Categories > Celebrities > Savage Garden > The Fortress of Silence
Chapter 3 - Part 1
0 reviewsThis thing you're using is worse than a photogragh - This chapter would go well with some Damien Rice songs.
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The Fortress of Silence
Chapter Three(Part 1)
He was furiously throwing off Darren’s hands… and he just maintained a torturing silence. Darren screamed at him, ‘speak to me!’ But he simply ignored. Then he started to descend the stairs without looking back. Darren ran out after him, trying to pull him back, trying to stop him from getting away. It was too late, however, he turned around the street corner and Darren lost sight him.
‘Come back, Dan!’
Darren shouted, his voice echoed loudly and finally woke himself up.
Sitting up slowly, still panting heavily, sweating from his own nightmare, Darren groped for the water cup. God, he didn’t have a clue how he had fallen into this uneasy sleep last night. The images of the past kept haunting him, making him tired but by no means sleepy; when he dozed off at last he started getting bad dreams.
‘Leave it,’ he didn’t notice he was thinking aloud. ‘Or sort it out.’
He gazed at the hotel phone on the desk for a whole minute, eventually reaching some decisions.
Fragments of the past rushed at him in an obstinate way and this time he gave up fighting to resist. Only then did he realize how much he wanted to return right to the beginning.
*
You could hardly call it a flat – it was merely a house with two small bedrooms and a somewhat larger living room. And life wasn’t easy at all. Both the two dwellers of the house had to do part time jobs to pay for their rent and groceries. But life wasn’t complicated either. Just a simple, regular cycle of days and a shared dream of music. But he never found out that it actually had been the way that Daniel wanted it for ever and ever and ever.
Those innocent and energetic days.
He remembered that he used to wonder where Daniel found the space to sleep because his small room was crowded with all kinds of instruments (a set of keyboard, both acoustic and electric guitars, drums) and an assortment of strange-looking equipment (a mixing board, a portable recorder and a programming computer). When Daniel started working in his own small world then it would be impossible to get near him, because he could be irritably stubborn when he wanted to.
Was it true? Almost… except that particularly beautiful summer night.
It was late. Darren had just finished a long and lazy bath and was ready to enjoy his comfortable sleep.
‘Dan, you still up?’
‘Uh-huh,’ Daniel answered carelessly. An intermittent stream of guitar melody finished the sentence for him.
‘Night, then, Dan,’
This time there was no answer.
Darren gave a sigh. Daniel could be this serious sometimes. He took a step closer and next moment he was stunned.
Pure beauty; that was the first thing jumped into his mind.
The curtain was half drawn, showing a sliver of calmly shining moon on the vast vagueness of the night sky. Several stars blinked down at him, in a rhythm of the insect singing noise outside. And there was an obscure tint of… what? Sweetness and serenity and whatever, floating peacefully in the damp summer air.
Darren couldn’t help himself but to walk nearer. Daniel took no notice of his approach and continued to concentrate on the guitar. Why wasn’t there a way to stop the time? Darren questioned him meaninglessly. He didn’t want to open his mouth to disturb the atmosphere of sheer tranquility, so he just stood two steps from where Daniel was sitting, quietly, and watched him carefully.
He had never watched Daniel like this before, though he was his closest mate. Never, never had he noticed how very graceful Daniel looked when he treated his instrument in a most delicate way; never had he noticed how much effort Daniel had to put to create those wonderful chords he used to neglect. He just leaned on the wall, with his eyes closed and these soothing melodies just sort of flew out from under his long and thin fingers. How fantastic could that be?
‘And why don’t you sit down?’
Darren was musing and didn’t’ notice that the music ceased. Daniel’s arms rested on the guitar, eyes open, and whispered gently.
‘You managed to make me feel that I’m invisible, Jonesy,’ Darren grinned.
‘What did you call me?’ Daniel smiled back. Darren’s heart gave a shiver. Perhaps this was the first true smile of Daniel he had ever seen – just like the glimmers of starlight.
‘I called you Jonesy,’ Darren indeed walked over and seated himself on the chair between Daniel and his piano. ‘How do you think of it?’
‘Typical Darren,’ Daniel lowered his head, Darren burst out laughing. A flash of timid emerald and the deepest aquamarine shimmered through Daniel’s gorgeous eyes as the smile on his cheeks widened. He was just about to return to his guitar when Darren slightly held his arm and prevented him from doing so.
‘Hmm?’ Daniel threw him a puzzled look.
