Conversations in the Dark

Walking waiting alone without a care hoping hating the things that I can’t bear do you think its cool to take my life and fuck it up well did you did you. . . I see hell in your eyes taken in by surprise touching you makes me feel alive touching you makes me die inside
1
He had just arrived on set but it would be hard to convince anyone of that. A little illusion and he looked like anything but himself. He looked like the young actor playing himself in this move. He had to admit they looked nothing alike but if they had…
Pyra was about to fall out of her tiny trailer window scanning the area for her cat. Instead of Lucky she spots a pale blond guy walking around. What was his name again? Something with an S. “Stuart?” It takes him a few seconds to turn. “Me?” Lestat asks turning.
“No, Lestat,” He smiles, “Have you seen a black cat?” he looks around and spots Lucky caught in some netting on the far side of Pyra’s trailer.
“I’ll get him he’s caught in some netting.” Lestat easily frees Lucky snapping apart the fence noticing a little trickle of blood on his hands as he touches the cat.
He carries the cat, the talking cat he muses, which he can tell is still alive but he thinks asleep or unconscious, into Pyra’s trailer and it seems to come to life. He jumps out of his hands into Pyra’s who strokes his fur and notices the blood. She heals the small cut in his back, glad that only one finger shimmers a little, she washes her hands then turns her attention to “Stuart”
“Thanks so much, I might go a little crazy if something happened to Lucky.”
“I understand, I used to have a dog.”
“Did it die?” he shakes his head and Pyra shrugs looking around. “How exactly do you live like this?”
“Like what?”
“In this box on wheels why not buy a coffin and call it a penthouse.”
He just shrugs. “Um . . .”
“Pyra.”
“Yes so how do you like the movie.”
“Uh. . .I could have done better, they combined two great books and didn’t leave enough for decent cliff notes. They should be kicked.”
”Why are you doing it then?”
“Why are you?”
“I never read the books it seemed like a good thing.”
“Read the books, if you like this you’ll love them.”
“So you read both books?”
“Both? There are five main books and spin offs. Lestat is one of my favorite characters, so is Armand and Louis. And I always like it when he pops up, how dare they take him out of the movie!”
Lestat smiles at the comment and takes the time to look at Pyra. His neighbor the only reason he even knew about this movie. She had come to their house a few times but not recently. She hated Merrick and was slightly infatuated with Louis. She didn’t even notice him. How he had marveled when she had laughed and Merrick’s Voodoo shrine. Pyra had then muttered something he thought was French but was actually Creole. The language of the island of Voodoo itself Haiti. Merrick was not pleased he was entertained.
Did he even believe this girl, almost his height, as thin as you could get without being placed in a hospital for it had the power that could destroy him? Even with the talking cat she didn’t seem that extraordinary, especially not enough to destroy him. Yes even him David had sternly warned, so he had stayed away for a while. But playing Akasha in a movie how could he resist? And the funny thing was they had altered their descriptions just slightly so no one would be the wiser, like right now he was supposedly still tan from his three days in the Gobi. So he had come to see her and more important Mystic playing the role of his beloved Jesse. David had suspicions about her too but he never had any real proof.
That cat was rubbing against his leg he preferred dogs. He wondered of the cat could tell what Pyra obviously couldn’t; that he wasn’t this Stewart Townsend she was looking at him. So he asked the first question that popped into his head. Well the second the first had been where’s Mystic.
“Are you excited to start filming?”
Her sudden anger surprised him. “Don’t play games with me it’s not funny.”
“What?” Lestat asks confused.
”It may not bother you but the fact that the first scene I’m filming with you is the love scene is disturbing.”
Lucky starts meowing loudly surprising them both as they turn to him and Mystic orbs in and out quickly. Even Lestat with his vampire speed didn’t see her. She knocks on the trailer door a second later, and Pyra lets her in. she looks at ‘Stewart’ then at Pyra.
“Oh don’t give me that look,” Pyra says.
“Hey there Stewart. Still in makeup?” He shrugs as Mystic takes a seat on the bed besides Pyra the only empty seat left. “So what were you guys talking about?”
