The Lone-Dancer's Feat

Prologue

Pic on the side is of Lucia. The song is 'Bound to You' by Christina Aguilara :)

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Prologue

Lucia's POV

“Faster, Lucia, faster! Ignorare il dolore! Make me feel what you’re feeling; the ignored struggle within you as you fight the cage that warrants your inner self,” My dance instructor Linda, exclaimed, her heavy Italian accent putting further passion into her words.

I continued to spin to the fast tempo, my feet too gentle to be stomping but that was the rhythm it made as my arms spun as fast as my body, first curling to my chest before spreading out and then repeating the movement, letting out everything within me before I then pivoted into a position that made me seem that I was freeing myself from the internal chains that bound me.

But like the real ones in my life, it wasn’t coming undone. And since I always put everything true within me in every performance, I knew it was showing in the way I danced.

So I then ignored that move and sank to the floor gracefully, my arms spread out wide with only the tips of my fingers touching the floor, my toes curled together as my legs bent in the same position as each other as they too were lifted slightly off the floor, my back arched like I was still struggling and was trying to get up from this almost foetal position, before once again dropping gracefully, this time in defeat.

I had timed it perfectly to the music, so it stopped as soon as I had my final drop. I attempted to catch my breath, my body relaxing in the position it was in, and not even Linda’s sigh could affect the numbness that spread through me like it always did after I danced.

That was part of the reason why I loved it so much. This sensitive display of body movements enabled me to release every raw emotion within me that I fought to never show in front of anyone, and the numbing of my inner struggle never fails to overcome any displeasure of physical pain that I had.

I heard the click of the stereo when Linda pressed for it to stop, and while my heart sunk when I realised that it was the end of our session, my body cried in its relief.

I didn’t get up from my place on the floor even after hearing her almost silent footsteps as she approached me, but instead continued to stare up at the lightings on the ceiling, wondering idly how there was not even one speck of dust on the silver encasings.

She sat beside me and took my hand, the warmth of her palm making me realise just how cold mine were even after the excessive workout I had just put myself through.

“You never fail to enthral me with your performances, tesoro.” She said softly. “You know you are my favourite and best student, and I am pleased by the way you are progressing in my class, and how your natural ability is exceeding even what I thought you were capable of.”

I didn’t dare say anything to this, because I knew what was coming, and therefore allowed the sweet words to squeeze past the brick laden wall around my heart before slamming away any further gaps.

“So you can see where I am coming from when I say that every emotion that you display, I feel in the core of my heart, and therefore cannot stand this…turmoil that you put yourself through.” She said quietly, and I didn’t have to look at her to know that there was an equally pained expression upon her face that echoed the tone of her voice precisely.

Even though I continued to feel guilt-ridden by it, I knew there was nothing I could do about it.

“We’ve had this conversation before, Linda.” I sighed and rose into a sitting position, my arms now gliding securely around my knees as I brought them up to my chest, my movement’s fluid from years of dancing.

“Lo so, il miele. But how can I help but to bring it up again, when your performances get darker and darker every time I see you dance. I care about you, as a teacher and as a friend.” She said gently and I finally looked into her large green eyes.

Then she said the thing that had never escaped her lips before, but I knew was always at the tip of her tongue, aching to be spoken but afraid of the consequences that it would bring.

“What would your mama say if she saw you like this?” She said ever more softly, her accent making it sound even gentler, but that didn’t mean it didn’t cut like a knife.

“I may be the only one out of my family to accept that she did what she did, Linda. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less brutal, and I still don’t feel that, if she cared even remotely about what she would have said and felt if she saw us now, it would have affected her decision.” I said just as quietly, the numbness within me still not cracking and enabled me the impression that I was calm.

But the echo of my words around the room alerted me just how powerfully the words had come out.

“She was a passionate soul. I knew that more than anyone,” Her eyes had the faraway look it always held when she thought of her dear friend. “And even I can’t comprehend it after all these years. But you have to move on, Lucia.”

I smiled, but it was a ghost of anything that resembled the expression it had been after the Incident.

“My father knew how passionate she was too. Yet it doesn’t explain the ice encrypted within him, the broken shell that encases his denial and anger. Nor my sister’s ignorance of what caused it, their deep-seated way of avoiding anything to do with the subject, yet they spill their grieved tears onto their pillows every night where no one can see them.” I said still with that same quietened tone.

“What of you, tesoro?” She said as she watched me rise and walk toward my bag.

“Everything you see when I dance is who I am. The shell that holds my acceptance is shrouded in the art of my deception, of the secret I hold. Only you see what is inside of me. And therefore I beg you not to make me describe or relive it.” I said before shouldering my bag and exiting the studio, not needing to turn back to see the tears sweep down the cheeks that belonged to my teacher and the only person in the world who knew what was going through me.

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Okay, so this is my first attempt at something like this, and I really hope you enjoy it and stick with it.

And if you notice something wrong with the translations let me know, as I used google translater and dont really know much Italian lol.

So vote, comment and fan!

Love xxxx :D