‘Dan, I want you to teach me guitar.’ Darren looked at him with an eager expression on his face.
Daniel did not reply him immediately but surveyed him with his own piercing eyes. For a moment Darren wondered if he would agree, for he already troubled him enough tonight.
‘Will you, Jonesy?’
To his surprise, or yet not so surprising, Daniel gave a very light and even shy nod. Darren smiled with triumph. Challenge accepted, then, Daniel could be this easy sometimes as well…
He took the guitar Daniel handed over and played a few random notes. ‘I’m not sure which is which, Dan.’
‘Just depend on your feelings, Daz, not always the skill.’ Daniel stood up now, so Darren had to raise his head to look at him. ‘You get to feel something; something never ceases to inspire you… like how you feel when you’re onstage singing. You got me?’
Darren shook his head.
‘I’m never too good at expressing,’ Daniel shrugged, ‘and you’re no good at thinking either.’
‘Come on, Dan, just show me which is “Do”, which is “Re” and which is “Mi”…’ Darren insisted.
‘Alright then,’ Daniel sighed and bent over.
Suddenly and unexpectedly Darren got a feeling of being swept off his feet. Overwhelmed by pleasure. It was a sense of helpless… as Daniel bent over his and took his hands in his own. They were so slim and strong, holding him to the guitar and tenderly stroking the strings. And then he got even closer, so close that Darren was drenched in the scent emitting through the thin fabric of his clothes, a special kind of mixed fragrant smell radiant from every corner of his skin. They must be only inches away from each other now, for Darren could feel Daniel’s shallow breathes, exhale softly against the bare skin of his neck… the moment seemed to be stretching on forever. Sharing every trace of intimacy. This way felt so strange but also so natural…
‘Don’t spoil it,’ Darren whispered as he felt Daniel attempt to stand up.
Daniel held on for a few seconds. ‘Spoil what?’
Darren raised his head from Daniel’s loose embrace and looked right into his eyes. They were all a bit dreamy and he couldn’t count the colors he saw in them.
‘Keep playing, Jonesy,’
‘How am I supposed to teach you the chords since your attention is wandering anywhere but on me?’
Darren rolled his eyes. ‘You read my mind, do you?’
Daniel stared, and then said something that made Darren laugh. ‘Yeah, I do, and I see that you’re the biggest muttonhead I’ve ever seen.’
Chapter Three(Part 1)
He was furiously throwing off Darren’s hands… and he just maintained a torturing silence. Darren screamed at him, ‘speak to me!’ But he simply ignored. Then he started to descend the stairs without looking back. Darren ran out after him, trying to pull him back, trying to stop him from getting away. It was too late, however, he turned around the street corner and Darren lost sight him.
‘Come back, Dan!’
Darren shouted, his voice echoed loudly and finally woke himself up.
Sitting up slowly, still panting heavily, sweating from his own nightmare, Darren groped for the water cup. God, he didn’t have a clue how he had fallen into this uneasy sleep last night. The images of the past kept haunting him, making him tired but by no means sleepy; when he dozed off at last he started getting bad dreams.
‘Leave it,’ he didn’t notice he was thinking aloud. ‘Or sort it out.’
He gazed at the hotel phone on the desk for a whole minute, eventually reaching some decisions.
Fragments of the past rushed at him in an obstinate way and this time he gave up fighting to resist. Only then did he realize how much he wanted to return right to the beginning.
*
You could hardly call it a flat – it was merely a house with two small bedrooms and a somewhat larger living room. And life wasn’t easy at all. Both the two dwellers of the house had to do part time jobs to pay for their rent and groceries. But life wasn’t complicated either. Just a simple, regular cycle of days and a shared dream of music. But he never found out that it actually had been the way that Daniel wanted it for ever and ever and ever.
Those innocent and energetic days.
He remembered that he used to wonder where Daniel found the space to sleep because his small room was crowded with all kinds of instruments (a set of keyboard, both acoustic and electric guitars, drums) and an assortment of strange-looking equipment (a mixing board, a portable recorder and a programming computer). When Daniel started working in his own small world then it would be impossible to get near him, because he could be irritably stubborn when he wanted to.
Was it true? Almost… except that particularly beautiful summer night.
It was late. Darren had just finished a long and lazy bath and was ready to enjoy his comfortable sleep.
‘Dan, you still up?’
‘Uh-huh,’ Daniel answered carelessly. An intermittent stream of guitar melody finished the sentence for him.
