Read Online Greasepaint by David C. Hayes - Free Book Online Page B

clue.
    â€œWhatever. Call me tomorrow and quit drunk dialing.” Angela hangs up the phone with the press of a button and slams it on the night stand. “Asshole!” She says to no one in particular.
    Angela sits back on the bed with a sigh and reaches for the lamp. She grabs her abdomen and her shoulders slouch. She will never get to sleep.
    â€œShit.”
    Angela heads for the bathroom. She enters, pulling the door closed behind her. She sits on the toilet and yawns. She hangs her head and waits for the inevitable.
    The door to the bathroom opens just a crack, just enough for someone…something to peek in. As Angela looks up, the door closes. She shakes her head, unsure of anything that she sees at this hour.
    Angela finishes, stands and turns to the sink. She turns on the water and stares at herself in the mirror. She is far too young to have so much luggage underneath her eyes. She glares at herself and wonders when money became more important than happiness.
    The door opens again, just a crack.
    Angela decides it is far too late to continue destroying her own self-esteem and bends over to splash water on her face. She stands back up and stares into the mirror to find…nothing, only her own reflection.
    Angela turns, grateful to get back to bed, only to have a white-gloved hand press itself against her mouth. Another hand wraps around her head. She can still see, standing before her, what looks like Orzo the Clown…sort of. It is hard to tell, but the colors and face are right. She tries to scream but before she can even get a syllable out, the clown spins her around and lifts her off the ground by her head.
    She is suspended like that, swaying in the bathroom. Angela tries to kick her attacker but it is strong and holds her away from the clown-suited body.
    Angela can see the toilet before her if she looks down, straining her eyes as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. A clown-shoed foot flips the padded toilet seat up to expose the porcelain edge of the commode. Angela panics, kicking harder. She knows, just knows, that this maniac is going to drown her.
    Rearing back, Angela’s head in both hands, the clown rams it toward the gleaming porcelain toilet. Her head slams into the shiny white lip of the toilet causing her forehead to cave inward. Angela doesn’t die instantly. The long dent in her forehead works like a tongue and groove, holding Angela suspended over the bathroom floor.
    The clown straddles Angela as her body spasms and shakes. As she twitches, blood seeps from her nose and ears indicating that the impromptu frontal lobotomy has effectively ended her career as Monty Reigns’ assistant.
    From over Angela’s head, the clown drops Monty’s cell phone into the toilet. It lands with a plop. With that, it leaves. Angela takes another four minutes to die.

Chapter Ten
    Behind the club, vans and U-Haul rental trucks line the alleyway. From each of them, rock and rollers, clad in black with jackets and T-shirts emblazoned with whatever logo represents their band, pull musical gear out of the vehicles. This is their night. This is Halloween and this is the show that has a recording contract on the line. Every one there, from roadie/fan to seasoned veteran knows the importance of tonight’s performance. Needless to say, the chitter chatter is at a minimum.
    Skeezer, behind the wheel of the band’s van, is directed into a spot just in front of the large garage-style doors that function as the delivery entrance to the club. Mona and Michael stand off to the side, attempting to blend into the shadows of the alley.
    Fans crowd into the alleyway just beyond the line of vans. Clad in black or in costumes—it is Halloween after all—like their idols, the rabid horror punk fans are as excited for this show as the musicians. Tonight is the night legends are made! For some of the fans, those wearing Orzo masks, the music matters much less than the hero