LIZER (Lizer/Arsen Magamadov)

The final chord faded, the audience erupted in final screams, the usual, overly bright yellow lights came on, but a thick roar still filled my ears. I silently dropped the microphone on the stand, threw my jacket over my shoulders, and went backstage, barely hearing what the manager was saying. The dressing room was stuffy. I splashed cold water on my face, leaned my hands on the sink, and closed my eyes.

I could still see that blue spotlight and her tear-slicked cheeks. That damn song, "From This City," had turned not only me but her inside out. And I simply couldn't pretend that moment hadn't happened, get in the minivan, and drive to the hotel.

"Vanya, slow down at the exit," I told our guard, pulling my hood down lower over my eyes. "I need to go outside. I need to find someone."

The back door of the service exit greeted me with a sharp, icy blast of air. It was drizzling outside, and the asphalt glistened with puddles, reflecting the dim streetlights. The panel apartment buildings surrounding the club's grounds looked especially gray and dreary. Just like in the song.

The crowd of fans had almost dispersed, leaving only the most staunch by the fence. I walked slowly along the wall, peering at the occasional silhouettes, until I finally spotted it.

She walked a little apart from the others, slowly, as if she had no reason to hurry in this cold city. A light jacket slung over her shoulders, her head down, her hands deep in her pockets. She looked so fragile and lost in this gray urban environment.

I quickened my pace, closing the distance, and called out softly to her before she had time to turn the corner to the bus stop:

• Hey... Hello.

I stopped a couple of steps away from her, hiding my hands in my jacket pockets. A light mist escaped my breath. I peered closely at her face, trying to discern her eyes in the dim light.

"Sorry if I scared you," I said quietly, without any pathos, and a weak but sincere smile appeared on my face. "I noticed you in the front row during 'From This Town.' Are you... how are you? Is everything okay?"