The Music Maker

Jaxonian Presents,

The Music Maker

(Please note this is NOT a clopfic.)

“See you guys tomorrow!” I called with a smile. I had just left band practice and was now packing my instrument into the car’s backseat beside some left over papers, receipts, and fast food bags. I was the only one of the group who had to drive home. The other four guys lived in the neighborhood.

Our drummer called back, “Be careful on the roads!”

He would only call this to me when it was raining; which in this case, it was. And very hard I might add.

My car sounded her usual sputters when I turned the key. She was an old car, but I knew she was the right choice for me. Me and my car get around a few places. One of which is the drugstore where I met our drummer. He was looking for a specific rock CD when I saw him. Yes, our drugstore sells CDs. It’s that cool. I just happened to be walking by when he picked it up. He had the look that a two year old child would get when someone gives him his very favorite toy. Curiosity got the better of me, and I went to go look at what he was holding: A special edition Rush album.

“You have quite a good taste in music if that’s what you’re looking for,” I told him. I always try to be encouraging to strangers. Especially if they listen to Rush.

“Thanks!” he replied in earnest. “Yeah, their drummer is fantastic. And even then, they just plain rock!”

“I hear ya. They aren’t a favorite of mine, but I do like some of their tunes.” I tend to be quite picky about what I listen to. I personally like songs that touch me in some way or make me want to move. This is quite a challenge considering the disorder I have…

We talked for almost an hour about the music we liked. As it turns out, he was more into the mainstream hard rock like Shinedown, and Black Stone Cherry, and in some cases, Daughtry. I was more into the golden years of rock and roll: The Seventies and Eighties. My favorite bands consisted of Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Stray Cats, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, You name it, I probably liked it. I had an appreciation for today’s music, but I still believe that it couldn’t even hold a candle to any band like Van Halen back in the day. I eventually found out that he has been in a band for about a year now, and they were still looking for a lead vocalist and a keyboardist. I was much better at singing than playing keyboard, but I could play a mean one if I tried. (Forgive me if that sounds as though I’m bragging. I only repeat the compliments I hear from others.) After a while, we decided that I would come by and audition.

I was never good at writing my own material. I could write lyrics no problem, but melodies were a whole other challenge for me. I blame my disorder, but I also think that since it’s part of me, I am responsible for it… Luckily, the drummer decided to keep me because no one else has come for an audition yet. I still wonder how I’ll improve in their eyes. They are so good with their instruments, and all I can do with my Casio is play covers. I happen to learn things very quickly, but I just lack the talent they have to write their own stuff. I do have the skill though. I just wish that they could give me credit for it. I’ve always wanted to be a famous singer or keyboardist… I’ve been looking for a chance all throughout high school and now, I think this could be my chance.

I believe I’ve gone on a bit too long. Allow me to skip to when I got home after driving in the pouring rain.

After I ran inside and quickly dried off my microphone and keyboard, I went to go sit down in front of my computer monitor. (Oh sweet internet… Naught can match thine in pleasurably reducing one’s cortex into a mashed vegetable…) For me there was nothing better to do in the evening than sit at my computer and just randomly browse through videos and memes. As you can probably imagine, I was unemployed. I had no life and no job would hire me because I fancied my hair to be past my shoulders. I was miserable…

I was never one to take any initiative and as a result, I watched my life pass me by for too long. Now I only have my computer to look forward to every night. I get by though. I work various jobs throughout the week for a successful friend of mine. Usually they only paid me about six dollars an hour at best because I wasn’t really employed under them. Therefore, minimum wage didn’t apply to me. It wasn’t much, but it was the best offer I could take. Hell, it was the only offer I could take. The only one that looked past my disorder… I was also single and unshaven at the time. Once I found out that I would never have a chance with anyone I just stopped caring about my facial hair and just let it grow. Fortunately I wasn’t able to, nor was I indenting to grow something like Zach Galifianakis. I only had a bit of facial hair across my upper lip, and chin. Enough to see my face underneath at least.

I needed something to take my mind off of the negativity I was feeling. Thankfully, I wasn’t some pervert who just watched porn to ease stress. Though I will admit I look it up sometimes. Let’s be honest, we all do. I did think about watching random videos on youtube, but honestly, that would contribute to what I found to be a bit hypocritical. Then I remembered that one show a friend of mine showed me once. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It immediately became my favorite show. I loved the characters, the storyline, and the fact that it seemed just… so realistic. Ok yes. They were all cartoons, but their interactions really felt like the real thing. Like someone could just walk into the street and have the same experience happen to them. I especially loved the fanbases around DJ Pon-3 and Octavia. They were my favorites of the background. (Well so was Derpy, because let’s face it. Who else in that show is disabled in some way like me?) Maybe the show could calm my nerves? As moral as the show was, it still involved sitting around doing nothing. No, I needed music. I needed something that I could play my keyboard with even if it was just a bunch of chords. And what better song to play than Shine On You Crazy Diamond (I-V)? It was perfect. The haunting sad chord of G minor combined with a melancholy flute pad for the main melody.

