He clutched his battered hand against his chest. He recognised the white-hot pain from the time he misjudged a turn on Beacon Hill Road and totalled his new ten speed.
With his heartbeat pounding against his skull, he wrenched the door open and scuttled inside. Another seat smashed against the door as he frantically closed it.
Toby hurried under the lighting desk. He covered his eyes and ignored the dribble of warm blood slowly trickling inside his ear. He didn't want to know. He didn't care. He just wanted it to go away.
Toby waited in his hiding place until the theatrette was quiet again. It felt like an eternity as he cowered in the dark.
***
VIOLET
Violet's victory didn't last long. She rolled her eyes and pressed her lips shut as she sat in the back row. She knew the lines from the most famous scene inside out. The words tingled on her own lips, burning to be said.
‘Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --One: two: why,
then, 'tis time to do't.’
Angelika stood with her arms outstretched. She looked like a stick insect in black tights, her voice low but weak, her diction as clumsy as her gestures. But despite it all, Violet's ribcage squeezed as she watched the imposter butcher her lines, snatch her part, steal her stage. Violet’s only comfort was imagining the contrast when she finally took her rightful place.
She'd shine like a star.
Like the bus driver said.
‘Here's the smell of the blood still: all the
perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little
hand. Oh, oh, oh!’
The room was dead quiet. No one fidgeted or passed notes or even chewed their nails. They didn't like her performance, did they? They couldn't possibly.
‘What's done cannot be undone.
--To bed, to bed, to bed!’
When her speech was over, Angelika froze in position, staring up at the ceiling tiles, and the room burst into applause.
‘Well done.’ Ravenswood rose to his feet. Angelika averted her eyes and blushed as the others clapped and whooped.
Violet gritted her teeth. They were all too stupid to recognise real talent. She rubbed her left eye socket with the heel of her palm. Even with this headache and its constant dull thump, she was the only one in the room who could see clearly. But she had to ignore the pain. She couldn't be distracted. It was Wednesday already, it was time to clear the path. She was so close.
‘Excellent work, Angelika.’ Ravenswood continued clapping from the front of the room and Violet cursed the back of Angelika’s head as she sat down in the front row of chairs.
‘Watch and learn, players. Lionel and Angelika are setting the benchmark. This is the level of performance I expect from every one of you.’
Holly and Jacinta averted their eyes and the boys shuffled in their seats, groaning quietly.
‘I gave Angelika a little tip last night after rehearsal. And as you can see my advice has obviously helped her.’ Ravenswood smiled. ‘Now I will share it with you all.’
Violet sneered. Ravenswood, a first-year teacher, thought he could teach her something? Her bookshelves were filled with dog-eared copies of Meisner and Stanislavski. She could run this holiday program better.
‘I want you to think about your character. Understand who they are. Not just the words—’
‘That's easy. I don't understand the words anyway,’ Jason said.
Violet shook her head as the others guffawed. Philistines.
‘Angelika, what's different about your Lady Macbeth now?’
Angelika turned in her seat to face the rest of the cast. ‘At first, I thought she was just sad, acting weird because she was grieving. Then I realised she was ambitious. In those days, women had to be manipulative to get their way. But then I went even deeper. She was a fighter, she was willing to pick up the knife herself before Macbeth agreed. Maybe even a touch of Hannibal Lecter in her. Then God or whoever, punished her by driving her mad.’
Violet snorted. What a ridiculous interpretation.
‘Good. Now, players. Think about your character. It doesn't matter how small the part or how many lines you have. Who are they? What is their history? What is their favourite food? Jez?’
‘Pizza. Everyone likes pizza.’ Jez shrugged.
This time even Ravenswood laughed.
‘Bread and cheese was perhaps more appropriate for the times. But you're on the right track. Think in terms of your character. What if they didn't like bread and cheese? Why would that be? What did they love? What did they hate? What was their innermost desire? Build up a real living breathing person and bring them onto the stage. Lila, why is your character a witch?’
Lila flinched. Violet could feel her skinny body trembling beside her.
