind of effect he wanted to create and Dom did not.

Dom and Chris exchanged glances over Matt's head. Why must Matt go through these formalities when everyone knew they would go with Matt's version in the end? Wasn't it just a giant waste of time?

"Yours is better," Chris volunteered, trying to speed the process.

"nah uh," Matt mumbled, still listening intently to the recordings. "it needs a gong thing. Not a gong but something like it."

"Good lord, Matt, how huge does this song have to be?"

"Too big for Earth."

Dom and Chris exchanged looks again. Matt was the only one of them who was truly serious about playing in space. All they could do was go along with it.
 
Once she reached the resort, she passed by all the cabins and made her way toward the main building. She planned on walking down to Perry's car and taking it into the city, then maybe selling it or something since she didn't want to keep driving it. What if she got pulled over? Nothing was in her name. Plus with the money she got for it, she could get groceries and such or a different vehicle until she found a job. It was a rough plan at best, but hey, she was living.


"Excuse me, miss? You're with the band that is staying here, correct?" a female voice interrupted her. It was one of the receptionists from the resort.


"Well, uh.. N-Not really.. I mean, I know them, but.." Alyne tried to stutter, but the woman just smiled and handed her a pile of envelopes.


"Their mail came today, finally. There was a hold up in the city. If you could drop this off I'd be so grateful!" the woman explained, then was gone before Alyne could refuse.


She sighed and looked down at the pile. Well, alright. One last pit stop, she supposed. She shook her head and smiled to herself, wandering back toward the cabins until she heard music coming from one. That was bound to be them, she figured. Walking up the stairs, she knocked twice and waited, wondering if they'd even hear it.
 
Chris was the who answered the door, Matt and Dom deep in conversation.

"Uh. Hello," he said gruffly. "Matt?"

Matt turned to look over his shoulder. "Alyne? I thought you left..."
 
"Hi, Matt. Yeah, I did leave. Then Perry and I had a discussion.. and now everything is good," she said, dodging the truth and giving him a bit of a smile.


"I'm leaving again.. hopefully to get farther this time.. and was on my way out but the resort receptionist woman thought I was with you guys. She gave me this huge pile of mail that's been backed up for a while I guess. So, here," she said, holding up the pile and offering it to him.
 
Matt took the mail from her and set it on the soundboard. He studied her closely, searching her face.

"Alright then. Well, good luck. I wish you the best. Really. Come see a show sometime."
 
Something in his eyes made Alyne just want to pour her heart and soul out to Matt and tell him the truth. She wanted to explain what had really happened and let him in to know how scared she really was and how anxious she was about having no idea how to live outside of the village, or how to make friends or get a new job or anything. Yet.. she didn't dare. No matter how much she wanted to break down in front of him, she just didn't dare.


He'd reject her.


"Yeah.. maybe I will.. Good luck with the music," she said softly, looking away from the pull of his eyes. She gave Dom and Chris a quick smile, then turned and went back down off the porch as she struggled to hold herself together.
 
The three of them sat in silence as Alyne left and well afterwards too.

"I think she has a thing for you, Matt," Chris said with a little chuckle.

"Sod off."

"Well she keeps coming back here."

"Rockstars are appealing. Especially in small towns."

"You're such a heartbreaker, Matt," teased Dom.

"Don't even go there Dominic gets-laid-three-times-in-one-night Howard."

"Oi not lately you tit!"

"oh..." Matt said quietly, realizing he'd crossed an unspoken boundary. "sorry."

He tried to go back to work but something and been thrown off and Dom was checking his phone again.

Goddamn.

Matt stepped outside for some air.
 
Walking back toward the main section of the resort, Alyne brushed aside all thoughts of Chris and Dom, and especially Matt. They were going to be super famous someday, she knew. Maybe she really would go to one of their shows sometime, she thought with a smile. Now it was time for her own life to start, and she was starting to get really excited about the prospect. No more dreaming - now was the time for doing!


Until she saw the small group of cops standing in front of the resort, questioning people hanging around the shuttle stop.


She froze and listened as one said they would be questioning everybody in the area. Another mentioned a car. Oh, shit - they had found Perry's car. She shouldn't have left it. Once they figured it out..


She scrambled backward out of sight as they spoke of going to every cabin and questioning the people inside. Looking around for a place to hide since she knew going back to the village would be a mistake, she ducked into an empty changing room by the pool and locked the stall.
 
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