Several hours had passed since Barb had left to begin her rock tour. Tears just seemed to keep falling from my eyes and I couldn't get them to stop. It seemed like all I did nowadays was cry. I had tried everything I could to get out of that prison cell but it was no use. There were no windows and the prison bars were firmly cemented into the ground. I was stuck there. Some harmony troll I was...

I started flipping through the pages of my book searching for more answers, but there was nothing. As I descended further into madness, I hoped with all my might that Titus and Trollex were prepared to fight back, but that was really all I could do. I found myself reading that last page of the book over and over again, almost as if it was going to solve all of my problems if I just continued to stare at it.

What did it mean? How was I going to get weaker? Was their anything I could possibly do to slow down the process? How was I going to save all of Trollstopia if I couldn't even save myself?

All of these questions were spinning in my head so quickly that I barely even noticed the aching feeling that had started to branch out in my chest. It was faint, but once the questions in my head were drowned out by the sounds of fearful whispering, I finally noticed it. I pressed the book over my heart as I lifted my other hand to my head. I was confused and afraid. What was happening to me?

"Help us!"

Suddenly, a burst of pain erupted in my wrists. It felt like someone was stabbing a knife into them. I dropped the book and frantically began to unwrap the bandages around my arms. To my horror, the blue bands were slowly but surely starting to lose their color. The fearful whispers quickly turned into screams as I could hear Titus's voice echo in my mind from far away.

"Help us!"

I covered my ears and tried to block out the noises, but that only made them louder. "I'm sorry, my love," I whimpered as more tears began to fall down my face. "I can't help you..."

When the noises finally stopped, I glanced back down at my arms and froze in terror. The blue bands were now completely gone. A burning sensation replaced it, like a hot coal touching my skin. The Techno string...now belonged to Barb. I didn't need to see it in order to believe that the string was now in her possession.

I suddenly began to think about the first time I heard techno music. I remembered how it made me feel so alive! I had almost drowned trying to listen to those sweet beats, and...then Titus had swam in to save the day. I hugged my knees tightly as I started to get a throbbing headache. I thought nothing of it at the time. It was just a headache.

A few hours later, the same thing happened again. The aching, then the cries for help, and then the stabbing pain in my arms, only this time, it was the yellow band's turn to fade away. The Classical String...my breathing became very quick puffs of air as I suddenly struggled to breathe. My hands started to shake as I gasped for air.

I tried my best to calm myself down by thinking back to when I first played and heard classical music. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Mother...

"Won't you play me a song, my little ray of sunshine?" I heard her voice ask me in my head. I could still see her give me that beautiful, tiny smile of hers as she laid in her bed, hands folded in her lap, as she patiently waited for me to start playing.

"Of course, mother," I replied out loud. "Anything for you."

I remembered the weight of the violin on my shoulder as I pulled the bow across its strings. Oh, how I missed that violin! I mimed the motion of playing the instrument as the tune played in my head. I think I played "Nocturne in E flat, op. 9 no. 2" for her that day. The sound the instrument produced was heavenly and unlike anything I had ever heard before. I was so entranced by its beauty and elegance that for a second I felt like I was flying above the clouds.

Once I had finished, my mother had motioned me over to her, pulled me in for a hug and kissed my forehead.

"I am so proud of you, sweetie!" I brought my hand to my cheek as I thought of her soft, delicate hand on my face. "I love you," I heard her say to me.

"I love you too, mom." I started sniffling as I slowly wrapped my arms back up with those thick bandages. I could feel myself begin to cry again.

I longed for somebody, anybody, to just wrap their arms around me and give me the biggest hug in the world. I just wanted to be held and loved again.

I cried myself to sleep that night. As I drifted off to the land of dreams, I hoped that I would get to listen to both techno and classical music again someday soon.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself floating above Volcano Rock Stadium, observing the concert below. The entire stadium was filled to the brim with a variety of different trolls from every kingdom. It was obvious that they were being held there against their will. I couldn't move, but I could see what was happening on stage.

All the different troll leaders were on stage as Barb began to speak to the other rock trolls. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear what she was saying.

Suddenly, a section of the floor opened behind Barb as a single troll began to rise to the stage. Her arms were chained to the floor and her face was pointed towards the ground.

She looked like she was on the verge of death! Her skin was so pale and although she was standing, she looked like she was going to collapse at any second. She looked so unrecognizable, yet so familiar. That's when I noticed her clothes, the hair, the bandages on her arms...they were the same as mine...

No...that couldn't possibly...

Was that...me?