‘I dunno,’ she stammered, her pale cheeks flushing hot pink.
‘Is there a reason why she turned to black magic?’ Ravenswood leaned forward. ‘An event, perhaps?’
Lila chewed her lip. ‘Something bad happened in her past.... her childhood. It made her angry. She wanted to take revenge on everyone. Like that movie with the prom and the blood.’
‘Good. Wayne – what about McDuff? How does he feel about Macbeth?’
‘He’d think Macbeth was a bit of a wanker. Two-faced. He can't trust Macbeth. And his wife's a real bitch. But hot.’
Jason slapped Wayne on the shoulder with a cackle.
‘What? It's true,’ Wayne frowned.
‘Good work, players,’ Ravenswood said. ‘Take a short break, stretch your legs and have a think about your character. Come back in ten minutes and we'll push through the last scenes.’
The room was loud with chatter as half the cast streamed towards the door.
‘That was awful. I hate being put on the spot like that,’ Lila said, her cheeks still blazing. ‘I wish he'd given me some warning.’
‘It was a bit obvious wasn't it?’ Violet tossed her head. ‘It’s basic stuff, creating a character.’
Lila muttered something in reply but Violet was distracted. She narrowed her eyes as Ravenswood and Angelika shared a private word at the front of the room.
‘She was terrible, wasn't she?’ Violet jerked her head their way. ‘But I'm not worried. It's practically my role now.’
‘Only if she leaves,’ Lila said. ‘Or gets sick or something.’
‘Accidents happen.’
Lila jumped up with a strained smile and grabbed her bag. ‘You want a drink from the machine?’
‘If you come with me for a smoke in the Quad after? I've got such a bastard headache.’
‘Me too. Ever since yesterday,’ Lila said.
‘I wonder if it’s that new paint. Those tight arses, it's probably toxic. Maybe that's what caused your nosebleed.’
Lila led the way out of the room, weaving through the chairs and cast members.
Holly sat cross-legged in the corner with Jacinta and Jez, twirling her hair around her finger. She averted her eyes as Violet walked past.
‘Some friend,’ Violet mumbled. ‘You saw her plotting with Angelika on the bus.’
‘She is being a bit strange,’ Lila said as she gave Holly a finger wave. Holly waved back hesitantly before looking away.
‘Traitor.’
Violet and Lila pushed through the double doors into the cold corridor. They both shivered.
‘I wish they'd turn the heating on. Cheap bastards.’
‘And the lights,’ said Lila.
Both girls jumped and stopped dead still. Three sharp bangs crashed above their heads.
‘What was that?’ Lila stammered, clutching at her throat.
Violet glanced up but there were only stained ceiling tiles above their heads. The thump turned into a long asthmatic hiss, like a death rattle. It made no sense, but somehow the noise felt dark and cold. It seeped right in her bones. ‘Pipes?’ she said. Her eyebrows raised. She didn’t quite believe her own words but she wanted to snuff out Lila's heebie-jeebies.
‘It sound
s like an old man moaning. I hate this place. Come on.’ Lila sped off down the corridor, her head ducked.
Violet hurried after her. The two passed the entry to the theatrette.
‘But I do like the costumes,’ Lila said with a strained cheerfulness. ‘The pointy hats are fun.’
Violet groaned. ‘Really? Halloween dress-ups? So boring and obvious, so suburban.’
‘Maybe you can suggest something else? He might listen to you.’
‘There's no point. I'm not going to be a Witch much longer.’
They climbed the stairs, past the girls' toilets and around the corner to the vending machine.
Violet tapped her foot and Lila chewed her lip as she ran a finger along the glass front of the vending machine.
‘Hurry up and choose.’ Violet rolled her eyes. ‘I'm gasping for a ciggie.’
‘They're not good for you,’ Lila said as she shoved a handful of coins into the slot.
‘Yes, Mum,’ Violet replied.
Lila popped the ring on her can, took a slurp and offered it to Violet.
‘Lemonade is for kids.’ Violet snorted. ‘Come on.’
