MPJS Chap 4: Mauve Moon Rose Scent(James E Boston IV) As I gently placed the purple eyeshadow on my eyelids, I truly felt as if I were crafting the person who is needed in the world. The violet lipstick that I gently kissed painted the image of the romance that we truly have. Never have I looked as good kissing any lover other than my lipstick. As I patted my cheeks with the finest blush for some reason unbeknownst to me, I didn’t feel fine. I am divine. There isn’t a soul with the delightful aroma that blesses the kingdom like mine.

As I looked in the mirror, I noticed the darkness that looked me in the eye through the window. There wasn’t a moon. There wasn’t a star. Just darkness. The kind of the darkness that would make a bat come out of its cave with a desire to feast upon the most juicy moth. The kind of darkness that would make a soul believe that they were cursed with blindness. The kind of darkness that would blend with venom occupying the glass of a bordeaux.

As the hour hand struck 10, I let my wings escort me to the door. Once I stepped upon the grass, the cold air nipped at my ears. After that step another step followed. Then another one and so on and so forth. As I stared into the depth of darkness, I was in another realm as if I were dreaming. I was truly in a trance, like a patient under hypnosis. I walked like a zombie with no sense of direction. I was essentially sleepwalking. I was disconnected from the outside world.

Never has this kingdom seen a hero like me. Never has a hero lived long enough to tell their story. Never has a hero had the divinity to sacrifice their life for this kingdom without the knowledge of receiving some form of treasure. I am the missing piece in the hole of the heart of the kingdom. I am the beholder of light. I am the beacon of hope. I have the key to success in the palm of my hands.

I am so close, yet so far. As I try to reach the lock on the door, the key merely grazes upon the metal. My wings, mouth, and mind are tied. All I could do was ponder. All I could do was ponder what will be. All I could do was ponder what could have been.

As the sunlight just began to creep up the floor, I knocked on Husky’s door. I stood there as I felt the gift of potential slip out of my grasp. I was prepared to give up the key to success.

“Did you make your decision?” asked Husky.

“Yes, I can’t do it,” I said.

“What? What do you mean you can’t do it?” he said bitterly.

“I might not be under the guidance of Mother Fée anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I am a murder.” I said.

“I can’t believe this! You told me you wanted to be a hero. You told me you wanted to help. You told me you wanted me to make you a hero and I can do that! I kept my promise. The question is why aren’t you keeping yours?!” he said.

“I told you I wanted to be a hero, not a killer.” I said.

“You only have to do it one time. In order to be an official member of the Ice Killer gang, you have to go through the initiation and kill someone. If you fail to do this, then our plan that I risked my reputation for will never come to fruition!”

“No, I won’t do it,” I said as I crossed my arms and turned away from him.

“I can’t believe this! You made a fool out of me! I saved your life! I brought you to a better world! I risked my reputation to develop a plan to make you a hero! Then you turn around and make a fool out of me. How do I look fighting for you to join the gang just for you to decline being initiated? I thought I could trust you.” said Husky.

“I’m sorry, Husky. I really am, but heroes aren’t murders. It doesn’t mix.” I said.

“But heroes do have to make sacrifices. If you had to choose one, which one would you choose? The life of one person or the lives of hundreds of citizens in the kingdom? If you kill one person, then we can make you a hero. You’ll be able to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. This is something that’s never been done in the kingdom before. You’ll be a legend. You’ll go down in history. You have the power to craft a civilization that Mother Fée could only dream of.” said Husky.

“I know, but I can’t. I just can’t.” I said as I looked down at the floor.

“I knew it! I just knew that you weren’t fit to be a hero! You are nothing like your favorite hero, Super Snake! If Super Snake was standing here right now, he would be disappointed! Think about the harsh decisions that Super Snake had to make. He did what he had to do, but for some reason, you’re too weak to do it. Thank you, Dysnomia. Thank you for wasting my time!” said Husky before he turned around and walked towards the door.

As I heard his footsteps, a slide show of images flashed in my mind like a projector. The old man that I saw beaten. The citizens that were robbed. The casket of the greatest knight on the front page of the newspaper. The bruised face of my beloved protégé.

“Husky!” I said as I heard the squeak of the turning doorknob.

“Yes,” said Husky, as he turned around to look at me with a smirk on his face.