“Our love scene,” Lestat says starring at Lucky. He was starring back and he could of sworn he had just shook his furry head as if he was trying to convince himself of something.
“Heh heh heh,” Mystic says and starts laughing.
Lestat takes it as his cue to leave. He makes a mental note to get a copy of the script. Love scene? Maybe Pyra was right when she said they did a hack job on the books. He had only seen a couple scenes. He never expected the appearance to be right and the scene with Marius never happened. He says his goodbyes and lingers to see what impression he made if any.
“ . . .Kinda cute.” Pyra says.
“Only in the makeup, in the daytime its not the same. So you like Stewart?”
“He doesn’t like me,” Pyra says.
“How would you know?” Lucky asks and Lestat smiles.
“Easy he barely looked at me. He just stared at Mystic and I’m quite sure he thinks I’m weird.”
“You are weird,” Lucky says.
“Oh shut up,” Pyra tells the cat. Lestat was surprised, Pyra seemed to notice a lot more than she let on. But he still didn’t feel any great power. The only odd thing was when he had tried to skim her mind he saw a flaming brick wall and nothing else. She hadn’t even seen though his illusion.
2
The next night Lestat is again roaming the trailers but this time Pyra was standing outside her trailer decked out to be Akasha. Her hair was longer all black and he was sure she was wearing contacts. Oblivious to him she walked to the set and he follows in the shadows. He sees “Lestat” approach her and in makeup he looked somewhat like a vampire. They were standing in front of a lovely house and talking. They did it twice in his presence before he got bored and decided to hunt for he heck of it. He figures he can always return later.
Later that night he does return. He hears some strange violin music coming from Mystic’s trailer. He walks over there instead. He watches the two of them dance and play the instruments looking more at Mystic. After a few moments she turns she stops and Pyra does also.
“So you didn’t tell me, how was your love scene?” Mystic says laughing.
“My virgin eyes,” Lucky says.
“It was okay. I got to keep clothes on which is always a plus.”
“And Stewart?”
“Yeah him too. But I was freezing we were in that water for hours, he was really nice about it. It made me comfortable and he didn’t mention last night.”
“I told you that he didn’t not like you or like me. You know I think he likes you. Asked mad questions about you.”
“Nothing to do with the fact that I was on top of him for half the night.”
“Tomorrow you’ll see, when you do that sunrise bit.”
“Oh my kingdom of corpses how crappy was that? I haven’t read the books in a while but I recall Akasha had a point and it wasn’t to kill everyone on the planet.”
“Have you heard the songs?”
“No are they the same ones from the book? No of course not. Does Stewart actually sing them?”
“No it’s the guy from Korn.” “Jonathan Davis?”
“I don’t know, they’re starting the singing part of the concert tomorrow night. Then you blow every thing up. And you take my Lestat.”
“He’s yours at the end for now the boy is mine.”
“Okay Brandy.” Pyra shrieks in disgust.
“Ew! My eyes are not too far apart! I’m not bald with an excessive amount of forehead! Britney.”
“Hey at least she doesn’t look like an alien.”
“Gasp, am I gonna have to start watching out for growth spurt in the chest region?”
“Ha, ha, ha, no.” Mystic says.
“Dude, why does she think we’re her friends?”
“Cause she’s from the deep south.”
“Speaking of southerners, Anne Rice is quite sick,” Pyra says switching subjects.
“Oh yeah. It’s like a girl is writing all this stuff? Sick.”
“Dude its not just me right? Don’t you think Quinn could make an awesome Lestat?”
“Yeah he even has that whole sometimes French accent thing going on,” Mystic says.
“Yeah and then there’s Fabian man drool! And those outfits ‘Lestat’ wears,” Lestat chuckles as Pyra pretends to fan herself at her last statement.
“Ah, Good times.”
“Good times? The guy is a hotter Brad Pitt clone, Great times.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Mystic says.
“You and you’re blonds.”
“What about you, Jacob’s a blond, so was Jerky, and Noah and Zach.
“Oh hush.”
“And they all had blue eyes! What’s with you?”
“Whatever, Fabian has dark hair and green eyes, so ha.”
“Dude he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
“Small detail, besides I think plenty of dark haired guys are cute, Kevin Richardson for one.”
