Dots: Chapter 1

Note: I actually wrote this piece around two years ago! Since then, I've written a lot of other chapters, and almost finished the story. I'm posting this one to get a general feedback as far as the music (which will probably be taken out), the idea, and the format. Along with all other opinions you have of this. So grammar reviews really aren't needed :P i know they're there. But this is about the story. 

Jessi

My name was called, and I stepped out on to the stage. The bottom of my shoes made a satisfying "clack" on the hard wood of my performing platform. The lights dimmed, only to shine brighter as I stepped into the spotlight. Looking out at the crowd, I noticed the tons of people dancing and talking; some smiled back at me as my eyes laced through the faces, and some cheered my name.

I was well known at the musical pub I was currently in. "Drunk on Mu$ic" had been my second home since I learned to hold a guitar.

A man walked onto the stage opposite from where I'd entered, looking at me expectedly. His deep blue eyes stared into mine, crinkled with old age. My heart warmed slightly, full of love and memories. He was the reason I sang in the first place.

I reached towards him to grab the microphone. He nodded as I took it, and stepped back, off the stage.

I studied the room as I placed my mic on it's holder.

The room was gaping with four, large, grey, metal walls closing off the outer world. What used to be a warehouse that made car parts, was turned into a Pub after the Dots were created. After the Dots, everything having to do transportation was shut down and replaced. Drunk on Mu$ic was one of the many entertainment facilities that came out of the creation of the Dots.

With the allusion that the Pub was just that--a Pub that entertained card players and drunks--the DOGs very seldom frequented it in search checks.

The DOGs didn't know that the Pub was also a hangout for musical rebels. It kept them from ruining what was ours. The only thing we had left--music.

Posters lined the metal walls, adding color to the bleak area. There were couches in the corners, and a small kitchen/bar area lined the wall.

I cleared my throat and drew the mic up to my mouth.

"I'm gonna start with a song we all know, and love," I informed the crowd. They cheered. I took a deep breath and started.

"Who let the DOGs out?!

Who, who, who, who!"

The crowd screamed it along with me. I laughed into the microphone.

"No, I'm just kidding. That's not the song; it's a good one though."

"Dang right!" someone in the crowd yelled. I pointed them out and smiled.

"Here goes the real one. It's new. Hope you like it."

This song was different.

It was slower at first, instead of just exploding like the first one. Then it grew faster, and stronger.

"You can't shut me up

No matter how hard you try"

I sang, drawing out the 'try' to the strum of the guitar. My body moved with the beat of the music. And the large crowd below me moved like a wave; back and forth in swift motions.

"Everyone expects so much,

But there's only so much one- can- give"

The speed of the song quickened, and my fingers twitched faster to play the cords on the guitar.

"I wanna make my own choices,

And live my life the way I want to

And it shouldn't matter,

Bout all the other things I do"

Now everyone sang along, learning the new song as it went from slow to fast. The mood completely changed to a feeling of rebelliousness. The stuffy blanket of rules were ignored.

"And they can watch me

Watch, watch me

Watch, watch, watch, watch me

They can live with my decision

Cause they ain't getting submission

From me"

The next word was long. Changing pitches and moving like a wave through the crowd.

"No--

No--

No--"

Faster and faster. Everyone was singing to the DOGs. They were my inspiration for this song.

"And they can't stop me

Stop, stop me

No-they-can't-stop me

They can live with my decision

Cause they ain't getting submission

From me"

"They can go down in flames

They can shout out my name

It really doesn't matter

Cause this world ain't getting better

It's really my decision

And they ain't getting submission

From me"

I stood up from my seated position on the stool and walked around on the stage. Getting close to the crowd and touching their outstretched hands.

I held the microphone close to my mouth, letting all the words tumble onto the cold metal and the noise be magnified so the whole crowd could hear.

All too soon the song was over; I had poured my heart out through my music. Rebelling with music- unlike most people that vandalized, attacked, or robbed the government and things that belonged to them.

But it hadn't come to that for me. Not yet, at least.

I found Derik in the crowd and smiled at him. He smiled back.

