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Harmonies Journey

by The Bar Stward 

Posted: 03 June 2009
Word Count: 1324


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Harmonies Journey

By Scott Evans



He isn’t listening. I’m too tired to keep on trying. I can’t spend another three hours until we get to the city trying to find even a glimpse of my old pal. I’ve just gotta face it, the Simon I loved growing up with is dead. The man driving beside me is a corpse. You can’t bring the dead back to life.

Dan nuzzled his head between his shoulder and the cold window glass and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep. Simon didn’t notice, just like he hadn’t noticed his best friend trying to talk to him for the past few hours. His jaded eyes just relentlessly gazed intensely on the dark road ahead. He was a nowhere man, drowning in his nowhereland.



EYES! Two startled eyes, terrified small eyes, suddenly appeared in the beam lights. Simon snapped back to life but it was too late, he couldn’t avoid the devastating impact that would close those beautiful eyes forever. He carried on driving, frantically looking into the rear view mirror but all he could see were his own wild blue eyes looking back at him. Those were not beautiful. Not anymore.

Simon fought with every last strength in his ravaged body not lose control again. He didn’t want to wake Dan. “It was just a rabbit mate” Dan would have said, but he would have been wrong. It was a life. Megan would never have forgiven him.

Megan. My beautiful girl. No. I don’t want to think about it. Oh God. Don’t.

Yet again Simon’s thoughts betrayed him. Yet again they tortured him with such repeated cruelty. It was a movie that had played a million times in his mind, a million times more than he had ever wanted to see it.

“Do you know where you’re going Simon?”

“Yes Sarah! Now stop going on and let me drive won’t you. I can’t concentrate on the road signs with you asking me that same question every two seconds”

“I’m telling you it was the last turn off we should have taken”

“Sarah! Please! Stop going on”

“We should have been there by now Simon”

“I know, we’ll be there as quickly as we can, okay! I promise we’ll get to the party before your Dad does”

“Okay…sorry”

“Don’t worry, okay. Look, we turn right at the end of this road and then we’re just two minutes from your Aunt Jocelyn’s house.”

Simon looked in his rear view mirror. Looking back at him were two great big green eyes. Gorgeous, just like her mothers.

“You okay Princess”

“Yes Daddy” she giggled.

“You looking forward to seeing Pappy”

“YEAH!” she cheered.
Simon smiled. Megan always made him smile. He stopped at the end of the road and checked for any coming cars and then he pulled out. The world stopped.

“SIMON! SIMON! Wake up, wake up”

Simon could feel himself being shaken aggressively. It took his mind a moment to make sense of what was happening. My head is cold, why was that? Why is someone shaking me? What’s that on my face? Simon ran his hand through his hair and then examined it. It was soaking wet. It was red. Shit. Blood.

Simon snapped back to life.

“Sarah!”

“Get out of the car Simon, quick” Sarah sobbed hysterically.

Simon remembers that. The anguish look on Sarah’s face as she tried to drag him out of the driver’s seat. She wasn’t trying to help him. She wasn’t trying to save him. What happened next was a blur. The movie begins to jump. It skips a few scenes. Images flicker. Simon finds himself outside of his car. Twisted metal. A motorbike wheel spinning. A man in a helmet lying very still. Kneeling down to help but again Sarah’s pulling at him.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. What a perfect day. So hot. Beautiful

The next scene starts but again Simon doesn’t want to watch but it plays and he sees. He is kneeling down again but this time it isn’t the man in the helmet that he is trying to help.

Megan. My baby, my beautiful little girl is lying in front of me. Move for Daddy Megan.

“Help HER! SIMON HELP HER. HELP HER. HELLLLP HER!” Sarah doesn’t stop shouting. She is stuck in a horrific loop. “HELP HER HELP HER HELP HER” … “Please Simon, save our baby”

“Wake up sweet heart. Open your eyes. Megan” He whispers gently “Megan, please. Can you just open your eyes for Daddy, just for a second”

“Oh no. Noooo NO!” Sarah screams, with all of the Earths air in her lungs.

