Never Let Them Define You

A DREAM AND A MEMORY

She stands before a small theater and looks up at a sign that reads, "The Wishing Well," then shudders and opens the door. Immediately greeted by a small room with wallpapers covered in inspirational quotes and a door on the other side, she smiles faintly but quickly loses it, and ambles into the room as she runs her hand along the wall. The walls read, "Don't dream it, do it," "Be the light that guides you," "An idea is just a plank, next you have to jump in the sea," and so many more that she can't read before she walks through the door and enters a giant room with wooden walls, floor, and roof. Rows of plastic chairs 10 wide fill both sides of the room with a small path in the middle, which she traverses as she watches people rehearse across the room. The actors are choreographing a passionate sword fight between a man and a woman, who scowl as their blades dance around one another, and step around in a circle as they focus on nothing more than their hatred for each other.

"You scoundrel!" yells the woman.

"You wench! I should have you hanged for being such an unfaithful wife!"

"Might as well go to the gallows yourself! You think I wouldn't know about Justine?"

"What? Oh, you jealous pig, you always had an eye on her. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I've seen you! What do you suppose you're doing so late at night in that clock tower?"

He scoffs, "Well, now I should surely have you hanged!"

"Cut!" yells the director.

She spots someone out of the corner of her eye leaning through a doorway, who quickly disappears from sight. She stares perplexed at the door, then longingly back at the stage, and decides to follow the hidden person. When she steps through the door, she looks back and forth at a backroom filled with messy tables, costume clutter, and a few artists having a conversation around a piece of paper on a table. She walks up to them and waves, then asks, "What are you guys doing?"

A young woman with a sharp nose, similar age to her, and wearing a beret explains, "Set design, except Daniel doesn't seem to understand the simple idea I'm trying to explain, so-"

"How is that simple? You've got it all wrong, look, if we just," he turns the paper 90 degrees and continues, "move the chandelier over here." He beats on the drawing with his finger. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about the issue with the fire at all."

"No, no, you're overthinking it, look, you have to..."

She looks to the right and spots a skinny staircase that goes up to darkness, then walks away from the table and up the stairs. With each step, she feels a bit of give from the boards, and a level of sponginess. I think these are rotting; someone should seriously get these checked out. Despite the squeaks and creaks, she keeps on her way up the stairs, and sees an area resembling an attic. The whole room is tiny and even skinner, with the roof slanting over the whole thing so you can only stand on one side. Cobwebs hit her face, she lets out a little shriek and bats around wildly, then takes a deep breath, and continues.

"Sandy," whispers a low voice.

Her eyes widen and she looks around, but can't make out anyone, and asks, "How do you know my name?"

"Everybody knows you." They laugh. "Come here."

She does so hesitantly, looking at the dusty boxes that fill seemingly every nook and cranny, and then she reaches a door on the other side of the room. Her brow furrows, she looks up and down at it, then shrugs and reaches for the handle. She tries to turn it but it resists, she knocks on the door, and asks, "Can I come in?" She looks around quickly, the walls feeling closer and closer, and her heart beating more rapidly than before.