Saturday, February Second, 9:25 P.M…

We had gotten to the show a little bit before it started. Our bus had a little bit of an issue starting, due to unknown reasons. My mind still lingered on the shadowy figure of Zila that had confronted me earlier.

What a sly trickster.

Good news was that I technically didn’t have to by a band member at all times, like I had for the last few concerts. Mike and the guys were fairly sure that Oli and his gang weren’t going to come after me.

I had other thoughts.

Zila told me, although slightly cryptically, that Oli wasn’t a fool. If Jordan had seen us here in Maryland, then he would be scoping out the area. Zila told me that the flat tire wasn’t a mistake. Jordan needed a way to get on the bus. We just didn’t give him the opportunity to start his on-vehicle search.

Oli knew that I was with a band. He was going to check all of them out, starting with Pierce the Veil. He would be near.

So I had to stay safe.

I followed Mike quickly as he led the way towards the back of the stage. Alex burst out of a door, skidding down the hall in black socks.

“Hey, I found them!” He shouted as he looked over his shoulder, sliding to a stop. Zack skid out after him, wearing a…hockey helmet? Rian was bouncing around as Jack followed the sound of the calls.

“Hey guys! Sorry we’re a little late. You guys go on in ten, right?” Vic asked. Zack snuck up behind me, kissing my temple gently. I whirled around as his lips left my skin, watching him grin and disappear down the corridor.

“Come on guys, Jack was telling me earlier how to get to backstage. Let’s head out there.” Jaime suggested, taking Vic’s hand in the process. Tony whined that he was being left out and grabbed my hand. In the end, we managed to form a large train of hand holding as our shoes click-clicked down the dim halls.

A security guard noted our badges and helped lead us to a good spot back stage. We arrived just as All Time Low bounced past us, clapping our shoulders and Jack ruffling my hair affectionately. I chuckled as he winked. The crowd went wild as the band entered the stage.

Backseat Serenade started up and I turned my head, seeing a bustle of security brush by us. I caught the eye of some girl lounging against a cold, stone column, the height imposing and the figure mischievous.

Was that…Oli? No, no, no, it couldn’t be.

But the figure, or the shadow of a memory, was gone in the blink of an eye. By the time the song finished up, the crowd with in arms with cheers for another rendition. Instead, they pleased the audience with one of their newest songs, Kids in the Dark. I tried to get into the groove, but there just was an air around the backstage where we are.

Something’s not right.

No, no, no, that’s just me being extra cautious. Zila had really screwed me up this afternoon. Now I’m all on edge and won’t calm down until we get back into the bus. I know how this goes. It never ends well.

“Mike.” I tried to get ahold of his attention. The drummer was currently laughing as Jack made some very…uh, suggestive….motions at him. I tugged at his sleeve. He looked down as I pushed my way under his arm. He bent down, looking at me with concern.

His mouth moved but I couldn’t hear over the chorus of KITD. I buried my face into his chest. He held me for a moment, rubbing my back. Tony touched my shoulder gently, looking at me with worry. I shook my head, taking deep breaths. I was a little bit better off.

A third song passed and I couldn’t keep up with the lyrics like I usually could. Was it Heroes? Perhaps. I couldn’t remember the opening notes, much less the chorus.

I gently pulled myself out of Mike’s grasp. He didn’t pay attention. It was getting really hot back here, even though it was nearly pitch black. The lights from the sound engineer’s soundboard was blinking gently, pulsing like sporadic heartbeats. Even though I was wearing a light shirt and shorts, I was dying of the warmth and needed to go run cold water over my wrists. It was an easy way to cool down quickly.

Sneaking through all the tech in the back, I managed to get to the main hallway. There was a sign that read ‘Restrooms’ and had an arrow. No one was in the halls, an abandoned memory of the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the beginning of the concert.

I found my way to the shiny doors of the bathroom and slowly went inside, turning the faucets on the cold water and slid my wrists under the stream. Closing my eyes, I felt the icy chill wash over the burning skin and run its way into my heart. In a matter of a minute and twenty three seconds, I was already feeling much better. Checking my hair quickly, I dried off my hands gently, making sure to not rub away much of the cold drops.

