14 Apr 2023, 07:27
Blast from the Past
Alyssea pushed the large oak door open, peering into the room. While she hadn't explored the whole castle yet (it was huge!), this floor called out to her whenever she looked at the map. And for good reason; there was a ballroom and a rehearsal room! Talk about a performing arts student's dreams!
The room was simple. A simple open space, portraits along the walls, and a tall roof. She could go on about the potential acoustics this place could have. But the portraits would be an unnerving sight; maybe their presence wouldn't be that odd after a while.
She closed the door behind her and skipped towards the middle of the room. There was no stage. The whole room was the stage.
Curious, Alyssea opened her mouth and sang an 'ah' at a single note. As soon as her voice filled her ears, she stopped and listened. The sound fell away with a slight echo and she found herself bursting with joy.
With a breath, Alyssea began:
"Oh! Just look! It's like I'm in a storybook."
She raised her arms almost instinctively. The awe from exploring the halls of Hogwarts manifested itself into a song and soon, she twirled around the place without a care in the world. The stage was hers and she felt at home.
She imagined herself back in Australia, back in those theatre halls as a young girl, playing all sorts of roles under the bedazzling stage lights. She may not have always been a lead character, but her time in the ensemble was just as memorable.
"Just look --- it's really me here!"
Alyssea looked up at the portraits as if she was telling this story to them. They seemed intrigued, and she stumbled a little, remembering that the portraits did react. They used to be real, living people, after all.
She smiled. "Walking around, strange as it seems, somewhere beyond my wildest dreams!"
She transformed herself mentally into another character and continued the song. But she hadn't heard the door open.
The room was simple. A simple open space, portraits along the walls, and a tall roof. She could go on about the potential acoustics this place could have. But the portraits would be an unnerving sight; maybe their presence wouldn't be that odd after a while.
She closed the door behind her and skipped towards the middle of the room. There was no stage. The whole room was the stage.
Curious, Alyssea opened her mouth and sang an 'ah' at a single note. As soon as her voice filled her ears, she stopped and listened. The sound fell away with a slight echo and she found herself bursting with joy.
With a breath, Alyssea began:
"Oh! Just look! It's like I'm in a storybook."
She raised her arms almost instinctively. The awe from exploring the halls of Hogwarts manifested itself into a song and soon, she twirled around the place without a care in the world. The stage was hers and she felt at home.
She imagined herself back in Australia, back in those theatre halls as a young girl, playing all sorts of roles under the bedazzling stage lights. She may not have always been a lead character, but her time in the ensemble was just as memorable.
"Just look --- it's really me here!"
Alyssea looked up at the portraits as if she was telling this story to them. They seemed intrigued, and she stumbled a little, remembering that the portraits did react. They used to be real, living people, after all.
She smiled. "Walking around, strange as it seems, somewhere beyond my wildest dreams!"
She transformed herself mentally into another character and continued the song. But she hadn't heard the door open.
“I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby