The '
A Song from My Story, a Story for My Song
' event is a challenge for authors to write a story inspired by a piece of music or song, where the brief is broad and the point is to use music 'to create something new and unique.' On this note, I'd like to thank Literotica author
carrteun
for organising this challenge. And Laurel, who runs Literotica, let's not forget her who runs this show, making it possible.
I made the assumption music and song were universal, and lo and behold, when I looked it up, there is research to back my assumption (see Universality and Diversity in Human Song by S.A. Mehr). Music is a language of every society. It's used to tell stories, produces arousal and emotions and movement, making people laugh, cry and dance. And even fall in love...
Responses to music and song are deeply personal, often taking on new and different meanings for each individual, beyond what the original artist intended. Song can be evocative, making people long for places they've never visited, or long for something that never was, or long for a real and lived moment in time, a memorable event from the past, maybe something lost.
Thus, music and songs can be time machines, where surely most people have a song that takes them back to a place or moment, an experience, a lazy weekend, driving up the coast with a beautiful friend, afternoon sunlight glowing off her hair and sunnies, the curve of her tank-top and freckled skin of her bare shoulder, and the cheeky grin she shares when pressing replay on her favourite song off the CD you gave her, over and over and over, both singing together, happy and laughing...and more than 20 years later the song comes on the radio and it's like, bam, grabs you by the heart and soul, and in an instant you're right back there with her, singing and laughing again, and then you're crying...
With similar nostalgic themes in mind, I previously wrote the musically inspired story, 'Girl in a Rock Show', exploring things lost and retained when transitioning from care-free youth to responsible adulthood.
Which brings us to the song I chose here: When We Were Young, by Adele. I'm not examining song so much as exploring the themes of mistakes, personal change, reconciliation and second chances, and I've decided to use lyrics without writing them. Perhaps you'll understand when you get there. And I hope you get there, but be warned, this story is not a quickie. Indeed, it's pretty long. However, from the moment I began writing, the characters and tale came alive to me and I needed to see their journey through. I hope they come alive for you too.
Oh, and I'm sure there will be mistakes, forgive them, but most of all, please enjoy!
~~~~0000~~~~
Brisbane, Australia...
"I can't believe we're doing this," Erin said, her voice and eyes anguished. "This is the worst idea ever."
"Nah, it's gonna be epic," Charlie said with a slight slur, his eyes dreamy, reflecting the glow from the street light above them. "You said you wanted to go dancing this weekend and the club's not far."
"This is not cool." She gestured to the old Holden panel van, the rear packed with people. "We've all been drinking, including the driver. Let's all go back to the party."
Nik sat on the tailgate, his once thick black hair recently shaved to a buzz-cut Erin wasn't yet used to. "Hey, Rin, don't be soft. Froggy's a safe driver, and I never thought you'd knock back a night club run to The Valley."
At least three other young people were piled into the rear of the van behind Nik, and someone whooped with excitement and another called out, "C'mon, people, what are we waiting for?"
"Hang on a sec," Charlie said to them, then turned back to Erin, smiling. "Gorgeous one, it's only a short trip down the road, let's go. Nothin's gonna happen."
"Come on, Rin, jump in, it's fine." The voice was Libby's, her oldest friend in the world, but Libby was among the others in the van behind Charlie and Nik, indiscernible in the darkness.
A young man with a goatee and wild mane of dark hair leaned from the passenger window, his voice slightly aggressive. "Are you guys gettin' in, or what?" The V8 roared to life, revving, headlights flicking on, and the guitar intro to Metallica's
Enter Sandman
began blaring from the dark interior.
Erin swallowed, knowing this was
dumb, dumb, dumb!
"Not with them, not tonight. Come on, Charlie, let's just go back into Mel's party. You too, Nikko and Lib, cos this is the dumb shit that doesn't end well and ends up on the news in the morning."
"Nah, it'll be awesome," Charlie said, dancing on the spot, shaking his body and rocking his arms to the metal coming from the van. "Mel's party was lame and this'll be fun. Let's go find a club and dance the night away like we did on your birthday. Seriously, The Valley's not far up the road."
"There's no seatbelts in the back and we've been drinking..."
"We're not drunk," someone called out from the van, which revved again, guitars grinding and drums cannoning, and someone else laughed, saying "But we dropped some pingas!"
Nik was urgent now, "You two are either comin' or ya not, make up ya minds so we can get the fuck out of here."
Libby joined in, "Let's go, Bogs and Rusty, get in the van!"
A chant started from the darkness,
"Get in the van. Get in the van. Get in the van,"
and someone, the other girl, Danira or whatever her name was, who Charlie and Nik called Dani, giggled.
Charlie smiled, shaking his head dreamily and he took her hand. "Come, Rin, let's go have some fun."
The V8 throbbed with noise and stinking smoke from twin exhausts, competing with the heavy music from the stereo, someone singing along at the top of their voice, off with the fairies. With the tail-lights shining bright red in Erin's eyes, and feeling like she was hallucinating, she nodded, Charlie smiling and pulling her by the hand towards the tailgate. She let him, and he climbed on board and she did too, the whole thing like an out of body experience, fate slipping from her control.
