Strickenized
Ice… Iiiiccceee… Sid sang softly into the recording, her voice rough and low, like she was trying not to be overheard.
Yeah, whatever, I know you’re asleep. S’all right. You’ve had a rough night, you know? Need to rest and stuff. They said I can’t take you home for a while until they run a couple of tests and s**t to make sure you didn’t, like, hard boil your brain or something. I’d rather just take you home, fried egg brains and all, but... whatever.
There was a pause then, low gentle humming running under it. The notes changed to a familiar cadence and then Sid laughed.
Ice, Ice baby… bum dum dum dada dum dum… Ice, Ice baby… She rasped into the phone with that tone that always set him off. Her singing dissolved into a giggle before that faded too, giving way to real silence that time. The pause stretched, from one heart beat to two, then three. The sound of a deep breath came then, something of a shudder to the inhale like she was having a hard time with it.
…Sorry, Ice.
The teasing was gone from her voice this time, the brightness dulled. Just two words, said in a seriousness rare for the boisterous DJ. The silence stretched again, heavy and thick.
...
We live in cities you'll never see on screen…
Her voice came low and soft, finally, like she was singing half under her breath. The words were a little weird, as though she had her cheek pressed against something and it was garbling things.
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things.
Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams…
And you know, we're on each other's team.
We're on each other's team.
And you know, we're on each other's team,
We're on each other's team.
And you know, and you know, and you know…
The beep of the recording sounded then, cutting off Sid’s voice as the time ran out.