“Not your boyfriend either, sorry Pyra, you like blonds just as much as I do.”
“And then there’s . . . Joshie dark hair, cute, most definitely cute.”
“What?! Dude! Why you talking about my Joshua like that?”
“One of these days I’m gonna see a bulging vein in your forehead, and then my work will be done,” Pyra says grinning.
“Eww! I am not Edgy boy, have you seen that vein on his forehead? Oh Mah God!” Pyra drifts off into daydreaming about her friend, his killer smile and body. She really did feel like she needed to fan herself. “Earth to Pyra!”
“Say what? What did you say?”
“You went all googly eyed, man you have the hots for ‘ol mud eyes on a gigantic level.”
“Green is not mud! Some good it does me, he doesn’t like me.”
“Dude!” Mystic just rolls her eyes, how could two people be so dumb? They deserved each other if for no other reason than their retardation. That and she thought they’d make a cute couple, he was so freaking tall he made Pyra look sort of short.

3

The next morning Pyra and Stewart are yawning continuously as they stand waiting for the sun to start to rise. Both in full costume and bathrobes they wait as the camera’s get set up and are both handed steaming mugs. Pyra looks at it and rolls her eyes, but takes a sip, then notices Stewart has tea.
“No fair, who lied to them and said I liked black tar?”
“You prefer tea?” He asks.
“Yeah, excuse me while I go into shallow actress mode. Hello? Who does a girl have to bite to get some tea around here?” Stewart laughs as one of the assistants brings Pyra a tea. “Thanks, hey you want some coffee?” The assistant looks almost giddy to have something to wake them up. “Yeah you can pretend I was being bitter about the sugar or something if you’re harassed.”
“That’s what you call a shallow actress?” Stewart asks as she takes a sip of her tea.
“Two things, don’t mess with people who serve you food they just may spit in it, and its too early to act.”
“But. . .”
“I could be brain dead and play Akasha, you’re the one who has to be sad, lonely, brave, a rock star, in love, blah, blah, blah, I on the other hand kill kill kill.”
"I see, so you really must dislike this scene."
"Why on earth would a vampire want to kill every human on the planet? Then what would the brilliant shmuck eat? Other vampires that can't reproduce? I see starvation in her future.”
"Ah, so if you were Akasha what would be your plan of action?"
"Well snacking on world leaders and throwing the planet into a state of chaos would be good. Followed by a "Goddess" to "save" them all then get with the eating of those who are resisting."
Wouldn't you run out of those people eventually too?"
"Well just because you worshiped me doesn't mean you wouldn't eventually be a snack. It just means you'd be saved for last, and like sheep you'd never know it was coming."
"I see, sounds like it could work. Um what did the real Akasha do in the books?"
"She was a man hater so first she went to places where women still worshipped a goddess killed the men and they started to worship her. At the same time she was wiping out weaker vampires. You well, Lestat was immune cause she liked him so she spared him and those he loved and blah. She wanted to create a women’s only paradise killing off almost all the men in the world. Yeah like that was gonna happen."
"So maybe Akasha was never that brilliant?"
"Yeah but she wasn't this dumb either."
"Stewart, we're ready for you."
"All right," he says tossing the robe to a waiting intern. Pyra can't help but watch him go. Was it that he was playing Lestat who had to be like the hottest vampire ever imagined, that he could be Quinn, or that Mystic said he liked her. So many choices one of these days she would have to see him not painted up and give Mr. Townsend a chance.
Pyra watched as he walked out acting shocked from not being burned by the sun. She took off her robe her part was coming in a few seconds. She walked over to 'Lestat' but before she could get her lines out Mystic standing in the beach holding up a sign she couldn't make out since these stupid contacts weren't for her blindness two. Apparently Stewart could because he started laughing.
"Cut! What is so funny?" They both point to where Mystic was just a moment ago and she isn't there anymore. "Did one of you move?" The director yells through a blow horn type thing and some of the 'bodies' sit up and shake their heads others don't budge. "I knew we should have used all dummies, let's try this again. Pyra go back." She walks a few steps back then returns and does the dumbest scene in the movie flawlessly.
During the Lunch break . . .
