10
The ghosts danced in circles; some tried to sing and chant along with Pulse's notes, others were wild in their thrashing.
Unlike the stars, there was a certain rambunctious quality to their movements.
The way their feet stomped, how they would clap, cheer—many found partners with strangers, demanding to share this moment with someone.
Pulse still couldn’t understand their words, but one thing was clear; they begged for an encore, over, over, and over again.
The first time Pulse looked over to Leo's table, she and Quark were thoroughly invested in their singing.
By the second glance, the second encore, they were having a chat.
Quark, Pulse noted, looked distraught about something; Leo had her hand on his, while Quark voiced something of concern.
The ghosts cheered too loud to make out Quark's soft voice.
Once Pulse's third song ended, the tone at the table was the opposite of before.
Quark, now a blushing, wide-eyed statue, while Leo gave him the sweetest of smiles.
'What could I have missed in-between songs?'
Again, the ghosts asked for another. They pleaded for that extra hit of dopamine like they were deprived. Pulse's music was the drug that kept them on that continuous high, and the moment they drew to a close was the moment they needed another hit.
"No, no," Pulse realized they were missing out on their time with Leo. Already feeling like they missed three indispensable events, they bowed to their audience. "It's been a pleasure to perform for you all, but I bid you all a good night!"
The ghosts, like anyone itching for a fix, became agitated by their polite dismissal. Once Pulse moved to step off the stage, they circled them, pleading in a way Pulse couldn't translate. It was gabble, praying to Pulse to grant them one more song. Just one more.
But it's always one more, Pulse reminded themselves, and their time was being wasted on those who only fill in the backdrop. Leo stood from her table, bulldozing through the crowd.
"Please, I have other matters to attend to!" Pulse attempted again to reason with irrationality. They were ghosts; there was nothing to worry about other than dejected pouting. They were translucent and frail; 'what harm could they do?'
One tugged on Pulse's coat, making them flinch. Now it was clear that the ghosts could physically touch them, they grabbed at their clothes. Either they were trying to pull them back to the stage or strip them down bare.
Leo's hand grabbed Pulse's arm and wrenched them away. "They said no, so shove it!"
The ghosts and the dreamer began their heated back and forth; Leo could hear the words they were saying, responding with vitriol and spit.
"We're leaving," she said, her arm around Pulse's waist possessively. "They are done for the night."
Pulse was agape with shock. This young lady, one inch taller than the anxious star by the exit, fought and stood against a full room of furious specters, never once wavering in defiant fortitude.
From her tone and posture, Pulse could picture her standing against the angry specters like an impenetrable wall of stone and steel.
But Pulse noticed something the human did not, something concerning. "Leo-" They took a step back while tugging her shoulder. They side-eyed Quark, mouthing to get that door open on their cue.
"These twits need to find some respect." She stood firmly—foolhardy. Her hands on her hips affirmed her stance. "You all need to lay off the poor thing. They gave you greedy little wretches three songs already!"
She still didn't see what Pulse was seeing. "Leo..."
"Hang on darling—The way you are all acting is out of line. They don't need your grabby, drunken hands all over them!"
"Leo, we should run."
"Run?"
"Look."
The crowd of ghosts gathered in intimidating numbers. Too many to count, too many to fend off. Fifty and counting, as more and more heeded the call of animosity and depravity.
"I think you have a point, love," Leo pushed Pulse back. "Maybe I said too much."
"Maybe so."
Both tried to make a subtle motion to escape; Pulse waved at them, praising them for being a wonderful and engaging gallery.
This would not do; Pulse was theirs now, and this dreamer was stealing them away.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Leo grabbed Pulse; step by step, charging to the door that Quark—in that same moment—swung open, nearly off its hinges.
The captivated party was now a furious mob. On the sidewalk, the thunder of their stomping quaked through the earth. Quark shouted different words, none of them making sense together as he sprinted beside them, while Leo threw any object in their path, hoping to slow their pursuers down.
The threat of being maimed was there, there was no denying that. Pulse, between Quark's frantic cursing and Leo's vulgar swearing, thought there was something riveting about the whole thing. The stars were always proper and behaved. Polite, refined—events like this were never possible before.
Now Pulse had a mob, terrifying as it was, it felt special.
A story of Black Star's came to mind. A story not unlike this one. It was thousands then, mobbing to get a taste of his songs and more, cornering him in chariots, waving good-bye as he made a sly get-away.
Now Pulse had that badge of honor.
This set off a spark in Pulse that caused a fit of laughter. Leo and Quark gave them a perplexed look. Pulse will explain the outburst later.
As soon as they lose the manic swarm, at least.
It took a couple quick judgement turns, and ducking between cramped spaces between stone buildings for them to successfully hide from the crowd.
Thanks to Quark, as he saw the perfect place; a narrow crevice in between two stone houses, with a curtain of wisteria that overtook the two buildings.
As long as they held their breath for two minutes, all of them could evade the mob with their skin attached to their bodies.
Already fighting for a breath, they crouched behind the flowers, feeling the ground shake under them while the stampede ran by. It was a minute before the earth stilled, the air was cool again, and the smaller of the two could suck in a desperate breath of air.
"What a rush!" Pulse cheered, "Just like Black Star, right Quark?!"
Quark was holding Leo by the hand, acting as physical support as she heaved from exhaustion. "That was a mob! We nearly got stampeded to death back there!"
"But it was exciting, right?" Pulse’s smile was wild, their body animated like they were about to pump their fist in the air in victory.
Leo, leaning on her knees, heaved out her reply. "I didn't think they would go so crazy when we left. Jesus Harold Christ..."
There was a rhythm inside their chest–fast, heavy, pounding in their ears like drums.
A ringing in their ears like bells and strings.
This was a new taste of life; a spice that tingled on their tongue and on the tips of their fingers, and a lingering burn down their throat as they sucked it down.
‘Life has been so boring!’ They realize. ‘I need to do this more often!’
They pulled out a cigarette with shaky hands, lit and took drag after drag.
Excitement was well and good, but it was overwhelming.
Reaching a point where their head felt like it was buzzing and vibrating, they knew it was time to slow down and take a smoke laced breath.
It took five inhales to kill it, but thankfully, that was enough to get them to settle down.
It tamed the manic grin on their face, letting Pulse slump against the wall and let out a sigh.
"Okay, okay, okay," Leo finally caught some sucking wind. "No more pubs. No bars or clubs. None of that. That was wild."
"I agree," Quark leaned down, rubbing his thighs to the knees. His hair was a wild mess, and he hurried to smooth it down.
"What are we doing then?" Pulse asked
"Let me think." Leo straightened her shirt and shorts. Her face was flushed while her hand wiped off the moisture from her brow. Mumbling, thinking out loud, she said: "I mean, there is—ahh, nah, you two might find it boring."
"I think I want to be bored right now," Quark nudged her.
There was a new energy between the two. Mostly Quark.
As Pulse studied him, they detected a change in his voice.
From soft and apprehensive, Quark's tone became more confident and relaxed.
Before, he appeared uncertain about taking up space.
They wondered what happened between the two while Pulse did in their impromptu concert.
Leo bit the tip of her middle finger. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "Let me show you my favorite place then."