“I’ll guess I’ll do it,” I said.

“What do you say?” he asked.

“I guess I’ll do it,” I said.

“Guess?” he said.

“Fine. I’ll do it!” I said.

“Smart answer. You are a very smart girl. Super Snake would be proud. Now let’s go save the kingdom and make history together.” said Husky.

The next morning I looked at myself in the mirror, thinking of the hero that I’ll become. The image of a grave of an unfortunate soul attempted to invade the thoughts of my brain, however, my positive thoughts acted as security and tossed it out. I noticed a girl with curly blonde hair step into the room behind me.

“What’s up, Toots?” I said, as I turned around to look at her.

“I see you’re about to do your initiation,” said Tootsie before puffing a cloud of cigarette smoke. 

“Yeah, to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it.” I said.

“I understand. I went through a morality crisis before I did my initiation too. I didn’t have a problem with the other things, but taking someone’s life came as a shock to me. Just think of this. Once you get it over with, you won’t have to do it again. You got it over it with. Your initiation is dead and gone. You can move on and never look back.” said Tootsie.

“I understand, but it is just so hard to convince myself to do it. I feel so dirty.” I said.

“Honey, if you can’t do this once and move on, then you aren’t built for this lifestyle. Maybe you shouldn’t join the gang and just keep your little job at the movie theater. It’s okay to admit that you aren’t a gangster, Hon.” said Tootsie.

“I can’t do that. This town needs me. It is a sacrifice that I have to make. Super Snake always puts his personal feelings aside to help others. I have to do the same.” I said.

“I’m proud of you. You’re really growing up.” She said.

“Oh, please! I been working before you were even born.” I said.

“Okay, I see ya. Looking forward to see how Husky’s experiment plays out.” said Tootsie as I noticed a bruise on her cheek.

“What happened to your cheek? It looks like someone hurt you.” I said.

“Don’t worry about it, Hon. You have enough on your plate.” said Tootsie.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Everything is fine.” She said.

“Okay, I hope you have a good day,” I said.

“You too,” said Tootsie before I skated out of the room.

As I skated down the street, I noticed that the buildings, sky, people, and animals began to lose their color again. A shade of gray began to creep its way up my surroundings. I have the paintbrush and all the tools that I need to paint some color over this gray canvas. A nice shade of red will do. The fine shade of blood red shall soothe my critics like the lavish taste of red wine. As my fans watch me stroke the brush, little do they know that the blood red paint is actually not paint.

“Enough blood has been spilled in this city. Is it right for me to spill more?” I asked myself as I looked at myself in the mirror. The sound of the door flying open caused me to pick up my baseball bat.

“Oh, it is just you, Bryce. I didn’t expect you to get back to the apartment so early.” I said.

“Yeah, I got off of my job early today,” He said.

“That must be nice. Why did you get some time off?” I asked.

“I took some time off because I had to catch an important meeting with a good associate and friend,” said Bryce.

A middle-aged man with graying hair walked into the room. He wore a black jacket and his glasses dropped a little below his eyes. The gleam of his silver watch caught my eye and I couldn’t help but to flutter to him.

“Hi, I’m Dysnomia,” I said as I shook his hand while my eyes stayed on his watch like an archer’s target.

“I’m Mr. Guillebeaux. Bryce told me about you. Despite your skin disease, you are a good person. I applaud you for that. Keep it up. Good work.” he said as I awkwardly looked around.

“Thank you for your compliment, I guess,” I said. “I love that watch. Can I take a closer look?”

“No! Get away from me. I am here to have a professional conversation with Bryce. Not for you to look at a watch that’ll you’ll never be able to afford in your life.” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I said before skating to the other side of the room.

“I heard you work as an assistant manager at a store. I heard a lot of great things about you from your superiors. So you are probably wondering why did I schedule to have this meeting with you,” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“You’re right. I am hoping that it has something to do with money.” said Bryce before they both laughed.

“I like the way you think. You remind me of myself. The good news is that you’re in luck. I have a job opportunity for you where you’ll make a lot more money.” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“Tell me all about it. You can take your jacket off if you want.” said Bryce.

“It is pretty hot in here. Now let’s get down to business.” said Mr. Guillebeaux as he took off his jacket.

