Sex, Drugs & Feathers
I am not a murderer.
I am a rockstar.
I am the front man for the rock group Wild Stallion.
I am not a murderer.
I just got unlucky.
He called me a hack. He called my girl a slut. He spat at Tommy our drummer. I couldn’t help myself. I never meant to kill him.
I went down for 10 years. Manslaughter.
In the modern justice system convicts serve their sentences gene spliced with animals. It helped reduce the costs of running the prison system. They turned me into an eagle. I would slowly morph back into a human over the 10 years.
I am not an eagle.
I am a rockstar.
It had been eight years of my sentence. Eight years since the band had played a show. Eight years as an eagle.
I had grown to human size and my hands were starting to regrow on the inside of my wings. I could also talk and communicate properly again. I could sing.
We had agreed to schedule a show in Berlin. The Germans loved Wild Stallion, if there was ever going to be a receptive audience to a comeback, it would be in Berlin. We were right, the venue had sold out.
I was sitting backstage in my dressing room before the show. Across from me was Anthony Schaefer. He worked for our label, Midnight Records.
Anthony had managed to convince the record label to keep us on after my conviction. He had risked his reputation to support us, to support me.
We had to have a good show tonight. Midnight Records trusted Anthony, and they were waiting for his recommendation on whether they should support a tour and another album.
We had to dazzle the crowd…but we really needed to impress Anthony.
“Thank you Ant, for sticking by me” I wanted to shake his hand, or give him a hug, but frankly it would’ve been hard with all the feathers.
“It’s no problem mate, just make sure it’s a killer show and we should be fine.”
“We won’t let you down Ant, it’ll be one for the rock n roll history books!”
In the moments before the show the band and I were sat off stage to the left. I thought about Jen my ex-wife and our daughter Lilly. I hadn’t spoken to them since the conviction. I couldn’t face them as a failure. They’d be watching the livestream of the show. It had to go well.
I needed this show. I needed this comeback. I know if I could rock the stage like I used to she’d see through the feathers. She’d see the young lad she fell in love with.
It was time, lights up.
In all my years at the front of Wild Stallion I had never given a show like this. I rocked so hard to all our best hits. The crowd went wild.
I was so charged with adrenaline in the lift up to Anthony’s hotel room. He’d asked to see me after the show and I was buzzing. He must have heard those crowds!
I’m back!
“Hey Gary, come sit on the balcony, let’s have a drink” he said as he opened the door to the hotel room. He sounded really deflated.
“I can’t recommend the tour or the new album Gary, I’m sorry, I need to call the label first thing in the morning”
“You’re kidding? How could you say that?! The crowd was going wild!! We rocked!”
“It’s the sponsors, the distributors and the streaming services Gary. When you threw yourself off the scaffolding at the end of Rock Mountain you injured yourself and you basically limped around the stage the rest of the show”
“So? That’s rock and roll Ant! Remember in Amsterdam when I broke my arm and finished the set? The crowd loved it! Just like they did tonight!”
“Yeah well it’s not the same Gary. Now it’s got a real “animal cruelty” vibe and the corporations hate it. I mean who wants to see an injured bird flap around on stage?”
“I AM NOT A F****CKING BIRD!”
We both just sat there in silence for what felt like forever. We had known each other for 20 years, and in all that time, we’d never had nothing to say.
“I need this Ant, I need this”
“I’m sorry Gary, I really am”
Anthony started to sob quietly. I had never seen him cry before.
“What is it Ant? Are you alright?”
“It’s Ness. She’s leaving me and taking the kids. She found out about Chrissy last night. I’ve messed it up big time. She won’t return my calls”
“Shit. I’m sorry mate, I know how much you adore the kids.”
He was really crying now. I got up and put my wings around him. He leaned against my feathers and sobbed.
I thought about Jen and Lilly. How could I face them? How could I tell them it was over. I wasn’t a rockstar anymore, just an unemployed ex-con covered in feathers.
– — – — – — – -
In the morning I had to give a deposition to the Berlin police.
I told them how I had gone to the bathroom and came back to find Anthony standing on the railing of the balcony. How he had said “tell Ness I’m sorry” and jumped off.
“the deceased was found with oversized talon wounds in his shoulders, can you shed some light on that?”
“Of course. When I saw what was about to happen I rushed over. I jumped after him and gripped him with my talons, but my wings weren’t strong enough to hold us both up. I had grown a lot in my metamorphosis back to my human body and the weight was too much.”
When the police checked in with Anthony’s wife, she confirmed the affair. He had committed suicide, it was a horrible tragedy.
Tommy called that afternoon. Midnight Records were going to re-sign us for a new album, and they were going to bankroll a tour. They said in Anthony’s absence all they could do was go by what the marketing team were telling them, which was that the “Wounded Eagle” was going viral.
“It’s great news Gary, we’re back, you’re back!” said Tommy.
“Yeah. It’s great. Thanks for calling Tommy”
I am not a murderer.