I sat down, turned on the power, pressed the four notes of the G minor chord, and slowly, slowly, turned the volume up. My fingers whisked across the notes, pressing and easing off as I shared the song with my computer. I would play the backing keyboard parts and solos, and Youtube played the guitar part. I was in euphoria. It was as if my keyboard was the girlfriend I could never have. It sang sweetly to me, and in return, all it wanted was for me to make her body feel same euphoria I was feeling. And from how she sang in that hypnotic tune, I could tell I did a pretty darn good job. I began to sing back to her when the vocals came on. Tonight, I was David Gilmore. When the song ended, I felt that I could go to sleep proud of myself.

After about an hour, I began to daydream about where I hoped to go in life. I began imagining myself singing on the same stage that AC/DC performed on at River Plate Argentina. How amazing would that be to be a rock legend? To be admired by all in one of the biggest arena stages in the world. Now that would be a dream come true, especially for me. It was what I wanted more than anything…

CRACK!! Lightning from the rainstorm split the sky in two. My heart pounded as I ran to my window to see what had happened. A tree had snapped outside. I wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. I had never seen a tree split by lightning before, but I didn’t want to get wet again. Eh, a little rain never hurt anyone before. I quickly grabbed my favorite hoodie and ran out to gaze at the mangled bark and fired splinters. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Well sure I’ve seen a tree, I’ve seen something broken, and I’ve seen something on fire in the rain. But never all three at once! CRACK!!! A louder bolt flashed again and I immediately ran back to the house as the wind picked up speed. I sighed as I barely made it to my door, then ran inside and started panting.

I had to get downstairs to the cellar. The storm would probably get a lot worse. The only problem was that the entrance… was outside. I took a deep breath, and let my adrenaline block out the fear as I went to go grab my in-case-of-storm items. I quickly grabbed my iPod and charger, my keyboard, and a change of clothes for the next day as fast as I could. (I knew I’d be sleeping down there so I had to take what I thought was going to carry me through the night. don’t question me.) I quickly went to the front door, everything in my hands protected as best as I could. It was now or never. I opened the door and ran outside. It felt like a thousand needles hitting my face in that instant. I ran through the rain over to the side of the house. There was the basement entrance! I went to reach for the handle—CRACK!!!!

The last thing I remember happened all in a split second. The loudest lightning strike I had ever heard… a burning numbness… and everything going black…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember when you were young?

You shone like the sun.

Shine on you crazy diamond…

Now there’s a look in your eye

Like black holes in the sky.

Shine on you crazy diamond…

You were caught in the crossfire

Of childhood and stardom

Blown on the steel breeze

Come on you target

For far away laughter

Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr,

And SHINE…

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“What is that thing…?”

“It looks like some sort of clothed ape.”

“No it can’t be. Apes have fur all over their bodies.”

“It has a lot of fur on its head.”

“I-I hope it doesn’t bite…”

“What’s that thing in its hand?”

“Hey, look! Is it waking up?”

“Is its face gonna stay that way?”

Voices… Bright colors… A scent of hay… When I came to, these were what my senses were trying to piece together. Slowly my eyes adjusted to normal and I saw… what looked like… a dozen colorful… talking... Ponies! I was probably just feeling nausea from... whatever happened last night. Now that I thought about it… What did happen? I remember feeling really numb, but why? I reached up to rub my head.

“YEOWCH!” I yelped.

My head began to throb like no pain I had ever experienced before… I must have been struck by a bolt of lightning! That explained everything. A bolt of lightning strikes me, I collapse, band mates notice I’m not at practice, try calling, eventually visit, see me lying down, and call for an ambulance! The doctors probably had me on morphine or something. That would explain the talking pony hallucination. I started to laugh until I noticed something… I was still holding my clothes, keyboard, and iPod… Last time I checked, you can’t take personal items with you into hallucinations.

What the hell happened to me!? I was suddenly in a universe of cute, talking, curious, bright colored ponies. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I immediately stood up to dust myself off. That’s when I looked closer at the faces of the ponies. I couldn’t name any of them, until I turned around to see a poofy-haired pink one staring me in the face. I knew this one’s name. It was Pinkie Pie. Then a crazy realization hit me. I was inside the show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! Once I figured out who was who, there was no doubt where I was. No! That’s insane. It’s against all proper logic! There’s no way I could be in the show… was there? I guess my injured head wasn’t ready for such a realization because I fainted again…