A Dancing Curse

She dances ever so lightly on air with grace. They watched in awe as her beauty took the stage by storm, shattering the impossible. Taking the leap of faith into the air, floating down with ease upon the tip of her toe. As the music sway to the movement of the dancer, it became hearty. The drive pushed her across the stage furiously. The grace was gone as the bass of the drum banged even louder.

With each strike, the harder she strived. As they began to reach their climaxing point, the faster the room spent with her. Standing in third position awaiting the next tune to begin, her chest rose and fell out of exhaustion. Head held high as her body glistened in the spotlight, although, it wasn’t intended to highlight her luminous features. The knots in her stomach had tightened slightly, awaiting the response to the crowd. The lights dimmed down and the curtains closed.

A sigh of relief once the crowd clapped with satisfaction. Act 1 was over, but the pressure had just begun. As her body quivered beneath her, she was being thrust back in the dressing room. Finally alone with only silence and fear in her presence. The glass figurine stared at her with disapproval. The frustration of her mistakes was surrounding her, slowly closing in.

 Her weak body leaned on the vanity table for hopes of balance and a catch of breath. A glance at the mirror only made the fear grow stronger. The fear of disapproval, disappointment, shame, and regret. This was forced upon rather than given. The dream of a lost one was the regret.

“2 minutes till curtain!” The announcer notified everyone.

This was it. Now or never was ticking on the clock. A burst of a new someone came onto her. The woman that once gazed back in the mirror was lost in the eyes. That same scared little girl who was just around has disappeared behind the lifeless eyes. There was nowhere left to run behind those cold bars.

She wasn’t herself anymore; she was who she was made to be. The shadows held her close into their warm embrace. Crouched down at center stage to only hear her own perspiration drip in front of her. The curtains spread open on the night sky scenery. The audience rustled in their seats as they settled. The lights dimmed back down, setting the effect of the moonlight.

Humming in the background was a signal to start in the dancers mind. She rose to the occasion glaring at the audience. The deep arch in her back and sharp points in her toes, showed pure confidence. The butterflies fluttered rapidly in the pit of her stomach. The music began to pick as she spread her razor shape wings spread wide. A high leap sending her high off into the air, leaving the audience in amazement.

As she ascended into the air her body spun around with great speed. Once landing she continued to spin and wings spread with her. She spun and spread, spun and spread, constantly across the stage, then suddenly taking a leap higher than any other. Gravity was being defied from the space between her and the stage. She was in shock at the near to impossible leap. Her focus was broken for only a mere second, but that’s all it took.

Begin ripped from midair by reality and gravity was a change. Such force from impact caused a slit in a bone. I cracked from the ankle to the knee cap feeling nothing but pain. She held back the urge to collapse on stage, but instead proceeded to dance the night away. That only made it worse causing the crack to open wider and spread more. The final crescendo had been played as the music began to die down.

She slowed her pace, but tired not to sow the pain on her face. Silenced had sprouted throughout the theater. A single teardrop fell from her face, not just from the physical pain, but the mental pain as well. The audience erupted into a loud roar. Awarding her with a standing ovation for the beauty she had just create. The curtains finally closed on the stage and her career.

She collapsed to the floor in agonizing pain. The thing she feared the most had happened. It was a true life changer for her. The cast rushed to her side for support and aid. She knew she wouldn’t be stable enough for the jump to be successful, but had to take that chance of the impossible. It was her moment to shine and prove the impossible wrong.

The leap of faith had spun a web around her life. With pose and grace it relived at the opportunity. At center stage faith had made the decision to bow out. That was it. Her moment to shine against all odds and do what she loved one last time. It was all over and gone now.