“Hush little Megan, don’t you cry, Daddys going to sing you a lullaby”

“What are you doing?” Sarah is hitting him “What are you doing? Stop singing!” He ignores her.

Megan likes this song. The world falls deathly silent. Sarah’s screaming fades away. All he can hear is Megan’s favourite song. He picks her up and cuddles her softly. He then closes her eyes so that she can hear him better as he continues singing.

He looks at Sarah but he doesn’t hear her anymore. He can’t hear what she is saying. He doesn’t want to, but as the movie is repeating this specific scene over and over, he eventually relents and listens.

“She’s gone Simon. Our baby. My beautiful little girl. Megan. Megan. Megan. Simon do something. Simon, make it better, please” She begs but he says nothing. He just looks at Sarah, but all he is concentrating on is the feel of his baby in his arms.

The cold reality hits Sarah as hard and as suddenly as the bike hit their car. All of a sudden she stops her heart crushing tears and drama. The never ending years ahead of them without their princess, the light of their lives, their perfect joy is too much. Just...too...much. Without a word Sarah quickly crosses the lanes and steps in front of a white car.

The movie ends. For now. Once again Simon sees the road ahead. Dan insisted that he should continue driving but Simon could see that his friend was tired. He himself doesn’t sleep much anymore; the dreams are more vivid than the memories. He doesn’t want to be awake and he doesn’t want to be asleep. He needs to occupy his mind. Keep the enemy away. He turns on the radio. Music fills the void. Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. He needs a song that will capture his attention or else a bland song will just allow his thoughts to wonder. Rubbish, rubbish, and then a good one, a brilliant song in fact. Stairway to Heaven. Led Zepplin:

Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady can you hear the wind blow
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whisperin' wind

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our souls


The music is electrifying. Simon can feel his emotions’ growing as the music builds to orgasmic proportions but something is terribly wrong. The song is doing the very opposite of what he wanted. His feelings are charged. As the singer wails, the guitar solo soars and the tribal drums erupt with such might, Simon’s heartbeat races.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven...

The darkness begins to suffocate him. The black desolate sky echo’s his soul, howling, screaming and flooding the road with its violent powerful tears. His mind suddenly snaps!

Something felt wrong. A brutal movement. Dan woke up. He opened his eyes in time to see his car tearing across the lane, to the wrong side of the road.

“Simon, plea……” The world stopped



Simon opened his eyes. He found himself outside of the car.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. What a perfect day. So hot. Beautiful.

“Simon, are you there?”










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Comments by other Members



The Bar Stward at 00:58 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
This is the opening to the next story I will be working on, a rewrite of a concept I came up with back in 2002. I was listening to a song on the radio today (Stairway to Heaven) and I thought of everything I have just written. I hope my next story will be epic and nothing at all like Memoirs of a bar steward.

I wrote this because it was fresh in my mind, but this is all I will be writing on it until I finish my bar stewards story (so it is quite a long way away).

I would be interested to hear what your thoughts are on what you think has happened at the ending, as I expect it isn't what you are imagining.


SJ Williamson at 07:35 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
Morning Scott,

This was a particularly powerful piece, and incredibly poignant after the death of the couple who committed suicide this week due to the loss of their little boy.

Your piece was very moving, and I felt the tension of Simon's anxiety. Sarah's dialogue was particularly good, very tragic and heart rending, and her fate was particularly powerful.

There were times when I really didn't know if Simon, or Dan for that matter, were dead or alive (it was all very 6th Sense ish). The ending is left beautifully open to allow our imagination to run wild. Could he be dead, perhaps abducted by aliens! Or perhaps history has just repeated itself and he's a bad driver?!

I think this will make a good start to a story, and wish you all the best with it.

SJx

StephB at 09:52 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
Scott,

This is a really powerful piece - it gave me goosebumps - its difficult to read, but at the same time, holds your attention.

