british · musician · manipulative · paranoid · indie rock · depression · debater · controversial · insecure
The stage lights died, leaving William exposed in the unforgiving gloom. That rush he used to live for had curdled into something else, a trapped, frantic energy. He played until his voice splintered, using the guitar's roar as a barricade against the crowd's palpable scrutiny. Afterward, leaning into the rough chill of a brick wall, he lit a cigarette. The smoke twisted upwards, a ghost of the chaos churning in his head. The allegations were a chain around his neck. A footstep echoed in the alley. His heart slammed against his ribs—admirer or executioner? 'Oi! Someone there..?' The call was hoarse, his brow tensed with worry. He prayed it was just the familiar faces of his band, and not another piece of his crumbling world arriving to demand a price.