"You punk!" Pyra says tossing a crouton at Mystic.
"Don't throw bread at me!" She exclaims.
"Too bad it was a dream sequence eh?" Pyra says turning to Stewart.
"I knew it! You want to kill me," Mystic says.
"Well duh! Dude you're a punk. What was up on the beach man?"
"Don't know what you're talking about, I was on no beach."
“Sure you monkey punk.”
“Stewart, Pyra, Mystic, I’d like all to meet Jonathan Davis he’ll be playing a scalper later today and Stewart he is your singing voice.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Stewart says turning and standing.
"Yeah," he says flicking back his dreads as he shakes Stewarts hand.
"Hola dude," Pyra says after a large sip of sprite.
"Hey there," Mystic adds as Jonathan sits with them.
"So you guys like the songs?"
"Um . . . I haven't heard them, I've only been here like three days," Pyra says.
"I really like forsaken," Mystic says.
"Share . . ." Pyra says and Mystic sings a little line.
"We walk amongst you feeding, raping, must we hide from everyone?"
"That does sound cool," Pyra says.
"You'll be watching the concert right?"
"Yeah I don't believe I'm filming anything until the third night of it. So I'll be bored."
"Well I'll be checking it out too," Jonathan says.
"Aww! We can trade posters and scream like Stewart is a Backstreet Boy," Pyra says smiling as everyone starts laughing. "Hey I wasn't joking some of those posters are really cool," Pyra says grinning.
They finish their lunch and Pyra goes off to film some blue screen stuff and Mystic and Stewart go to film some of their scenes. Around dusk Mystic finishes up her scalper scene and Pyra and Jonathan are standing together watching the crowd gather dropping from many many cheese buses in full Goth wear.
"Wow, that's a lot of people," Pyra says.
"Well it is supposed to be a concert," Jonathan says slinking into the shadows. Pyra follows as they walk past more cheese buses.
“Yeah I know, but this place . . . never mind,” Pyra says not even sure where her thoughts were going.
“So this is going to be your first time hearing my stuff?”
“For the movie yeah, if you mean as part of KoRn you’re funny.”
“So I’m guessing you’re a fan?”
“Is it cause I’m not jumping up and down and shrieking? I didn’t know your fans were so annoying.”
“They’re not, I guess I . . . never mind.”
“Hip hop rap? That utterly boring depthless crap? I’m an oddball my favorite band in existence are the Backstreet Boys but it doesn’t mean my radio doesn’t have two settings K-rock and Z100. I like everything except country.”
“And hip hop.”
“It has its moments.”
"Well aren't you a truck load of surprises."
"Sometimes, so are you just here to hear your stuff?"
"Yeah and I was offered that cameo so that was fun."
"Pyra there you are, you can get out of costume, we cancelled the last of the green screen we're having some difficulty."
"Woo! Be back in a few I can find you here?"
"Yeah sure," he says as Pyra runs off holding up her crown."
She happily enters her trailer and flames out of the costume having everything appear exactly where it belonged. It was funny how she had talked them into letting her do her own make up, after that X-men deal she never wanted to have to be painted again though she knew she would most likely have to. She looked down at her clothes. A black tank with red stitching and a spider on the front. She was wearing some black pants with 30’ inch openings at the leg but they were extremely comfy despite the color and desert heat.
Pyra had taken less then five minutes to do something that should take hours. She knew at the least she had to wait 15 minutes before going anywhere and looked around for Lucky who was gone. She stuck her head out the window and was surprised to see a pale form holding the cat.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” She says smiling at Lestat.
“Cherie it’s the best way.” He says as Pyra suddenly frowns.
“Aren’t you filming a concert right now?”
“No they are still setting up so I snuck off.”
“I see, tsk tsk taking up your characters mischievous nature?”
“All the better to play my role my dear.”
”And if I were to say what nice clothes you have . . .”
“All the better to be a rock star my dear. . . “
“What pale skin you have.”
“All the better for you to see me my dear.”
“What sharp teeth you have . . .”
“All the better to be the vampire MY Dear . . .” Lestat says letting out a fake growl as he lightly reaches for Pyra and pretends to bite her neck as she starts to laugh. He has to pull away quickly when the impulse to actually bite his neighbor comes over him.
