Guitar Duel

Beads of perspiration trickled down James' neck. He struggled to control his breathing, his breath rose up in front of his face as fog in the crisp night air, lit by a lone street lamp to his right.

He hadn't been expecting this.

"Its now or never JBL", growled a voice from the shadows. He could just make out the faint silhouette of the speaker. James didn't need to see them to know who it was though. Energy crackled around them causing the very reality to distort their image.

The two guitarists stood alone in the road, there was no wind, no rain, just dead winter silence. The silhouetted figure stepped into the light. James could hear his heart beat as he gripped the neck of his PRS Golden Eagle, knowing what was to come. 7 foot of corded muscle and sinew, a black cloak hanging off his giant frame, Taylor strode forward to within 6 foot of James and looked down at him.

James jumped back as the 6 foot axe swung down at him. It narrowly missed his legs as he sprang into a flip, landing to the left of his attacker. The guitar that almost annihilated him was as dark as the underworld. He had never seen anything like it. Ancient runes glowed down the neck in red and the pick ups pulsated with an ethereal energy. James' own axe was tingling in his hands in response to the dark force coming from Taylor's guitar. He stood up and back onto the curb as Taylor rose to his full height.

"Its on bitch!"Laughed James, and switched the pick up selector, causing his guitar so sharpen down the left side to a nearly monomolecular scale. He lunged at his opponent, sweeping the guitar up to the left. Taylor Threw himself back and kicked James' arm off the neck causing him to lose balance. James stumbled into a forward roll as he placed his fingers back on the fret board. He spun round and whacked the strings with his other hand. A ghostly note filled the air as a green screen erupted into life in front of him, blocking the latest onslaught. Taylor had pointed the neck of his guitar..thing at James and tapped the strings, the flurry of notes had shot sonic impulses towards James. The shield had formed just in time to stop his flesh being flailed off his body.

"I was on the next page I read that so early", he grinned. "So you were." Taylor breathed, in a voice barely human. He jumped up and threw his guitar in the air. James spread his legs and braced as Taylor disappeared.

Silence, apart from James' heavy breathing filled the night once more. Taylor's guitar was spinning in the air, some ten feet of the ground, gathering speed and glowing red. James closed his eyes and concentrated. Then he heard it, a faint note emitting from the left, he thrust left with his elbow and met Taylor's nose in a crunch of bone, then he swung his guitar up, scything up his assailant's face along the left eye. Taylor recoiled, blood flowing down his neck and shoulder from his forehead. James jumped back and started playing his guitar. Running his fingers up and down in a sweat slicked legato pattern. Taylor started to shake and thrust his left arm out, a look of alarm crossing his face. His dark guitar flew into his hands, leaving a trail of red energy in its wake. He directed the energy at James, a desperate bid to stop his shred. However, James' notes where creating a void around him, into which the attack flew harmlessly.

James grinned and arched his back, letting loose his full force. Time stopped for him, he could feel the power flowing through every nerve in his body. Light erupted around him, the light of the sun and the dark of night. Taylor had just grabbed his Axe as the energy flew through the air and smashed into him. James saw it in slow motion. Sweat dripping off Taylor's hand as he tried in vain to ignite a shield. James' finishing attack starting to rip the meat from his torso, the pain registering on his face as he realised his fate.

And then it was over, the shrill wail of James' attack died into the wind that had formed from the shock of it. All that was left was a shadow against the wall on the far side of the road and red strings of cooked meat and gore covering the Dark guitar on the ground. James fell to his knees and picked up the guitar. His trophy to mark the end of an epic guitar duel...