Simstorytellers Challenge 007: Dr. Gone
This takes place a little after chapter 26, but the events are all separate, so I'm going to post it now, out of order, just to get it done before the challenge is a distant memory. I really wish I knew of some easy way to include an mp3 file here, so you can hear the song, since it's not a very commonly known one. Oh well. There's a description of the song given in the text, at least. Part of the lyrics are included at the end.
CHALLENGE 007: Song Lyrics
Song: Dr. Gone by Royal Trux
Word/pic limit: 1000 word/10 pic
Expiration: July 1, 2008 (better late than never)
Warnings: language, drug use
I could tell right away that'd I'd done too much.
You can always tell, I'd imagine. It's like any near-death experience, with your whole life flashing before your eyes, except it's a lot slower. I had a good twenty minutes or so before I'd lose awareness, but I could tell right away. As soon as I'd swallowed the third pill, I knew it was too much. I was already drunk before I took them. It was way too fucking much. I didn’t have a prayer. I was done.
There were a lot of things to think about in those twenty minutes. I’ve had an eventful life. Most of it has been bad, but very eventful. I relived it all, in painful detail.
I thought about Zoe too. She's one of the only bright spots in the whole thing. Zoe, and the band: the two things that I had lost most recently.
I love Zoe.
I was thinking about her as I was losing consciousness, as I was starting to convulse and mutter random nonsense. It was like falling beneath the waves, with your ears filling with water, or so I assume, since I've never been anywhere near an ocean.
I was going to die thinking about her. It wouldn't have been such a bad way to go.
Then she was there.
She came into the room, took one look at me, and started screaming. I can't remember much else, but I remember the sound. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.
I knew then that she wasn't fucking Gunnar Roque. Zoe wouldn't do that to me, behind my back. Zoe had never been dishonest. I should have known. I knew that about her. I should have fucking known that, but it wasn't even just that. In that scream, I heard everything she really felt for me. I heard the awful, terrifying sound of someone who loved me and was sure that I was going to die.
I would have died, but Zoe saved me.
She came to visit me every day when I was in the hospital.
"I have the greatest idea for a new song."
"Tell me all about it, hon."
"It's going to rock hard."
"What's it about?"
“Everything. All of this. It’s going to be fucking great.”
"I can’t wait to hear it.”
“I’ll get Ripp to sing it with me. He’s been cultivating a nice raspy growl lately. I’m so proud of him.”
“Yeah, he’s not bad.”
“So he’ll open it up, and then I’ll join in, and we’ll sign it call and response, or just overlap, fighting it out, things like that. It’ll rock. The guitar will be cutthroat. You’ll add some bass, and we’ll be laughing.” Zoe listened intently as Jaxy continued. “There's going to be this fucking awesome drum solo too, and every time Gunnar hears it he's going to feel like his balls are about the size of fucking grapenuts. The solo degenerates into pure noise, and then, when you least expect it, the beat picks up again, and we’re right back in there, kicking ass.”
“Sound’s great.”
“Our new drummer is going to kick Gunnar's ass, and he or she is going to be much, much easier on the eyes too. Fuck it - it's my band - SHE is going to be easy on the eyes. We have one dirtbag with a Y chromosome already. That's enough."
"You really think we can find a drummer that isn't a dirtbag?"
"I don't really give a flying fuck if she's a dirtbag. It's the cock and balls that I don't want."
"So no chicks with dicks. Got it."
"And I want someone with fuckloads of energy too. She's got to have a real fire lit under her ass, you know? I want her bouncing off the walls."
"Definitely."
"Our new drummer will make Gunnar look like a can of mashed assholes."
"Wouldn't be too hard." Zoe laughed, and then grew quiet.
"You do realize that you're supposed to become a rock star BEFORE you overdose, right hon?" she said.
"I was thinking that I'd just go through the motions and then l'd wake up and be a star one day. If you build it, they will fucking come, right?"
"Jax, that was so scary."
"I know. I'll sorry."
"You need help."
"I know."
"We'll get you fixed up. If we ever want to get anywhere with the band, and we do, then you'll need to clean up. You have to deal with it, honey."
"Yeah."
“I’ll do it with you, if you want.” She reached for me, and rubbed her hand against my arm. "Hey, I've been looking for a new drummer."
"Oh, is that what you've been up to?"
"Well, what did you think I was doing? Boning Gunnar?" She laughed, because it really was ridiculous to think that.
"Yeah, right. You'd need a fucking barf bag strapped to your chin."
"I don't even want to picture it." She looked out the window. "Actually, Jax... that wasn't the only thing I was doing."
"Oh?"
"This is a really shitty time to bring it up, maybe, but I was buying you this."
It was a ring.
It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, next to Zoe herself.
I was the luckiest person on the face of the planet. Forget about the poverty, the abuse, the living on the streets, the substance abuse problem, and the fact that I'd nearly killed myself. None of that mattered. With Zoe Zimmerman proposing to me, when she could have anyone she wanted, I was doing better than most. Zoe didn't need anything from me besides my love, and I had little else to offer her anyway. She could have found someone to fully support her and take away all of her worries, but instead she chose me. She chose the hard road.
With her in my life, I could do this.
I'd make it through.
