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"Once upon a time" Words were not her friends, though she'd always wished they were. They seemed to be keeping secrets from her, conspiring to disappear when she needed them most... ...like tonight. She'd wanted to break out of her shell for years, tired of watching her life unfold before her. So, after carefully thinking it over, she decided to go to the kingdom's talent show. As a spectator, of course. It wasn't until she arrived -- bundled up against the cold, slinking in to the palace theatre right before the show began, so that she wouldn't have to talk to anybody -- that she discovered she'd made a mistake. The only seats available were in the front. Dread gripped her. She knew in her mind that the performers would not be able to see her due to the lighting, but what she felt in her heart was different. She tried to make herself smaller as a Muse took to the stage to welcome the crowd. The applause made her flinch. She joined in with a small clap. The show began, and she watched the performers carry out their acts. Each performance brought her further away from her worries and her fears; each brought her closer to the life she wanted to lead. She found herself enthralled, marveling at the ease with which the performers plied their craft. She laughed quietly, her shoulders shaking. She was living in the moment, and it felt grand. Until, that is, a Muse was pointing right at her. She blinked, afraid to move. Had she done something wrong? Was this part of the show? The people next to her urged her: "Go on, go on." The Muse onstage repeated what he must've said before, when she was lost in merriment. "Come on up, would ya? We need a volunteer for this next bit, and we couldn't help but notice how much fun you were having." So they COULD see her! She wanted to melt. She wanted to run. But a voice -- and this was a voice in her head, she was sure of it; at least, pretty sure -- told her that this was the moment she'd been waiting for. The chance to step into the spotlight, no matter how briefly, and not apologize for existing. She tried to say, "Yes, alright," but it came out a jumble, so she just nodded her head, took the Muse's hand, and stood. And there she was, standing before what felt like not just everyone in this kingdom, but in all the other ones, too, ones from lands she'd neither heard nor dreamt of. "What am I... supposed to do?" she whispered to the Muse, turning away from the light. "Just relax," he whispered back, "We're just going to do a bit of improvisation. It'll be fun!" Improvisa -- did he say improviSATION? Her mind left her body. Her soul left its chambers. Her heart left its nest. This was a disaster waiting to happen, and she knew it. Worse, she sensed that everyone in the crowd knew it, too. She turned to the Muse, shaking her head, straining to find the comforts of the shadows again. But the Muse didn't notice. "Everyone, let's welcome our volunteer -- " he said, his voice projecting as he turned to her, " -- what's your name, please? Nice and loud for us!" All the words that she'd ever spoken in her life were nowhere to be found, fled like they always had. But, before she knew it, something was rising up in her throat -- Words. Not words she'd spoken, but words she'd heard, words she'd read. And they came to her aid. "Once upon a time," she blurted out. She was met with silence. The Muse's eyebrows rose, first in surprise, and then in confusion -- and then they knitted together as the loudest laugh she'd ever heard burst forth from the Muse -- -- and traveled through the crowd! Her worst fears were realized. There was no end in sight to her misery. She stared at the Muse, betrayed, and then out at the crowd, defiant. But something was amiss in all of their expressions. And then she realized: this was not ridicule. They were laughing... because she was FUNNY. All of them. "Hi," she said again, louder, laughing. "I'm once upon a time." - Katiuscia | |