“Fillies and Gentlecolts, it is my pleasure to introduce Fillydelhpia’s own Cheap Trick tribute band, The Dream Police!”
The crowd cheered as the announcer stepped away from the microphone, and left the stage. The venue was a small jazz club, but it was filled with local music fans and other ponies who just came for a good time.
We walked out from behind the curtain, and took our spots on the stage. Snare sat down at his drum kit, Half Stack brought his guitar and plugged it into his amplifier, and Tremolo did the same with his. I plugged my bass in and approached the microphone stand.
I rested my hooves on the mic as I leaned forward. The crowd grew quiet. “Well, well,” said I, my voice echoing through the room. “If it ain’t the usual crowd. No need for an introduction, so that means more time for us to rock. Would you like that?” The crowd cheered loudly. “Alright, then! Let’s start off as usual. This is Cheap Trick’s ‘Dream Police!’”
We played the song as well as we always do, and the crowd loved it. We took a few seconds to let them cheer, and then I spoke again. “Excellent. Now, here’s another one we’ve mastered, and it’s “If You Want My Love.”
Cheers filled the room at the end of that song, as well. It was great. I loved playing live music for my hometown, especially Cheap Trick. They rarely if ever tour anymore, so it’s our honour and privilege to bring their music here.
I then started for a song I knew would drive the crowd insane. “I want you to want me.” As I said that, the crowd erupted. Snare started off with the drums, and then Tremolo and Stack picked up with the guitars. I was the last to come in with bass and, finally, vocals.
As the chorus came, I sang, “didn’t I didn’t I didn’t I see you crying?”
The crowd cheered, “yeah, yeah, yeah” in response, and the words and respective cheers were repeated.
Before we could begin the second verse, a loud explosion ripped our focus away. I was thrown forward, off the stage. A few friends from the audience caught me, and asked if I was alright.
“I’m fine. What happened?” I looked to the stage, and saw that everyone else but Snare was also thrown from the stage. I also noticed that where one of our amplifiers stood was a mangled pile of burning metal and wood.
“Snare!” I jumped onto the stage and pulled Snare’s bass drum out from between us. He had fallen off of his drum stool, and wasn’t moving.
“Come on, Snare; get up.” I shook his body with my hooves, to no avail. I rolled his unconscious body onto his other side, and my heart nearly stopped at what I saw: his normally cool blue coat was charred in places, and gone in others, leaving only severely burnt skin and bone. I put a hoof to his chest, and cursed loudly as I felt nothing.
“Jay!” I heard Tremolo’s voice from behind as I turned and saw him flying towards me quickly. He grabbed me and turned face. “We need to go, Jay. Nothing we can do for Snare.” His tone was somber as he spoke, but held urgency as well.
I nodded, and we ran at full gallop along with Half Stack towards the fire exit at the back of the room. The fire had engulfed the stage, and spread to one of the two side exits, the rafters, and almost to the other end of the room.
Tremolo hovered above the other ponies at the fire exit, trying to see why nopony was moving forward. “It’s blocked!” shouted he. “The fire door’s blocked, or jammed or something!”
In a panic, my eyes darted about the room, and I spotted one of the side doors; the flame hadn’t yet gotten to it. “Everypony! This way!” shouted I as loudly as I could. Stack and I led the crowd to the only remaining exit.
Stack bucked the double doors, knocking them off of their hinges. “Go! Go!” He motioned quickly with a foreleg as he goaded the ponies out the doorway.
Meanwhile, Tremolo was flying about, checking the few ponies lying about the floor, closest to the stage. He shook his head towards us as he finished examining the last of them.
The smoke was thicker than thick by the time everypony was out. Tremolo started flapping his wings rapidly to clear some of it so we could see. “Where’s Stack?” asked I as we slowly waded about, looking for our friend.
It didn’t take long for us to stumble upon Half Stack, lying motionless on the floor before us. I put my ear to his chest. “Nothing,” said I quietly, then loudly enough for Tremolo to hear.
“Took in too much smoke,” stated Tremolo between exhausted breaths. I can’t keep this up much longer, Jay,” said he, the flapping of his wings getting slower and more labourious.
“Right. We need to get out of here, quick.” As I finished my sentence, we heard a loud, thunderous crash that shook the ground beneath our hooves. “Oh, no,” whispered I. “No, no, no, no, no!” I sprinted towards the exit, and stopped immediately as I saw a section of the rafters had come down before us, blocking off the exit.
We ran to either side, trying to find a way past, but found nothing. “That’s it,” admitted I in defeat, “we’re dead. There’s no escape, Trem. We’re dead.”
Tremolo kept beating his wings as quickly as he could, but was losing speed. He was covered in sweat, as was I. He approached me, and laid down next to me. I laid down as well, as our pocket of air was slowly engulfed by smoke.
My eyes and nose stung, and I couldn’t see, but I could still hear Tremolo’s calming voice. “It’s all right, Jay. Can’t fight it no more.”
“I’m sorry, Trem. To you, to Snare, and to Stack.” I wheezed as I spoke between coughs.
“Don’t be sorry, Brother; wasn’t your fault, or your doing.” His reply was just as weak. “Some, electrical malfunction, or something.”
“What, what do we do now?” I asked, terrified of the answer.
“We wait.”
“I’m scared, Trem.”
“Me, too, Jay.” I felt his arms wrap around me. It gave me some comfort, despite the circumstances. “You’re my brother, Jay, and I love you.”
I returned the embrace. I began to sob as I replied, “I love you, too, Trem.”
The stinging in my eyes and nostrils didn’t bother me anymore, and I grew shorter and shorter of breath, until I felt a weird sensation: like I was falling asleep or something.