"So, you are the singer who is causing all the trouble." It was a greeting, the accent smooth, like silk.
"I suppose so." Her heart pounded harshly against her ribs, a frantic melody rampant in her mind. She fought to keep the world steady and level around her.
"I have been looking for you for a long time." The woman smiled, sinister in the silver moonlight.
"I'm really not that difficult to find." She replied and the woman laughed, a tinkling sound of falling glass shards that sent shivers down the singer's spine.
"Are but it is your prerogative to be mysterious Siren." The woman smiled at the confused look on her face, the reference not quite making sense. "And you are supposed to be intelligent." Suddenly comprehension dawned on her features, horror quickly masked by calmness.
"I have to go, things to do, people to see…" Although the saying was flippant, the woman was not fooled.
"Do you think you can trick me? I am Persephone, I know all about the man you are meant to be meeting." The woman took a step forward, still mostly in silhouette. "You see, he is important to me too. If he finds you alive the whole outcome of the war could be different. And I can't let that happen. My husband is not the only one with power you know." Two men stepped out of the shadows, dressed in matching outfits, impossible to tell apart.
"I really am sorry to be so rude, but I have to go. Nice talking to you." With that, she ran, her bag banging on her body, feet a rhythm that she could not avoid. The two men followed her. Heart tearing at the confinements of her body, she sought a way to completely escape those who meant her harm.
"Over here!" It was a voice she would know until the end of time, she made for it, the car door open as she approached at a dead run. His hand pulled her into the backseat, the door slamming as the wheels pushed the vehicle faster onto the road. She clipped the seatbelt in place, hiding her head against her chest, tears streaming down her face at the agony in her muscles. He undid the buckle, eyes catching her frantic ones.
"This isn't what I wanted to do, this wasn't how I wanted this to be but you disobeyed my orders and now we don't have much time left." His fingers were firm on her shoulders, dispelling some fear but adding other worries.
"Orders? What are you? A captain?" It was a hysterical demand, breathing ragged underneath.
"I have two choices for you and normally I would make sure you were in a stable frame of mind but I don't have that option now. You are living in a world that is really a prison. You can't see it, smell it, taste it or feel it, but it's there, all around you, all the time." His smile faded as he spoke, confused by the calmness and the surprising comprehension dawning in her eyes. "Your choices are; stay here and sing your songs, talk to your friends, be an average person or come with me, leave all this behind and become something more and less than what you already are." As he outlined the options he showed her two tablets, the former blue, the latter red. She looked him in the eyes with terrifying certainty.
"I thought you said this was meant to be a choice." She reached forward, took the desired pill and slid it into her mouth without the aid of water, swallowing it. The cough started as she leaned her head backwards, causing her to jolt forward with the motion of the car. As her head leaned back, his fingers ran down and up the length of her throat, encouraging the muscles to accept the foreign object, it was successful. But something more happened, his skin felt alive for the first time in years, the world around him felt real and solid as he looked into the eyes of the elusive singer, now watering slightly at the strength of the coughs. Gentle lips curled upward in thanks for his assistance and she spoke again.
"I guess I don't get to go to sleep now huh?" It was almost plaintive, as though it were all she wanted to do. Not surprising considering the speed she had flown towards them at, he was amazed that she had been mostly uninjured when she reached the sanctuary of the car. Eyes met his from the front passenger side.
"I think we better get her out, she's not looking too good." The advice was heeded and for a moment the silence in the car was peaceful, the only interruption the staggered breathing of the paling singer. Something was definitely not right, but he couldn't pinpoint the problem. For a few moments it didn't matter, her breathing slowed and the pursuers stopped, leaving them free to help a very powerful, strangely beautiful, ally.
*~*
A/N: I know that there is now song in here but you tend to get that sometimes. Please let me know if I was a bit ambiguous and you have no idea who is doing what. Basically, 'she' is our main singer girl, 'he' is the guy from the audition and any one else is mentioned differently. I hope that makes some sense. Please review!