Heading back down the stairs, they almost collided with Angelika leaving the girls' toilets, Jacinta and Holly close behind her.
‘Hey,’ Angelika said with a toss of her hair.
‘Hey Angelika,’ Lila gushed. ‘You were so good in the last bit.’
Violet clenched her jaw
‘Totally,’ said Jacinta, but then she screwed up her face. ‘Can you smell something?’
Holly loitered behind them, saying nothing.
‘You're going to wow everyone on Friday.’ Lila nodded. ‘Especially that theatre guy. Wolfgang or whatever.’
Violet clutched at her temple, trying to hold back the hammering inside her head. Even Lila was turning on her. She needed some fresh air, and a smoke.
‘Thanks. You're all so kind,’ Angelika replied, but her voice sounded distorted and faraway like she was talking down a long tube. ‘I just hope I don't let you all down.’
Violet's heartbeat pounded in her ears, each thump like a punch to the head. The walls swayed. Sweat beaded under her hairline and a drip rolled down her neck. The corridor lights burned her eyes. Violet gasped for air, as something clamped around her chest. Shadowy hands gripped her neck, the fingers tightened. Thumbs crushed her larynx. Her cries for help clogged in her throat.
The last thing Violet was sure of was that she was standing at the top of the stairs.
Then there was a scream.
Violet had no idea how Angelika ended up at the bottom of the stairs.
It wasn't her.
Was it?
Chapter 8
JEZ
Last Night
Jez sucked hard on the joint and the last bud crackled between his fingers. Aggressive guitar licks pumped from the speakers in the corner and all the hard edges softened as he exhaled and eased back into his pillows.
He smiled. Angelika was nice. Obviously she was a babe, but there was something else about her, something mysterious. She had more going on below the surface. It was a shame she didn't seem to give a stuff about him. She just needed to get to know him a bit better. He wasn’t like those other meatheads. Maybe he'd show her some of his lyrics. Girls liked poetry, didn't they? She didn't need to know the words were lyrics for his metal band.
His hand grazed over the fly, he unzipped his jeans and then Banquo floated into his head. ‘Or have we eaten on the insane root?’ Jez chuckled to himself. ‘Hell, yeah.’
His dreams of Angelika were interrupted as Violet popped into his head. He dodged a bullet there. She’d seemed nice enough at the closing night party but then again Deano’s rocket fuel had been damned strong. They talked, had a pash, and that was it. It had been only the one night but she'd been ringing ever since. His mum was sick of it and his brothers gave him grief every night at the dinner table.
It was months ago but all week, she'd been staring at him with those big sooky eyes. Why were girls such hard work? He pulled his hand away. Violet ruined the moment. Again.
He must have dozed off.
Then something slid, smooth and cool against his skin. His bedroom was in a cloud of fog. He grinned. It was another one of those dreams.
He felt something writhe against his body. He hoped she was hot, or maybe even better, two or three horny babes. Whoever it was, they had supple knowing fingers. They stroked his back, his thighs, his stomach. He moaned. He lolled his head back and lapped up the attention.
Until he heard the hiss.
He tore his eyes open, and a snake stared straight back at him. It lay across his chest, its mouth wide, its fangs dripping with venom, its neck swaying.
Jez looked down to see his whole body was covered with writhing, intertwining snakes: pencil-thin green tree snakes, copper heads, rippled tiger snakes and a boa constrictor as thick as a tree trunk. Thousands of different cold scales slithered over his body. Jez tried to move his arms but the snakes pinned him down, wrapping him like a mummy in a sarcophagus. The hissing intensified, reverberated through their bodies into his and sank deep into his bones.
Two fangs pierced his skin. The first strike. The others sensed the puncture and turned their heads. Jez thrashed but his limbs were bound tightly by the squirming bodies. His heart raced. Muffled screams lodged raw in his throat. Sharp jabs perforated his skin, his hands, his bare feet. Venom rushed through his veins, first scorchingly hot then numbingly cold. Death traversed his body. It started at his chest then crept down his arms and into his hands. His extremities as solid as wood.
