JE got immediately snapped to attention. Just a second, he considered asking a helpless “What?” but then he brought to his mind again the importance of this situation. So his answer to Ludger’s question was just a quick and self-confident “Exactly.”
Ludger nodded his head. “So, no problem. The room is yours, it’s fine of me. “

„With me. They say ‚fine with me‘.“ JE had this instinct to correct the grammar of everybody speaking to him which always brings him from a difficult into a disastrous situation. But hell yeah, JE was a completer.
„What’s wrong with you?“ Ludger’s voice sounded annoyed. “So, if you don’t need a new room…”
“Everything’s good. When is it possible we could move into our new room?“
“That was told in my announcement. I’m sure that you read it carefully.”
Ludger’s facial expression changed from annoyed to a big smirk. His ego celebrated his assumed triumph while playing with the car key of his BMW.

This situation got too obscured for JE. He needed a break from this house-high-ego that Ludger enjoyed showing him so much. And he needed a successful conclusion.
So JE played the best card he still had, the best card everyone ever could play in every hopeless situation: “I’ll phone you, okay?”

Ludger waved a hesitant goodbye while walking away towards his office, sure there were no more words needed.
JE was absolutely determined that this problem would not became a hydra. He took his cell out of his pocket and after two fast and smoothly movements he already heard the free-line signal.

“Hey JE.”
“SEB. You’ll be the first off the mark! I just discussed for hours with Ludger to give us a new, shiny and better rehearsal room. Finally, I won the discussion! Isn’t it great?!“
There was a longer pause.
„SEB? Are you still there?“
„Yep. Which room is it?“
This question got JE on the wrong foot.
He was just about to answer but immediately he realized: he got no idea what to say.
“Ehm, … I’ll tell you at band practice on thursday. It is supposed to be a surprise for you all. And I know that especially you are loving surprises.”
SEB coughed but JE noticed a giggle.

“Oh eh, sorry, I’m just driving towards a tunnel. See you on thursday.”
JE ended the phone call. He was absolutely sure to have found the perfect solution for this situation. Proud of his professional fighting against all odds he just wanted to relax a moment by smoking a cigarette before driving to work.
He opened the driver’s door and put his key into the ignition switch, turned it to the right halfway and started his CD-Player to hear the song again he heard on his way to Ludger’s office. But the same as before – no sound. Just creepy silence.
Suddenly, starting as a gentle whisper, he heard words he knew well. They seemed to come from another universe but then, at the same time, he knew the words came directly from the depths of his soul. These words were floating to his mind like leaves falling down to earth, soft, just carrying nature and sense.

“Light up my way… Out of the dark…. Into the void…. Light up my way…. Born to shine.”
While listening to this strange voice with which the words were spoken, sounding like a mantra somebody was telling himself in a relentless repetition, he became drowsy somehow. He tried to get in his car but his legs did not follow. He tried to lift his arm – but he had no chance, it was not possible for him to move. He panicked. The next thing he felt was his body lying down on the ground. Then he saw a big crow sitting close before his eyes and Ludger’s voice saying: “Now, you’re lost.”
JE closed his eyes and fainted.