Pink Lights and Strange Sounds

Chihiro pressed her nose against the car window as Dad pulled into the parking lot. The K3 PopStars Idol Stadium glowed with pink and purple lights that danced across the evening sky.

"Look at all those people!" Mom said, checking her phone for their seats.

Chihiro bounced in the backseat. She had been waiting months to see Kylie, Kim, and Kate perform their famous songs. Dad found a parking spot between two vans covered in K3 stickers.

Inside the stadium, thousands of fans waved glow sticks and sang along to the opening music. Chihiro clutched her concert program as they found their seats in section B. The stage sparkled with silver decorations and massive speakers.

"They're starting!" a girl next to them shouted.

Three spotlights blazed to life. Kylie appeared first in her shimmering blue dress, followed by Kim in red, then Kate in yellow. The crowd erupted in cheers.

But as the first song began, Chihiro noticed something odd. The music seemed to drag slightly, like a video playing in slow motion.

The Honey Trap

The music stretched like warm honey. Chihiro watched Kylie's mouth move, but the words came out three seconds too late. Kim spun in slow motion, her red dress flowing like underwater fabric.

"Is something wrong with the sound system?" Dad asked, tapping his phone.

"Maybe it's just the acoustics," Mom replied, but her voice sounded worried.

Around them, other fans began murmuring. A woman with short hair two rows ahead stood up and walked toward the exit, shaking her head. More people followed her lead.

On stage, Kate tried to keep singing, but the music dragged slower and slower. The backup dancers moved like they were swimming through thick air. Even the lights began pulsing at half speed.

Chihiro felt her heart beating normally while everything else crawled. She pulled out her phone to record a video, but when she played it back, the footage looked normal speed.

"The problem isn't with the equipment," she whispered to herself.

A security guard jogged past their row, speaking urgently into his radio. The massive speakers groaned as if they were working too hard to push sound through something thick and heavy.