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Somewhere
Taylor woke up in a place that wasn’t his hotel room.
The room was white but was covered with posters from many tours from the Foo Fighters and his own solo band alike. The bed was comfy, the pillow stuffed with goosedown feathers, and the blankets were warm.
Thank God, since he was freezing.
There was a knock on the door. It slowly opened showing a man with bleached hair and dark roots. His eyes looked somewhat sad. His clothes were baggy, and he had a five-o-clock shadow. The man also had scarring on his face like he'd been shot.
Taylor sat up. The man walked to the bed. Taylor asked, “What’s going on? Where am I?”
“You are dead.” The man said.
“Wh-What? Who are you?”
This had to be some sort of sick joke.
“My name is Kurt Cobain”
Taylor’s jaw went slack. Kurt? As in the Kurt Cobain who…
He was dead.
“Wh… What happened?” Taylor asked.
“You…you…You took 10 different drugs and your body couldn’t handle it. You had a heart attack.” Kurt said, his voice cracking. Kurt had watched over Dave since he died.
Taylor stood up, he tripped only to be caught by Kurt. Like himself, Kurt was cold.
“...What about my kids?”
“You can watch them. This is the theater of lost souls, where those who die can look down at life.”
“...So basically this is like heaven?”
“Not really.”
“Oh…”
“You can also watch movies that ‘lost souls’ have appeared in.” Kurt said, leading Taylor out of the room.
“That sounds like fun and all, but can I at least check on the others first?”
Kurt shook his head.
“Sorry you haven’t been set up yet. We can watch a movie though. It’s in the rules to let everyone grieve before you can watch over them. For me…it took months before I could.”
“Oh…”
Taylor was still trying to understand all of this.
“Is anyone else around?”
Kurt shook his head.
“Only the staff, I am one of them. I am one of the ushers.”
Taylor’s jaw went slack again. “So does that mean you’re one of the first to meet anyone who comes through here?”
The question went unanswered. As they walked through, the floor was covered by a red carpet and posters on the walls advertising movies such as The Man Who Fell to Earth and Woodstock.
“So how’d this place become a movie theater?”
“Well, it’s not just movies. It’s just the most popular configuration for the theater. We also have jam sessions if nothing else is going on. Those who are alive can stumble in here as well, although only at night and they think it’s a dream when they exit.”
The two walked in silence for a little bit, Taylor was still trying to comprehend the fact he was dead. That it would probably be at least a while before he saw his wife, kids, or friends again.
Then there was an explosion. Kurt must have noticed the frightened look on Taylor’s face, because he said, “Oh, don’t worry about that. That’s just Keith Moon. Somehow the boss decided to make him the janitor.”
“Wait, why are there even toilets in the afterlife?”
“Because otherwise Moonie would have probably blown up the entire building several times. Also it’s to clean the aisles in the theaters. He gets bored very easily.”
“So he makes the mess he cleans?”
“Well… it’s not just his own messes, but he does get to clean it up regardless…”
Taylor was still wrapping his head around all of this. It was just… insane.
The afterlife was real and it came in the form of a movie theater.
But the hallway seemed to go on forever. It was slowly growing darker as Taylor held the hand of Kurt.
Kurt honestly didn’t know how far the hallway went; it had been a while since he had to usher someone.
He heard Moonie laughing nearby, maybe he should ask.
“Keith? Where’s the exit again?”
The mad drummer looked exactly as he had in the early 70s: short brown hair and that missing tooth. He was, however, dressed in janitorial slacks.
Taylor couldn’t believe that he was actually meeting someone who died that long ago. God, he was only six when the drummer had died!
“Ah, I see you are leading a straggler to the exit, that hasn’t happened in a while.” Keith said, holding the mop askew like he didn’t care.
Meekly, Taylor said, “Yeah… I just got here.”
Keith did a double take.
“You’re dead? You look alive!”
Taylor nodded. “Yeah. It just happened. Not sure how long ago, since I don’t know how time passes here in comparison to earth.”
Keith whistled.
“Well, time moves at the same pace as it does on earth. Jeez, it must have only been a few minutes ago.. Maybe an hour at most,” Keith explained.
“It’s that obvious?” Taylor asked, following Keith Moon through the hallway.
Keith smiled. “The newer ones look a bit livelier.”
Keith then pulled the duo to the entrance.
“Welcome to the theater of lost souls… What do you want to see tonight?” a voice said, trailing off with a yawn.
It was a blond haired man with reddish-brown roots. His clothes were from the 60s. He had permanent bags underneath his eyes, and the tone of his voice gave away that he didn’t want to be here.
“Brian, it’s been 53 years, how are you still permanently tired?”
Brian gave a lackadaisical shrug. “It’s my own fault for taking sleeping pills that night.”
Taylor asked, “If this is the theater of lost souls, does that mean it’s kind of like Purgatory?”
“Don’t ask me, you need to leave.” Brian said, falling asleep, his hair dripping wet.
“Um, Brian?” Kurt started, shaking Brian awake. “I’m afraid Taylor’s here to stay.”
