The very heavyset, yet colossal man puffed into his hands walking down the busy Pier of the San Francisco area, leaving his car behind a nearby coffee shop. Although the streets and pavements were hectic, Thomas knew where he was going and exactly how to get there. He was on a mission. And, because of his large size and menacing facial features, like his short, choppy hair and the very defined deep lines on his face, he passed effortlessly through the crowds. Mostly because pedestrians were too afraid to look up at him into his beady, sunken eyes, even if they were shielded with dark glasses.
“Hey, watch--,” a teenager had bumped into Thomas, suddenly stopping in his tracks. Fear plastered across his face, he bolted down into an alleyway, other people glaring in annoyance at the boy.
Upon arriving at Thomas’ destination, he took his disguise off which consisted of nothing more than a pair of large sunnies and a hoodie. Walking through the darkly lit building, he found his way into Area C. Stepping through the framed doors, he could hear his footsteps echo through the gigantic room. Hiking down the carpeted inclines, he made sure there was no one sitting in the velvety seats. Thomas triple checked and made sure that even the balcony and the boxes were cleared. He checked his phone for the time, but instead found an all too familiar face
plastered on the screen.
“I said I would leave after the production is over alright, honey?” the pinchy-faced woman stared back at Thomas with her glossy eyes. “Now, go on. Go get it.”
Thomas whimpered, putting away his phone and going back down to the ground floor. As he walked back down the aisles, he saw his reflection in the lights.
“Remember sugar,” Charlie appeared in the last one. “Do you recall this stage? Ah, what lovely times.”
Thomas, rather clunkily, got up on stage, the shocking lights blinding him before his eyes adjusted. He looked back down at his black phone screen, then closed his eyes.
“Just like you remember, Tommy. Feel the energy?” Charlie’s voice made Thomas calmer and calmer, breathing in and tilting his head back up at the set without opening his eyes. “Now, open your eyes, darling!”
Thomas did so, the lighting changed into a warmer orange hue. The rows glittered with sparkling dresses and bowties, men and women alike joined for this night’s showing.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Friends and lovers! I welcome you to, drumroll please...” Thomas looked around to the balcony to see a man in a sequin-covered suit, announcing everything through a microphone which projected his voice beautifully. Thomas' eyes shot back and forth from the gleaming audience back at the announcer. Loud and fast snares came from behind the stage, answering to the man’s calling. “This production of, ‘The Murder of Darkens Village!’” Everyone in the crowd applauded with delight, making Thomas shed tears of happiness to see such a wide range of theatre goers.
After the audience had died down, the lighting shifted again to one spot to the right of the stage, opposite to where he was standing. There stood a glass mirror, where Thomas could see his reflection. Music, deep, deep rumbling drums beat down making the ground shiver. Looking down at his phone again, Charlie’s reflection seemed to have disappeared from it, which was replaced with a walking stick. His hoodie and jeans were gone as well, instead, they were replaced with flowing robes of satin and silk.
“Mr Hemsworth? Oh, how I cherish your presence dearly. Tis’ but a frigid night to be out. Care for my company up in the hall?” Charlie appeared in the glass, dressed in her powdery white makeup and red lip colour.
Darting his eyes to the crowd, they all gasped when Charlie appeared on stage, the women clapping gently and looking to one another in a joyous manner. Looking back at Charlie, Thomas noticed her eyes looking from him to the crowd. “Say your lines,” she continued smiling.
“Oh, oh!” he stood up straight, giving his British accent a clear reading. “My dearest, Miss Wood, my heart is filled with the deepest sadness. Tis’ a frigid night, yet I’m afraid I cannot join you for tea in the hall. I must be getting back to my wife in Charper Town,” he did a dramatic dip, making the crowd gasp and smile again at the acting.
“B-but Mr Hemsworth, I, I, I, I, I, I--,” Charlie broke off into a robotic voice, stuck on repeat on repeat on repeat. Falling onto the stage, her hair fell over her face.
“Charlie, are you alright?!” Thomas made a frantic move to his partner, who was still on the ground.
“Oh, sugar, don’t break character. You wouldn’t want to upset the crowd,” she flipped her hair up, revealing deep black holes in replacement of eyes, where spiders crawled out of.
“W-what is wrong?” Thomas flipped his head from Charlie to the seemingly unaffected crowd, who sat there happily bobbing their heads.
“Everything is alright honey. The thing is,” Thomas watched as Charlie stood. “Are you alright?” Soon after this comment, Thomas realised Charlie wasn’t standing at all. Her limbs were being held up by strings, all leading up into the heightened darkness of above the stage. His mouth gaped, trying to fix his eyes to see the wooden cross moving to control Charlie. “Thomas,” he looked back down into the actress' everlasting sockets.
“Thomas. Thomas. Thomas. Thomas,” the crowd began to chant, even the little boys and children shouted this name. The blinding light had moved into his eyes, which burned like magma hitting his very flesh. “Thomas. Thomas. Thomas,” this chant seemed to put Thomas into a trance, his satin robes tearing as he fell right to the ground.
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