Adrenalin still coursed through my body from the song. I met the man that had given me the microphone as I went to jump off the stage.

"Great song once again, Jessi," he praised.

"Thanks, Gus," I replied smiling. "I couldn't have done it without you." His face showed pain and happiness, all in one.

"Your parents would be so proud."

I felt tears coming to my eyes, and I hugged him before they'd be able to be seen in the dim lights. Then I turned to head backstage.

Derik

Jessi leaped off the edge of the stage with a grace that only she had. The tight, black jumpsuit stretched along her back. The universal outfit was mandatory for everyone, but she made it look good.

She headed backstage, to wash away the adrenaline she got from performing. He only knew this because she talked about it one time to him. Explaining the way she felt when singing. Especially to a crowd this big. It made her feel needed and special. She'd always been special- in a good way.

Someone stopped her on the way. The girl's brightly bleached, blond hair in a deep contrast to Jessi's deep, cherry colored hair. But Jessi's hair was natural, unlike the blond's.

Jessi's eyes widened at whatever the blond had said. Her eyes flipped to the crowd. Her eyes locked with mine and i smiled. Instead of the smile I expected in return, she darted through the crowd.

I headed toward her, trying to meet halfway. We nearly collided, her forehead slamming into my chin.

"Ow!" I cried out.

"Bigger problems," she answered firmly, grabbing my hand and racing through the crowd, dragging me behind her.

"Like?" I asked, yelling over the sound of the next singer's opening song. She didn't answer as we slammed through the wooden doors of the building. "Jess?"

"Hold it," she hissed. I followed her sprinting body as she crossed the street, along a tall, grey building- one similar to all the other buildings on the block. We were between the building and the outside wall, creating an alley.

We passed a lone cat, which hissed as we splashed through a puddle.

"Jess, what are we doing?" She still didn't answer.

"Jess," I warned her in a low voice. When she still didn't answer, confirming her silence by running even faster, I gripped her wrist and pulled her back. She slammed back into my chest.

"What?" She demanded. I raised my eyebrows, looking at her questioningly. "I'll tell you in a minute. We're not safe right now." She turned to run, but she was back against me with a pull on her wrist.

My eyes widened. "The DOGs were about to show up, weren't they?" DOG was a nickname us citizens gave them. They were ruthless. Their official job was to fix things and manage the dots. But they did more than that. At this point, they were like the police. Arresting anyone who "caused a ruckus". DOG stood for Dot. Opp. Gov. Technically- Government Dot Operators. But the name the government gave them was too long, and didn't fit them. DOG did, because they were mutts. Even they called themselves DOGs, but for different reasons.

"Yeah," she said. "They were coming. The music must've been to loud, or someone reported the 'rebellious lyrics'." She said, using her fingers as quote marks. I laughed.

"I like your 'rebellious lyrics'." I said, copying her finger quote marks. She blushed.

"You know how much I like music," she replied. I wrapped my arms around her and brought her closer.

"And you know how much I like-" then we heard the beep from the wall portal. My eyes flicked to the wall. The small, red Dot was blinking. We had seconds.

"Run," Jessi whispered.

"No time," I answered, pulling her behind a large trash box. It was a squeeze; we were nearly on top of each other. I didn't mind.

A group of people- you could tell because of the amount of noise being made- emerged from the Dot. I couldn't see who they were. DOG's no doubt.

"The complain came from around here, from one of the apartment buildings- probably M, you know how those Momma's can be." One said, loudly. They all laughed.

"So, what do we think it is?" Another one asked. Jessi had confusion written all over her face, I probably did too. Apparently the DOG group was also confused, because they all stopped, making the broad alley silent.

"Oh." Said the same man. "What I meant was, do we think it's a noise complaint? Or some rebellious teen?" They all laughed, which was odd because it hadn't been even remotely funny.

"Lets hope it's a teen. Those adults can get feisty." The first man said, he seemed to be the leader.

"That's what I like best 'bout 'em." Another said. More laughter. Jessi looked disgusted. "Course they're feisty. There's alcohol. It is a Pub."

