Famous Hell

• Imogen Sykes, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

The curtains rose, and I took in a huge breath. I went to sing the first note of my song, but all that was there was silence. I felt my blood boil at my pettiness. This was opening night; how could I do this. I looked backstage but my producer and brother, Jason, was as white as a ghost. I felt ashamed, so ashamed I bolted off the opposite side of stage for where he stood.
“Chelsea! Wait!” I heard his distant scream behind me, but instead of turning around and apologising I knew I couldn’t so I kept running. I got to my car and fell through the door. I started the engine, but I didn’t drive anywhere. I sat there feeling sorry for myself. My vision blurred, and a tear drop slid down my face. The bang of the metal doors alerted me I pressed the accelerator, grabbed the steering wheel, wiped my eyes and turned to see who came through the door. It was Jason, red from running. I realised how much I had failed him, I don’t deserve to have such an amazing person talking to me. Especially if I can’t even sing a simple song in front of one hundred people. My heroes can do it with thousands of people. But me only one, myself. I stopped looking at Jason and turned back around just in time to hit the brakes as there was an old lady trying to cross the road.

My car spun. I screamed. Jason screamed. The old lady fainted. My car slowed to a stop and I was centimetres from hitting the poor lady. I risked someone’s life out of my own low self-esteem. My life is a waste of time. I don’t know how I am still alive, or why Jason is running towards me. I need his care. I am a horrible person, I let everyone that loves me, that is a fan, and a I disappointed the only family I have left, Jason. He supported me though out my journey, and now I have put his job on the line. I am living in famous hell.
I climbed from my car, my dress caught on something. I didn’t care I ripped a huge slit in the side of its billowing beauty, but I was only worried about the poor lady that I almost killed. She lay on the floor limbs spread across the cold, wet road. I crawled towards her. Her eyes opened half way and looked at me like I was going to kill her. I scared the poor lady half to death. Then I tried to take a closer look, but she faded away, like a ghost.
“Chelsea, what are you doing? Why are you on the floor? Why did you stop the car there was nothing there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” Jason cried arriving next to me. I looked over at him.
“I’m sorry.” I looked away and all went deathly black.