Chapter Text
The heat from the lights radiated onto the cast, making the audience a clump of shadows for the actors. Cheers were heard throughout the theater, covering the panting breaths of the cast as they bowed. Walking off stage, away from the light, Yuu couldn’t shake the giddy excitement that flowed throughout her and the rest of the cast.
As they filed out of the wings, to the backstage, they were greeted by their student director.
“Amazing show everybody, we’ll send out a few notes tonight and remember to get here at twelve o’clock tomorrow. Don’t forget to get sleep and PLEASE,” the student director raised her voice to drive home her next point. “No Baja Blasts, drink WATER. I don’t want anyone else passing out. Yet again, great job, keep up the good work!”
“Hey, Yuu!” Yuu turned around to be greeted by her friend Eva, still in her full face of soot covered makeup. “Oh my gosh. That was amazing! The second dance was just—ugh—amazing.”
“Dude, yes, I mean right back at you!” Yuu spoke in an overly chipper voice, following the chimney sweeper to their dressing room. “I’m tired. That was a lot, I mean I’m ninety percent sure I almost missed an entrance. Don’t quote me on that though. Maybe I’m just imagining things. Who knows. I need coffee, that's all I know.” She had switched back to her normal speaking voice, slouching a bit as she let out a halfhearted chuckle.
Opening the door to the womens’ dressing room, the pair was greeted to a cry from a fellow castmate, “OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO GET THAT WOMAN FIRED!”
Of course, all the cast knew who their show's lead was talking about.
“Hey Rae, just remember that you don't have to spend the next three years with her as your director and teacher!” one of the freshmen hollered back to the complaining senior.
At that, the dressing room erupted into chaos. Yuu and Eva proceeded to make their way around costume racks overflowing with lacy costumes and tables covered in colorful makeup. Most of the cast was rushing about to pack, some completely forgoing taking off their makeup.
As the pair changed, the rest of the cast in the dressing room continued their discussion.
“Wait, did y'all see the seniors in the back?”
“Oh yes, we did. Hannah had to go tell Ms. Caldwell. I mean who mocks a child?”
“The baseball team. I mean, I think half of them were too high to even think.”
“But, like, Jordan is nice, him and Laurence aren’t too bad.”
“Yeah, I mean it’s only those guys. Didn’t the team get busted smoking weed by one of the guys’ uncles? The one who was a retired police officer?”
“Holy shit, yes! I thought some of them had been expelled?”
“Oh yeah, they were but y'know how it goes, I mean, Harold’s parents practically built the whole natatorium.”
Yuu began to tune out the unfiltered commentary. She hung up her costume and slipped on her street clothes. Throughout the years, she’d heard her fair share of opinions and commentary in the dressing room. The best tactic, in her opinion, was to ignore most of what is said, and never repeat it outside the dressing room. I’ll just keep the wig and makeup on. Takes too long to get it all off. Plus, I’d say I look quite good as a guy.
Packing her bag, she continued to think to herself. Can’t say anyone’s wrong. I mean who would go to a musical for school points, just to mock six year old kids for their costumes. That's just a lack of tact. Yuu grabbed her makeup bag and tossed it into her bag.
Oh, I gotta check up with Lea and Duke. I think I saw Caldwell headed their way. She may be a good director but whenever Duke’s stuck with her, he comes out acting like he’s about to commit a crime. Let’s hope Lea can keep him calm for a bit. I’ll have to ask her out to lunch next weekend. We haven’t had a chance to talk in a bit.
She rubbed her eyes, the events of the day catching up to her body. I need to get to sleep. And gosh, this wig is itchy. I get I can play a male business man but like, why this wig. So high quality yet still itchy. She shook her head in disappointment at that thought.
At that moment, Yuu noticed the lack of chatter from other cast members. Looking up, she found the dressing room to be empty, a few costumes left on tables or draped on the back of a chair.
Damn, I really got distracted. Guess everyone really wants to get home. Eh, can't blame ‘em. Tonight was rough.
Grabbing her bag she headed out of the dressing room, walking down the hallway. “Shit, my phone’s about to die , ” Yuu mumbled as she pulled out her phone.
So she continued walking, while fiddling with her phone.
Yet, it felt wrong.
Off.
Yuu paused, looking around for a moment, furrowing her brows.
There’s supposed to be more people... Sure, the school is empty. I mean it's 10:30 but there's 40 other students backstage. We just finished the musical. They can’t have all changed that quickly . The hallway was too quiet, too empty. It was unnerving. It was wrong.
Yuu continued to walk slowly down the hallway, looking around as she did. The lights were definitely dimmer and every time she blinked, she swore she saw some weird black ink pooling at the edges of the hallway. My gosh Yuu, you are paranoid. No more horror movies with the gang for a while.
While continuing forward, Yuu’s head began to spin, each step was more of a struggle. By the time she got near the bathroom door, one step forward led to the entire world spinning so much, it only fueled the headache Yuu had gained.
With her head spinning, Yuu slowly stumbled into the bathroom, gripping onto the sink counter. Her bag still laid heavily on her shoulder as she dragged her head up to look in the mirror, while turning on the cool sink water.
A hand.
There was a hand in the mirror.
Oh gosh I’m hallucinating. I gotta get to….the…uhhh…..the room…..what’s it called…..?
“Ah…. my dear beloved…”
That wasn’t a voice she knew. What? Who…?
Yuu began to speak, “Who- ”
“A lovely and noble flower of evil” Came the voice again.
Despite the pounding headache and spinning vision, Yuu tried to focus on the mysterious hand. In the back of her mind, something told her to leave, to get out, to walk away from the hand. But she couldn’t. She was stuck there, her body too heavy to move on its own. All she could do was lean towards the mirror, closer to the hand.
“Truly, you are the most beautiful of all”
The voice continued to speak, somehow cutting through Yuu’s pounding headache.
“Mirror, oh mirror, please tell me. Who, in this world, is the most…”
The rest was lost to Yuu. Her head was swimming, the headache pounding like a heartbeat in her head. She closed her eyes in an attempt to alleviate the pain.
Black, cloudy skies filled her vision. A moon illuminated it. The sound of horses galloping. A black carriage. Wind tossing around decaying leaves. Wheels rumbling across a dirt path. The caw of crows. Their black feathers falling down from the sky. An iron gate, leading to a… castle?
Yuu opened her eyes, struggling to breathe. Her headache continued, her vision still clouding.
What….what’s happening…..this is wrong…..
“You, whose image the Dark Mirror did beckon forth…”the voice continued, “If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.”
Yuu didn’t have a chance to think. The next moment, her hand was outreached, reaching for the mirror.
And she grasped the hand.
And she closed her eyes.
And the room was empty.
What went wrong?