The Hollow Root - Chapter 27
First time? Here’s the table of contents:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26
“Fuck... sorry Faz. I got lost in my head in there. I just feel so shook... I used to control the chaos around me.” Kavin said pulling himself up and dropping the screwdriver in the trunk.
“It’s fine Kav. This isn’t exactly the norm... even for us. Also what was your plan with the screwdriver? Bruise me a bit?” Fasaani said laughing and offering a hand to Kavin.
The car was parked at a gas station pump. Amy was still sitting in the driver’s seat looking straight forward.
“Amy is taking a minute. She needs it. We all need it... let’s face it though I’ll never take one... it cramps my style. Kav go grab us some food for the road would ya? Here’s some cash Steven had in the glove box.” Fasaani said looking a bit wilder than usual as she handed him a crumpled wad of 20 dollar bills.
“Oh... yeah I can get food. Any requests?” Kavin said trying to straighten out the bills.
“Nothing in particular but I swear if you get Twizzlers I will have to stab you.” Fasaani said winking as she put the gas nozzle into the tank and began to pump gas.
“Why do you hate those so much? I feel like Twizzlers live rent free in your mind Faz.” Kavin said.
“They know what they did and fuck you for not hating them. Kav you look like you saw a ghost... fix your face.” Fasaani said smiling.
“Yeah. Fuck you too Faz. I’ll be back I need the bathroom anyway.” Kavin said as he walked towards the FoodMart attached to the Gas Pumps.
Fasaani watched as the numbers ticked up on the gas meter. She remembered a time when the numbers counting the cost didn’t move so fast. Soon the familiar click of the nozzle shutting off sent her back into the passenger seat where Amy was still sitting with a vacant stare.
“Amy... you good?” Fasaani said trying to push her voice to sound authentically concerned.
“Yeah. I’m good. Where is Kavin? Is it time to go?” Amy said shaking her attention back to her surroundings.
“He’s inside buying some food. He mentioned the bathroom so guessing he will be a minute. If we hear sirens we can ditch him.” Fasaani joked.
“If we leave him... oh... you were joking. I suppose we shouldn’t leave him. Can you switch the radio on? I need to settle my system. I keep thinking they’re right behind us.” Amy said while checking the rearview mirror.
“Sure Amy. Do you need me to drive?” Faz said.
“No, no... I think we’ve taken enough chances today.” Amy said with a smirk.
Fasaani chuckled. She truly appreciated Amy making a joke when they were all tiptoeing on a slack line of their own stability. She reached over and turned the radio on, rotating the dial to find the first station that had music playing. With her free hand she formed a middle finger and pointed it at Amy with a grin of admiration. The outro of a song bled into a DJ announcing the following line up.
It’s your host Sandy bringing you all the mid-day millennial hits your aging hearts desire. If you’re like me it’s hard to realize that most of these songs are old enough to drink now. Woof. That hurts. Well anyway here is a classic tune that got a ton of airtime for reasons I... I honestly don’t know. This song is pretty bad, so bad it is good... which is why we’re playing it.... it’s My Humps by Fergie... you hit the switch right? Good... why do you make me play this shit? Like this song is so dumb... sooo dumb. John... why is the red light...
The song began as the host cut out abruptly. As the beat took off and as Fergie asked what would they do with all that junk in the trunk, Fasaani and Amy felt their eyes pull backwards. Their bodies pulled rigid and they fell deeply into a trance.
Meanwhile at the checkout counter Kavin was purchasing a collection of chips, jerky, sodas, tiny airplane bottles of bad booze and a box of Twizzlers to fuck with Fasaani. He had the clerk throw it all into a bag and walked towards the car. As he got closer he saw that both Fasaani and Amy were pressed back against their respective seats. Their eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. His heart pounded as it dawned on him that his friends... wait... no they were friends now... were in danger. He sprinted towards the car with the bag slapping against his body as it moved according to the sway of his arm.
He pulled the driver’s door open and just as his hand moved to Amy’s cheek to check if she was okay the sound of Fergie saying “I’m gonna make you scream, make you scream” entered Kavin’s ears and he froze falling forward into Amy’s lap.
The three sat there silent as the song droned on. The attendant at the FoodMart noticed them sitting awkwardly in the car but decided that learning more could require him to help and he wasn’t paid enough for that. He quickly returned his attention to the newest issue of Esquire in hopes that they would be gone when he finished the article about “What Makes a Modern Man, Manly”. As the insufferable ballad about curvature came to its natural conclusion, they began to come out of the trance.
“Kavin... what... why are you on my lap?” Amy said pushing his face back towards the door.
“I... I don’t know that song. I heard it and I just... everything went... I... I felt like I died and it was perfect.” Kavin said pulling himself to his feet and collecting the food bag.
“Not again.” Fasaani said slamming her hand on the center console.
“What?” Kavin said.
“This happened on our way to meet you. What’s up came on and Amy and I went into some trance. It felt like the song was some ancient magic. I felt like it bonded us somehow.” Fasaani muttered.
“This is what happened to you? I’ve never felt so good. It was like nothing mattered. I transcended. How did a song that sounds so annoying do that?” Kavin said.
