Immolate

II. Distress

"And that's a wrap for us! Thank you all so much for coming out to hear us tonight! We hope to see you again real s-s-soon!" Saida exclaimed as she felt the adrenaline rush through her, not even bothered by her stutter at that moment. The performance and the audience's response was electric and wonderful. She tried to make the moment last forever.

They were a hit with the crowd. This was the largest show they had done to date, and she couldn't be more proud of her guys. Remy on the drums, Dave with his magical lead guitar, all perfectly in sync with their bassist, Alex.

The small group huddled and hugged each other tightly, so happy to share this wonderful experience together after so much time playing small gigs here and there.

Saida didn't care enough to hide her elation, this was the feeling she chased all along, a connection to humanity through her lifeline of music.

Her eyes scanned the theater, squinting at the bright lights of the stage and the flashes of the sea of phones quickly taking their pictures. It was the only time she didn't mind taking photos. She lived for her fans.

A bright pair of eyes caught her gaze, quieting the cheering around her. They disappeared as soon as she blinked. "Was that Him?" she thought to herself, still surprised by their encounter earlier.

She shook her head, laughing and waving goodbye to the crowd, making her way offstage to where the crew was preparing for the headliner.

She parted ways with her bandmates, rushing to the bathroom of her dressing room after holding it for the last hour. She heard a knock on the door as she finished relieving herself.

It was Jules, the headlining lead singer of Graven, another band Saida considered herself a huge fan of. He greeted her with a huge smile, and she couldn't help but swoon at the sight of the handsome man.

You're on a roll tonight, she chastised herself quietly. Get a grip. She knew the euphoria from a happy crowd wouldn't last forever.

"You are something else! I'm obsessed," he exclaimed, lifting his hand for a high five. She slapped back enthusiastically.

"T-t-that means a lot coming from you," she grinned nervously. Surely, all this praise would go to her head if she didn't snap back to reality soon.

"We need to work together on something," he slurred quietly, placing his hand on her shoulder.

It was apparent to her that he had been drinking, smelling the beer on his breath as he leaned closer. She couldn't hold it against him, as she and her bandmates sometimes relied on liquid courage to settle their nerves. Jules, however, smelled like he had gone overboard.

"I'm serious," he went on without waiting for her response. "Where have you been hiding all this time?"

"I was hiding out in g-g-grad school, hating my life," she remarked aloud, sending Jules into a fit of laughter. As if it were possible, she felt even more flattered than before. Two well known artists want to work with little old me. Could someone pinch me?

"It's so refreshing to meet someone like you! All the female singers these days are prepubescent, not that I'm complaining," he went on with a sly smile.

Saida couldn't help but respond with a distasteful look. Maybe it's better if I steer clear of him...and it's always so nice to be reminded of my age. Was being over thirty a death sentence for women in their line of work?

His lingering hold on her shoulder distracted her thoughts. She glanced down at his hand and then back to his face, politely hinting at him that a boundary was crossed. She didn't dare say more, knowing she couldn't afford to lose this tour by telling him off. She and the guys worked too hard to get here.

Saida thankfully avoided the stigma of sleeping her way to the top, though moments like these happened ever so often with the wrong fan or crew member.

"M-m-may I get you some water? You've got to go on soon," she quickly moved her shoulder backward away from his grasp, hating to be tip-toeing around his invasive approach.

"I have a guy for that! No need for you to move a muscle...right now," he leaned closer as she tried to pull away, almost tripping over himself.

She silently cursed him for having the longest, most elaborate stage setup that his crew was currently working on before performance time. She cursed herself for being unprepared for something like this.

He was too wasted to notice her inching away toward the nearest door. They were alone in her cramped dressing room. With all the excitement happening around them, she failed to realize there wasn't an easy getaway in the old theater.

"Have you ever gotten off in a dressing room?" he blurted out, lifting his hand up and down her shoulder, lightly grazing her plaid top with his long fingers.

She forced a smile as she backed away again. "Why don't we find your guy! Everyone's back here," she exclaimed, trying not to reveal her discomfort, though she doubted he would notice in his drunken state.

Although drunk, he was strong as a bull, suddenly shoving her into the wall.

Saida felt the wind knocked out of her, not expecting the sudden jolt, and what came next.

He had her pinned between his arms, his eyes black and devoid of reason. He leaned in close to her ear, taking in a large breath through his nostrils.

"Jules, come on, this isn't cool," she almost begged, struggling against his hold as he rested a large hand on her collarbone. Her futile protestations did little to help the situation. She had never seen this side of him when he was sober, completely catching her off guard.

"You smell heavenly," he slurred, totally violating her space.

She looked at him incredulously, "You have to be on stage in half an hour! What are you thinking?" she tried appealing to his better nature again.

It made no difference. "I'm thinking we were destined to meet, don't you?" his forceful hold softened slightly to caress the bare skin of her neck.

She was tempted to roll her eyes, shuddering in disgust, but had little time to react as his lips crushed against hers, her eyes widening in shock.

Where does he get off?  Rage overcame her. She tried to shove him back, dropping all pleasantries. "Let go!" she yelled, infuriated.

The resistance seemed to only excite him. "Uh oh, now I've poked the bear. I knew you weren't just a meek stuttering little mouse," he jeered, trying to evoke another reaction from her.

She managed to free one arm and punch him in the face, sending Jules into his own fury. He swung back at her with the force of a dumb brute, knocking her to the floor. She rolled back in pain, clutching her side and the back of her head. Her vision went blurry as he stood over her, lost in a drunken stupor.

She was bracing herself for his next blow, but it never came. Instead she heard a crash against the wall, vaguely making out a body crumpled on the floor next to her. She couldn't see much else, with everything fading to black as light reflected off a pair of men's shoes walking toward her.