From the Gutter to the Stars

Chapter 1: In the Gutter

   At the sound of footsteps in the distance, down a narrow Tuscan street, Elisa began to stir from her semi conscious state. She could barely move, her limbs didn't feel like they belonged to her and her head throbbed with excruciating pain. With the little strength she had left Elisa tried to push herself up from the side of the pavement, which only resulted in her pathetically rolling into the gutter. The footsteps got louder and more hurried. Elisa could make out that it was two people coming towards her. She just hoped it wasn't them. She'd had enough trouble in the last twenty four hours to last her a life time. Elisa prayed that the footsteps would just go away, pass her by and let her rot in peace. It's nothing more than I deserve she thought miserably. The footsteps came to a sudden halt beside her and between the pounding beats of her now accelerated heart rate Elisa could just make out two male voices.
   "...A girl, she's badly hurt." Said one.
   "Look at all the blood, she needs an ambulance." Said the other.
   At the mere mention of an ambulance Elisa managed to open her sore swollen eyes, albeit with some difficulty.
   "No ambulance!" Elisa's throat being so dry her voice came out so hoarse that she wasn't even sure if her words came out at all.
   "You need help." The first man spoke again, while trying to dig his phone out of his pocket.
   He knelt down beside Elisa on her right side while the other man stood over her on her left. Even through blurred double vision Elisa thought these two men looked familiar to her. The first man especially, even his voice sounded familiar. She had definitely heard that voice somewhere before but it was too painful to concentrate on anything other than the man about to press the dial button on his phone.
   "I said no ambulance." Her voice was more coherent this time, even if it was just a croak.
   Elisa looked from one man to the other, trying to give her best pleading look. They still looked concerned but the first man began putting his phone away into his back pocket. Elisa blinked a few times to try and clear her vision and when the man turned his head back around the familiarity of his face suddenly struck her. She couldn't believe who she was looking at, she wondered if the pain in her head was causing her to hallucinate. Just to be sure, she had to ask.
   "Mika... You're Mika right?"
   "Yes I am, but that's not important right now" He said. Before he had a chance to say anything else Elisa turned to the other man still standing over her.
   "Andy?" She asked.
   He nodded.
   Elisa definitely wasn't hallucinating but she still couldn't believe that it was Mika, a singer who she had admired for many years now. A singer who's music had got her through so much. Elisa had always wanted to see him perform live on stage and maybe get the chance to meet him, but she never expected to be meeting him like this. Certainly not covered in bruises and laying in the gutter.
   At least he can't see me blushing under all these bruises she thought. However, her bashfulness soon evaporated into a feeling of shame. She was ashamed of how she got herself into such a mess in the first place and ashamed of who she really was. Elisa didn't want to explain to anyone, especially Mika, how she ended up beaten and bloody. Tears began trickling down her cheeks but it even hurt to cry. All she wanted was to be left alone, she didn't want anyone's help, not when there was no place for someone like her to belong.
   Elisa tried once more to push herself up from the ground, however her body felt like a dead weight and all she could manage was to lift her head slightly towards Mika. Elisa thought she saw pity in his eyes and it made her feel sick. She could do without people pitying her.
   "Just help me up will you?" She said a little too rudely. "And I'll be on my way."
   "You're not going anywhere in this state on your own." He replied. "Andy, help me get her onto her feet."
   Holding onto an arm each, Mika and Andy carefully lifted Elisa up from the pavement. She wanted to get away, but as soon as she took one step forward her legs threatened to buckle under her. Mika and Andy quickly moved to keep her steady by putting their arms around her shoulders.
   "I'm fine." She said through gritted teeth. "Please just let me go."
   "You're clearly not fine." Said Mika. "Look, my house isn't too far, let me take you there so you can clean yourself up."
   Elisa didn't have the energy to argue so she just gave a weak nod.
   "What's your name by the way?" Asked Andy.
   "Elisa... My name's Elisa."
   She could feel her strength slipping away again but with what little she had left of it, Elisa allowed herself to be lead away, walking arm in arm with Mika and Andy.
   A light rain began to fall, but Elisa didn't care because for the first time in a long time she felt a little safer.