The club looked like it used to be a shopping center in the 70s and aside from a sign over the door and something over the few Windows it didn’t look like it had changed much, at least on the outside.
    At the door stood a big, black, broad, and bald gentleman, who Sondra hugged. “Hi Tony, how’s the crowd?”
    “Be better once you’re inside..” He replied.
    “Wow.” Wendy observed.
    “We go to the same dojo.” Sondra stated.
    In the performance space all the furniture was painted black.  So were some of the walls and doors.  “Must’ve been a deal on that paint.”Wendy mused, “About 20 years ago.”
    Sondra scanned the room, seemed to spot someone and guided Wendy to a table.  A cute guy with brown hair, wearing a green canvas jacket lounged there.
    “Tommy!”  Sondra yelled, over the crowd.
    Looking bored, he pointed to his right. “Two tables over.” He drawled. “Guy in the cowboy shirt is from Rodeo Records.”
    Sondra only slightly turned.  “Got’im.”
    Sticking his thumb out, Tommy said, “Four tables over.  Guy in the purple sweater’s from an indy label.  Who’s your friend?” His eyes fell on Wendy.
    Sondra helped her by holding a chair out for her.  As she sat, Sondra announced “This is Wendy.  She’s my lucky charm.”
    “Hello.” Wendy blushed.
    “Hi, I’m Tommy.”  He smiled, but didn’t seem to feel like moving.
    “Any competition?”  Sondra took her seat.
    “Gernsback’s up tonight.”
    “Hmp.” Sondra chuckled.
    “What are you guys talking about?”  Wendy asked.
    Sondra leaned in.  “Tommy here works lights and sound here.  He knows a lot of the record label people.”
    “So," Wendy grinned knowingly, “You’re not the type to just -get- discovered.”
    “Forewarned. Forearmed. All’a that.” Sondra half smiled.  “With a good crowd you can get these guys thinking you’ll be the best thing to happen to album sales since music.”
    “How can you tell it it’s a good crowd?” Wendy laughed.
    “People are dancing.” Sondra mused. “For one. They are loud between songs and quiet when the music is playing. Though sometimes they hoot.”
    “Hoot?” Wendy asked.
    “Yeah, hoot.” Sondra confirmed, “make noise, cheer, say woo hoo or hoot.”
    “Ah...” Wendy smiled.
    “All the cheering in the world won’t help you if nobody’s looking for a lesbian singer.” Tommy stated.
    “I’m not a lesbian singer.” Sondra insisted
    “I didn’t say you were.” Tommy leaned in toward Wendy. “When she sings a song written for a woman by a man, that’s the way she sings it. So she’s up there for half her set singing I love her.”
    “And I sings songs by women about men the same way.” Sondra countered. “Any other way disrespects the music.”
    “And once these guys meet you...” Tommy smirked.
    “For your information,” Sondra stated “I can see what’s beautiful in both men and women.”
    “Ah.” Tommy leaned back, “beautiful men?”
    “Yes. Strength. Character. They are beautiful!” Sondra sounded angry now. “Don’t confuse me with one of these bitches stomping down our hallowed halls turning every man into a beta male cuck, screwing bad boys on the side, all the while screaming patriarchy!  patriarchy! patriarchy!”
    Things went silent. Sondra stood there glaring at Tommy and Tommy looked like he didn’t dare speak.
    “We have a patriarchy.” Wendy said, trying to break the tension. “on my commune.”
    “Really?” Sondra managed to ask.
    “Well, we have a patriarch.” Wendy explained. “My uncle Sirius is our patriarch. He’s responsible for protecting the commune.”
    Sondra’s eyes went back and forth for a moment, then “Uncle Sirius as in Uncle Si, the biker?”
    “Yes.” Wendy nodded, enthusiastically.
    A few heartbeats passed before Sondra asked, “Do you study magic on this pagan commune of yours?”
    “Yes.”Wendy answered like, what else do you do on a pagan commune?