“I see Lucky likes you.”
“You would think I was hiding mice in my pocket.”
“Or maybe another cat by the name of Princess.” Pyra finally leaves the trailer and walks around to ‘Lestat’ but all she finds is Lucky sitting on the floor licking his paw.
“Where’d he go?”
“Don’t know he just got a weird look on his face and like ran.”
“Probably had to get back,” Pyra says. She waves her hand then turns to the cat. “Your dinner is in the trailer,” she knows there is a kitty door and an open window so her cat should be fine. She calmly walks back to the concert area, hoping enough time passed.

4

“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Me?! Why are you here?”
“I asked you . . .” His words are cut off by a hand over his mouth as Pyra walks past the two but she sees them any way. Lestat slinks into the darkness leaving Armand standing there.
“Hey, are you lost?” Armand shakes his head not wanting to step out of the darkness. Pyra steps closer to him without fear and gives him a once over. “Oh you’re Armand cool, nice to meet you,” His mouth opens in an O of surprise and he has no idea what to say when he hears a voice in his head. She believes you to be the Actor you fool. Armand sighs in relief and shakes his head. “Oh sorry you’d make a good Armand. I wonder who they cast . . .” Pyra says partially forgetting he’s still there. “Oh are you here for the concert.” Say yes He nods still not trusting his own voice.
“Well I think you all are supposed to be over there,” Pyra says pointing in the direction she was walking,
“Bathroom,” He finally stammers and Pyra smiles.
“Two more trailers down,” Pyra says pointing in the opposite direction. He nods as Pyra goes off on her way. While walking she bumps into a cherub looking curly blond haired guy that looks about 20 or so.
“Watch it!”
“You watch it punk I was walking here!”
“Shouldn’t all you extra’s be at the concert?” The cherub asks and Pyra glares at him.
“Are you stupid or something? I don’t recall cupid being in this movie who the hell are you supposed to be?”
“Armand,” The cherub says proudly.
“ARMAND?!” Pyra exclaims startling the two vampires who aren’t that far off. They come to investigate the scene getting a clear view of Pyra and the blond.
“Yes Armand!” The cherub says and Armand’s mouth falls open in shock.
“But, you’re blond and look like an overgrown cupid! Armand is a brunette from Russia! And why the hell are you wearing those hideous clothes?! No even when he was a ‘child of darkness’ did he look that bad.”
“These are my street clothes! This is the makeup trailer.” Lestat has to bite down on his lips to keep from roaring in laughter at the whole scene. Armand still couldn’t believe that was supposed to be him! How could they get it so utterly wrong!
“Even worse that you dress like that of your free will.”
“I don’t have to take this from an extra.”
“You really are retarded, hello Pyra aka Akasha, the f-ing Queen of the Damned!”
“Oh . . .”
“Yeah oh, my god who else did they butcher? Who wrote this monstrosity of a movie? Antonio, made a much better Armand and he was much too old! Ew!” Is Pyra’s last exclamation as she walks off.
Lestat glances at Armand blood tears staining his eyes as he finally lets out his laughter taking a few moments to compose himself. All the while Armand’s face was in a tight scowl that just didn’t look right on his face and made Lestat laugh all the more at what was making the other vampire so angry.
“Enough,” Armand growls.
“I’m sorry but . . .” Lestat says bursting into another fit of laughter.
“Fiend! And I bet the actor playing you is perfection.” Lestat smiles evilly as he leads Armand to where Stewart was getting his strings attaches. “He doesn’t look like you,” Armand mutters.
“At least he doesn’t look like an ugly cherub,” Lestat replies grinning again and goes into full on laughter. He follows the vampire's gaze and sees 'Armand' in costume and scowls all over again. He was in ruffles and lace that were supposed to look aged and he was exposing his hairy chest. It had been close to 500 years since he had dressed anything like that. He bit down on his lips trying not to scream drawing blood. Lestat finally stops laughing and plants a kiss on Armand's lip drawing in a little of his blood. The vampire has no interest in being comforted by the laughing fool and tries to shove him away, but Lestat doesn't allow it capturing Armand's lips in a blood kiss. The vampire gives in allowing the embrace.
