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She was carried along by the crowd

 The dream of every musician is to be able to get so into your music that you jump into the crowd and let them carry you over their heads.

Jennifer was one such musician, but the way the crowd was carrying her right now wasn’t what she had been dreaming about since girlhood. No. The terror-filled screams as the crowd trampled over each other to get to the exit, shouldering past each other, wanting to be the first one out, the one to live, wasn’t welcoming like the gleeful screams of an adoring crowd of fans.

A fire had broken out backstage, and no one had noticed due to everyone thinking the smoke was just a part of the show. That, and the reason the fire had started in the first place was because the special effects director had passed out, hitting his head against a machine, the machine had broken and caught fire, and the rest of the crew hadn’t been able to notice until it was too late and emergency evacuation was the only option.

Jennifer felt like she was fighting against the crowd as she struggled to get back to the stage. She couldn’t see her bandmates. She didn’t know if they were safe. Their safety was more important than her own. The current of the crowd was just too strong, however, and she soon found herself outside. 

Next thing she knew, she was being checked by the paramedics who had come to answer the calls to emergency services.

She still couldn’t find her bandmates.

“Where is Anthony?” She asks for her bassist. “Where is David?” Her drummer. “Where is Barbs?” Her guitarist. “Where are my friends?”

“Jennifer, please settle down, they’re safe.” The paramedics respond, seeming to not care that she’s so anxious to see for herself that they’re okay. 

She can’t handle the fear and dread that sits in her stomach as she is forced to continue to wonder where her friends are, whether they’re safe or not, whether they’re alive or not.

It feels like hours have passed since the fire began. Only three people were injured. None of them were her friends. 

The sun is going down when she’s finally allowed to meet back up with them. 

“Jennifer..!” David starts off waving happily, but his face soon turns down, shock and sadness weighing his facial muscles down.

“Oh my god…” Barbs gasps.

Anthony breaks away from the rest of the group and engulfs her in a hug tight enough to help break her out of her shock-induced dissociation. She feels the pain of the burns on her face. She feels the ache of her bruised body from being pushed around in the crowd. She feels the tears of relief helping to cool off her cheeks and wash the soot off her face.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re all okay!” Jennifer exclaims. Her chest is shuddering with her gasping breaths as she sobs, barely able to talk.

Her friends surround her, gently touching her to try to see if she’s okay.

“That’s gonna be a wicked scar,” David mentions, motioning to the burn on her neck and cheek from the explosion that started the panicked running.

Barbs hits his arm, looking worried Jennifer will take it as rude. Jennifer laughs, though. 

“Oh yeah, It’ll add to my hardcore, metal look, don’t ya think?”

The quad of traumatized teenagers share a laugh between them, the tension diffusing.
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