My friend and I were informed of our
best friend's death by a teacher or one of our parents. Stunned and angry, we locked ourselves in my bedroom and
tacitly reached for my
Led Zeppelin record with
Stairway to Heaven on it, as it was our late friend's absolute favorite song. After turning the
volume to an excessive level, we sat down facing each other with open mouths and wet cheeks. The music began, and filled the room.
But someone began to knock on the door. "Let me in!" they shouted over the music. "It'll be okay!" This made us furious. We wanted a moment to think of our friend, alone. We didn't want to see the outside world. So we cranked up the music, and the knocking was drowned. We cranked it up so loud I could feel it vibrating against my ears. But the knocking grew louder too. "FUCK OFF!!!!" we shouted, tears pouring from our eyes. "FUCK OFF!!!" And as the tone of the song rose higher, we turned the music up as far as it would go.
The room was shaking, and the knocking couldn't be heard anymore. But it came back.
"FUCK OFF!!!!"
"Let me in!"
And as we wind on down the road...
"Please!" I screamed, sobbing. "Will you just fuck off!"
Somehow the person on the other side of the door came in through the back of the room, and ran to the stereo. "No!" we yelled, panicing that he would turn off the music. Our friend's music. And indeed he tried. But when he turned off the machine the music still blared. He even ran away with the stereo so we could not listen to it, but the music still played just as loudly as if the stereo was with us. It was as if our friend lived on.