"So why are you here?" Lestat asks smiling at the blush he caused in Armand's cheeks.
"I saw a casting poster for the concert then I sensed you."
"Ah I see," Lestat says waking towards the concert.
"Where are you going?"
"The concert of course."
"What if you are seen?"
"That's what I'm hoping," Lestat says grinning. "Why not a cameo in my own film no matter how butchered?"
"Butchered?"
"We don't have time for that." Lestat says leading Armand.
Pyra arrives at the concert set and sees Jonathan standing watching Stewart get strapped to the last of the 'invisible' wires. She looks at her co-star and he smiles.
"Having fun?"
"Loads." He says as the final wire is attached. He does a little jump and dances a little jig making Pyra laugh. The concert starts a few minutes later and Pyra has to agree the songs sound awesome. Though she can tell Stewart can't lip sync.
"We should have called in Britney." They both laugh at the joke.
"Aren't you two friends?"
"No sadly she is part of the *Nsync package."
"Come on Stewart! Its quite simple, You think your smart, your not, its plain to see, but you want me to follow. Dude even I'm getting the words."
"Those are some pipes you have there. I'd be worried if I didn't sing the songs."
"Eh." Pyra replies.
"Better for me I don't need the competition."
"Ha, half the time I'm sitting there going what? what? what the F did he just say? Then screw it and enjoy the song. I can't do that."
"You don't have too, you have a voice that like screams pent up rage."
"Eh."
"I'll prove it to you, when he does slept so long again we'll do it together." About ten minutes later the song starts and Mystic and the dude that helped Jonathan compose listen to the 'duet' Jonathan stops as Mystic joins in and the girls finish off laughing.
"Did I say you could join me?"
"How Dare you!"
"You both are amazing ladies, we may need you to do that for us again."
"Huh what?"
"My record company is saying I'm under contract and may not be able to sing on the actual soundtrack. But we're still trying to work something out."
"Oh," Pyra says looking Mystic over.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"I met Armand."
"Is he hot?"
"How many ways can I saw no, and the crazy thing is before I met him I met this other kid I guess he was an extra but I just thought he was Armand you should have seen him."
"Hot stuff?"
"If I want prison time, he was like 15 and short."
"Armand is only supposed to be 5' 6"," Jonathan adds.
"Hey are we seeing a closet Anne Rice fan?"
"Yeah, I've read them all that's why I was so gung ho about all this then . . ."
"Yeah I know . . ." Pyra and Mystic say together.
"At least the music's good," Pyra adds.
"How bad did this Armand look?"
"Myst man he looked like an over grown cupid complete with long curly blond hair and ruffles."
"Ruffles? Ruffles? Since when did Armand wear ruffles?"
Pyra shrugs. "I'm starting to be glad Louis isn't in this movie, I'd scream if they butchered the way he looks."
"Ah, Brad Pitt."
"I'll take Fabian thanks," Pyra says and Mystic shakes her head at her friend.
"Who's Fabian?"
"Our neighbor," Pyra explains.
"And you'd choose him over Brad Pitt?"
"Yep," Pyra says looking out at the crowd. "Look at those kids hey aren't you supposed to be in the crowd and stuff girl."
"Tomorrow, this is just the concert scene. And I think the arrival of the other vamps. Then you come and mess it all up." Pyra smiles.
"I try, though wouldn't it have been cooler if they had kept that part from the book where I take Lestat as he's already sleeping."
"I don't know," Mystic says eyes locked on Stewart.
"Dude," Pyra says waving a hand in her friends face.
They continue to watch the concert and talk to Jonathan for a good portion of the night. Long enough that the concert ends and the director tells all the extra's about how great they were and coming back the next night. They think nothing of exchanging info with Jonathan and heading back to their trailers for some much needed sleep.
The next day Pyra and Stewart are together and he is eerily silent. "Psst say something you're scaring me."
"Sorry, my voice is a little horse."
"I'm guessing you started singing along?"
"Not at first, I think a good cup of tea is all I need."
"Today, I don't think you should keep that up."
"The singing? I couldn't help it."
