Reverb

By Steve Husk

Metzgerhund’s time at Sentry Ridge is coming to a close. They had a few additional tasks to wrap up before their trip to the battle of the bands contest, but their jobs had to come first. To entertain the two visiting youth groups, Billy created a tag game where each contestant is given one person to tag, then they inherit the target of the person they just tagged. In this version of the game, if you are tagged, you are not ‘it,’ you are ‘out.’ Of the entire game.

Did the band figure out who misled them about their status in the battle of the bands contest? Yes. And they were disappointed with who it was. Did they discover who was attempting to sabotage their equipment? Most of the band was disappointed when they found out who was involved. Billy was nearly heartbroken. Jason wanted to go straight to payback mode.

Calvin had a slightly different problem during this time. He was deeply affected by a case of bullying he saw within one of the youth groups. Normally, he would have just let those emotions dissipate on their own, but this time he had someone guiding him through the experience.

It might not have been the type of guidance Calvin needed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Husk
• Release date: Mar 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223589709

Steve Husk

Some say Steve Husk is constantly going up against his demons and the many voices in his own head. Truth is, Steve has recruited most of them as his advisors. Some of them want to start a band with him.Steve is a retired software / web application developer and security control center officer. He currently works his writing (and sometimes music) craft in northern Virginia, USA.

Book preview

Reverb

Verse Ten of

Metzgerhund Retreat

Steve Husk

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Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2023 Steven M. Husk

Cover art Copyright 2023 Steven M. Husk

All rights reserved.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the author’s page on Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Billy played a simple piano chord on his main synthesizer.

It sounded too garbled, too distorted.

He switched the synthesizer to one of the strings settings, then played the same chord.

The same distorted excess noise played through the speaker.

He switched to one of the organ settings, then played the same chord again.

Same result.

I’d like to say I figured this out, he said to his band mates, but I’m not there yet.

Jason looked up from wiping down his drumheads after sweating all over them during practice. Does this have anything to do with how our sound went to hell halfway through the last song?

Calvin disconnected the cable and placed his guitar on its stand. Yeah, that’s the same bad sound I heard.

Sam leaned his bass against the side of the Planet Cracker cabinet. Dude, I don’t remember your 88 keyboard kicking out that much unnecessary noise.

Billy glared at his amp with a snarl of unhappiness. I’m not convinced it’s the keyboard. He played the same chord, then reached over to his amp and turned a knob for that channel back and forth.

The noise was still there, but he heard additional crackling sounds every time he turned the knob.

He ceased the sustained chord. Found it. One of the amp channels is going bad. Looks to be a problem with the reverb knob.

He pulled the plug for his big keyboard out from the amp and plugged it into a different channel, then played the chord one more time.

The sound was perfect.

Problem solved. I’ve got my temporary solution in place for the battle of the bands show. Guess I know where my next half dozen paychecks are going.

Too bad we’ve only got one more paycheck from this place to go, Sam said. You might have to get a part time job when we get back home.

Or, worse yet, Jason added, you might have to go back to giving piano lessons to kids.

Billy frowned. Those two choices equally suck.

If your amp gets any worse before the battle of the bands show, Sam said to Billy, you can always plug into the Planet Cracker.

But will I be able to hear my parts over your playing?

Sam cracked a grin. You’re a goob.

Billy began switching off his equipment. "Mr. Laypus told me the last two groups of the season are coming in sometime this morning. He wanted me to come up with some sort of activity for them. What kind of event have we not done so far?"

Jousting with rowboats, Sam answered.

Full contact Red Rover, Red Rover, Jason said.

Combine Duck, Duck, Goose with dodge ball, Reggie said.

Automotive obstacle course racing in the parking lot, Calvin said.

Where are we getting the cars for that event? Reggie asked.

There’s six park SUVs on site.

Billy laughed and shook his head. Listening to all these suggestions, I’m convinced my idea wasn’t so bad after all. I want us to play a big game of tag.

That’s kinda a cool idea, Sam said, but that might be hard to keep track of.

Which is why I’ve gotta sequester myself and figure out the rules.

"Are you going to tell us everything we need to know about this tag game before it starts? Reggie asked. Or after?"

Billy realized Reggie was glaring directly at him.

Jason glared directly at Reggie. I don’t think I like what you’re hinting at.

Reggie turned his unhappy glare towards Jason. I don’t think I care.

You might want to start caring.

Are you still pissed the Emperor set a trap for our opponents without telling the rest of us? Calvin asked.

Didn’t we go through with this sort of thing once already? Reggie answered in an unhappy tone. If it involves the Empire, all five of our names are on it, so all five of us should be involved. Or, at least, know what’s going on. Billy hid his plan from us. We could even say he---

Jason cut Reggie off with loud barking.

What was that for? Reggie asked.

I was just saving you from the dangers of calling the Emperor a liar.

But he---

Jason barked again. You’re a slow learner. I understand exactly why the Emperor did what he did. He couldn’t afford to let anyone know too much about what he was doing. I seriously doubt any of us are stupid enough to give away Imperial secrets intentionally, but a single misspoken word or phrase could have tipped someone off. The Emperor was making sure that didn’t happen.

I’ve never been crazy about the Emperor doing band-related things on his own, Sam said, but I can’t argue when it gets us results. And we got results. That’s why I ain’t unhappy at any of this.

What he did uncovered a possible new adversary we never knew about. Calvin added. "That reminds me…I heard back from my brother. He says none of