"Blood on the Stage"

Ashley Frangipane, known to her fans as Halsey, stood backstage at the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles, her heart racing with every beat. At 19 years old, she had just moved to LA a few months ago, chasing her dreams of making it big in the music industry. She had been performing at small venues and bars, trying to make a name for herself, and tonight was her big break. She was opening for a well-known indie band, and this could be her chance to get discovered. But as she adjusted her mic stand and took a deep breath, she couldn't shake off the feeling of nausea that had been plaguing her all day. She had brushed it off as nerves, but now she was starting to suspect that something was wrong. She had been experiencing some weird symptoms lately - fatigue, mood swings, and food cravings that she couldn't explain. She had taken a pregnancy test a week ago, and the result had been positive. But she had been in denial, thinking that it was a false positive or that she could handle it on her own. As she peeked out into the crowd, she saw a sea of expectant faces, all waiting for her to start performing. Her manager, Dave, appeared beside her, a look of urgency on his face. "Ashley, it's time to go on. The band is waiting, and the crowd is getting restless." Ashley nodded, trying to compose herself. But as she stepped out into the spotlight, she felt a sudden gush of liquid between her legs. She froze, her eyes scanning the crowd in horror. She was having a miscarriage. Panic set in as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn't go on stage like this. She couldn't perform while bleeding out. But Dave was already pushing her forward, his voice low and urgent. "Ashley, you have to do this. You can't just stand there. Start singing." Ashley's mind went blank as she raised the mic to her lips. She began to sing, her voice shaking and her body trembling. The words to her hit song, "Ghost," poured out of her like blood from a wound. But as she sang, she couldn't help but feel like she was dying inside. The crowd was entranced, singing along to every word, but Ashley felt like she was trapped in a nightmare. She was losing her baby, and she was losing herself. She stumbled through the lyrics, her vision blurring with tears. As she reached the end of the song, Ashley felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She didn't know how much longer she could keep going. But the crowd was cheering, and Dave was nodding at her to continue. She took a deep breath and launched into her next song, her voice barely above a whisper. But as she sang, she knew that she couldn't keep this up for much longer. She was losing too much blood, and she was in too much pain. She needed to get off that stage, and she needed to get help. But for now, she was trapped, forced to perform while her world was falling apart.