Last Act Loop

She should have been here by now, my whispers come out in small puffs that seem to hang in the darkening evening. My eyes lifted as the town clock whirled and boomed out 3, 4, 7 beats. The branches of the trees seemed to shiver along with me and I tightened my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering. Shifting from one foot to another I wrapped my coat tighter around myself.

Smiling at a passing stranger, they seemed to look straight through me. I shook my head, people just got ruder and ruder everyday it seemed. It didn’t help the anxiety I constantly feel around people and I shifted into the shadows more. I guess everyone is just wrapped up in themselves these days, the cold and dreary nights have them hurrying home to their families and a hot supper.

A shiver snaked up my spine and it seemed to bite right down to my bones. These days I just can’t seem to get warm.

                           A whisper seemed to come from the trees………Here she goes again……………

My eyes searched the streets, a cold fog has settled around our small town making it harder for me to find her. My eyes flickering over faces searching for the red beanie she wore constantly in the winter; the one her nana knitted for her before she passed away.

I lifted my eyes, studying the sky, a cloud passing slowly across the moon.

A gust of wind lifted strands of my hair and leaves whirled around my feet.

“Joey!!”

 I looked up and suddenly she was right in front of me.

“Sorry, she laughed, her dark eyes dancing. I’m here now, I lost track of time. How are you? Oh Joey, you look so cold, I’m sorry!” She pulled me into a side hug as we walked.

The clock whirled out a half beat.

“Maggie, I think were gonna be late! We better start walking faster if we’re gonna make it!” I hated being late for anything, feeling eyes on me walking into a full room of people is my own personal nightmare, one that I didn’t want to relive tonight.

We walked faster, Maggie laughing and chattering, smiling at people as she passed. She was always the sunny one, the one that lit up every place she goes.

I just listened as she chattered, just glad to be in her company, my pace trying to keep with hers.

 A whisper close to my ear, I look over my shoulder but didn’t see anything. Maggie seemingly oblivious, kept talking and laughing.

There’s that shiver down my spine again, I hunched down into my coat some more. The darkness has engulfed everything by now, the street lights shining weakly every ten steps or so. I quickened my steps.

Finally, we saw the theatre up ahead, the mellow light spilling into the night, cutting through the darkness.

Rifling through our coats we found our tickets, mine creased and bent from anxiously folding and unfolding it.

I handed mine over, the ticket taker frowning briefly before handing my stub back. I followed Maggie’s red beanie as we walked down to the middle row where we always sat for our monthly theatre night out.

We seemed to be just in time because just as I took my seat the lights dimmed.

 A faint whisper again, the hairs on my arms raising. Soft and barely there I can’t make out the words.

Maggie glanced over, whispered asking me if I was still cold. I smiled wanly and shook my head no. A lie but whatever.  She squeezed my hand and simply smiled back.

The curtain opened and the actors took the stage, lights dimming even more.

A life sized windup doll took the stage. Stiff legged she walked to center stage and clumsily danced as if being controlled by a marionette. Turning to her right she beckoned one finger and a toy solider walked out onto the stage and, bowing deeply, took her by the waist and spun her. They danced, their limbs moving jerkily to the music.

The symphony seemed to whir around me, the music lifting me and slowly dropping me back into my seat. I glanced over at Maggie and her attention was just as fixated, watching the toy solider bow, the doll sway.

 More toy soldiers joined the stage swarming in from the left and the right, taking turns twirling the doll, spinning her from one solider to another, the dance getting more and more reckless.

The symphony seemed to grow louder and louder, instead of feeling like I was cradled by the music it seemed with every note to grow so loud that I instinctively covered my ears. Faster and faster the doll danced, the music boomed louder and a cold fear grew inside of me.

Hearing a loud creak, I looked up. Horrified, I saw large cracks zig zagging along the ceiling growing larger and larger as they went along. The theatre seemed to moan and sigh within itself. I felt a hand suddenly clutch my arm and I looked over into Maggie’s panicked eyes. Raw fear lived there. Dust started to fill the room as bricks started loosening and pummeling to the stage. Grabbing Maggie’s hand, we darted between falling bricks and debris, the dust thick. Coughing and shaking, we stumbled our way out into the night. Tears streaming down our cheeks leaving trails through the dust.

Turning to ask if she was okay, a flash of blinding lights and squealing brakes took over my senses.

She should have been here by now, my whispers come out in small puffs that seem to hang in the darkening evening. My eyes lifted as the town clock whirled and boomed out 3, 4, 7 beats. The branches of the trees seemed to shiver along with me and I tightened my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering.

 Cold……so cold.

…………………………………………………………..”No, she doesn’t know yet.” The voices whispered…………………………………………………………

My eyes searched for the red beanie bobbing through the crowd. We’re gonna be so late! I folded my ticket over and over in my agitation. I can never keep still when anxiety threatens to take over.  The leaves rustled around me causing me to glance down and I saw not only my own but two shadows casted by the street lamp above me. Quickly glancing up, I met Maggie’s laughing eyes in surprise.

“Boo!” She giggled at my surprised expression. “Maggie its like you materialized from thin air how - “It’s a gift!” Maggie laughed, “Come on we’re gonna be late!”

With Maggie chattering beside me, we fast walked through the alleys, the wind whirling around us, seemingly moving us ahead every few paces. Finally, the soft glow of light spilling from the theater windows was just ahead beckoning us to its light and warmth. The wind ushered us in, the doors slamming with a resounding “bang!”

The ticket taker looked up, seemingly bored with our very presence. He glanced at my wadded-up ticket with distaste and slid the stub back to me.

I followed Maggies red beanie down to the middle row and just as we dropped into our seats the lights dimmed.

A music box sat tinkling out its clunky tune in the middle of the stage while whispers and snatches of conversation seemed to come from everywhere around us. The wind buffeting the theater.

 The little hairs on the back of my neck rose.

I hear footsteps and my attention is taken from the rattling windows and roaring wind to the stage where a lone girl stood. She started dancing awkwardly, her black and white striped legs, almost tangling like a young deer walking for the very first time. She spun, dust clouds raising with every twirl. Her eyes dull, emotionless.

The music box stops, the girl abruptly stops spinning and glances up in confusion, like a spell broken.

The symphony crashed in like a rush of breath released as a clown joined the stage. Sweeping his hat off his bald wrinkly head he bowed deeply at the waist. His painted eyes twinkled sinisterly as he danced, with every step growing closer to the girl.

The music swelled, seemingly filling every corner of the room with every step of the clown. The music seemingly to permeate through my entire being taking the very air from my lungs.

The clown shuffled closer, the music crashed, my throat tightened.

 The clown grabs the girl’s hand, my lungs burn and I began to feel lightheaded.

I meet Maggie’s eyes and she read the desperation in my own.  Concerned flooding her face she grabs my hand and we stumble up the isle and out of the doors into the bitter wind.

 “What just happened?” Maggie gasped out.  I turned to answer but a flash of blinding lights and squealing brakes took over my senses.

She should have been here by now, my whispers come out in small puffs that seem to hang in the darkening evening. My eyes lifted as the town clock whirled and boomed out 3, 4, 7 beats. The branches of the trees seemed to shiver along with me and I tightened my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering. Shifting from one foot to another I wrapped my coat tighter around myself.

Cold……so cold.