Time Bomb

“Sweet heart you were magnificent!”
I was getting out of my costume as my Father, and Step Mother Molly, entered my dressing room that was flooded with red and white roses, and beemed at me with proud faces.
“Thank you! And thank you for coming,” I sighed, tying the dark silk robe around my waist and pulling off my white pointe’s as the took a seat on my couch.
“I can’t believe my little girl is going to Europe Next week!” Dad gleamed as he handed me the boquet of yellow roses, before I placed them in a vase.
“I know, it’s absolutely surreal-”
knock. knock.
Smiling I watched as Hayley’s head entered the dressing room we shared, “Hello, my parent’s wanted to meet the famous Mia Cruz.”
I chuckled and nodded, as a dark haired couple entered the room, and beamed at me.
“We have heard so many great things about you Mia; we always thought the press was over doing your performance, but tonight I was taught otherwise.” her mother stepped forward, “Hayley also tells me that the two of you are traveling to Europe next week, are you excited.”
“Estatic, actually,” I chuckled sipping on a glass of champagne my dad handed me, watching as Hayley flushed with embarassment.
“Well, we shall leave you two, to get ready, and we’ll meet you for dinner later.” my father stated, as both pairs of parents were ushered out of the room, leaving Hayley and I to catch our breaths, as we took our seats infront of our mirrors.
Glancing at my phone that was next to me I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Hayley asked as she passed me the towels to remove the white makeup from our faces.
“Huh?” I asked her, glancing at my thin face in the mirror, “a few friends from back home were supposed to come, I hope the did.”
Hayley shook her head, “Relax, they’re probably just stuck outside, so many people want to meet Mia Cruz.”
We both giggled and stripped out of our robes and pulled our warm clothes over our bodies as another knock was heard at the door.
“Come in!” I called as I quickly buttoned up my sweater over my leggings.
“MIA!”
“KARA!”
I shrieked loudly as my best friend from years ago, entered the room with a grin on her face as we hugged each other tightly.
“Oh you were fantastic!” Kara gushed as she handed me a boquet of lillies.
“Thank you! I’m so glad you could come!” I smiled hugging her again.
Kara smiled, “Guess who’s here too?”
“Who?”
“Jack and Rian!”
“Ah!” I yelled, let them in, were all decent, glancing at Hayley who nodded, “Kara this is Hayley-”
Walking to the door I opened it and squeaked as the tall lanky boy pulled me into a tight embrace.
“My swan queen, you were fantastic!” Jack gushed, pulling away from the hug, bowing with a teasing smile.
Laughing I pushed him into the room as Rian pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek.
“You truly were fantastic Mia, unbelievably so.” he smiled as he wrapped his arm around me and we walked into the dressing room.
I stood to the side, getting the rest of my make-up off of my face, as Jack questioned Hayley about her performance, and if I was a pompous bitch.
“Jack,” Kara said warningly, as I narrowed my stare at him.
Hayley rolled her eyes, “She has every right to be a ‘pompous bitch’ if she wanted to. But she’s not.”
I smiled gratefully at my friend before turning towards the mirror as Kara took a seat next to me shoving her phone under my nose.
from Zack:
Tell Mia we miss her here in Baltimore, and I can’t wait to finally see her perform.
“Aww, how is Zack?” I smiled placing a clip in my hair as a strand fell in my face.
“He’s good, same old buff freak,” Kara chuckled.
Nodding I smiled, as I remembered home.
“And Alex?” I cringed.
Kara chuckled, “Same old weirdo,”
“Go figure.”
“And you’re the same Miss Priss Ballerina,” Kara joked, as I rolled my eyes, sighing as I finished removing my makeup.

“We’ll meet you at the restaurant with your Dad, okay?” Jack said through the cab window as he, Kara, Hayley and Rian climbed into the yellow car.
“Will do,” I will see you there!”
Smiling I walked back into the studio, pulling my slippers out of their bag and journeyed to the main stage where I stood in the middle, the music from earlier stuck in my head, on repeat.
“Mia,”
Jumping I smiled as Griet and Claude smiled at me with shaking heads, “Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“You can relax now, the next show, is next week,” Griet chuckled as she kissed both of my cheeks.
“And I hear that some French scouts are going to be at the next show.” Claude hinted with a kind smirk.
Nodding, “Thank you.”
“Don’t forget to lock the door behind you,” Claude said as they both walked off of the stage.

I twirled faster and faster, my eyes staying locked on the mirrors from the performance early as I watched my perriwinkle pink skirt flow gently with my movements. I smiled as my toes stayed firmly on the ground, the twirls getting faster as at each beat in my head I leaped and twirled once again. Coming to a slow stop I imagined my prince partner, Derrick, holding my hands. Leaning forward I stood on my left foot, the pain from the blisters now gone as I twirled slowly. Coming to a halt as a clap surprised me.

“Beautiful.”

I glanced behind me, as the endless mirrors exposed an unfamiliar man, who smiled greedily at me.
“Who are you?” I asked, snatching my bag from the ground and backing away from the man.
I smelt the alchohol on his breath as he walked closer.
“Just a fan, of this delicate flower,” I smiled again, eyeing my legs, then my thin upper half.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” I stated.
“And neither are you.”
I jumped as I heard the sound of a blade, as he opened a butterfly knife at his side.
“Does the precious flower bleed? Or when I cut you, does she only loose her white feathers. The proud, beautiful, tempting bird.”
Gasping as he lunged at me, I leaped off of the side of the stage, and ran up the aisles towards the doors, hearing his heavy footsteps behind me.
Pushing the doors open I breathed in the cold air, and ran down the street, my slippers soaking in the white snow.
As I turned the dark corner I relaxed as I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me.
Pulling my cellphone out of my bag I readied myself to call Claude or the Police, but was snatched from behind and pulled into the dark.
I screamed as the man pulled my pearls from around my neck, the feeling of the blade against my legs; I screamed and cried louder still as the blade dug into my skin.
“Does the Swan Queen live forever?” the man hissed as I felt his hands run over my body.
“Stop it!” I shrieked.
“What happens when a swans legs are left broken and battered.”
I froze, “No! Stop-”
I cried out as the blade dug deeper into my inner thigh, fear engulfed me, I could bleed to death.
“Will the swan be able to dance once again?” he cackled as he pulled me up by my hair, causing me to scream in pain.
I cried out louder, as eh through my to the ground, the sickening pain in my leg echoed through the night.
“HEY! WHAT’S GOING ON BACK THERE!”
I screamed once again as lights flashed into the alley, and the man took off running with my purse.
Multiple figures raced passed me as one stayed at my side, I recognized Griet accompanyed by a police officer.
“Mia, Mia.” she cooed as I cried at the pain.
She placed her hands on my head, pulling it onto her lap.
“HALT!”
I closed my eyes and screamed as someone touched my legs.
“Their broken,” a deep voice stated.
Griet hissed under her breath.
“Put your hands on the ground!” I heard men yell from behind me, deeper in the alley way.
Opening my eyes, I studied my gleaming white slippers.
That now shined brighter with my blood.