Stepping out, I started to weave my way back towards the main tunnel into the backstage area. The lights dimmed down to near pitch blackness as I neared the stage left.

And then I heard another set of footsteps.

That’s really odd…I thought all the tech and stage hands would be helping out. Was there other backstagers here?

No, wait, we were the…the only ones.

I froze in my spot, the ice returning to my palms.

And then the hand clamped over my mouth.

The first reaction I had: Kick backwards. And I scored a hit to my attacker’s crotch. The hand removed itself as I sprinted to safety, to the stage. Hands caught me again, faster than I expected. There had to be at least three of them.

I tried to bite down on the hand covering my mouth, but I couldn’t focus on one attacker at a time. I couldn’t scream; The music was too loud. No one would hear me.

Someone started to drag me down the hallway by my shoulders. I tried to attack with my left ankle, but it was still aching from when it was sprained. We finally got into the illuminated portion of the tunnel when I could see my attacker’s faces.

Matt Kean, Jordan Fish, and, of course, Oliver Sykes.

“Well hello again, darling. You surely must be more careful when you travel.” Oli clucked his tongue at me. I struggled against Matt’s grasp, the one that was holding my wrists behind my back. I had no hopes of escape.

I was too injured to fight back, too early in recovery. There were three of them, and one of me. The music was too loud for anyone to hear my screams. All I could do was try to lose them in the maze of tunnels that connected all of the hallways in the stadium together.

If there was one thing I had learned from when I was at the OM&M/YM@S/ATL concert, it was that every stadium had a vast network of hallways, tunnels, connected rooms, and exits that all converged at the main stage. It was a labyrinth in these concert venues.

And maybe, I could use that to my advantage.

As Oli stared me down, hungry like the wolf, I took a moment of pause to swing one leg up back and kick Matt in the shin. He growled and released enough pressure from my wrists for me to twist free and dive under Jordan.

The keyboardist didn’t expect me to go through his legs, so I scrambled up and went the direction opposite of the restrooms. I had no clue where I was going. Everything was just a mash of light and rooms. No one questioned what I was doing; there was no one to question me.

I heard them scrambling to keep track of me. I knew if I kept on running, I could make it eventually to an exit, but I just had to shake them off my tail.

“Why do you bastards always choose concerts to try and kidnap me from!?” I growled as the dead end stopped me in my tracks. There was just a room that I had managed to get myself stuck in. Unlike the last room I had ducked through, this one didn’t have another door leading to another hallway, or another path of rooms.

Before I could find a spot to hide in, the three boys burst through the door, leaving it wide open. I looked to the ceiling for an escape, like there would magically be some pop up escape hatch. No, no, it was just those weird pop up ceiling tiles, the ones where you can remove them to reach the pipes and vents hidden above. They commonly have them at schools. It’s like removable tiles, but for ceilings.

“Oh, but my dear, you cannot escape this time.” Oli purred evilly. I sighed, rubbing my face in desperation.

I thought back to the time Motionless in White were chasing me through a concert venue back in California. “You kidnappers are all the same. ‘We want you, blah blah blah….You can’t escape, blah blah blah…’.” I grumbled. Jordan tilted his head in minor confusion. “But seriously, you guys ALWAYS choose to chase me through a concert. Can’t you get an original chase scene spot!?” I shook my head in mock disgust. Oli advanced towards me, backing me up until my shoulders hit a brick wall. Jordan was blocking my exit and I was desperate.

“Cut the BS, darling. You’re coming with us no matter what.” Oli grabbed my shoulder. I ducked away, but his hold was tight. I winced in pain as his nail dug into my skin through the thin shirt fabric.

“Why don’t you go find someone else to pick on?” I howl. Matt cocked an eyebrow, whispering, “Girl’s got some sass since we last saw her, don’t you think, Fish?” He asked his buddy, the British accent thick with malice. Jordan nodded, answering coldly, “I believe she’ll get a good whipping back on the bus, mate.”

Oli glared down at me, his grip tightening as I struggled. “Now you listen hear-“

And then he was swiftly drop kicked in the shoulder. A flying shadow had come down, silent as the night, and had drop kicked Oliver Sykes in the shoulder, sending him spinning into the next wall, his head connecting with a sickening smack.

