The Voice Read online

  After spinning a few possible scenarios around in my head, I looked up to see that Sara had left the back room. Picking up my blue electric guitar, I went out to the front of the store. The fresh smell of pepperoni and cheese wafted through the pizza-music store. Boy, I’d love a Stromboli right about now. Yummy!

  “Gooda Mornin, Dirta-bags!” Mario yelled from behind the counter, busy pounding the palm of his hand into a wad of dough.

  “Can you tune this?” a boy of about eight or nine years old asked me as I walked past a long line of Fender guitar’s and amps.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right with ya,” I said, though I had no intention of going back his way. His Dad stood next to him with half a calzone sticking out his mouth, he gave me a frown. Tough! Eat your calzone fatty pants!

  Sara sat on a stool behind an upright piano in one of the small lesson rooms next to the soda machine. She was notating something with her clarinet on her lap. Man, my head felt like overcooked lasagna, “Hey! Was I seriously just sitting in the storage room this morning?”

  “Yes, you were just sitting there,” Sara said, continuing to jot down notes. “Don’t you ever work?”

  “It’s weird; I don’t remember how I got here.” Boy oh boy, my brain feels like stale noodles in rotten Alfredo sauce.

  “Well, somehow you did, lucky me!”

  “And for the record, I’m not high,” I had to tell her that. I mean, I should be high, but I’m not. Gabriel gave me some bad stuff, not only am I as straight as a die, but I also blacked out. He’s gonna get an earful when I track him down later.

  Oh man, I hope I made it home before my Dad got up this morning. He’s gonna freak out on me if I just came right here and didn’t stop home. Well, it’s Saturday, maybe he’s got a hangover and he won’t notice. I should be so lucky.

  “Standing around doing nothing,” Uncle Gino said, his thick grouchy voice slicing through me like a pizza-cutter. His fat tummy blubbered over his beltline, he was an Italian mess.

  “Hey Unc,” I said, “I’m just getting set for my lessons.”

  “You got a new one,” Gino said through a belch. He had some sauce and cheese smeared on the bottom of his salty goatee, freakin’ gross.

  “A new student?” I asked, hoping to sound excited.

  “Yeah, that kid over there,” Gino said, pointing to the kid I passed by. Oh great, another crybaby annoying kid wanting to be rock star. And his Dad probably hates me already, what’s new?

  I woke up about an hour ago but I haven’t been able to move. I’m in the back room again, but it’s so quiet outside. Did the shop close? I can’t believe I blacked out again, Gabriel is gonna get a punch in face when I see him.

  Last thing I remember, I was standing next to my uncle, getting ready to teach that kid. Then…I don’t remember. Now I’m back here again. Oh boy, I could really use a Stromboli, I’m freakin’ starving.

  This is way messed up, I am tripping out bad. But that doesn’t make sense either; I don’t feel the least bit high. Ok, that’s it, no more drugs for a while. It’s not like I’m a druggie anyway, I only smoke with Gabriel. And now that I think about it, it was never that great in the first place. And now I gotta deal with this. I’m not gonna wind up like my Dad, he calls himself a weekend alcoholic, at least that’s what I heard him tell his friends. I know the truth, he’s trashed every night.

  One night, he told me about how he took me in when I was only two. He’s an x-ray tech at the local hospital. I was left on the doorstep of the hospital. I stayed there a while from what I understand, then I popped around to a few different homes. I’m not really sure what the true story is. All I know is that he formed some kind of bond with me, so he says, and I wound up with him.

  He did legally adopt me? He always tells me I was sent from God. That’s because I had this huge crucifix on my chest when they found me on the doorstep of the hospital. And yeah, I still wear it. It’s heavy as hell, but it looks kinda cool when I’m jamming. Oh yeah, I was left on the doorstep stuffed inside a pizza box. Yep, I swear to God. No wonder Uncle Gino loves me so much.

  Ok, I gotta get up. Stand up Anthony, get yourself home. Opening the door, I don’t hear a freakin’ thing. Store has to be closed now; I don’t see any light on either. I fell asleep, it’s nighttime, Dad’s gonna kill me. And I’m gonna kill Gabriel!

  Walking out into the store, I can’t see a thing. It’s nighttime, no light coming in from the storefront window. A pale glow coming from what I assume is a full moon.

  Then, I trip…No, not trip like a drug trip, I actually fall over something.

  Now I’m on the floor, my pants are wet. What the hell is this?

  I reach down and pick up what I think is the neck of a guitar. It’s not…It’s a bone…A human bone! Blood trickling down the side of it onto my arm, I throw it from me and it splashes down into a puddle of more blood. Hmmmm, it sorta smells like baked ziti.

  Running for the light, I switch it on to see the horror before me.

  Sara is ripped apart, her dismembered head staring up at me, brain matter and ricotta oozing out her ears. I turn to see her bloody legs dancing over in the corner to “Oops, I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. Wow! She can really move!

  Uncle Gino is nailed into a cello. His head wrapped in a thick string, the E string I think!

  Sara’s mouth moved, “I told you,” her head said, then a rat crawled down her tongue and scurried away leaving red footprints behind.

  “I told you,” Sara’s head said again.

  “Sara, what did you tell me?” I screamed.

  “You’re a dirt bag! That’s what I told you…And I was right!” she smiled with blood stained lips, or was it tomato paste, hard to tell.

  Just then, a strobe light switched on, a glittering disco ball fell from the ceiling, twirling magnificently in a neon glow. Suddenly, “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas starting playing. Oh man, that Fergie is SO hot! Sara’s legs pass by me; they are doing the fanciest jig I’ve ever seen. She really needs to take up dancing professionally.

  This is so cool. But all I really want is a Stromboli.

  Gabriel sat upon his mighty throne and peered down into Anthony’s cage. “You have sinned, and now you belong to me. You will do my bidding from now until the end of time. Now tell me, what lesson have you learned from all this?”

  Anthony swallowed, he was so hungry, “I have learned that the next time I want to get high, I should maybe eat a Stromboli first.”

  “You crave a Stromboli, don’t you?” Gabriel asked; holding up a deliciously meaty, cheesy, steamy hunk of the most perfectly made Stromboli ever known to man.

  Anthony smiled, “That is all I want. It is all I’ve ever wanted. Please Gabriel, I will never do drugs again, just give me a bite of Stromboli.”

  “No Stromboli for you,” Gabriel chided, licking his fingers and filling his mouth with the tasty treat.

  And so, Anthony had learned his lesson well: Don’t do drugs!

  Also Available

  from sci-fi-cafe.com

  The Voice

  A Place to Call Home

  Broken Lines

  Disturbances

  The Alter Inferno Series

  Elysium Burning

  Chains of Tartarus

  Soulcrusher

  The Stritonoly Chronicles

  The Eye of the Storm

  Barok's Exodus

  More Books available from:

  www.sci-fi-cafe.com

  CONTENTS

  Indicia

  Title

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  BONUS STORY-1: Shotgun

  BONUS STORY-2: Stromboli High

  Also Availa
ble