Love Never Dies

Chapter I

"Papa. Some of the girls are going to town. May I go?" I wait patiently for him to turn around. It's something I've learned with him. "Yes, of course. Buy me some more ink and paper. The rest is yours." He hands me some money. I stare at it. It's enough to buy him a year's worth of ink and paper.

"Papa, are you sure I need this much?" I ask. He smiles. "Always thinking of someone else. Just like-" He stops suddenly. "Yes. Yes, I'm sure!" He kisses me on the cheek. "You've earned it. Now, go. Have fun!"

I walk outside in the chilly air, wishing I had brought a coat. It's March here in our little world. It's a slow time of business, usually, we close for the winter months. We depend on people racing through our gates during summer. As I walk across the grounds, several people nod or say hello to me. I've always wondered if the workers liked me or they just feel like they had to. My father is not the forgiving type, or so I've heard. I pass the carousel, the tents, but all I can think about the world outside of this small island. New York is said to be the city that never sleeps. My father fits in easily, never stopping his work. I never felt like this town is right for me. Winter is my favorite time of year, so peaceful and quiet. I stop in the middle of the park and just listen to the wind and the snow falling, feeling glad that I actually didn't have my coat. The bitter cold freezes me to my core, but I am at peace. The sky is a pale blue. Blue is my favorite time of day. My father never understood why I called the time of day a color, but it just made sense to me. Meg and the girls have started coming back for rehearsals because we'll be open again soon. They like to go to town to look for new costumes, and often ask my opinion, so I just started going with them. Before I enter their rehearsal building, I take one quick breath of the cold air.

I walk into the large rehearsal room and down the hallway to the girls dressing room. There is a chorus of sound when I enter the room. I look around for Meg, my closest friend- almost a sister- and turn to Caroline.

"Where's Meg?" I ask. She blushes. "She left a few hours ago."

"Do you know when she'll be back? Did she say anything about costume shopping?" I'm a little confused that Meg would forget something like that.

"Uh, no? I don't know." She hides her face behind a magazine. I look at the other girls and they avert their eyes, burying their faces in something else. "Oh," I say, recognizing the silence. "When will she be back?"

"Dunno." Caroline squeaks from behind her magazine. Rachel, the oldest girl, enters the room from the bathroom. Her eyes open wide and she starts to usher me out the door. "You can't be here when she comes back! What she did last time-!" Just at that moment, the door flings open and Meg enters, drunk out of her mind with tears streaming down her face.

"Meg," I say, cautiously, pushing Rachel away. Meg turns to me, rage rolling off her body.

"You. You did this to me! This is all your fault!" She runs at me and hits me full force. I fall to the ground, but instead of rising to fight, I simply lay on the ground. She begins kicking me and hitting me and I accept it. Girls surround her and begin pulling her off. She turns on them, flinging punches.

I push myself off the floor and yell at Meg. "You're right! It is my fault. I make papa do this." There's a moment of silence. Rachel looks at me, tears brimming in her eyes. "Please don't do this." I barely have time to nod to her before Meg slams me into a mirror. Glass flies everywhere, the girls ducking for cover. She resumes punching me, repeatedly. Rachel holds the girls back. As I look at them, I can't help but think that this is one of the worst breakdowns Meg has ever had. If she hurts one of the girls, I can't cover it up. It's better for me to take her anger because I can toss it away. Slowly, Meg decreases her punches and the one I know creeps into being.