Preface
You know that feeling you get when you can feel a person staring at you? The slight tingle that creeps down your spine and the shiver that slinks along the hairs of your arms, leaving goose bumps in its wake. This is the feeling that has been haunting me for the last couple of weeks. At first I thought it was nothing, just a figment of my imaginings. Even now, I still think that it is all in my head and is just my serious over reactive imagination running wild on me. But that place in the back of my head, the one that tells me to run and get the hell out of here, has been telling me to drop all and go. Little did I know that I should have listened to it.
Chapter One
Four Weeks Earlier
I have always hated plays. Even when I was a little kid and was forced to do a Cinderella act in front of my class, I hated it with every bone in my body. The thought of reading from a script and repeating badly written lines in front of an audience repulsed me and almost had me running to hide inside a bathroom stall until the end of time. But to my disbelief I performed in front of the other students. My face may have been beat red from embarrassment and my words might have come out a little stiff and sounded forced, but I was complimented on my acting skills. Much to my surprise, others didn’t seem to think it was that bad. Did that mean that I suddenly had a future in acting? Hell no.
Eight years later I found myself in high school, waiting in line to do my audition for a school production, The Wizard of Oz. I loved the movie but I hated the play version, but like many others, I only auditioned to get in and say that have actually done it because well.. it was considered ‘cool.’ I got the part as a citizen of Oz and learned the songs, glad that I didn’t have to do any solos or lines by myself, I was much happier just being a part of the choir and doing the little dance that I could have done in my sleep backwards. But yet again, I hated it with every bone in my body. Since then, I have managed to avoid any confrontations of plays, productions or anything involving reading scripts. That was until now.
I walk in through the doors of the old and rustic theatre, only this time as a member of the audience. The memories of my past experiences on stage have me almost running right back out the door but by due loyalty to my best friend who is acting tonight, I grit my teeth and take my seat. The play is no other than Romeo and Juliet and I can’t help but pronounce in my head that Ava really owes me for this.
Almost every seat in the theatre is filled as I look around at the large red and black room. People are talking quietly amongst themselves and it makes me feel I tad lonely as I am sitting by myself. To one side of me the seat is empty, though on the other a gray headed, almost bald man is talking grumpily to his wife in hushed tones. He smiles politely at me but I can tell I am not the only one who is unhappy about being here tonight. The lights slowly dim and the ruby red curtains on stage are being drawn back. The first characters step on stage and I take a deep sigh and settle in for the next few hours. Praying that there is a miracle and the show goes quickly.
Two very long hours later the audience stands and claps, woof whistles are being blown and the lights slowly drift on. I yawn and stand too, reluctantly clapping along with everyone else.
“What? Didn’t enjoy the show?” a quiet voice says beside me. I almost jump out of my skin at the sudden appearance of the man beside me. Was he sitting in that seat there the whole time?
“Ah, it was… okay.” I say quietly, looking up at the tall, mysterious and handsome stranger.
He smiles at my jumpiness. “You’re lying. You were almost falling asleep in your chair,” he says with a smirk. Oh does that smirk look good on him. His eyes are pitch black and the matching black hair makes my mouth slightly drop open in awe.