"Mmm hmm, what are you shooting today?"
"Some shots with 'Marius', how cool is it that a vampire like that made me." Pyra doesn't comment wanting to get Stewart the vampire chronicles just so he knows how f-ed up this movie is. "And you?"
"I think I'm doing the club scene."
"Have fun." Stewart says as his tea finally arrives and he smiles gratefully at the PA.
"I hear you and Mystic put on quite a show for the stage crew."
"Yeah we were just messing around no big."
“What ever you say my Queen.”
”Funny.”
Stewart has very few scenes that day so he can get to sleep and when the sunsets both Stewart and Lestat are fresh and ready to go. The second night of concert filming is nowhere near as much fun as the first and Pyra only stays around because she likes the songs. The third night she is getting hooked to the invisible wires and is waiting for the stages trap door to open.
She listens as the music stops and the cheering turns to screams and she knows she’s ‘burning’ the other vampires alive.
“Thirty seconds Pyra. Remember scan the crowd let your eyes linger if you want. Then bring it to Stewart ok.”
“Ok.”
Pyra goes up a little while later and she scans the crowd. He eyes lock on a shocking sight. Stewart was in the audience along with that ‘Armand’ boy. But it wasn’t possible… he locked eyes with her and grinned and she had to fight to stay in character. She was glad when the cords that were supposed to pull Stewart messed up and they wanted to start from her audience scan. When she looked again they were gone whoever they were. She was pondering this as she was detached along with Stewart.
”Pyra you alright? You looked as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
”No, just a brat prince,” Pyra whispers. “Stewart do you speak French?”
“Not really, why?”
“Do you know what Cherie means?”
“Cherry, I think its like honey or sweetheart right?”
”Yeah I think so. Um how long did it tale you to get into those things.”
”Same as you about half an hour except on the first day it took nearly an hour of me standing there to be done up like a poppet.”
“An hour…wow.” Pyra says starting to freak out on the inside. An hour meant that he would not have been able to sneak off for a few minutes with out dragging wire behind him. An hour meant that someone else had been talking to her, an hour meant that… Lestat was real and was Stewarts double Pyra shook her head she was being a little silly right? She needed to talk to someone about this.
She ran to Mystic’s trailer and found her brushing out her hair in some loose fitting blue pants and a light pink shirt.
“What’s going on?” Mystic says noticing Pyra is a little out of breath.
“There is something mad freaky going on around here.”
”What do you mean?” Mystic says indicating for Pyra to sit down.
“Remember when I told you I saw that kid who could be Armand?”
”Uh-huh?”
”Well before that I was talking to Stewart and he was in full costume but the thing is…”
”Yeah?”
”At that exact same time he was getting all his strings attached and he said that took an hour…”
”What are you saying?” Mystic says not really following Pyra’s rant.
“I’m saying that I was talking to a guy decked out as the Vampire Lestat who looked like Stewart but couldn’t possible be Stewart who called me Cherie with a perfect accent while Stewart says it like cherry.”
“Um…” “Then at the concert when I was doing my scenes scanning the crowd I saw the Armand kid and Stewart standing in the audience and he smiled at me and like winked!”
”Are you trying to tell me…”
“I think I hung out with Lestat.”
”Pyra Lestat is a character out of the sick mind of Anne Rice. A woman we met…”
“Yeah and Legolas Greenleaf is a character out of the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien.”
“That’s different…”
“Why? Its not like supernatural things don’t exist fairy girl.”
“But come on now Lestat? I don’t recall some crazy ass concert.”
”Hello we would have been like six when this stuff happened and there is a TVL album from the 80s.”
“Man what would you have done if you were around for the real weirdness?”
”You don’t believe me?”
”Lestat? Come on Pyra, that’s not even how they describe him.”
”Wouldn’t you…if you were an immortal vampire writing your story as fiction fix something? So people couldn’t put one and one together right away?”
“Pyra, your just being crazy. Explain Anne Rice then what are you gonna tell me that she’s really Maharet? Or Pandora? Or even Gabriel?”
”Mystic! Then who was that guy?”
”Maybe you were confused besides I thought you can’t see very well in the Akasha contacts.”
