Chapter 1

I danced around, shaking and screaming while listening to the music blaring through the speakers. Millions of people filled the enormous building, and I was surprised the old walls hadn’t crumbled to pieces from all the noise. After the band-I’m still not sure of their name-and their instruments went quiet and exited the stage everyone started screaming for an encore.

My best friend, Sidney, had made me go to this concert with her. “It’s my favorite band and my mom won’t let me go without you, PLEASE Amy!” I’d sighed and agreed, but now I realized why she liked this band so much. I’m usually into the regular hip hop and pop music, but listening to the band’s alternative rock started changing my opinion.

Finally the band came back and played two more songs. In the middle of the second song the singer tried to do some kind of trick and kicked over an amp and ripped the wires. From the sparks the amp caught on fire, as if the stage was covered in gasoline it started to spread, causing everyone to run screaming to the exits. I looked around, wide eyed looking for Sidney but couldn’t see her anywhere. I told myself she was caught in the crowd and probably already outside so I darted toward an exit, being pushed back and forth by screaming teens.

Outside I looked all over for Sidney, listening to the wail of sirens in the background. Suddenly I remembered my phone and punched in her number. The phone rang and rang and finally when I thought she had answered it was just her voice mail. I left her a message telling her to meet me where her mom had dropped us off and headed toward the sidewalk. As I waited I called Sidney’s mom and told her about the fire, and that Sidney and I needed to be picked up. After assuring her we were both okay I hung up and searched the grounds for Sidney.

Almost everyone else had gone, leaving firefighters packing up and about ready to take off. I felt a pang of panic and walked up to a fireman who looked about in his 30’s. “Did you see anyone inside?” I asked as I described what Sidney looked like.

After a moment he replied, “The only people I saw inside were other firemen, I’m sorry Miss.” Not knowing what else to do I checked all around the building, yelling for Sidney, panic in my voice. After not finding any trace of her I called her again, only reaching her voice mail once more. I went back to the sidewalk hoping she was waiting for me there when I saw a figure outlined in the dark. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and hugged her, but realized it wasn’t Sidney at all, it was her mother.

“Where’s Sidney at?” Gwyn asked confused.

“I don’t know!” I said almost yelling, tears forming in my eyes.

“What? You said you guys were okay, where’s my baby!?” She said, a mask of worry covering her face. She ran towards the same fireman I had just talked to, demanding to know where Sidney was.

“Ma’am I haven’t seen anybod-” he started to explain but she was already half way inside the stadium. My eyes went wide, what’s she doing?I asked myself as I darted after her. By the time I found her my legs were cramping so bad I hardly had the strength to stand up, she was kneeling over something, I wasn’t sure what. I scooted closer to get a better look and threw my hand over my mouth to not throw up, laying on the ground on a pile of debris was my best friend Sidney.