As I strode towards the main hall, yelling began to rise from the outer edge of the crowd, from the entrance of the school. The crowds began to part quickly and a few bins topple over, a large group of suited individuals was plowing through in the direction of the Principal's office. I sped up and quickly darted into the hall before any of them spotted me. They looked like paparazzi, I saw some small cameras dangling from around their necks.

I closed the door behind me and sighed, this day just got more complicated. I walked the short distance down the corridor before pushing open the backstage door. I pat my bag, feeling the lump that was my dress. I hope the Principal can keep them distracted for long enough.

“Ah! Sylvie! Glad you’re here” Klien welcomed me. “The changing rooms are in the back, go get changed and fetch your guitar, we’re going to do a last moment rehearsal” I nod and push my way past a limp rack of curtains towards the female changing room.

I pushed my way into one of the stalls and locked the door before pulling the dress out carefully, it was thankfully still in good condition and not crumpled up. I took out the pair of short heels I’d also bought at the time, placing them down on the ground. They look tidy enough, I hadn’t worn heels since before I died so this was going to be a tiny bit experimental. But if Erina was gonna be there I wanted to look my best.

After getting changed I took a few cautious steps outside of the stall, just about keeping my balance enough to be satisfied. I exit the changing room, satisfyingly clicking along. A few of the crew complimented my looks as I walked past, which was really satisfying. I picked up my guitar bag from the neatly arranged pile of instruments backstage. Most of the others are empty as other people have come forwards to claim theres.

Performing at the festival had been based partially on whether or not you volunteered, and also on your skills. Leo was pretty decent at the trumpet but hadn’t volunteered..probably due to self confidence issues, and that they hadn’t come out yet. Klien was impressed by my quick relearning of the guitar and had insisted I perform. I was embarrassed at the time but I agreed. I think it’d be a chance to re-find my dream.

The rehearsal went well, I was up second after a band that’d formed between a few of the other students. Their main singer was a kind but sort of butch girl that could sing with the best of them, and they’d even written their own songs which was impressive. With that sort of gusto I wasn’t surprised they’d been lined up first. They were going to go on to pretty big things if they could stay together.

It soon became time for the music and the dancing to begin, the light from outside fading as the earlier sunset begins, quite a few people had gone home, but still a reasonable amount of people began to pour in. From my position watching through a gap in the curtains I can just about spot the horns and wings of Erina in the crowd. There were a few others too with oddities about them, I spotted a pair of unusual looking ginger ears, a cat-person if I remember correctly. I’d noticed them about but never spoke to them. Different circles I suppose.

I ducked back in and sat down at one of the seats where we all lined up in order, right next to the keyboard player for the band.

“Yo!” he says, looking at me. “You’ve done well in the rehearsals, you’ll rock it!” his bandmates echoed him quietly, I guess I looked nervous.

The crowd outside’s chattering echoes backstage past the thick curtains, only being half suppressed by the thick material, Klien comes down from the lighting control box after doing the final checks. He stops in front of us all and claps his hands.

“Right everyone! I’m going to go out there and start this thing, I shall introduce each of you in turn. Do your best and have fun okay?” I nod and everyone calls out in agreement. “Here we go!” He pushes his way past the hanging drapes and disappears.

“Hello, Hello, Hello Everyone!” He gets them to slowly quieten down. “Thank you for coming to our Autumn festival and partaking in the barbeque and all the other things running today. Now comes the time for the musical performances to end the day and the festival! Please give it up for our first performers, the wonderful Phenomena Radio!” the audience applauds and the band next to me stands. I wave them off and they enter the stage. During their performance I couldn’t help but think I was seeing things, flittering shadows in the corner of my eye. It looked like movement, something seemed to be moving around backstage.

I shook my head and ignored it. It was just nerves, I’m sure of it. The crowd cheers loudly, distracting me from the moving shadows.

After they played a few songs, they wound it down and vacated the stage. It was time. I gulped and stood, waiting for Klien to introduce me. I fidgeted, tapping a fingernail on the edge of my guitar.

“...Give it up for our newest student Sylvie!” Oh crap I’d barely been listening to his introduction. I slowly entered the stage and faced the cheering and clapping crowd. I pulled up a stool to the front of the stage under the spotlight and sat down. I felt like I was about to take on a final boss, alone and underprepared. The silence taunts me, I hesitate just for a moment and out there in the crowd. I hear a voice ring out.

“You’ll blow them all away Sylvie!” it was Erina, I see her horns rising above the rest. I focused on her and her alone, this wasn’t about me anymore..

It was about my feelings for her..

...And with that I began playing…

Rhythms of fire and flight.

Melodies of self doubt and inner turmoil.

Strings of confidence and revival.

The lyrics of voiceless love echo in my head.

***
I must must must get rid of her, Cadence crawls around the back of the stage, searching and searching for something, anything. She bashes her head on a control panel. “Ow…” she stands and inspects it. “...this will do nicely..”

***

I was part way through my second instrumental song when I was interrupted by a spine tingling sound. I glanced upwards, what I see causes my undead heart to metaphorically skip a beat. The lighting rig had shifted and started to sag, and before I could move or do anything, it drops with a large grinding noise. The spotlight that was focused on me grew larger and larger as time seemed to slow down. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact to come.

Fortunately, it never did.

“Argh! You-you okay Sylvie!” I hear a familiar voice, I open my eyes and I see Erina flying, just about managing to hold it up. “Can-can you please move so I can put this down?” she groans. I stand as quickly as I can and lower myself off of the stage. She slowly lowers the gantry until she drops it about half a foot onto the stage, which splinters but doesn’t break. Without hesitation she turns around and dives into the mass of curtains.

Klien comes rushing around from backstage to find the audience clamouring around me, I shook them off, giving thankful nods and gestures all around. He takes my shoulder and softly pulls me away.

“That was scary? Are you hurt?” I shake my head. “Okay good, I’ll send you to the nurse anyway. How did you escape that? I didn’t see?” A girl dressed in sports clothes comes up.

“Sir, Erina dove in and stopped it. She was so brave. I was standing next to her and she could tell something was up the moment it moved even a tiny bit” I hear a scream and a yell from backstage. Erina appears from behind the curtains, dragging a person behind her.

“So Cadence? What do you have to say for yourself?” she swings Cadence around in front of her, keeping her pinned.

“Fucking animals, gross inhumane creatures” she spits at me from the stage “Why you? Why have you come back? What's the point?” She's crying now. “Why can’t...dad…”

“I found her on the controls for the rigging. She dropped it on Sylvie, thats attempted murder” I’ve never seen Erina so furious. She’s usually so kind and lighthearted. Its too much for me, all the stress of the performance and of nearly dying again, and this. My head is swimming and confused, and I feel awfully faint.

Darkness beckons, the last thing I hear before I fade into unconsciousness is a yell from Erina: “Sylvie!”