Brian’s green eyes shot open. “...Damn, usually it takes a couple hours before they’re walking around.”
“You act like it’s been several decades since the last time someone woke up this fast.”
“Well, my memory only serves me so well when I can only keep my eyes open for so long.”
Taylor was completely at loss. What was all of this? How did he get lumped in with so many familiar faces, many of whom he’d never met personally?
Despite his confusion, he found himself asking, “How’s Charlie?”
“He’s alright. Obviously he misses his family and the others, but… it’s nice to see him again. He even looks young. …Now what movie do you want to watch?”
Taylor thought for a few moments. There were so many films with these ‘Lost souls,’ even films from dead directors!
But under new releases was two films: Studio 666 and CBGB
Both were films that he had been in.
“ Studio 666 .”
“Want any popcorn?” Kurt asked, grabbing the tickets.
“Sure.” Taylor turned to Kurt and added, “It’s a way I can see my friends again if I can’t see them in person right now.”
Kurt ushered Taylor into the theater, noticing one other patron in it.
It was Freddie, looking just as he had the day he performed on Live Aid.
What?
Taylor was starstruck. This was Freddie Mercury! But that happiness soon transitioned to a sense of melancholy, seeing all these dead people only further reinforced the fact that he was dead.
As the ads rolled on, Taylor sat down. The chairs were comfy, and it distracted him a bit from all that was going on right now.
Freddie didn’t acknowledge him for a moment. Then he suddenly turned to him and asked, “Hey aren’t you a friend of Brian’s and Roger’s?”
Taylor nodded.
“Taylor Hawkins.”
“I know, we met before.”
“I saw you in a dream?”
Freddie nodded, a grin on his face.
“You remember! How do you remember?”
“…I don’t know if it’s a memory so much as… kind of a feeling.” Taylor tried to understand.
“The film is about to start.” Kurt whispered.
“Sorry.” Taylor said, turning his head to see one last person come in.
The man was tall, he was wearing a red plaid shirt and jeans… It was Dave.
Taylor stared in shock. There was no way Dave had also come here so soon.
Wait… he may have just stumbled into the theater.
Dave sat on the right.
“Hey Dave.” Kurt said.
For a moment, Dave blinked in confusion.
“Kurt?”
“Hello again. Lovely to see you Dave.”
“Taylor?” Dave said, looking at the new man.
“Dave! It’s me!” Taylor yelled and whispered at the same time.
Dave stood there in shock for a moment before running over to hug Taylor.
“You’re alive.”
“I wish I was… God, I miss you guys so much…”
“But you are here and…wait…”
“It’s okay, Dave. You’re just in a dream,” Kurt said, placing his hand on Dave’s shoulder to sit him down.
The movie finally started. For the entire runtime, Taylor rested his head on Dave’s shoulder, fearing that if he so much as squirmed, Dave would disappear. He smiled, Dave was warm.
Then the scene came up. It was a tribute to Whiplash except with a bloody end. The cymbal went flying at a speed that if it was reality, Taylor would have less than a second to dodge. The practical effects were amazing, and Taylor had to admit that filming it was pretty fucking fun.
Kurt, on the other hand, grimaced. “Didn’t you say this came out a month ago?”
“Well in my defense, I wasn’t planning on having a heart attack.”
Dave was pale and he clung to Taylor a bit tighter than he had been before.
Taylor didn’t look at the screen for the rest of the film. He was focused solely on Dave. His reaction, him. If what was said by Kurt was true, this would be the last time they saw each other for a while. And he really didn’t want to say goodbye.
As the movie drew to a close. Taylor grabbed onto Dave, wanting him to stay.
What would happen if he stayed? Could he stay?
“Dave, don’t go. Please.”
“I have to go back to the hotel though.”
“I’ll join you then.”
“Are you sure they’ll even let you do that?” Freddie asked, whispering In Taylor’s ear
“Let me try, please.”
Kurt couldn’t stop the two as they headed to the entrance.
Dave opened the door to the dark and warmth of the South American nights, Taylor was about to walk out with Dave, he saw his body turn transparent, his now see-through body going through Dave and…
Taylor blacked out.
—
An hour later, Taylor woke up Kurt by his bedside.
“W-what happened?”
“You tried to leave. Lost souls need a body.”
“...Dammit. …I just didn’t want Dave to be alone…”
Kurt hugged Taylor close.
“He will never be alone. You will watch over him like I have. Dave has so many by his side.”
“But…Dave described me as his closest friend after you.”
“And why should death change that?” Kurt asked.
“I’m lost…”
“We all are. That’s why we are here. This is the theater of lost souls, where we all may have a job and live. I have so many stories to tell!”
For a moment, Taylor sat there. He still missed Dave, but this sounded like a good way to pass the time until Dave came here again (preferably in a dream, of course).
“Tell me then.”
Kurt laughed.
“Well, I heard this one from the man himself, and he’s a much better storyteller than me, but I call this one Riders on the Storm…”