Room Of Plastic Flowers

The guys had been having a great time on this tour. 2006 was looking like a great year. The celebration of Marti-Gra was coming up and the boys of Lifehouse decided to take a little trip down to New Orleans to have some fun and partake in the festivities. On the way there Jason wasn’t very talkative. He kept himself closed up in the back of the bus strumming a few chords on his guitar. Rick was beginning to get concern, so he decided to go and see what was bugging his good friend.

Rick: Hey, what’s wrong? You love going to New Orleans to get drunk and throw beads at voluptuous women as much as I do.

Jason: Yeah, I know…I’m just not in the mood this year.

Rick: Why?

Jason: I just miss Ean.

Rick: Oh, yeah. Ean loved Marti-Gra as much as any of us.

The guys missed their friend who had bit the dust in story six. Ean had actually been buried in New Orleans because it was one of wishes for some unknown reason that the writer created so the story could progress.

Rick: Well, we’ll be sure to save some beads for Ean.

Jason: Yeah, that’ll be nice. We’ll go visit him.

The Lifehouse tour bus arrived in New Orleans that night. The guys checked into their hotel and went to sleep, well everyone except Rick and Bryce who had a bet on who find the most taverns in the shortest amount of time. The next day Jason walked around the streets of New Orleans aimlessly. He stopped and looked around at some stores, the floats that passed by, the screaming girls flashing a group of guys, and Rick being chased by a bearded lady. But it wasn’t the same without Ean. Just then, Jason saw a sign for a store that looked interesting. “Voodoo That You Do,” was the name that was lit up on the sign leading into the store. Jason figure he check it out. He walked into the store that smelled of old lemon peels and foot cream. There were little shrunken heads in a jar near the cash register whose eyes followed his movement. As he was about to leave, Jason heard a voice from the back.

Voice: Who’s that?

Jason: Oh, I’m sorry. I was just looking around and…

Voice: It’s alright…I know why you’re here.

Jason: You do? I don’t even know why I’m here.

Voice: Come on back here.

Jason slowly crept back to where the strange man was. He went through the door with beads hanging down to discover a small dark-haired man sitting on a pillow with many candles surrounding him.

Man: Come and sit across from me.

Jason: Umm…what are?

Man: There must be silence! Sit down and shut the mouth.

Jason: *rapidly sits down* Yes, sir.

Man: Now...you have come here because you miss something.

Jason: Yes!

Man: *with eyes closed* You miss something that was very important to you, that no one can replace.

Jason: Yes!

Man: You miss...your stuff teddy bear, Fred.

Jason: No...

Man: Of course not. I meant your pet cockatoo.

Jason: I never had a pet cockatoo.

Man: A sister?

Jason: No.

Man: A dead uncle?

Jason: No.

Man: A girlfriend?

Jason: No.

Man: A boyfriend?

Jason: Absolutely not!

Man: Well, you never know...

Jason: I miss my best friend, Ean.

Man: Oh, of course. I was going to say him next.

Jason: Right...

Man: How sad to have died so young and so foolishly.

Jason: Actually my cousin stabbed him while he was taking a shower.

Man: Ouch!

Jason: Yeah, then my band ran over my cousin and dumped his body in a lake.

Man: You’ve got a great band!

Jason: Yeah, but I really miss Ean. He was really talented. I wish there was some way to bring him back.

Man: Oh, but there is, my friend.

Jason: Really? How?

The man disappeared to the corner and pulled out a black bottle with green bubbles inside. He brought it over to where Jason sat.

Man: You must bring me the body of your friend.

Jason: What?! I can’t do that! He’s buried!

Man: You will bring me his body if you every want to see him walk the streets alive again!

The man gazed into Jason’s eyes and stared until Jason began to nod his head.

Jason: Yes...I will bring him to you.

Jason rushed out the door and ran back to the hotel where he collected Bryce, Ben, and Rick. Jason led them to the cemetery where Ean had been buried.

Rick: I think it’s good that we’re visiting Ean. I bought some balloons and beads to put on his grave.

Ben: Yeah, Jason, this is really healthy.

Bryce: I agree.

The guys stood over Ean’s grave for a moment, when suddenly Jason whipped out a shovel that he had somehow concealed from the rest of the band, and began digging like a mad man.

Bryce: Jason! What the hell are you doing?!

Ben: Have you gone insane!

Rick: You popped one of my balloons!

Jason: *still digging* I found a guy. He’s gonna bring Ean back to life!

Guys: *look at each other*

Ben: You have gone insane...

Bryce: You should get medical attention, and while you’re getting better, I will carry on the Lifehouse spirit with my amazing vocal talents...

Rick: Bryce!

Bryce: ...I have a problem I know...

Rick: Jason, this “guy” is probably just trying to get your money. Don’t do this.

But Jason kept digging and digging and digging until he finally reached his friend’s coffin. He threw it up (obviously Jason is related to the Incredible Hulk) and began to drag it to the Voodoo shop. The rest of the guys hurried behind. They finally reached the shop and found the man downstairs playing with his shrunken heads.

Jason: Hey! I got him! I brought him to you! Now do your voodoo magic on him!

Man: Wow, you mean you actually listened to me? No one has ever done that before. Well, you see, I’m only so powerful. It will take many Voodoo witch-doctors to bring this man back to life. You all will have to be given the mark of the Voodoo witch-master!

Rick: Whoa, man! I’ve always wanted to be a Voodoo witch-doctor!

Ben: Why doesn’t that surprise me?

Jason: Please, guys, do this for me, for Ean.

Bryce: Well, I guess I’m in.

Ben: Me too.

Rick: I’m so there!

Man: Good! Then we will start the ceremony.

The Voodoo witch-doctor put robes and war paint on all the guys. One by one he dunked their heads into a tub of oil and water and gave them the mark of the Voodoo witch-doctor. After they were all anointed, the 5 men crowded around the coffin to begin the resurrection process.

Man: Oh holy Voodoo witch-master, bless this cup of lamb’s blood, that once sipped by these men will bring back the man known as Ean...Myster-E to his fans! Now, each of you take a sip from the cup.

Rick: I don’t want to drink lamb’s blood!

Man: You must!

Bryce: *takes a sip* This is cranberry juice...

Man: Shhhhh! It’s magical cranberry juice!

Bryce: If you say so.

Everyone took a sip. And now the Voodoo witch-doctor poured the remains of the juice...err...blood on the coffin. Smoke filled the air.

Jason: I can’t see anything! *random moan* Ean! Is that you?!

Slowly a figure emerged from the coffin. All the guys held there breath until the figure stood up out of the coffin, stretched, and gazed upon them.

Ean: What...what’s going on?

Jason: Ean! You’re alive!

Bryce: I can’t believe it actually worked!

Ean: I was dead?! Man that explains why I was eating lunch with Elvis and Jesus...

The guys drove Ean back to the hotel for a very long shower and hair cut. The rest of the time they enjoyed the festivities of Marti-Gra together.

Jason: I really missed you E.

Ean: Thanks. I missed you too. Here’s to good times to come.

Jason: I’ll drink to that.

As the two clinked their glasses together, Rick ran by them screaming as the bearded lady chased him down the street.

Rick: Get her away from me!

Bearded Lady: Come ‘ere sweetie pie! I could just eat you up!

Jason and Ean looked at each other and laughed.

Ean: Ah, it’s great to be back.