SHE was nervous as she prepared for the first show of the evening the next night. She had awoken unable to speak, canceling rehearsals that afternoon and resting in her room. Her voice sounded fine now, but she had a long evening ahead of her; she hoped she was up for it. Raphael was the first person she saw when she walked onto the stage. He was sitting at the same table as the previous evening; it was all like a macabre re-enactment, and she could feel the hysteria rising within her. She would want to die if her voice failed her tonight in front of this man.
The first few songs went well, as she ignored the man in the back of the room, sitting down on a stool after the first few songs to sing a slow love song. It was her first voice test, and as she heard the huskiness increase, she knew she wasn't going to make it.