My first thought at the end was that it is Sarah speaking to Simon and that he is dead. But its wide open, so it could actually be one of a hundred options - maybe its Dan, maybe its Sarah and the crash never happened?!

This is so different to Memoirs of a bar steward - a very different side to you I think!

Steph

The Bar Stward at 19:58 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
Many thanks for your lovely comments SJ and Steph. This story will be nothing like Memoirs of a barsteward. This will be my attempt at a epic because the story is a big one.

I'm glad you liked this because I meant for it to be vague and a bit confusing, so that the readers wants answers (a bit like LOST).

I am very much looking forward to this project but I won't even attempt it until Memoirs is completed.

Scott

The Bar Stward at 20:01 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
Oh SJ, you know the story, lol, you've read it before (Kinda). This is the new opening to my revised story THE LAND. Later I will reveal that Simons name is Simon Harmony.

I wasn't sure if the emotional scenes would translate to how I felt about them. Would they come across cheesey or not? I didn't want to explain too much. I just wanted to tell the readers the situation and what the characters say, I didn't want to walk you through it emotion by emotion. I hope this comes across.

<Added>

I also worried whether the scene with the music would work if the reader has never heard Stairway to Heaven

The Bar Stward at 23:15 on 04 June 2009  Report this post
I wonder which people would enjoy more? Memoirs or Harmonies Journey?

Mand245 at 07:02 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Hi Scott

This is very different from your usual style - or I should say, from the Memoirs story (for all I know this is your more usual style).

[quote]I wonder which people would enjoy more? Memoirs or Harmonies Journey? [/quote]

For me, definitely this. I thought this was absolutely excellent, fluid, emotional, well written. It's quite the best piece of work you've uploaded so far.

[quote]I also worried whether the scene with the music would work if the reader has never heard Stairway to Heaven [/quote]

Firstly, I suspect there is no one under 30 who hasn't heard of Stairway to Heaven! Secondly, it doesn't matter. In my opinion it is pointless (and totally impossible) to write with a view to satisfying all of your readers. I believe you should always write your own story to satisfy yourself. That way your "voice" will come across as coherent and genuine.

[quote] I can’t spend another three hours until we get to the city trying to find even a glimpse of my old pal.[/quote]
I would suggest commas after "hours" and "city"

[quote] He was a nowhere man, drowning in his nowhereland. [/quote]
I think (certainly according to the song) Nowhere man and Nowhereland are proper nouns and should be capitalised.

[quote]“It was just a rabbit mate” Dan would have said,[/quote]
comma before and after "mate". Also it's usual, in the Uk, to use single speech marks for dialogue

[quote]“Do you know where you’re going Simon?”[/quote]
comma after "going"

[quote]“Yes Sarah! Now stop going on and let me drive won’t you. I can’t concentrate on the road signs with you asking me that same question every two seconds”[/quote]
comma after "Yes". Question mark after "won't you?". Full stop after "seconds"

[quote]“I’m telling you it was the last turn off we should have taken”[/quote]
Full stop after "taken"

[quote]“Sarah! Please! Stop going on”[/quote]
Full stop after "on"

[quote]“We should have been there by now Simon”[/quote]
comma after "now" and full stop after "Simon"

[quote] I promise we’ll get to the party before your Dad does” [/quote]
full stop after "does"

[quote]“Okay…sorry”[/quote]
full stop after "sorry"

[quote]Gorgeous, just like her mothers.[/quote]
mother's.

