Alfie Solomons hires you, an Opera singer to sing for him alone but obviously trouble seems to find him wherever he goes.
content includes: Mentions of guns, violence, blood and death
You stand on the grand stage of the dimly lit theatre, singing your heart out for an audience of oneâAlfie Solomons. His eyes are focused on you with an intensity thatâs almost unnerving, but youâve been told what was coming. You know what was expected of you, even if it felt like a weight in your chest. The theatre is empty except for Alfie, his solitary figure sitting in the center row with his unyielding gaze, his expression composed.
He had briefed you beforehand, talking about the opera piece you were to sing. He explained it with a surprising passion, his gruff voice softening when he spoke of how the music stirred something in him. âOperaâŠyeah,â he had said, ââŠis about life and death, love and loss⊠itâs the perfect backdrop for whatâs about to happenâ You didnât even hear what he said in the first part. Even if what he said didnât make much sense at all, it didnât matter to you anymoreâyou needed the money.
When the doors behind the theatre open and the men walked in, Alfie doesnât react. He remains seated, a calmness in his posture as if heâd been expecting them all along. He starts speaking to them, discussing about opera and the significance of the piece youâre performing, as if heâs giving a lecture to an audience rather than confronting his would-be assassins, something about âI always thought opera was just a bunch of fat people yellingâ. You canât hear all of his words, but the tone is almost casual, like heâs sharing a bit of his world with them.
Then, Alfieâs voice cuts through the air sharply directing you. âTurn around love. Donât look back.â His tone is firm but gentle. âYouâre young, eh? Donât need to see whatâs about to happen.â
You obey, your back facing away from the non-existent audience now. The words of the opera flow out of you, trembling at first, but then stronger, rising to fill the empty theatre. The tension is palpable, and you can hear the rustling behind you, and the clicking of metal. Your eyes squeeze shut as the first gunshot rings out, the sharp sound cutting through the notes.
You continue to sing, your voice faltering just slightly. The song builds to its crescendo, each note a cry from your chest. When the piece ends, the silence in the room is heavy, suffocating. You donât look back as you walk offstage, heading behind the curtain as Alfie had told you to do.
When you find Ollie waiting there, you see the envelope of money in his hand, ready for you. You feel your knees buckle and you clutch at your chest, the realization crashing over you. âIs heâŠ?â you start, your voice breaking, unable to finish the question without your eyes starting to tear up from genuine concern.
Ollie wraps an arm around your shoulders, his voice low and soothing. âItâs alright,â he says, âjust take the money. Itâs done.â
Suddenly you hear footsteps approaching, and your breath catches in your throat. Then none other than Alfie Solomons emerges from behind the stage, blood streaked across his face and staining his coat, he truly looked like a painting at that moment. His eyes though are still the sameâsharp and alive. He gives you a small nod as if to say, âSee? Still here.â
Itâs only then that you realize what had happened. Alfie had fired first, the instant before they could aim at him. He stands there, a little breathless but victorious nonetheless of course.
Alfie looks at you, his bloody hands resting on his hips. âTold you, didnât I? Finish your song, get your money, and donât look back. And you did, didnât you? yeah you did, Good girlâ he says, his voice steady as if he hadnât just been staring death in the face. âNow go on and get yourself something nice. Youâve earned it.â
You nod shakily taking the envelope from Ollieâs hand. As you walk away, you canât help but glance back at Alfie who watches you leave, his expression as unreadable as ever. He wipes his brow still catching his breath and you realize how close it had been as he looked down at the bodies, sighed, and then walked away. The strains of the opera still haunting your thoughts.