Elyssa Sparks' POV:

There was much fanfare after our successful auditions back at home...

The first thing we did upon reaching home was call Mom:

"Hello, were you trying to reach Ellina Mason-Sparks?" came an unfamiliar voice from the other side.

"Yes, this is her daughter Elyssa. Is she around?"

"Just a minute." said the voice.

"Hello, Ely?" said Mom.

"Hey, Mom! We just got back-" I was cut off.

"WHAT happened?"

"You take a guess..."

"Both of you didn't get through?"

"No!"

"You got through and Em didn't?"

"You're wrong again!"

"Em got through and you didn't?" Mom asked, her voice brimming with shock.

"Nu-uh."

"WHAT?"

"Fine, I'll just tell you: both of us got through! They loved our performances!"

"What did Em sing?"

"Em sang 'Thriller' and I should tell you, it was divine! I was mesmerized!"

"Oh my God! Give Em the phone!"

I handed a smiling Em the phone.

Here's what I heard from Em's side:

"Yeah, they loved it!"

"Ely helped me a lot in practicing..."

"She sang 'The Monster'-"

"No, the Eminem song featuring Rihanna-"

"I don't know why she chose that song-"

"No, a mashed-up version-"

"Will you let me talk?  Yes, she did sing that, and the judges loved it!"

"For real! I'm not joking! Charlotte King even said she had absolutely no qualms in saying Ely was the best performer of the day!"

"Yes, Mom, the Charlotte King!"

"We're both so happy!"

"Thank you, Mom!"

"We have to go back the day after the day after tomorrow..."

"They'll tell us what to do when we go there..."

Oh my God, they finally ended their call now!

"I seriously can not believe what happened there!" says Em.

"You were so good!" I reply.

"I couldn't believe it! I was nervous, but somehow that thumbs-up you gave me comforted me, and I was, all of a sudden, calm!"

"I hoped it would..."

"I felt those notes flowing from my mouth and I felt like I didn't sing that!"

"Well, you did!"

"Let's come to you now, Ely!"

"No! "

"Come on! You pretty much slayed that!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! And those judges had to react that way..."

"What do you mean?" I sing.

"I'll tell you; I knew how talented you are, but I still couldn't help gasping at how you sang! I knew you can beatbox, rap, belt and riff quite well, I knew you can hit the notes you hit, but it was like I was hearing it all for the first time! That was such a genius mashup, though! It showed off all you can do without too much of anything. I bow to the Queen!" says Em, with a small curtsy.

"Now I know you're pulling my leg!"

"No, I'm not! I'm serious, like really! You're so freaking talented!" Em nearly yells at me.

I try to hold it back, but I can't help it; a familiar pain overtakes everything else I feel. The familiar feeling of being lost spreads over my mind.

Em realizes what's happening and a look of terror and sorrow seeps into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Em; it's not your fault..." I manage to choke out before leaning against the wall and dropping to the ground, my head between my knees.

Em pats my back and chokes out, "I'm sorry, Ely; I can't watch you like this...", his voice filled with tears.

I can hear Em's boots on the steps as he walks up the steps. He soon returns with a black jacket and a pair of black boots.

He coaxes me into wearing them and says, "Please try to be safe and back as soon as you can, Ely. I really miss you when you go..."

I can't hold back my tears anymore as I hug him, get out, "Thank you, Em," and run out of the door.

Everytime this happens, I don't even have to think about where to go. My feet seem to have their own mind.

Soon, they drop and I can feel grass under me. Not caring about where I am, I crawl to a tree nearby and am soon back on my feet with the help of the trunk.

I now feel dizzy and everything's spinning in my vision, but my feet are insistent on moving forward.

The only other thing I remember before blacking out is the stars in the sky above.

When I wake up, I find out I'm lying in somebody's garden and the sky's still dark though it's lightening little by little.

I manage to get up and go to a shop nearby. The shopkeeper groggily stares at me as I walk in.

"What's the time?" I ask him.

He looks into the dial on his hand and replies, "5:00."

"A.M., right?" I ask.

"Yeah."

He clearly looks annoyed so I thank him and walk out after finding out where I am.

Did I walk that far, though??

I must have.

Well, I'm too tired to walk back that far, but I still try.

Something's hurting a lot but I'm not able to find out where the pain is coming from, so I give up on it.

I'm a couple of kilometers from home when I pause for a break.

I start again and reach home just as the streetlights turn off.

It's 6:00, then...

Wait today's a Saturday so no one's going to be up till 8:00.

I check my pockets. I don't have the keys so I have to sit outside until 8:00. No point in ringing the doorbell.

I decide to sit outside the door when I notice the searing pain I'd felt came from just below my knees and my wrists, both of which are bleeding.

I try to do something, but there's no point in that either. So, I just sit by the door and wait for somebody to wake up.

I'd found my iPod and my headphones in my pocket when I was searching for the keys, so I just plug in my headphones and play my Pentatonix playlist.

'Light in the Hallway' starts and it's so soothing...

"Ooooh

Close your eyes, Lay your head down.... "

- - - - - - -

" ..... take my heart and I'll lay down my weapons- "

'Run to You' is nearly over when someone taps my shoulder. I turn around and find it to be Philip. Somebody finally woke up!

I thank him and walk in to find someone crouched on the couch. I know that copper hair too well.

Philip says, "Emmett, look who's home!"

Em looks up and at me. His eyes change from sorrow to confusion. And terror and sorrow when he sees my bloody feet and wrists.

I take a step towards Em.

My headphones have fallen out and one line plays out before I pause it.

"I'll run, I'll run, I'll run, run to you "

He immediately comes running to me and we walk up to my room where he insists I clean my bruises. Em then makes me lie down and tells me he'll always be there and walks out.

I still don't know what to make of what happened. I try to sleep, but it's of no avail.

After some time, I know I can't sleep anymore.

Sighing, I get up and take a bath. I dress in a skirt and a cap sleeve top.

My bruises sting when I'm in the shower. I observe the bruises on my wrists after getting ready. They're right where the cuts were just months ago.

Well, they aren't going to be gone any time soon...

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