Prologue:
I can hear the rain pouring over the auditorium. My heart is pounding and threatening to jump off my chest anytime. “Althea, you’re up next on the floor after Samantha’s performance.” I took a lungful of air and faced the vanity mirror one last time. I walked towards the backstage and I hear my friends’ well wishes. “You can do this Thea.” I turned around and smiled at my mentor, Mrs. Myers. “Wish me luck.” I smiled as I stretch my muscles in the high bar. “Break a leg then, my dear little dancer.” Mrs. Myers hugged me and I just smiled. This could be my ticket for a scholarship and make my parents proud. I stepped on the stage and I roamed my eyes to see my parents and to my dismay, the seat that I have reserved for them were vacant and swallowed by the darkness. I swallowed hard and brushed the feeling of loneliness that’s starting to eat me. I crossed my leg and prepared to dance. I lifted my leg in the air and bended it on the right angle. I jumped in the air and I can feel that I’m flying even just for a second. The last move was the thing that I worked hard for, my ending to a perfect dance, my last pirouette. I positioned my leg back and prepared to spin for three times. The music is coming to its climax and the time has come to end my dance. I closed my eyes and twisted my body until I’m spinning. I smiled. It seems that my whole world just slowed down and it’s just me and dancing. I ended up in a positioned I started in with my arms raised above my head. I opened my eyes and saw that the audience is standing and clapping their hands. I felt my eyes sting as tears are welling up in my eyes. I wanted to look at my parents’ eyes and share this moment with me but I remembered that they are not here. I smiled bitterly and gave them my last bow.
“You were so great up there my pretty ballerina.” Mrs. Myers smiled and hugged me but I can’t pretend to be happy when in truth, I wanted to cry. I searched the dressing room and found out that everybody went home already. I glanced at the digital clock on top of my vanity mirror and sighed. It was already seven in the evening and it was really dark. I packed my things and left the auditorium. Why didn’t my parents show up? I was sure I gave them two tickets and passes in the talent showcase. Don’t they have time? They promised they’ll be there. I decided to take the subway. I never noticed that it will be the first snow this year not until I saw the hard concrete of the streets slightly covered with the snow’s white color. I hugged my coat closely and rubbed my palms fast to create heat. It really is cold. I regretted not taking the taxi when I had the chance as I feel my body shaking from the cold temperature. I sighed, relieved by the number of people in the subway. It means that there were still a number of people going to their own home. I stepped on the train as the door slides open. I immediately chose the seat closer to the exit and leaned back. I can hear the busy bustling of the people inside and it gave me comfort to my disappointment.
The neighborhood is silent. It’s the kind of silence that you wish you’ll never hear, an eerie sense seems to be dangling in the air as I walked fifteen steps closer to my home. I noticed that the house is dark. There’s no light and the door is open. My heart starts to race again, this time with fear. I rushed inside to make sure that everything is okay. My fear grew stronger as I hear muffled pleas upstairs. The safety of my parents was the only thing left in my mind. I hurried to climb the stairs and make sure they are okay. I was stuck in the last stair with the scene that welcomed me. My mother naked and abused in front of my battered and bleeding father broke my heart. My mom’s begging those armed men to stop. My father could not take the sight anymore that he turned his head towards my direction. His eyes widened as he realized that I was standing there. He moved his eyes to the side a few times and I understood that he wanted me to hide. My tears are now flowing abundantly to my cheeks as I put my hands in my mouth to mask my sobs and for them to not hear me. My dad mouthed ‘I love you’ and I replied him with a frantic nod and an “I love you too’’. I was about to hide but it’s too late. One armed man turned around and saw me. They all stopped, shocked to see that I was free to run and shocked that they didn’t see me coming. My mom turned her head and fear was clearly written in her face and eyes.
“Get her.” The man on top of my mom commanded. I took a step back. “No! You don’t want her, you want me, let her be.” My mom turned the man’s head towards her as if begging him to continue what they’re doing and let me go and that made my stomach turn. “Surely, I want you, but he wants her” The man gestured them to come after me. All I could do is to step backwards until all I had is the railing of the stairs. “Run Thea! Run!” My mother screamed. I shook my head. I don’t want to leave them here. I wanted to be with them until my last breath. “Baby, run and don’t look back!!!” My father was also shouting. I am now staring at a bulky figure of a man. I slowly looked up to see his face only to be more afraid. His face was shrouded by a mask, but those eyes are now hungry with lust as they raked my body from my face to my feet. I don’t have any moment to think as I bent my knee and hit him on his private part. The man fell on his knees and is on the floor. I ran. I ran faster than I could ever have. I ran from my family and I ran for my life. I can hear them chasing after me. My body is giving up. I could feel my chest burning and my legs are going numb. I turned my head back to see that they are after me. I refocused my attention to where I’m going only to see a flashing light coming from my left.
I felt my bones break; I felt my body fly from where I was. I also felt the cold pavement in a second and I could feel my world is spinning. I saw blurry flashes of people rushing to my side. “She came out of nowhere.” A voice explained to the people. “You are drunk” a different voice echoed. I can feel something warm dripping from my head. I tried to move to run but I can’t feel my legs. “H-help.” I manage to whisper. I need to try and send help to my parents. No one seems to be listening. I just lay there, watching the snow fall to the ground, hearing the voices of people asking for help and crying knowing that I may not be able to see my parents again. I kept whispering ‘help’ but no one seems to pay attention. This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. I landed a scholarship at Juilliard which seems to be our entire dream. I never thought that my perfected spin on that stage will be my last pirouette.