‘Night, then, Dan,’
This time there was no answer.
Darren gave a sigh. Daniel could be this serious sometimes. He took a step closer and next moment he was stunned.
Pure beauty; that was the first thing jumped into his mind.
The curtain was half drawn, showing a sliver of calmly shining moon on the vast vagueness of the night sky. Several stars blinked down at him, in a rhythm of the insect singing noise outside. And there was an obscure tint of… what? Sweetness and serenity and whatever, floating peacefully in the damp summer air.
Darren couldn’t help himself but to walk nearer. Daniel took no notice of his approach and continued to concentrate on the guitar. Why wasn’t there a way to stop the time? Darren questioned him meaninglessly. He didn’t want to open his mouth to disturb the atmosphere of sheer tranquility, so he just stood two steps from where Daniel was sitting, quietly, and watched him carefully.
He had never watched Daniel like this before, though he was his closest mate. Never, never had he noticed how very graceful Daniel looked when he treated his instrument in a most delicate way; never had he noticed how much effort Daniel had to put to create those wonderful chords he used to neglect. He just leaned on the wall, with his eyes closed and these soothing melodies just sort of flew out from under his long and thin fingers. How fantastic could that be?
‘And why don’t you sit down?’
Darren was musing and didn’t’ notice that the music ceased. Daniel’s arms rested on the guitar, eyes open, and whispered gently.
‘You managed to make me feel that I’m invisible, Jonesy,’ Darren grinned.
‘What did you call me?’ Daniel smiled back. Darren’s heart gave a shiver. Perhaps this was the first true smile of Daniel he had ever seen – just like the glimmers of starlight.
‘I called you Jonesy,’ Darren indeed walked over and seated himself on the chair between Daniel and his piano. ‘How do you think of it?’
‘Typical Darren,’ Daniel lowered his head, Darren burst out laughing. A flash of timid emerald and the deepest aquamarine shimmered through Daniel’s gorgeous eyes as the smile on his cheeks widened. He was just about to return to his guitar when Darren slightly held his arm and prevented him from doing so.
‘Hmm?’ Daniel threw him a puzzled look.
‘Dan, I want you to teach me guitar.’ Darren looked at him with an eager expression on his face.
Daniel did not reply him immediately but surveyed him with his own piercing eyes. For a moment Darren wondered if he would agree, for he already troubled him enough tonight.
‘Will you, Jonesy?’
To his surprise, or yet not so surprising, Daniel gave a very light and even shy nod. Darren smiled with triumph. Challenge accepted, then, Daniel could be this easy sometimes as well…
He took the guitar Daniel handed over and played a few random notes. ‘I’m not sure which is which, Dan.’
‘Just depend on your feelings, Daz, not always the skill.’ Daniel stood up now, so Darren had to raise his head to look at him. ‘You get to feel something; something never ceases to inspire you… like how you feel when you’re onstage singing. You got me?’
Darren shook his head.
‘I’m never too good at expressing,’ Daniel shrugged, ‘and you’re no good at thinking either.’
‘Come on, Dan, just show me which is “Do”, which is “Re” and which is “Mi”…’ Darren insisted.
‘Alright then,’ Daniel sighed and bent over.
Suddenly and unexpectedly Darren got a feeling of being swept off his feet. Overwhelmed by pleasure. It was a sense of helpless… as Daniel bent over his and took his hands in his own. They were so slim and strong, holding him to the guitar and tenderly stroking the strings. And then he got even closer, so close that Darren was drenched in the scent emitting through the thin fabric of his clothes, a special kind of mixed fragrant smell radiant from every corner of his skin. They must be only inches away from each other now, for Darren could feel Daniel’s shallow breathes, exhale softly against the bare skin of his neck… the moment seemed to be stretching on forever. Sharing every trace of intimacy. This way felt so strange but also so natural…
‘Don’t spoil it,’ Darren whispered as he felt Daniel attempt to stand up.
Daniel held on for a few seconds. ‘Spoil what?’
Darren raised his head from Daniel’s loose embrace and looked right into his eyes. They were all a bit dreamy and he couldn’t count the colors he saw in them.
‘Keep playing, Jonesy,’
‘How am I supposed to teach you the chords since your attention is wandering anywhere but on me?’
Darren rolled his eyes. ‘You read my mind, do you?’
Daniel stared, and then said something that made Darren laugh. ‘Yeah, I do, and I see that you’re the biggest muttonhead I’ve ever seen.’
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