“Yeah, well you taught it to us.” Remarked Eric (Tugger)
“What was that, Eric?”
“Um…I said…uh, I wonder if I could catch the noon bus, tomorrow…home.” He improvised.
“Sure…But really, LISTEN EVERYONE! Especially you Eric, and please make a note to yourself. There is to be no real flirting with the female portion of the cast!”
“How about the male portion!” Shouted one of the stage hands, with a chuckle. Alsashia was not amused.
“Well, I’ve come to a decision and all of you are staying here for a practice round.” She said with a slight smirk on her face. All at once objections were heard from the entire cast.
“HEY!” Alsashia shouted, hushing all of them. “I know I’m tough on all of you, but believe me I do it all out of love.”
“So basically, it’s okay to hit someone over the head with a brick, as long as you do it in love.” Laughed Elane, (Etcetra) through the crowd.
“That’s it! All of you! Get to your places, we’re doing this again!” Alsashia shouted and ran to one of the front row seats.
“Jellicle cats are queens of the night, singing at astronomical heights.
Handling pieces from the messiah, hallelujah angelical quire.” They all sang and prepared for the giant boot to fall onstage. Christina (Cassandra) looked to the right just in time to see a massive boot-shaped blur heading towards her. She screamed and felt a jolt, as she was pushed out of the way by Alex (Alonzo). They both fell harshly to the ground, but Alex broke Christina’s fall. Screams and “Oh my god”s, were the last thing Alex heard…just before he passed out. (Just unconscious, Christina)
Christina sat up and turned to Alex. She fainted immediately, and it’s a good reason she did, because she had unknowingly cut her arm on a prop. Her blood dripped on the floor as they were both carried back stage and placed on a lounge couch. The lights went out and Maggie (Rumpelteazer) screamed louder than a banshee. The lights came back on but there was something wrong about it. It was silent. And not even the smoker’s cough came from a stage hand, and that’s when they realized all of the backstage crew and Alsashia were gone.
“We need to do something. We obviously can’t leave. The doors are locked, and the phones are down so I don’t think we’ll be calling for help.” David (Munkustrap) said with concern.
“Well where’s the stage crew and, Alsashia?” Cherry (Sillabub) asked with a quiver in her voice.
“Maybe they’re playing a joke.” Eric suggested.
“A JOKE?! A JOKE?! Who the hell would play a joke like this??? Unless you’ve forgot, there are two unconscious cast member on the couch right now, and all the stage crew, plus Alsashia are presently, well, GONE!” Elane (Demeter) said, becoming frantic.
“Okay now. Let’s all take a deep breath, and become unpsychotic.” Eric reassured everyone.
“Everyone, please calm down. I’m sure that there is a rational explanation for all of this-“
Suddenly the lights went out again and a scream was heard.”
“Ouch! Who pinched me?” Gavin (Skimbleshanks) asked.
“Sorry, I thought you were Maggie.” Max (Mungojerrie) whispered.
The sound of a woman’s hand hitting a man’s face was heard in the dark.
“Ouch!” Edmond (Misoffolees) yelled, rubbing his cheek.
“Sorry, I thought you were Max.” Maggie replied.
“We need to find that emergency flashlight.” David suggested.
“Good Idea.” Lilly. (Tantomile) agreed.
“Don’t step on my foot!” Shouted Jack (Tumblebrutus)
“Don’t put your foot where I’m stepping.” Retorted Eric.
Out of nowhere came a bright light that pointed straight at the cast.
“Damn it, David! How ‘bout you try pointing that thing in YOUR eyes.” Eric said, loosing his sense of humor. Slowly the house lights began to fade on.
“This is too weird.” Maggie said.
“Hey Guys, where’s Elane?”
A flood of conversation spread through the room.
(Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the theatre…)
Elane looked around for the fuse box to see if that was the problem with the lights. She stopped to think for a moment. Had she told the others she was going to do this…they’ll deal with it, it’s not like they’ll think she’s dead, would they? She continued to walk on, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. She turned her head quickly but saw nothing. She dismissed the thought that something was there and walked on. She saw it again, and this time she was sure she had not imagined it. Quickly turning her head, she saw a dark figure, a little thin and about her height. Squinting her eyes, she saw something in the figure’s left hand. It was Bustopher Jones’ giant soupspoon. The shadowy figure’s head was turned to the side but slowly began to rotate until it was facing her. She knew the figure was watching her and something inside her told her to run. She sped off in the opposite direction.
Soon she could hear running foot steps behind her, and she knew someone was chasing her. She ran faster, and began to pant. She winced in pain as a cramp hit her stomach and right shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see the figure still chasing her. She saw the small lounge/kitchen and grabbed the door to help her turn at the speed she was going. She slammed the door just in time to see her shadowy chaser run past the door. She locked the door just as the knob began to jiggle. For the next few moments, there was pounding on the door and screams of terror coming from Elane. The pounding on the door stopped and Elane let out a sigh of relief. She rested with her back on the door, but soon heard a ver unfamiliar sound. It sounded like someone unscrewing something. She turned her head just in time to see one of the hinges pop off the door.
Alright, we’re going to split into pares, and try to find Elane, just find a partner and pick a place to search.” David announced, taking control of the situation. “Lilly, you and Nicole stay here with Alex and Christina and keep an eye on their condition. Okay, let’s Go, Go, GO!” He shouted.
Gavin and Cynthia (Jellylorum) began to search the audience seats. “Gavin, look!” She said and pointed to something in the seat Alsashia was sitting in. He picked it up carefully and examined it. “It’s her choreography book.” He stated. He looked down and saw one more thing, it looked like a piece of jewelry, a necklace, but it was broken, like it fell to the ground in a struggle.
“Well, I really don’t think she’s playing any kind of a joke on us.” Cynthia said, taking the necklace in her hand.
“Remind me why we’re searching the rafters.” Max said, not feeling like being very high up at that moment.
“Because it’s the only part of backstage that’s so close to the sealing.” Maggie replied happily.” Suddenly a loud THUNK interrupted their conversation.
“Um…maybe…weshouldgo.” Max said quickly.
“For once I’m agreeing with you, buddy.” She said as they began to head towards the exit.
“What are you waiting for? Open the door.” Maggie said, getting a little scared.
“It’s locked.”
“What do you mean it’s locked, it can’t be locked.”
“Okay, well I guess that explains why I can’t open it.” He said sarcastically.
They kept bickering on like that until someone tapped Maggie on the shoulder.
“Not now!”
It tapped again.
Turning around, she spoke, obviously irritated.
“I said-“ She began and then came face to face with a hooded jacket, in which she couldn’t make out a face.
She backed up, pushing Max against the door.
A knife was raised above her head, and she found herself unable to scream. She felt Max pull her out of the way as the knife came sown and hit the door, just inches away from her. More than 30 feet above the stage, they didn’t have many choices on an escape rout. They both followed an instinct and jumped to the next rafter, 6 feet away. They turned around only to see an empty rafter where they had been. They looked around and to the right, was the figure in the dark jacket. They backed up and found that there was no place to go…but down. Maggie looked at Max and bit her lip. They nodded to each other and climbed on the rail. They jumped and tried there best to land so they wouldn’t be killed. After a few minutes, of lying on the floor, Maggie spoke.
“Max, can you move?”
“Kind of. Are you okay.”
“Oh yeah, I’m fine.” She said sarcastically.
Gavin and Cynthia immediately ran to the pair.
“Oh, my goodness. Are you two all right? Can you move?” Cynthia asked.
“Oh, yes I can move…I just don’t feel like it.”
“Yeah, well I can move my pointer finger!” Maggie Teased.
“Show off!” Max replied.
“Let’s get them to the dressing room.” Gavin suggested.
“Hey, Gav, I like ya and all but…I’m not gonna strip for ya.” Max said.
“That’s where everyone is Hun.” Cynthia said.
“I’m not gonna strip for them either!”
While the cast was conversing in the dressing room, Gavin looked through Alsashia’s choreography book.