Jez tried to cry but his tongue was solidifying and fat inside his mouth. The cold freeze of death raced up his legs, his torso, his face.
His eyes were the only body part he could still move. He glanced frantically left and right. At his feet, the boa constrictor unhinged its jaw and started at his toes. His feet. His ankles. The muscular body rippled as it gulped but Jez felt nothing. He howled, but only inside his head. The enormous mouth was around his knees. His thighs. The room darkened, Jez’s eyesight dimmed. The icy cold closed his eyes for the last time as the boa engulfed him.
***
VIOLET
Angelika lay face down at the bottom of the stairs, her blonde hair fanned out over the linoleum. Ravenswood ran up with Wayne close behind. ‘Angelika, are you alright?’
‘What have you done?’ someone yelled. It could have been Holly but there was too much shouting to be certain.
At the top of the stairs, the air was heavy and hot. The fluorescent light stabbed at Violet's eyes and she rested her head against the cool wall, hands over her ears to muffle the voices.
‘What have you done?’ Holly wrenched Violet away from her safe place at the wall, her face pained and pale.
‘You pushed her.’ Jacinta stood with hands on hips.
‘I...’ Violet’s tongue was fat and useless.
Down below, Angelika pushed herself upright onto her elbows and stretched out her legs. She whimpered and collapsed as she placed her weight on her left ankle. Violet closed her eyes again as Jez rushed over and took hold of Angelika's arm.
‘Lila? You saw it all.’ Jacinta said. Then she turned and poked her finger into Violet’s face. ‘She did it, didn't she?’
‘I don't know,’ Lila stammered.
‘Why are you defending her?’ Holly said. ‘You know exactly what she's been thinking.’
‘I'm not sure,’ Lila whined, clutching at her head. ‘It was all too quick.’
‘I don't know what happened,’ Violet murmured as she shielded her eyes, wishing it all away. But the girls’ voices grew louder, everyone was saying her name.
‘Someone oughta push you down the stairs,’ Jacinta said. She grabbed Violet’s arm and tugged her halfway down the steps.
‘Hang on, Jacinta,’ Ravenswood said, his hands in the air and Violet wrenched her arm out of Jacinta’s grasp.
‘Mr Ravenswood. Call the police.
She pushed Angelika,’ Jacinta snapped.
‘She's been saying all kinds of strange—’ Holly started.
‘She didn't,’ said Lila.
Violet's head was foggy and thick. She grabbed the handrail and blinked to clear her eyes.
‘Calm down, everyone,’ Ravenswood said. ‘Who saw what happened? ‘
‘Everyone saw her tantrum yesterday,’ Jacinta said. ‘She's mental. Tell him what she's been saying, Holly. Go on.’
‘She said she wanted Angelika to have an accident,’ Holly said, chewing on her lip.
‘I-I-I.’ Violet tried to protest but everyone was staring at her. The black look on Jez’s face punched a hole in her chest. ‘I feel sick.’
‘You need help,’ said Holly, pity rather than anger in her voice.
‘There's no need to be so melodramatic, girls. Did anyone actually see it?’ Ravenswood frowned.
‘Not exactly,’ Holly shrugged. ‘I was checking my watch.’
‘I saw movement, but I was thinking about something else,’ Jacinta said. ‘But it has to be her.’
‘It wasn’t me,’ Violet said, weakly.
‘Who was it then? Lila?’ Jacinta snorted.
Lila's face was grey and her bottom lip trembled.
‘Maybe it was your curse, Lila?’ sniggered Wayne. ‘Come to life.’
Lila nodded feverishly, her eyes wide. ‘We need to cleanse the theatre.’
‘Cleanse it by getting rid of her.’ Jacinta pointed to Violet.
‘That's enough. You can't go around accusing people without proof.’
‘But Mr Ravenswood—’ Holly said
‘Enough. Accidents happen.’
Angelika pulled herself to her feet and rested her weight on Jez's shoulder. Ravenswood inspected her up and down. ‘Do you need a doctor?’
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