Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • T H I R T Y - T W O ♚

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"Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory." -J.R.R. Tolkien
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For Carolyn, the school week couldn't go by any slower. Although she tried her best to put forth her usual amount of effort and focus, her mind had decided to direct its full attention to worrying about Robin.

            What if Althea couldn't heal him? Carolyn could barely stomach the thought. She had become accustomed to looking into his captivating green eyes as a way to escape her own pain and worry, yet when she needed them most was when they were far more than a few steps away.

            As she tried to pay attention and keep up with the rest of the dancers, the memory of dripping water echoed in her ear.

            Drip...drip...drip...

Carolyn tried to ignore it, yet the more she tried, the louder it became. She felt a shiver run its way down her spine, sending flashes of damp dungeon cell walls and rattling chains to the forefront of her mind.

Drip...drip...drip...

            Carolyn wasn't the only one who experienced the same phenomenon, as Aura stumbled over her lyrics and missed multiple counts of choreography as she lightly touched her ear.

            "STOP!" Madame Snyder yelled, halting all movement on the stage and in the orchestra pit. "I hope everyone is aware that next week is the start of tech week and opening weekend, yes?" The cast and crew mumbled in agreement. Madame shot a pointed look in Aura's direction. "Then Miss Addams please tell me why you are messing up something that you learned at the very beginning of production?"

            "I-I'm sorry...I thought I heard something," Aura stammered out, wanting to curl into a ball to escape her director's gaze.

            "You heard something?" Madame echoed, one eyebrow perking up as she looked over her spectacles.

            Jake cleared his throat and stepped forward, noticing Aura's discomfort. "I did too, sounds like it was coming from backstage, in the­–uh, rafters." He pointed upwards at nothing in particular.

            Aura mouthed a "thank you" in his direction, knotting her fingers together behind her back.

            Madame pinched the bridge of her nose. "I guess I'll go investigate this mystery noise. Everyone take five."

            Aura massaged her temples as the echo of dripping water slowly dissipated. She hopped down from the stage, her character heels making a dull thud against the auditorium's rough carpet. She took a sip from her water bottle, debating whether or not to douse the cool liquid onto her face to make sure she was awake. When she turned around, Casey stood in front of her, a smaller, lighter medical boot around her ankle.

            "Wow, now you're making excuses to get out of practice?"

            Aura rolled her eyes as she turned her back and tried to swallow her annoyance, but Casey continued.

            "It's as if you don't even want this role anymore," she examined her manicured nails, "not that you deserved it in the first place but­—"

            Aura whipped back around. Her hands balled into fists as her heart thumped against her chest. "What is your problem, honestly? I have tried again and again to be nice to you but for years all you've done is treated me like shit! What did I ever do to you?"

            Casey was visibly taken aback, her mouth slightly agape. Her composure quickly regained, although she didn't stand quite as tall as before and instead began to fidget. She crossed her arms before saying, "Okay, answer me this: why do you get to be Little Miss Perfect all the time?"