“Find anything interesting?” Cynthia asked as she sat down next him.
“Well actually,” He began and pointed to a paragraph that didn’t really look like choreography.
Dear choreography book,
I know I’m rough on the cast but I really just love them to death. I can’t let them know that because then they’d walk all over me but I do. It’s a tad annoying that some of the cast is older than me though. Okay, well I’m making them rehearse again so
“And then it just stops.” He whispered. “It’s dated today.”
“I can’t take this anymore.” Eddy (Mistoffolees) said to himself.
“I’m gonna do something.” He said and looked around to make sure no one saw him sneak out of the dressing room. But unbeknownst to him, someone did. Cherry (Sillabub). She followed him silently to see what he was up to.
Eddy walked around the backstage hallways and looked for anything out of the ordinary. He stopped when he heard something move in one of the broom closets. He took a crowbar off the ground and slowly walked towards the door. He placed a somewhat sweaty palm on the doorknob and hesitantly turned it, keeping it closed. He took a deep breath and raised the crowbar. Ten with one sudden jerk he opened the door. Something fell on him, then dropped to his feet. He yelled and bashed it up good with his crowbar. He slowed down and stopped when he realized it was an old mop with green on the wood. He chuckles to himself and turned around only to have a hand clamp on his throat and push him against the wall. Cherry began to run back to the dressing room for help but slipped on some spilt soda by the vending machine and hit her head on the floor.
Eddy raised the crowbar and tried to hit the hooded shadow person with it but the shadow person caught it before it made contact with it’s skull. Eddy struggled to get free, gasping for air but it was no use. He took one of the small light bulbs off of his Mistoffolees jacket and shoved it into the figure’s rib. The figure contracted and dropped Eddy. He took a much-needed breath of air and kicked the figure in the side repetitively until it lay motionless on the floor. He stepped towards it and kneeled down to take off the hood when, in a sudden movement, it pinned him. He felt a sharp pain in his ribs, and then realized that he had been stabbed. The figure then held the bloody kitchen knife it had used at his ribs to his throat. He kicked the figure off of him and quickly began to limp back to the dressing room when he saw Cherry on the floor. He picked her up and looked back. He didn’t see anything, and it made him paranoid. He felt something warm run down the side of his lips. He knew it was blood. Beginning to feel woozy, he collapsed by the door.
When Eddy woke, he was on the couch and had a bandage around his ribs. He turned his head to see Cynthia sitting on a chair next to him.
“Oh, you’re awake. Thank goodness. How do you feel.” She asked
“Like I’ve been half-way gutted.” He replied, surprising himself by how quietly he was speaking.
“Well, that blood around your lips was not a good sign, we thought you were dead.” She smiled.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.” He laughed, then winced as he found that doing that didn’t help his stab wound.
“Everyone’s going to try and go to sleep now, so I suggest you rest up.”
“What if the killer comes by?” He asked.
“David and Alex are taking turns staying awake.” She said in a comforting voice.
Everyone had taken their wigs off to go to sleep, and it was Alex’s turn to stand guard. But two people were awake in the dressing room. Maggie and Max were both sitting up, talking on the floor.
“Do you think we’re going to make it out alive?” Maggie whispered.
“Yeah, of course. We’re the good guys.” Max reassured her quietly.
“How’s your arm?” She asked.
“It hurts like hell.” He replied with a smile.
They were both so childish around each other all the time. Or so the entire cast had told them…many times.
“How’s your leg.” He asked.
“It’s killing me.” She responded, with a smirk on her face.
“Tell me then…does this hurt?” He asked and poked her leg.”
“No.”
“How ‘bout this?” He poked her again.
“Nope.”
“Okay then, this?”
“Ouch! That’s it, hey does this hurt?” She asked and went for his arm. He stopped her just before she got him. She snapped her head up quickly, and they were so close, their lips were almost toutching. They froze for a few moments and looked into each other’s eyes. Max leaned in and they kissed. He slid his arms around her waist, but in one sudden jolt, she pulled away.
“Sorry.” He whispered, embarrassed that he let his hormones get the best of him.