“ZILA!?” I cried in astonishment. The shadowy figure turned to me, grinning with her mischievous polished olive eyes, and went to give Jordan and Matt Kean a kick to the gut.

Oh, I should’ve expected it. Looking up to the ceiling, I noticed a single tile had been missing. She had come flying down from the ceiling, saving me from the three.

Zila was currently shoving Oli away from the exit as she looked me in the eye. That girl is a badass, let me tell you!

“Good seeing you again.” She nodded. I stumbled towards the door, my ankle flaring up in little needles of pain.

“You too.” I mumbled breathlessly. She pushed me out, shoving the door closed behind her. I turned around as a crunch was heard. My eyes widened as I saw her foot planted firmly just above the door knob.

“Um, was that your leg?” I asked incredulously. She shook her head with a tinkling laugh.

Zila took my arm, leading down the hall at a quick pace as she looked up, seeming to count the lights.

“Just the lock. I jammed it and it will give us some time, but not a whole lot.” She mumbled. I nodded and went back to hobbling along behind her. Zila held out her hand, halting me. With a skyward leap, she punched one of the ceiling tiles, causing it to bump upwards. In another jump, she hoisted herself up into the vents. I turned and stared, mouth wide open and jaw hitting the floor.

“Take this. Ever ridden before?” She asked with a sly grin. I shook my head as a skateboard came crashing down from the ceiling. I managed to catch it and set it on the floor. With all the noise in a quieter area of the stadium, I wondered when the security would come running.

I looked at her, wondering how she A) got into the vent, B) got a SKATEBOARD into the vent C) and became such a badass in such a short amount of time.

“I’ll explain later. Just take the next four rights and it’ll lead you to an exit. If they get to you, just remember, shadows keep you, night be your rest. Later!” And with a cheery, almost easy, wave, she was gone. The tile next to the light had been replaced, and I was left alone.

A crack signaled that the door was breaking down just a hundred feet behind me.

So I got on the skateboard, and started to push. The ride wasn’t as bad as I thought because we were at a slight downhill incline. I don’t even remember running uphill, but we must have because I was catching speed pretty quickly.

I was trying to be quick with my eyes. I managed to catch the next fork in the tunnels and took the right. The halls started to get dimmer and dimmer, and the music got louder and louder.

One right down, three more to go.

Footsteps were fading in the distance. I managed to balance myself out as I got distracted. Taking another right, the lights were nearly blacked out. I had to forcefully slow myself down and try to figure out where the next right was.

Unfortunately for clumsy me, I nearly crashed into a wall. Before that could happen, I jumped off, stumbling slight. I crawled around on the floor, discovering my skateboard that had rolled off. The footsteps were getting closer and my slow roll and near crash had managed to slow me down considerably.

It was so dark in here, I could barely see in front of me. I felt for a wall, huddling against it. I kept the skateboard in easy reach. Two shadows turned the hall into the abyss where I crouched in. The third outline joined the other two. They picked their way down the hall.

What had Zila said? May shadows keep you…

Shadows…shadows…shadows…and suddenly, it clicked in my mind. Shadows. How could she be basically invisible all the time? Because she was wearing all black…and because she stayed in the shadows. She had seemed like the shadows to me when I first saw her because she had kept to the shadows, she had kept to the darkness.

May shadows keep you…I finally understood it.

I let the darkness consume me, let the abyss wrap me in a familiar hug. I felt like I had melted into the wall, like I was watching from a faraway view, like I was invisible to everything else and I walked in the darkness.

“Bloody hell, where did she go?” Oli cursed lightly.

“She couldn’t have gone far…she had to be here somewhere, or she had to pass by here recently…” Jordan trailed off. Their footsteps slowed near me, but I didn’t let my breathing give me away, or my pounding heart.

“Split up. You two take a left, I’ll go right.” Matt growled. They followed the plan and only when I couldn’t hear their rabid steps did I finally stand up. Following the tunnel as best as I could with eyes more adjusted to the total blackness, I took a right.

Two down, two to go.

I wasn’t out yet.

Notes