The next thing I notice is a low voice mumbling my name and hot tears that fall onto my face. I slowly open my eyes and flinch at the light and the pain that shoots through my temples.

"Oh thank god, Gi you're awake." I see Tony and notice I am placed in his arms sitting in his lap covered in a blanket. He is crying.

I look around and see the rest of the band staring at me.

"How did I get here?" I have difficulty to speak properly because I still feel drugged.

Tony just sniffs and seems unable to answer so Vic jumps in.

"We hadn't heard from you since noon and you weren't answering your phone, nobody saw you after you went to Spotify stage, that was like six hours ago. We were all here in the bus discussing what to do to find you when there was a loud knock on the door. We open and find you lying there unconsciously, naked only wrapped in a blanket."

"I'm so sorry, Gi." Tony presses his face into my neck holding me tight, rocking us back and forth.

I push myself up into a sitting position pulling the blanket closer around me and touch his cheek.
"Tony, stop it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything."

Vic looks at me concerned. "Gi, can you tell us what happened? I can understand if you're not ready to talk about it but concerning all this cuts on your body I think we should know what was going on. We will have to call the police, maybe get you to a hospital...." His voice trails off.

I clear my throat. "You have looked at me, like uhm, naked?"

They all seem embarrassed, it's Mike that answers first. "Yeah we wanted to make sure you had no severe injuries and shit... Sorry." He looks to the floor.

"It's okay, I guess." I say feeling awkward. I take a deep breath trying to figure out what to tell them. " I think you're right, you need to know what happened. Well I was called to Spotify stage because there was an abandoned vehicle there. When I get there somebody pushes me inside the back of a van and knocks me out with a drug, maybe it was chloroform, I don't know. When I regain my senses, I find myself tied to a wall. A man I have never seen before is threatening me and he has a knife, he seems to be on drugs and he cuts my clothes off, cutting my skin by accident. He was the one that sent those notes but he had mistaken me for someone else. I think he is mentally confused but I could convince him to stop and set me free."
I take a deep breath and look at the guys. "So you see there is no reason to call the police or go to a hospital, I am a bit shaken but otherwise fine. And I would appreciate if you would keep this to yourselves. I wouldn't like the whole of Warped to know about it."

Jaime and Mike seem relieved and nod to my explanation but Vic looks at me with a skeptical expression on his face. Tony brings his face close to my ear and whispers. "Gi, did he like do something to you, you know what I mean?" He pulls me close holding me tight, waiting for my reply. "No Tony, he didn't, don't worry, I'm okay." I whisper back. Holding his face. He let's out a sigh of relief and sways me lightly, more to calm himself down than me. I smile at him and lay my head against his chest.

Vic gets up shaking his head. "I don't know, Gi. I'm not convinced. He could come back anytime, something is fowl here, I just can't put my finger on it." He paces the lounge. "Anyway, you are staying here tonight. Mike you go over to Gi's bus and get some of her clothes. Gi, you should clean those cuts, do you need someone to help you?"
"Uhm, I should be fine, I think, um, but maybe my back?" I answer shyly. Vic looks at Tony. "Tony?"
He blushes "yeah, sure, I can help you Gi." He mumbles blushing even more.

Vic rubs his hands. "Okay, then let's do this and then we all go out and eat something, I think we could all need a quiet night and good food."

I am glad that Vic didn't push the matter any further but I had the feeling he would come back to it but for now he had seemed to buy my story at least a part of it.
And I was right when we were all set in a restaurant that was close to our venue later that evening he caught me on my own for a moment when we went up to get drinks from the bar and went straight to the point.

"Gi, I think you are not telling us the whole story, I don't know why but I feel you are hiding something and it worries me." He looks at me pleading.
"Vic, thank you for your concern and care but really, I'm fine, stop worrying." I try to hug him but he turns away disappointed.

It hurts me that I have to lie to one of my best friends but I am only trying to save another friend. Tears are pricking in my eyes, it has been a rough day for me and suddenly I get dizzy, the room starts spinning and my legs threaten to buckle under me.

Vic is at my side and stops me from falling. "Hey Sweety, I'm sorry I got angry at you, come here, you're obviously not fine. I won't ask you anymore. Just sit down, I'm here. I just hope you can tell me what's going on when you've recovered." He holds me up by putting my arm over his shoulders and leads me back to our table.

.......

Tom is back. I am pulled up and pinned by arms that grab my wrists and tug their fingernails into my flesh. I can't look up to see who is holding me. Tom takes his hand and his long fingers close around my throat, I can't breathe. I try to scream but when I open my mouth there is only an empty groan escaping it. His dark eyes are staring at me and they start to glow as if a flame is burning in the back of his mind. "You can never escape, I will not let you go" his voice sounds inhuman like the cries of a thousand ghosts. Then he lifts his knife. I try to fight back I thrash and kick my legs around, rolling my body away, but the blade cuts through my throat and I can feel the blood rushing out of the wound. "Arrggh."

"Gi, Gi, shhh, it's okay, wake up, please Baby, it's just a dream." It takes a few seconds until I realise it's Tony holding me, pressing my face to his chest.

I can feel my heart racing and I am gasping for air. I start to cough and he is patting my back. I notice my hands are balled into fists that cling onto the blanket and I slowly release them.

Tears are flowing from my eyes and I hug Tony back sobbing. "It was so terrible, Tony. I was so afraid." My body is shaking from the aftermath of this nightmare and it takes a while until his soothing touch and words can calm me down.

We lay back down in his bunk and I cuddle into his side, his arm around me and my head resting in the crook of his neck. I run my fingers through his long, thick, black hair and I admire his profile in the little light. I stretch up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you Tony, for being here." I whisper.

He turns his face and looks at me for a long time just when I think he won't speak, he answers. "Always."

Notes

Sh, sh, Babies, you can open your eyes now, it's over. ;)