“No, It’s just…not now. It’s this murder thing. I can’t.”
“You’re scared?” He asked.
“Very… But I promise you, that’s the only thing stopping me.”
They both smiled and started laughing. Alex had turned his head the entire time, and tried to ignore the scene. But David had seen the entire thing.
Pic of Maggie and Max
David shook his head and stood up on top of a table he pounded on the table and woke everyone up with grunts and, “Go back to sleep!”s.
“We have to go look for Alsashia, and find this homicidal maniac. And apparently there is only one killer so if we all to stick together-“ Suddenly the lights went out again and a loud THUNK was heard. It sounded like metal hitting someone’s head. The lights cam on and the shadowy figure with the black jacket was standing where David had been, and David was on the floor. The figures' shoulders began to move up and down, indicating that it was laughing.
“Who are you?” Maggie screamed.
“The figure pulled off the hood and smiled.
“Alsashia!” The cast yelled.
Pic of Alsashia!
“Oh yes it’s me.” She said looking disheveled, but hyper.
“And I had all of you fooled so well…did you actually think I was kidnapped?” She said with a girlish grin.
“Obviously I wasn’t though. All that evidence. The necklace…a cheap thing I got a Tiffany’s. My choreography book. All I had to do was write a lye and then plant it where I knew one of you nosey little cats would find and then not help yourself from reading it. What does this tell me about all of you? Selfish, inconsiderate of other peoples private possessions, and very mean to your dance captain. Did even one of you stop to think…that I have feelings? Huh? Did even ONE of you stop to think…well no of course you didn’t. And now, you’re all going to die.”
She said and pulled out a gun.
“This little toy was donated by my boyfriend the cop…god bless him. I have 34 bullets, more than enough to dispose of all of you and then some. And it works out perfectly. This is they way it happened. Dave over here had a fight with Elane. A little off hinge from breaking up, he decides if her can’t have her no one can. Then, thirsty for blood, he kills the entire cast, right before shooting himself.” She said, placing the barrel of the gun on his temple and cocking it.
“It won’t work.” Max interrupted. “Won’t the authorities find it a little odd that you were not even scratched in this event?”
“Oh, well of course, I just barely missed the bullet and was playing dead, so he missed me, too bad I can't say the same for you." SHe said and pulled the trigger, shooting him in the diaphram. Maggie screamed as if she had been shot herself and bolted towards him.
"Don't you move!" Alsashia shouted, pointing the gun at Maggie.
"PLEASE! We're sorry, just don't let him die!" SHe screamed, tears running down her cheks.
"I'm sorry, Maggie. I am being selfish...MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO WITH HIM!" She said, as another loud gunshot was heard, and Maggie feel tothe floor, screaming a little before , passing out in shock, with her eyes wide open.
Eric walked up and got close to Alsashia.
“C’mon All, cut us some slack. You’re an attractive, young-“
“Eric, back away from be or I’ll make you a soprano.” She smiled.
“Yes, Sir.” He said and ran back.
“Okay, who’s first…let’s see. Oh of course…Sally, you always did have better legs than me.” She said and cocked her gun. Just then shattering glass was heard and Alsashia fell to the ground.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you to stay away from cats with sharp teeth?” Elane said and she dropped the broken champagne bottle and hugged the now awakening David. Her costume was torn and it had bloodstains on it.
“I think you need to get that washed and tailored, Elane, or Alsashia’s gonna be really mad at you.” David joked
“I don’t think she’ll be getting mad at anyone for a very long time.” She said and got up. She took the gun from Alsashia’s hand and pointed it at her.
“You’re not going to kill her are you?” Cherry asked.
Elane shook her head and whipped around, pointing the gun towards Eric. She pulled the trigger and suddenly Eric opened his eyes and sat up straight.
“It was a dream.” He reassured himself. He’d probably fallen asleep during one of Alsashia’s boring lectures. He smiled and listened. He made a mental note to be nicer to Alsashia from now on.
“I can’t believe this! That was pitiful!” Alsashia shouted to the tired cast…
The End
