X Marks The Spot

Chapter One

Harry's POV

I'm standing on a dark stage, sweating under the bright spotlight as I squint toward the crowd. Three faces shrouded in shadow sit behind a table. I can't tell who they are or even if they're male or female. But I can sense their eyes boring holes into mine.

A microphone stand rises from the stage in front of me and stops about a foot above my head. I stand up on my tiptoes, trying to reach the mike and failing miserably. I try to think of what I'm supposed to do, and then the realization hits me: they want me to sing.

Music starts playing somewhere, a slow, ghostly organ wheezing out discordant notes. I open my mouth to sing, but nothing comes out.

The music gets louder and the figures appear to grow, and I keep trying to sing but I'm unable to even make a sound. The room starts to spin, melting into a whirlwind of color and sound. Distantly, I hear someone calling my name. "Harry... Harry..."

"Harry!"

I open my eyes and my mum's standing over me. I'm lying in my bed in my familiar bedroom, covered in sweat and shaking slightly.

Mum's eyes are concerned and her eyebrows are knit together in worry. "Are you okay, darling?" She gently brushes back a sweaty curl from my forehead. "Had a bad dream, love?"

I nod and sit up slowly. "Yeah. The one where I'm on stage and can't sing..."

Mum sits down on my bed and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Worried about your X Factor audition again?" I nod and she pulls me closer. She slowly rubs small circles on my back as she murmurs, "You'll be amazing, Harry. I know you will. You have an amazing voice. Now it's just time to let others see that."

I smile and give my mum a hug before pulling away. "Thank you, Mummy." She smiles back and pecks the top of my head. "Now it's time to get ready, my little rock star. Let's go show the world how amazing you are!"

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By the time we make it to the audition, swarms of people have filled the sidewalk, and I join the crowd waiting to sign in.

I look around nervously at the thousands of people who will soon be my competition. My mum notices and she squeezes my shoulder gently.

My stepfather, Robin, talks animatedly to the other young contestants' parents. One teenage girl nearby has a guitar and she's singing an acoustic version of Justin Bieber's "Baby." A small group of teenagers has gathered around her, singing along. An Irish blond boy has his arm slung around another boy who looks like a brunette Justin Bieber and they're both belting out the song with smiles on their faces. It looks like they're having a lot of fun.

Mum notices me watching and nudges me. "Why don't you go join them?"

I look away from the group, shaking my head quickly. I felt way too nervous at the moment. Nervous and nauseated.

Eventually, I reach the front of the line and sign myself in. Then it's into the waiting room where contestants are milling about on plastic chairs, singing or talking with those around them.

Mum, Robin, and I grab a couple of empty chairs in the middle of the room. My eyes immediately begin to scan the crowd, taking in the people around me with a distracted interest. Most people looked way older than me, but one boy across the room didn't look too much older than me.

The boy was sitting in a large circle of chairs, clapping and moving as he sang with the group. He had feathery brown hair and eyes the color of a calm tropical ocean. I couldn't hear what song they were singing, but they looked like they were having a really good time and I wished that I could go join them. I wanted to go sing along with that happy-go-lucky guuy and have fun with him. But my timidity and nerves were holding me back like a restraint.