Apeshit by Iii Carlton Mellick Read Free Book Online

him and dragged his body away.”

    Jason takes a long drink from his beer.

    “So let that be a warning to you,” Jason says. “While
    you’re staying here, no matter what happens, no matter what
    you see, never, ever scream.”

    Jason looks at them all with a serious face. Then
    Jason smiles and yells out, “Unless you’re having sex !”

    Rick and Kevin burst into laughter.

    “Booyah!” Kevin cries. He stands up and gives Ja-
    son a high-five.

    “I totally got you guys!” Jason says.

    “No, you didn’t,” Desdemona says. “That was the
    lamest attempt at a ghost story I’ve ever heard.”

    Crystal looks at her boyfriend and shakes her head.

    Jason stops laughing and sits down. He stares down
    at his fingers and realizes he’s much drunker than he thought
    he was. He doesn’t know why he decided to bring his broth-
    er into the story. He never talks about his brother. Normally,
    the story is about his dad when he was a kid and a childhood
    friend of his dad’s, but he wanted the story to have more
    impact this time so he made it about himself and his brother
    instead.

    The fucking Theremin put him on my mind , Jason
    thinks. I never would have brought him into the story if I
    didn’t find that Theremin .

    He crushes his half-full beer can and tosses it over
    the balcony into the black forest below.

    Crystal finally convinces Stephanie to join the party.
    Stephanie doesn’t really want to party, but she agrees to play
    the Theremin for them. She has always wanted to play her
    Theremin for her friends, but she always figured they would
    think it was nerdy. The jocks and the cheerleaders always
    make fun of the band kids. She doesn’t want anyone to think
    she is a nerd.

    In the center of the living room, Stephanie begins
    to play. She plays a solo rendition of Ave Maria on the
    Theremin. Her friends are gathered around her, on the mus-
    tard yellow couches and chairs. Rick and Kevin have never
    even heard of a Theremin before. They watch in drunken
    amazement as Stephanie plays. The haunting music is like
    an electronic violin flowing through the dimly lit room, as
    Stephanie’s fingers wiggle in the air. Kevin can’t believe
    that Theremins are played without touching any part of
    the instrument. He doesn’t know how Stephanie is able to
    figure out which notes are which just by manipulating her
    hands in the air.

    Stephanie pours her emotions into the song. It is a
    powerful moment for them. Desdemona finds the song both
    sad and eerie, even though she always thought of Ave Maria
    as more of a pretty song. Even Jason is speechless.

    After a couple minutes, Stephanie begins to think
    of the time when her brother caressed her back while she
    was playing the Theremin. It was before they started having
    sex. She was confused and disturbed, but she didn’t stop
    him from doing it. She just kept playing while he rubbed her
    shoulders, neck, and lower back. Stephanie’s eyes tear. She
    tries to shake it off, but the tears keep flowing.

    Jason’s eyes are also beginning to tear. He is thinking
    about his brother. He is thinking about how good Stephanie
    is at playing the Theremin, and how his brother might have
    become just as good if he would have lived long enough.
    He could have been hanging out with them, playing a duet
    with Stephanie right now.

    Halfway through the song, Stephanie’s hands go
    limp. The song breaks into a static hum. She can’t go on
    any longer.

    “Hey!” Desdemona says. “What happened?”

    Desdemona is too drunk to notice Steph’s tears.

    “I’m sorry,” Stephanie says, rubbing her eyes.

    Jason stares at her with widening eyes. He rubs his
    tears and clears his throat.

    “Keep playing,” Jason says.

    Stephanie sniffles.

    “I said,” Jason stands up, “keep playing.”

    “I’m sorry,” Stephanie cries. “I can’t do it anymore.”

    “Come on,” Jason says, his voice cracks. His face is
    turning red.

    “Jason, she’s had enough,”