Catch Me

Ch. 2

Demi's pov

The day was spent well with everyone. It was mostly catching up since tour does distance me and keep me out of the loop of many events.

"Oh Demi! Coraly made this beautiful painting the other day of Batman and Ella. I didn't realize she could even paint! She posted a few photos on her art account, I believe her art teacher has it still since she has to grade it. But it's absolutely beautiful. I had asked her if I could give it to you and she said yes. So I'll get it to you once she brings it home. I love it." Mom says.

I watch Madison look around the room worriedly, "Um, where is she?"

"Who?" Dad asks.

"Cora." Madison says slightly panicked.

The room falls completely silent as we just begin to notice the 14 year olds disappearance. Her 6 hour disappearance that is.

"Oh my god! How the fuck did no one notice?!" Madison asks rushing to her phone.

"To be fair she is rather silent. Even when she's in the room she doesn't exactly talk much. Talking never has been her thing." I say.

"Ew what's on the carpet? Demi you've been in here for not even a full day and already spilled something on the carpet?" Dallas asks moving further away from where she was just sitting.

"What are you talking about? I didn't spill anything. I stopped spilling stuff when I was a child." I roll my eye.

She points to the carpet and I look and see a rather large red stain in the carpet. One I don't remember being there when I arrived. However it's here when I came back and the only person in this room when I was gone for sound check, was Coraly. Of course. She can't do anything right.

My anger reaches a level I haven't felt in a while, but turns into concern in a matter of seconds. Barely visible is a bloody blade a few inches away from the stain in the carpet and my heart just drops.

This is not good. She's been gone for 6 hours, a blood blade is left behind from her, I had "misplaced" a bottle of Tylenol and DayQuil, and no one has heard a single word from her.

"She's not answering. My calls continue to ring out and my texts aren't even being read. That's not like her. She usually reads my texts and leaves me on read. Then my calls don't even ring, go straight to voicemail. That's kinda her thing. To ignore my calls be still want I know what I want, but leave me on read without a response." Madison says.

What have I done? I should've just came straight to the dressing room rather than hunt for Madison just to avoid Coraly. Maybe if I had done that then she wouldn't be possibly missing. Not even possibly. She's missing. She's definitely not in this arena. Max would have forced her into this room against her wishes. So that leaves the major question of where is she?

"She wouldn't run away." Mom says.

"SHE RUNS AWAY ALL THE TIME! SHE SNEAKS OUT OF THE HOUSE AND RUNS AWAY ALL NIGHT! SHE RETURNS AN HOUR BEFORE SCHOOL AND GETS CHANGES THEN DRINKS AN ENERGY DRINK TO MAKE HERSELF SEEM FINE! YEA SHE WOULD! THATS EXACTLY SOMETHING SHED DO!" Madison screams.

"Not in a city she knows nothing about Madison. She knows Los Angeles and I'm aware she runs away. However it doesn't ever do me good to yell at her. Yelling as no effect on her and she isn't getting into trouble. She just walks. That's all. However she'd never do that in a city she's never been to and doesn't have any idea how to get back to where she started." Dad says.

"Your oblivious. She's not ok. She's not thinking straight. She's dazed, she's confused, she's unable to think rationally, she's not ok. She's arguing with herself every second of the day. She's in her head. She's not going to think as of 'oh I could get lost and kidnapped or even killed' she's thinking 'I walk at home, it'll be fine. Nothing ever happens there. I'll be back. It won't be far and I can turn right back around. I just need to walk' and If you don't see the difference there then there's a problem. She can't think logically. She's not thinking logically. How do you not notice her just staring at objects for so long without moving a muscle or blinking once? She's not here, she's somewhere else." Madison says.

"Is that a blade?" Dallas asks.

All heads turn to me, "It's not mine. Coraly was in here before me. It's got to be hers. I don't use them anymore." I say.

"Great." Madison laughs sarcastically, "Shes cut and magically disappeared. I'm sure she's doing wonderful."

I fucked up. I should've at least checked on Coraly. But I didn't. So if anything happens to her, it's my fault, because I was the last person that would've been able to stop her and I didn't.

*time skip*

The show went by agonizingly slow. My mind only focused on one thing and it wasn't the concert. For once it was Coraly. Something I've never said out loud before. Something that's never really happened.

I walk off stage to see Madison sobbing in Dallas's arms and I pass my mic off to my team along with my ear pieces.

"She's not going to be ok." Madison cries.

I walk towards them and I look to Dallas for an answer. She makes a circle around her neck before drawing a straight line above her head and I stare at her confused, "What?" I mouth.

"She. Hung. Herself." Dallas months and I stand frozen.

"Is she ok?" I mouth.

Dallas shakes her head, "Mads can you lead the way to the dressing room?" Dallas asks.

Madison bolts off and max is right after her and I turn my head to Dallas, "She hung herself?" I ask painfully.

"The k-9 took them far. Nearly 11 miles away from here. The dogs seemed adamant in where they were going, but the officers just thought the dogs didn't know where they were going. But they let the dogs continue to leads and it lead them to a wooded area. The dogs just started running but lost her scented. The officers split up and couldn't find her until one looked up in a tree and there she was. Her body was purple and she had close to no pulse. The rope cut deep into her neck. To the point she is actually is getting stitches. Mom said her forearms were awful. That here wasn't a millimeter of space between each cut. That from her wrist to elbow, on her forearms, were cut. An empty bottle of Tylenol was by her and an unopened bottle of DayQuil was as well. She overdosed on Tylenol. All moms b en saying is it's a horrible sight too look at. She doesn't want Madison to see her right now. I don't want to see either. Not when she's in this condition." Dallas says through tears.

My mind can't wrap around all this. Coraly has always seemed fine. Sure we knew about the self harm, but when you appear to be totally fine, when you cut it just kinda makes it look like it's for attention. Especially after you don't bother to hide it and practically flaunt it.

I'd never expect her to do something like this. This is so drastic and nothing she's done has made anyone believe she'd ever be able to go this far.

"I need to go see her and be there for mom and dad, so I'm going." I say.

"I don't think that's a good decision Demi." She says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Mom said it's very graphic. I don't think that you seeing her like that is best for you." Dallas says.

"I don't care how she looks, I'd rather see her when she still has a pulse rather than see her without one." I snap.

"Don't say that. She's not dead and can you have a little hope she won't be?" Dallas asks.

I say nothing more, just get Max and have him take me to the hospital. On the drive there, I text my mom for all the details for her room and all of that stuff.

When I get to the hospital I get into the elevator and then make my way through the halls until I'm eventually at Coralys door. I walk in and just see my parents in tears.

I turn my head in that direction and immediately feel my chest tighten. Her neck is totally bandaged, her forearms are totally bandaged, her body is not it's normal shade. It's still a slight shade of purple and she's attacked so so many different machines. The tube in her mouth being the most obvious.

All is such a hard sight too look. Her body just looks totally lifeless. But knowing how she got here, doesn't make it any easier. Death is what she wanted but it's what none of us want. She put herself here, it wasn't someone else. That's what hurts the most.

This is going to be hard. For all of us. This is not going to be an easy process no matter how it goes.