[quote]“You okay Princess”[/quote]
comma after "okay", full stop after "Princess"

[quote]“Yes Daddy” she giggled.[/quote]
comma after "Yes" and after "Daddy"

[quote]“You looking forward to seeing Pappy”[/quote]
Question mark after "Pappy"

[quote]“SIMON! SIMON! Wake up, wake up”[/quote]
full stop or exclaimation mark after "up"

[quote]“Get out of the car Simon, quick” Sarah sobbed hysterically.[/quote]
comma after "car" and "quick"

[quote] Move for Daddy Megan.[/quote]
comma after "Daddy"

[quote]“Please Simon, save our baby”[/quote]
full stop after "baby"

[quote]“Wake up sweet heart. Open your eyes. Megan” He whispers gently “Megan, please. Can you just open your eyes for Daddy, just for a second”[/quote]
“Wake up, sweet heart. Open your eyes. Megan,” he whispers gently, “Megan, please. Can you just open your eyes for Daddy, just for a second?”

[quote]“Oh no. Noooo NO!” Sarah screams, with all of the Earths air in her lungs.[/quote]
Earth's

[quote]“Hush little Megan, don’t you cry, Daddys going to sing you a lullaby” [/quote]
comma after "Hush". Daddy's. full stop after "lullaby"

[quote]“What are you doing?” Sarah is hitting him [/quote
full stop after "him"

[quote]“She’s gone Simon. Our baby. My beautiful little girl. Megan. Megan. Megan. Simon do something. Simon, make it better, please” She begs but he says nothing. [/quote]
comma after "gone" and after "please". lower case s for "she begs"

[quote]Simon can feel his emotions’[/quote]
emotions

And she's buying a stairway to heaven...

[quote]sky echo’s his soul,[/quote]
echos

I really loved this, Scott. Sorry if it looks like I've picked out a lot of things - for the most part it's just a missing full stop or comma. Your Memoir is funny but I think the writing here is on a whole different level and I, for one, would most definitely like to read more. Great stuff!

Mand


<Added>

Sorry, Scott - not quite sure what's happened to the fortmatting here - hope you can make sense of it! Mand

<Added>

Whoops - I meant, formatting

StephB at 09:07 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Scott,

I enjoy Memoirs partly because it takes me out of my comfort zone - its not a style that I would ever have thought to read, so its interesting for me to read something completely out there; having said that, this piece is definitely one that I would choose to read and I love the way its written and think that the way you've written the emotion is just right.

Its hard to comprehend that both pieces of work come from the same mind!

Steph

The Bar Stward at 14:52 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Reading that makes me what to continue with this story now, lol. Thank you Steph and Mand for your comments, and a big thanks for the corrections Mand, always appreciated.

The story for this was the first book I ever tried writing, it is what made me want to write. I think that it is a very complex story and not one easy to write, whereas Memoirs is just funny. People often comment that I'm two personalities. One is the one with the silly sense of humour, the man-child, the other is the deep thinker and I think Memoirs and Harmony represent the two very different sides to me.



THS at 20:23 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Evening Scott,

I totally agree with what you say about having two sides and splitting them between the different books. As I have probably explained before (trying not to bore you!lol), my idea for a novel was a very emotional deep on but I decided on the one I upload now because I think you need to be in that frame of mind and in the right place to write the one you have started above. It needs alot of energy and as a new writer, that was something I hoped to gain after a first novel.

I really enjoyed reading your story and agree with what the others have said - that it is indeed haunting, powerful, confusing;in a positive way, i.e. it leaves you eager for more as I certainly want to know what happens in the end!
It is a very sad and moving tale, and one I hope never to happen to myself or anyone I know. I just can't begin to imagine how you would feel after something like that happening yet my husband, having ran someone over (drunk guy in black clothes stepped out in front of him but he luckily just got up and walked off. Think he ended up apologising to my hubby in the pub a few weeks after!lol), still feels haunted by the feeling it gave him and suffered depression from it for many years after.

Definately worth pursuing and you never know, when you have those moments where you find some deep energy, it's probably good to put it into this story even while your still writing memoirs.

Tani

The Bar Stward at 20:39 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Thanks Tani for the great comments (I hope your husband is okay now)

Memoirs is completed in note form now, so when I’m at work I’ll probably start building up Harmonies story (well I know the general story, start middle end, so I mean beefing it out into chapters and scenes).