    “So.” Sondra stated, “you study magic. And you have an uncle Sirius who rides a motorcycle.”
    “Oh...” Wendy rolled her eyes.
    “Harry Potter.” Sondra laughed.
    “Is that why she’s your lucky charm?” Tommy seem to have found the nerve to rejoin the conversation. He pointed at Wendy. “Don’t ever tell anybody that story, by the way.”
    “No..” Sondra explained. “I was late because I was helping her with something. So I didn’t get the advisor I wanted, but the advisor I did get found me a bunch of money in my initial sign in. Plus she found me a scholarship  from the CHP survivors fund.”
    “What is the CHP survivors fund?” Wendy asked.
    “ My dad was in the California Highway Patrol.” Sondra said. “He died in the line of duty when I was nine. My mom, a year later. Cancer.”                                  
    “Is that why you moved to Idaho?” Wendy looked thoughtful.
    “Yep. Raised by my grandpa.” Sunder explained. “Grandma died of cancer before I was born.”
    “Wait.”  Tommy looked concerned, “your mother and your grandmother”
    “Uh huh.” Sondra started to smile. “Grandma didn’t make it to 40, mom didn’t make it to 35.”
    “I didn’t know.” Tommy started then faded.
    There was silence around the table for a long moment.
    “Look,” Sondra was really smiling. “My life is probably more than half over. But that ticking clock has given me both focus and purpose. What time I have is going to be meaningful.. I’m going to give the world music that will change it for the better.”
    “You don’t know...” Wendy began meekly, “it’s half over.”   
    “True..” Sondra shrugged, “I’ve been wrong before. Why?  Do you know some magic that can cure cancer?”
    “Well...” Wendy try to pick her words carefully, “one of the requirements of my faith is that we keep our secrets.  But, I can tell you... I walk the path of beauty and prosperity.. See, I try to gather all this positive energy about myself. I try to be positive in all my interactions. The idea is to create an environment where good things can happen.”
    They were all silent for several seconds before Sondra spoke. “That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.” She turned to Tommy. “You see, enough people like me and her in the world and we’d have this whole planet fixed.”
    “Maybe...” Tommy mused, “all we need is you two.”
    “We might just see.” Sondra said, rising from the table. “It’s my set.”

    “I’ve been inspired to play this song by a brand-new friend of mine.” Sondra told her audience. “It’s called Keep Me In The Light and it’s by Jamison and the Sordid Seeds.”
    She sang.
    “Ohm navah shivaya
    bring me all to the light
    ohm navah shivaya
    keep me down in the light...”       
    Wendy thought Sondra’s voice was beautiful and her guitar playing was amazing. Her eyes did seem to fall on Wendy an awful lot, especially when she ignored Tommy’s advice and played a song called ‘I Never Met A Girl Like You Before.’ Which made her blush.
    “I’m not implying anything here,”  Tommy began.  “But she really likes.”
    “I hope she does.”
    “No, really.” Tommy insisted,  “I’ve known her for years and she’s never talked about herself like that. You might be really good for her. As a friend.”
    “I’d like that.” Wendy didn’t want Tommy to see her cry. “I need to use the girls room.” She got up, moving toward the sign she hoped was correct.
    As she moved through the crowd,, she noticed people seem to be enjoying the show. She even thought she heard a few hoots.
    As she approached the dark corner that concealed the restrooms she brush against a solid figure and....smelled smoke?  She turned toward him and found herself facing what looked like a man with oily black hair, a small beard and orange eyes.  He seized her arm and hustled her into the darkness. Every bit of magical protection Wendy had on her body started to smoke.
    “The omens told me I’d find power here.” He grinned. “But they didn’t tell me I’d find something as cute as you.” His left hand wrapped around her throat. For a second there was no contact but once he burned through her defenses she felt her air being cut off.
    She allowed herself to see him as he was. Runes marring his aura.  She tried to concentrate, bringing her skills to bear.  It wasn’t working, she was too scared and couldn’t focus enough. 
    Death was seconds away.