"One of the worst we got." Someone retorted.

"Probably why the kids hang there," one explained. "They ain't bein' watched."

We heard a shuffle, and someone say. "Come'n guys? We got work to do."

They started walking. "It's probably a noise complaint." One said firmly.

"These walls ain't sound proof," he banged the hard metal wall to his left. "But they sure keep things out."

"Yeah," they agreed. Their voices fading as they walked farther, almost disappearing from sight. "All the unwanted things."

Jessi

I barely heard the words, but they seemed haunting; scary even. And i didn't get scared easily.

I wedged myself out from behind the trash box. Scooting out from behind Derik.

"Let's go," i said.

"Where?" He asked.

"Don't know 'bout you, but i'm goin' home." I turned and walked toward the small, red circle edging out from the wall. The steady red light was very bright against the darkness of the alley.

"Can i come?" He asked, cockily. I turned to see him smirking.

"Sure," i answered. "But if DOG finds you in the J apartment, when you should be in the D, i'm not coming to your rescue."

"As ruthless as the DOGs themselves," he said jokingly. "I could be arrested for that." I ignored the last part.

"In fact," i decided. "I'm gonna say that you were robbing me." The smile was evident in my words.

"Have you considered joining the force?" He asked. I laughed. "I mean, you would start as a rookie- a PUP- but i think you could make it high in the business." He looked at me and smiled. Grabbing my hand in his, he laced his fingers through mine. I smiled back. "You can be my little DOGGY."

"We call them 'DOGs' because it stands for something," i reminded him. "You can't go playing with the acronyms." He laughed. "And at my house," i started, "you're sleeping on the couch."

"Oh, well, you're no fun." He answered.

I pressed my finger to the Dot. A list of possible destinations popped up beneath my finger. I slid it to the option that would get us closest to the J apartment. My finger slid from the Dot.

And we were off.

Through nothingness.

Traveling through a Dot was an odd experience. Your body felt stretched; like it was being pulled. You felt loose and raw, like a wet noodle. All you could see was red, or the occasional dot of some other color. Another traveler perhaps.

Arriving at the destination was rather unsatisfactory. You landed on your feet, all in one piece. But you still felt wet and stretched out. It a few minutes the feeling faded.

The whole trip lasted maybe thirty seconds.

As soon as Derik landed, next to me and still holding my hand, he let out a string of profanities.

"Language," I warned, not liking foul language.

"Sorry," he said, regaining his breath. "You know we're not supposed to travel two at a time." Our instructors always

"Oh ya! Crap, I'm sorry." I apologized. "Totally forgot."

"Ya, me too." He stood up and gripped my hand tighter. "You tend to have that effect on me." He smiled. I smiled back.

"We better get inside before they make everyone go home. We don't want to get stuck in the crowd." I said, starting foreword.

"Ya," he agreed. "Or miss curfew." The punishment for that was a night in a cold, damp cell.

We walked up to the metal plate. I stood on it, letting it calculate my weight. Derik stood off the platform, not wanting to impact the outcome. When it was done, i stepped off the metal, and Derik leaped over it. Next came the scanner, the harder part. To smuggle him in, we had to make it look like it was just me. He wasn't allowed.

So he stood very close to me; me in front so the scanner could see my face. He held on to my hips, so he could more easily follow my lead. I walked through the scanner. Nothing beeped out of order.

We both exhaled. The only last thing was for me to type in my name. Jessi Johnson to the small wall keyboard. The door opened.

Derik laughed as we stepped onto the elevator. "It's fun every time we do this." He made it sound like a perverted comment, and i jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow as the women next to us stepped away and adverted her gaze. When she stepped off, i said:

"Dummy. You made it sound like we were newlyweds or something." He laughed, and wrapped his arms around my middle. Nuzzling my neck with his chin, then planting a small kiss on my jaw.

"You say it like you want it," he answered in a low voice. The ding of the elevator announced our arrival to the seventh floor. I pulled away.

"You're still sleeping on the couch," was my only answer.