Yeah, they're trying to steal my name
But it ain't mine to give
You know they wanna tear me down
But I don't need any of that to live
I need someone to love me, just for me, just for me
...
I need a pair of new shoes, ones that last forever so I don't repeat this fever
CHALLENGE 007: Song Lyrics
Song: Dr. Gone by Royal Trux
Word/pic limit: 1000 word/10 pic
Expiration: July 1, 2008 (better late than never)
Warnings: language, drug use
I could tell right away that'd I'd done too much.
You can always tell, I'd imagine. It's like any near-death experience, with your whole life flashing before your eyes, except it's a lot slower. I had a good twenty minutes or so before I'd lose awareness, but I could tell right away. As soon as I'd swallowed the third pill, I knew it was too much. I was already drunk before I took them. It was way too fucking much. I didn’t have a prayer. I was done.
There were a lot of things to think about in those twenty minutes. I’ve had an eventful life. Most of it has been bad, but very eventful. I relived it all, in painful detail.
I thought about Zoe too. She's one of the only bright spots in the whole thing. Zoe, and the band: the two things that I had lost most recently.
I love Zoe.
I was thinking about her as I was losing consciousness, as I was starting to convulse and mutter random nonsense. It was like falling beneath the waves, with your ears filling with water, or so I assume, since I've never been anywhere near an ocean.
I was going to die thinking about her. It wouldn't have been such a bad way to go.
Then she was there.
She came into the room, took one look at me, and started screaming. I can't remember much else, but I remember the sound. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.
I knew then that she wasn't fucking Gunnar Roque. Zoe wouldn't do that to me, behind my back. Zoe had never been dishonest. I should have known. I knew that about her. I should have fucking known that, but it wasn't even just that. In that scream, I heard everything she really felt for me. I heard the awful, terrifying sound of someone who loved me and was sure that I was going to die.
I would have died, but Zoe saved me.
She came to visit me every day when I was in the hospital.
"I have the greatest idea for a new song."
"Tell me all about it, hon."
"It's going to rock hard."
"What's it about?"
“Everything. All of this. It’s going to be fucking great.”
"I can’t wait to hear it.”
“I’ll get Ripp to sing it with me. He’s been cultivating a nice raspy growl lately. I’m so proud of him.”
“Yeah, he’s not bad.”
“So he’ll open it up, and then I’ll join in, and we’ll sign it call and response, or just overlap, fighting it out, things like that. It’ll rock. The guitar will be cutthroat. You’ll add some bass, and we’ll be laughing.” Zoe listened intently as Jaxy continued. “There's going to be this fucking awesome drum solo too, and every time Gunnar hears it he's going to feel like his balls are about the size of fucking grapenuts. The solo degenerates into pure noise, and then, when you least expect it, the beat picks up again, and we’re right back in there, kicking ass.”
“Sound’s great.”
“Our new drummer is going to kick Gunnar's ass, and he or she is going to be much, much easier on the eyes too. Fuck it - it's my band - SHE is going to be easy on the eyes. We have one dirtbag with a Y chromosome already. That's enough."
"You really think we can find a drummer that isn't a dirtbag?"
"I don't really give a flying fuck if she's a dirtbag. It's the cock and balls that I don't want."
"So no chicks with dicks. Got it."
"And I want someone with fuckloads of energy too. She's got to have a real fire lit under her ass, you know? I want her bouncing off the walls."
"Definitely."
"Our new drummer will make Gunnar look like a can of mashed assholes."
"Wouldn't be too hard." Zoe laughed, and then grew quiet.
"You do realize that you're supposed to become a rock star BEFORE you overdose, right hon?" she said.
"I was thinking that I'd just go through the motions and then l'd wake up and be a star one day. If you build it, they will fucking come, right?"
"Jax, that was so scary."
"I know. I'll sorry."
"You need help."
"I know."
"We'll get you fixed up. If we ever want to get anywhere with the band, and we do, then you'll need to clean up. You have to deal with it, honey."
"Yeah."
“I’ll do it with you, if you want.” She reached for me, and rubbed her hand against my arm. "Hey, I've been looking for a new drummer."
"Oh, is that what you've been up to?"
"Well, what did you think I was doing? Boning Gunnar?" She laughed, because it really was ridiculous to think that.
"Yeah, right. You'd need a fucking barf bag strapped to your chin."
"I don't even want to picture it." She looked out the window. "Actually, Jax... that wasn't the only thing I was doing."
"Oh?"
"This is a really shitty time to bring it up, maybe, but I was buying you this."
It was a ring.
It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, next to Zoe herself.
I was the luckiest person on the face of the planet. Forget about the poverty, the abuse, the living on the streets, the substance abuse problem, and the fact that I'd nearly killed myself. None of that mattered. With Zoe Zimmerman proposing to me, when she could have anyone she wanted, I was doing better than most. Zoe didn't need anything from me besides my love, and I had little else to offer her anyway. She could have found someone to fully support her and take away all of her worries, but instead she chose me. She chose the hard road.
With her in my life, I could do this.
I'd make it through.
Yeah, they're trying to steal my name
But it ain't mine to give
You know they wanna tear me down
But I don't need any of that to live
I need someone to love me, just for me, just for me
...
I need a pair of new shoes, ones that last forever so I don't repeat this fever