“I don’t... I don’t get it. Wait... Kavin you have a phone with the internet right?” Amy stammered.
“Phone with the internet? Amy I don’t think even we are that old... do you have something you want him to Ask Jeeves about?” Fasaani jeered.
“Shut up Faz... you get the point. Kavin what do What’s up and My humps have in common?” Amy said.
Kavin pulled his phone out of his pocket and searched the exact question Amy had just posed. As one would expect there were not any articles directly comparing these two songs. It seemed there was not much audience crossover. Kavin scrolled through the search results looking for anything that might hint... then a number sat in front of him: 134. 134 beats per minute. Both songs had the same tempo... was that it? Kavin looked further to find they also shared a time signature of 4/4. These two things weren’t uncommon in music... could it mean something?
“Amy... they’re both 134 beats per minute and a 4/4 time. Do you think that means something?” Kavin said.
“It can’t just be any song with that tempo and time can it? I mean this happened before we drank the rum. Is it even connected?” Amy said.
The three of them were silent for several moments. All deep in contemplation.
“Kav... look up another song with 134 bpm and 4/4 time. Then one of us will listen to it in the car alone. If we have our eyes roll back and fall down, we know we are on to something.” Fasaani said.
Kavin searched for songs with 134 BPM and 4/4 time. Michael Jackson’s Beat it was first on the list. He pulled up the song on his music app.
“Okay who’s going to try?” Kavin said.
“I don’t want to do that again.” Amy replied quickly.
“I feel like I’ve had enough trances for a week... Faz can you?” Kavin said.
“Fine. You all owe me though. Give me the phone and get out of the car.” Faz grunted with her hand out.
Amy stepped out of the car and closed her door. She and Kavin backed away from the car slowly in hopes of not hearing even the faintest murmur of the song. They watched as Fasaani looked at the phone and seemed deep in contemplation of her next action. Then she knocked on the window of the driver’s side and pointed at the phone. Kavin walked closer to the car as Fasaani rolled the window down.
“What’s your passcode? Lock screen came on.” Fasaani shouted.
“4321” Kavin shouted back.
“Seriously? Isn’t that obvious? Like a child would try that.” Faz said shaking her head and rolling the window back up.
Kavin and Amy stood still watching as Fasaani seemingly pressed play on the song. Moments later her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was out of it.
“Kavin... I don’t think 134 and 4/4 time have anything to do with this.” Amy said as she pointed toward Fasaani’s right eye which she noticed had reopened and her lips were forming a thin smile.
Kavin wrapped his hand on the window and Fasaani let out a little chuckle before rolling the window down with Beat It still playing.
“This one does nothing. Also isn’t 4/4 known as the hit signature? I think if this was a thing we would be passing out pretty often.” Fasaani said opening the door and handing Kavin his phone back.
“Shit. What else do those songs have in common? My Humps and What’s Up? They don’t feel related at all.” Kavin said looking down at his feet.
“What if they are just meant to frustrate us?” Amy said.
“Okay, but how does this work?” Kavin said frustrated.
“Kav, how does any of this shit work? How has anything ever worked? Do you know how you came to existence? Cause I don’t. There was nothing, then I was there. I walked around a while and realized most people had childhoods and memories... I didn’t. I just was. I could smell and sense things. My connection was always deeper. That said I’ve always liked purpose. It’s why we hustle and torment the norms. It’s why we view them as less or insignificant. WE DON’T HAVE A PURPOSE KAVIN. The songs and passing out... it’s a rabbit hole and I am a shitty Alice.” Fasaani said tapping her finger into Kavin’s chest.
“Faz... you honestly might be right. We don’t have a purpose. We always feed on those around us because they have some concept of their place in the world. A god they serve, a higher purpose. I’ve never had that. Then we had that trance, and the rum, and all of this... We’re chasing some purpose. We’re being fed our own medicine.” Amy said.
“By who though? And how can they do this to us?” Kavin said
“Hey, I know we have a lot to say, but let’s say it in the car we are being followed.” Amy said sternly.
The three of them moved into the car Kavin opting to drive for a bit while Amy took the back seat and Faz sat in the passenger side. They pulled out of the gas station and drove slowly down the road opting for talk radio as a backdrop while they settled into their feeling of unease. The mystery of who, or what was going on weighed heavily on them as the drove towards North Falls, there was also the very real pursuit for the murder of Vaino that kept them pushing forward.
“Does anyone know how to hotwire a car?” Amy said calmly from the backseat.
“Why?” Asked Kavin.
“We need to ditch this car at some point, cover our tracks. If we get nabbed before we get to North Falls that’s not going to solve anything.” Amy lectured.
“Ahh, yeah I can hotwire older cars. Newer stuff is a bit tricky but there’s probably a Youtube or something we could watch.” Kavin grumbled.
“Shit, do I need to call Kira? I guess she would call if she needed us for something right?” Kavin continued.
“Kav she’s good. She will bog this case down so deep that nothing will be able to move.” Fasaani said.
They sat in silence while time and miles passed by them. Each scanning a different direction with unfocused eyes. They were only physically present as their minds were lost in memories of the past. Seeking and searching for some clue that would lead them to who might be doing this.