Memoirs does make me happy, but Harmony, though an adventure story, has lots of haunting scenes, and your right, you do have to put yourself in that frame of mind to write it. I wrote the above imagining how I would react in the characters situation and it does drain you emotionally to write like this.

Lots of thanks

Scott


nezelette at 20:41 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Hi Scott

This is great! Very powerful and horrendous and confidently written; like all your stuff, actually. I know it's very different but in a way recognisable because of the confident tone. Also, I don't know why, I would know a man wrote that! In a good way!

It reminds me of that conversation we've had about kids. You really must see 'Don't Look Now' (I think you said you hadn't seen it, but I might be mistaken). The death of a child (and of a pertner here too) is such a strong, poignant opening scene.

then we’re just two minutes from your Aunt Jocelyn’s house.”


That's the only thing I noticed that hadn't already been pointed out: it sounds a bit unnatural to say 'your aunt Jocelyn's house'. It kind of tells me you're trying to tell the reader something rather than sounding like a real conversation. I would write 'your aunt's house' or just 'Jocelyn's house', otherwise it's a bit like saying 'your dad, whose name is Peter by the way, is coming for dinner'!

I really loved it and hope you'll carry on. But not now!! We want to know what happens in Memoirs!!

Nancy

<Added>

I meant partner, obviously

The Bar Stward at 23:40 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
Hello Nancy, thanks for the comments.

No, I haven't seen (is it a film?) 'Don't Look Now'. To be honest I can't watch or read stuff about Kids suffering. All this stuff in the papers about that Madaline disappearance was really really terrible, a parents worse nightmare, you can't help but imagine how you woul feel and I can't think of anything worse. I would easily, easily, suffer the worse nightmares if it meant my child being safe and happy.

I always said this would be my retirement project but out of the blue I started writing again (Memoirs), so I don't think I'll be waiting until my 70's to start on this.

Scott

The Bar Stward at 23:44 on 05 June 2009  Report this post
I must say that as much as I can't wait to embrace this project, I'm still enjoying Memoirs. I'm looking forward to Jacobs next adventure, which is him actually pulling a girl who will cause him a lot of constant trouble.

fbtoast at 23:18 on 09 June 2009  Report this post
Hi Scott

This is really good. So powerfully written. It's really easy to tug on people's heart strings by writing about the death of a child, but that you managed to actually make it work, instead of my objecting to being emotionally manipulated is signal.

It makes me think that Bar Steward is all the more remarkable an achievement, when this shows that the voice in Bar Steward is just as much a construct as in this piece.

Nicole

The Bar Stward at 11:00 on 10 June 2009  Report this post
Thanks Nicole for the comments, I'm really glad you think that I can write different voices well and consistantly.

freynolds at 14:38 on 10 June 2009  Report this post
Hi Scott,

The others have said it all, this is really powerful and indeed at a tangent with 'Memoirs'. This is intriguing, sad and haunting.

At some stage I even thought that Megan was not in the car with Simon and Sarah. She had already died. Which accident took place first is also difficult to tell at this stage.

There are so many possibilities open to the reader and it raises many questions such as; Does Dan exist? Does Sarah exist? Is Simon alive. Does Simon have a dual personality, suffer from amnesia or dillusions?

Different from 'Memoirs'? Yes, definitely! I can see why you would want to work on both stories; this one requires a certain state of mind, a mood that you cannot call upon at leisure.

This would be my preferred book if I had to choose between the two stories, but I think you are doing the right thing by focusing on 'Memoirs' first as this one may take more time to develop.

Quite amazing.

Fabienne

The Bar Stward at 13:35 on 11 June 2009  Report this post
Thanks Fabienne. Memoirs is quite a joy to write and fairly simple. The storyline I've got inline for this is something that would require research, it is nothing that you would suspect from the start. The whole story would have a solid narrative BUT throughout there will be the niggle of where Simon is, or what he is. Thank you.


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