"The writer of the year award goes to Shannon Miles," announced the presenter. The auditorium erupted with claps and whistles. Shannon sat in disbelief, the tips of her ears red from surprise.
For the first time ever, she was given an award. Her efforts had finally paid off. This was the book everyone gave bad comments and posts about. She remembered the times she almost took her own life but still persevered.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her gown, stood up, and held the edge of the table for support as she wavered. The man by her side raised an inquiring brow at her. Shannon shook her head, taking hold of his arm, as he led her towards the stage.
"Shannon arranged her gown as she got on the stage, before taking the award.
"Uh, uh," she licked her lips, the palms of her shivering from the shimmering lights in her eyes, and the crowd below the stage, oh, the crowd, she never thought there'd be this many people in attendance.
"Is this how celebrities feel?" she muttered to herself, chuckling to ease up her tension. She moved closer to the mic, "uh, thank you for the award, thank you to those who believed in me, my agency, and my little fan base that kept me standing."
Giving a little smile, the sides of her almond eyes crinkled, with the light twinkle in her eyes, 'just maybe, maybe, there's truly hope in the end,' she thought, walking away from the stage.
When she suddenly felt a thick, red liquid on her hair, she slowed down. Touching the tips of her hair, she looked at her fingers; they were red, with blood everywhere.
Stage lights were on her; her image was zoomed in on the big screens, the bucket fell to the floor with a loud clang sound.
Shivering, the plaque dropped to the carpet-covered floor, and tears began to pour out of her eyes, still looking at the blood on her arms.
The bullying hadn't stopped, why was she the most hated in the industry? She shivered, her shoulders shaking, more tears pouring, giving strangled sobs, in between each tremble.
The blood mixed with her tears, she got up and ran out of the hall, wiping tears and blood with the edge of her elbow.
Shannon felt someone grab her elbow, but she yanked her arm away from the person's grip and ran head-on into the street, when she heard a honk from a truck, the bright light from the truck's headlight entered her eyes.
Immediately feeling numb from the impact, as her body lay on the cool, grainy granite road, her hair splattered around her, with her gown, breathing felt hard, experiencing sharp pains in her side.
Tears dropped by the side of her eyes, a little book had fallen out of her pocket, lying a few meters apart from where she lay, "so this is how I'll go, death is a welcoming embrace," the words barely audible.
This was it, her story coming to an end, her chapter was over, a welcome end befitting a reject. She closed her eyes as it began to rain, little drops hitting her face, and the smell of burnt tires wafted up into the air.
"Only the earth mourns my death," she sighed, taking her last breath.