Page 120 of Fame & Rhythm

I think I blacked out.

Crying. Hyperventilating. Everything just… shutting down.

For a moment, it felt like relief. But as awareness slowly creeps back in, so does the pain seeping into my chest, spreading through me like something alive.

“Annie, sweetheart… can you hear me?” Mum’s voice cuts through the darkness, but I can’t open my eyes yet.

I feel myself being lifted, arms tight around me, like I’m floating.

“Take her to the green room, Caleb. Make her comfortable. I’ll get a medic.”

I’m weightless and heavy all at once. My head spins, nausea rolling through me, but my eyes refuse to cooperate. Then I’m lowered.

Softness cushions my back.

The cold cloth returns to my forehead.

“What’s w… wrong with her?” Ella’s voice trembles.

“I think she’s having a panic attack,” Caleb says gently. “She’ll come back to us.”

The pain surges again, sharp and crushing this time, dragging me fully back into my body. I gasp, my chest tightening like it’s being squeezed from the inside out.

“Annie?” Ella’s voice is closer now.

I don’t want to come back.

But I’m already slipping out of that quiet place.

A groan escapes me as my hand moves to my chest, pressing against the ache.

“Come on, Annie. Open your eyes,” Caleb says softly.

I squeeze them tighter for a second, then force them open in quick, shaky blinks.

“That’s it. Good girl. Stay with us.”

The cold cloth brushes across my forehead again.

“It hurts,” I whisper.

“What hurts?”

“My chest.”

He nods, his expression softening. “I know, cuz. I know it does. But it’ll pass. I’ve got you.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

When my eyes finally focus, I see Caleb and Ella beside me, their faces tight with worry. Shapes move in the background as people hover and watch.

Then it hits.

A shift in the air.

A presence.

It travels through me like a spark, straight to my chest.

I close my eyes again.