”I can’t but…”
”See maybe he looked a little like Stewart but far away and blind you made it more.
”But what about the…”
”Maybe Stewart is messing with you playing some sort of prank, you are falling for it.
“Maybe,” Pyra says no where near convinced.
”Anyways I’m mad tired. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later dude.”
Pyra goes into her own trailer to change as she watches the sun finish its creep up into the sky. She wonders if she’ll ever figure it out as she flops on her bed and goes to sleep.
5

A few months later…
“Pyra, phone!”
”Thanks Lucky.” Pyra says walking over and picking up the phone and smiling at all the extra large buttons on the phone in the living room and the way Lucky could answer it.
“Hello?”
”Hello Pyra its Jonathan Davis.”
”Hey what’s going on?”
“Remember when on the set I told you my record company was having qualms about my voice appearing on the soundtrack?”
”Yeah.”
”Well they won out and I was wondering if you could do me a favor and sing one of the tracks for me.”
”Sure.”
“Hey that’s great and by the way Mystic and Chester are doing tracks as well.”
”Anyone else?”
”Jay Gordon and Marilyn Manson.”
”Sounds cool, when?”
”Well I was hoping you could all fly out in two weeks.”
”I think that could work what days.”
”Thursday through Saturday should be all we need.”
“Okay cool, later dude.”
”Bye.”
Two weeks later in the recording studio…
Pyra is sitting on a couch her head resting on Chester’s shoulder as they both watch Mystic sing. Marilyn Manson was sitting across from them in full out Marilyn-ness, talking to an interviewer who was going to put this on the DVD. Jay was nowhere to be seen and both Pyra and Mystic being Orgy fans found that sad. Pyra started pulling at the frayed ends of Chester’s shirt as he continued to read System. Jonathan(JD) had faxed over all the songs so Pyra had ‘Not Meant For Me’ down cold. Chester being the sick perfectionist that he is wanted to have some last minute read outs.
“You have it memorized already.”
“Yeah I know, I was just making sure, hey stop that my shirt is messed up enough.”
“Whatever,” Pyra says though she does let the shirt go.
“Hey peoples what’s going on here?” Mystic says looking at Pyra and Chester.”
”People sitting duh,” Pyra replies.
”Why you all up on Chester? He’s like married.”
”And I have a boyfriend, he’s Chester.”
“Mmm hmm,” Mystic says sitting in between the two of them.
"And what are you doing? I liked my Chester pillow. And its not like you will let me touch you.”
“Grr Arr,” is Mystic’s reply in an attempt to bite Pyra.
“Bite yourself you freak.”
"Ladies ladies, there's enough of Chazy Chaz to go around." Both Pyra and Mystic glare at Chester. "Okay okay don't hurt me."
"Marilyn we're ready for you," He nods finishing the interview and going into the studio for his track.
The next day its just Pyra and Chester and Mystic who tagged along for the heck of it and there is still no sign of Jay. JD was on his cell incessantly in between Pyra and Chester's recordings.
"Uh I have one more favor to ask you guys."
"Yeah?" Pyra says about to pull on her jacket.
"Jay pulled out he has a major ear infection and can't fly and he has a bad throat."
"Woah."
"Yeah... so I was wondering if one of you wouldn't mind doing slept so long."
"Sure I love that song," Pyra and Mystic say at the same time as Chester shrugs.
"Well... it could be a duet," JD says thinking already how that would sound. "Yeah with the two of you that could work..."
The next day Mystic and Pyra are ready with their respective parts.
Walking
Waiting
Alone without a care
Hoping
Hating
Things that I can't bear
Did you think it's cool
To walk right up
And take my life
And fuck it up
Well did you?
I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise
Touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you makes me die inside
Walking Waiting
Alone without a care
Hoping
Hating
Things that I can't bear
Did you think it's cool
To walk right up
And take my life
And fuck it up
Well did you?
I hate you
I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise
Touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you makes me die inside
I've slept so long without you
It's tearing me apart too
How'd it get this far
Playing games with this old heart
I've killed a million petty souls
But I couldn't kill you
I've slept so long without you
I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise
Touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you made me die inside.