‘What? Why? She was on stage with everyone else when I left her.’
‘Help me up.’ Walter held out his armfor Oscar to grab and used all his strength to try and push him out of his chair as best as he could. ‘NOW.’ Oscar did as he was told and heaved at Walter’s hand and as soon as he was on his feet he was through the double doors and into the theatre. Oscar ran after him.
‘Why do you need to know where Olive is? What’s going on? What’s wrong?’
‘Fawn was never a quiet girl. Never shy.Always spoke her mind but there was only one person she was ever scared of hearing her because it meant he would know where she was. It meant he would find her.’
Hamish has ears like a bat. If he even so much as hears mebreathehe finds me.
‘Hamish?’ Oscar was surprised at how quickly Walter was darting down the stairs towards the stage, considering he’d just had to haul him outof an armchair.
‘Yes, and if he’s here, I don’t think it’s wise to leave Olive alone.’ As they opened the doors, Jane almost ran head first into them. Her mascara was in streams all the way down to her chin and when she saw Oscar, she burst into tears again, flinging herself into his arms.
‘How’s Doug? Is he going to be okay?’ Oscar put his arms around her and squeezed. Jane mayhave been a nightmare but seeing her this genuinely upset proved she had a heart somewhere in there that was beating louder than Tamara’s.
‘They’re bringing him out now. The light…’ she wailed, ‘It’s shattered his arm and his collarbone.’
‘My God,’ said Walter, as the paramedics brought Doug through on a gurney. He was conscious now, but so dosed up he was lying rigidly with hisface scrunched up tightly and his eyes closed.
‘They’ve said I can go with him,’ Jane sniffed.
‘I think it might be better if Howard goes, Jane.’ Michael appeared in the doorway. ‘There’ll be paperwork to fill out and Howard knows Doug a little better.’
‘But… but…’ Jane burst into another bout of tears and transferred herself onto Michael who, oddly, started to soothe her.
‘Have you seen Olive?’ Oscar asked.
‘Earlier, but then she disappeared.’ Walter and Oscar exchanged a glance. ‘Why, is something the matter?’
‘No, no. Everything’s fine. Just need to take her home. She’s had a long day.’
‘Haven’t we all,’ Michael said, gesturing to Jane who was wiping her nose on his shirt. ‘I’ll send out an email tomorrow with an update on what happenswith the show.’
‘Okay,’ Oscar said as Walter ran on ahead through the doors. ‘Thank you!’ he added and followed.
They’d cleaned up on stage, the broken light collected into a pile on stage right.
‘Olive?’ Walter said, tentatively.
‘Olive!’ Oscar yelled but Walter was quick to shush him.
‘Up here.’ Olive’s voice came from the rafters. They both looked up to thefly floor where Olive was standing in her beautiful sparkling dress, but as they looked closer they could see that she herself was sparkling too. All around her skin were little blue flashes that buzzed in the air, little veins of electricity that crackled like lightning every few seconds, dancing off her arms and face. Her hair stood on end and as she tilted her head to look down at them, her eyestwinkled a bright blue. However, the most concerning thing for Oscar was the revolver which was now in her hand and pointed at her own head.
‘Olive, what are youdoing?’ Oscar started to rush to the wings, ready to climb up the ladder and stop whatever this foolishness was, but Walter held out a strong arm to stop him.
‘Oscar…’ Walter said, still staring up at her. ‘I don’t thinkthat’s Olive.’
‘Very clever, young Wally. Well, I guess you’re not exactly young any more, are you? Still though, sharp as a tack. Can’t fault that!’ Olive’s lips were moving but the voice wasn’t her own. Instead it was posh, clipped and almost whiny.
‘If you want to settle this, Hamish, let it be just you and me. Olive and Oscar have nothing to do with this.’
‘She haseverythingto do with this,’ Hamish snapped through Olive’s lips. ‘Why do you even think I’m here in the first place? I’ve been lurking in this theatre ever since my sorry life ended but never before have I been able to do anything. Except, of course, re-enact the death of that ungrateful little brat once a bloody year. I’ve been waiting for the moment I’d be able to return, and I knew all it would takewas something strong enough to awaken the magic of this theatre once more.’
‘Itwasyou,’ Walter said, turning to Oscar.
‘I’m gonna be honest, I am so lost.’
‘Then all of a sudden, this one,’ Olive took the gun and pushed the barrel up under her chin, ‘and Prince Charming over there decided to fall in love at the exact same moment and HEY PRESTO! Here I am!’