“I want to hire you to be the vice president of this new startup that I founded. You know I am a business mogul. I always like to find more streams of income. With your skills, I think this business can be successful.” He said.

“Vice president! Wow!” said Bryce.

“I am so happy for you, Bryce!” I said as I put my hands in the air like a cheerleader cheering a football team to victory.

Mr. Guillebeaux looked at me as his face became as red as a heated thermometer. He looked as if he were a teacher that’s about to scold one of his students for acting up. I zipped my mouth closed and tossed the zipper away. As he continued filling Bryce’s head with the image of him sitting in the vice president’s office, a discovery made me gasp. The discovery filled my head with an image of Bryce being put in harm’s way.

“Hey, Bryce, can we talk for a second?” I said, as I swiftly skated to him.

“What do you want? Don’t you see that I’m in the middle of an important meeting?” said Bryce.

“Yeah, but it’s important.” I said.

“What could be more important than this? I can get us on another level financially. I know you are helping, but you work at a movie theater. You aren’t bringing in that much money.” said Bryce.

“But this is important for your safety,” I said.

“Fine, this better be worth it,” said Bryce before he turned around to face Mr. Guillebeaux. “May you excuse me for a second? My roommate has to talk to me for a second.”

“Follow me,” I said as I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. I swiftly opened the door, and we stepped into the hallway of the apartment.

“What do you want?” asked Bryce.

“This guy could get you into trouble. Don’t associate yourself with him.” I said.

“Why?” He asked.

“On his arm he has a tattoo that says Ice Killer on it. Do you know who the Ice Killers are?” I asked.

“No, who are they?” He asked.

“They are a gang. They aren’t a bad gang, though. They are actually a good gang. The problem is that they have a lot of enemies. If you associate yourself with an open Ice Killer, you are likely to be attacked. In fact, you’re more likely to be attacked than him because people fear attacking known Ice Killers. They won’t hesitate to attack you though because you’re just an associate so you don’t have the same protection as a real Ice Killer member.” I said.

“Yeah, and how do you know this? Do you study gangs? I highly doubt it.” he said.

“I know from experience. I saw many Ice Killers roaming the streets.” I said.

“You know what? I think you’re just jealous.” said Bryce.

“Jealous?! Why would I be jealous of my protégé?” I said.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you work at a movie theater and I’m working as the vice president of a company.” he said.

“How does that make any sense? We are in this together.”

“Yeah, we are in this together, so why are you jealous?” he asked.

“I love you, Bryce. You know that, but right now you’re acting like a jerk. If you weren’t my protégé, I would probably let you go and learn your lesson the hard way.” I said.

“The clock is ticking, and I have other business to take care of today. If you don’t come back to finish the conversation, I’m leaving!” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“Okay, I’ll be right there, sir,” said Bryce as he walked back into the apartment room.

As I watched him continue to speak, I felt the sting of a shot of fear being injected into me. I knew life had already roughed him up enough. If life gave him another beating, that would be brutal. As his cloudy fée, I have to put on my boxing gloves and throw a few punches back at life to put it back in its place.

“How can I get Bryce to leave this guy?” I whispered to myself. As I pondered for several seconds, the solution was in my hands. 

The only thing that can get him to decline the offer is for him to find a better job. How can I get him a better job? This guy is offering him the position as the vice president. How can I compete with that? I just work at a movie theater. I can’t offer him anything.

The gleaming light of a bar of gold truly caught his eye. He cheers with limitless joy as the cold, precious metal touches his hand. Little does he know that the bar of gold is no different from a target at gun range. Every step that he takes is toward his coffin. He’ll never see the coffin because he is blinded by the gleaming light of the gold. 

Unfortunately, I have nothing better than gold to offer him. I don’t even have anything close to gold. I don’t even have silver. What can I say to him? What can I do?

As I shivered at the thought of Bryce’s unfortunate future that was being cooked in fate’s pot, I overheard a couple of teenagers talking.

“Yeah, like I totally can’t wait to go to the fair.” said a girl as her friend followed her down the hall.

I thought about the times that Bryce’s parents took him to the fair as a child. I remember the way he cheered as he rode on the rides. The aura of joy that surrounded him as he played the games. The way that he smiled when prizes were placed in his hands made someone who was down on their luck grin.

I’m pretty sure the fair is hiring. I know that if he gets a job offer at the fair, he would never turn it down. He hasn’t been to a fair in such a long time. I know that when the nostalgia hits, he’ll never want to leave. He’ll surely want to work at a joyful place like a fair instead of some boring vice president’s job.

“Nice talking to you. I look forward to seeing you at the office next week.” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“My pleasure. Can’t wait.” said Bryce before Mr. Guillebeaux left.

I swiftly skated to Bryce as he smiled with a mouth full of pearly whites.

“I’m happy for you, Bryce. You got a new job. You’ll be making so much more money. How about I take you out for a treat?” I said.

“Yeah, you’re right. I do deserve it.” he said.

“Yeah, it’s not every day that someone gets offered the position of vice president,” I said as I swiftly snatched his phone off the bed as I skated past it.

I looked up the directions to the fair. I looked at the route to the Royal Castle fair with a smile. To be honest, I looked forward to going to the fair myself. I have never been to a fair, and I desire to feel the same nostalgia that Bryce does one day.

“Are you ready for your treat?” I asked.

“Of course I am. What do you think I’m waiting for?” he said.

“Well, let’s go catch the bus,” I said before I skated into the hallway.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. You’ll see when we get there.” I said, as he tried to keep up with me.

Once I arrived at the elevator, I pressed button number one. Bryce just made it before the doors shut on him. He glanced at his watch before putting his hands in his pocket.

“You know you should get some skates so that way you can move around faster, slowpoke,” I said.

“I can get some skates if you want me to break a couple of bones,” I said.

“Come on, it isn’t that hard,” I said.

“Yeah, it isn’t hard for a skater girl like yourself. Me. I was never able to get into it. I remember when I was in school a lot of my classmates knew how to skate.” he said.

“I know you wish you learned, slowpoke,” I said as I skated down the hall when the elevator opened.

As we sat on the bus, I could truly see the gold bar get further away through the rear-view mirror. It might be sad to leave something good, but sometimes that has to be done to get something great. After giving life a black eye, I was able to put the leash back around its neck. Everything was finally falling back into place.

“What ride do you want to go on first? Lemme guess. The roller coaster.” I said.

“You know I don’t do roller coasters,” said Bryce.

“Really, scaredy cat. You’re lucky my old friend Midnight isn’t here right now cause she would clown you.” I said.

“How about we go on the ultra fast supersonic tea cup ride?” said Bryce.

“Woah, that sounds amazing! Let’s go!” I said.

As we rode the teacup ride, I didn’t feel an ounce of adrenaline. For an amusement park, I surely wasn’t amused. It made Bryce happy, though. Somehow, the slow pace of the spinning ride brought smiles and laughs out of him. Happiness is an emotion and sometimes emotions can’t be explained. The good news is that they don’t have to be explained. All one has to do is go with the flow and enjoy the ride. Even if it’s a slow and boring teacup ride.

“Woah, that was fun! What did you think about it?” asked Bryce.

“It was pretty lame, but whatever floats your boat.” I said.

“Cool, let’s go to the arcade!” I said.

“Looking forward to beating you,” said Bryce.

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” I said.

For the rest of the day, we played games, went on rides, and I bought him some food. As he enjoyed cotton candy, I enjoyed the scenery of the fair thinking about when I watched Bryce enjoying himself at an attraction as a child. Bryce even gave a child some gold coins so that they could play more games in the arcade, causing me to gain peace points. If someone told me that one day that I would physically enjoy the experience with Bryce, I would think that they’re crazy. 

Sometimes life throws curve balls. If one gets a strike, they may be tempted to give up. The truth is that if they keep on swinging the bat eventually, they might get a home run. I guess it is true that one only loses when one quits.

“So, do you want to go on the big boy rides now? Look, there is a Ferris wheel over there.” I said.

“I’m too scared, but I don’t want to stop you from enjoying yourself. You can go if you want. There’s another ride that I have my eye on anyway.” he said.

“Alright, see you later,” I said as I skated to the line for the Ferris wheel.

As the line slowly got cut down like an art student snipping paper for an art project, the curtains closed on the sun and the moon rose to stardom. It was the moon’s time to shine, for the moonlight shone upon the grass and reflected off of the broken glass bottles on the ground. I smiled as I thought about Bryce frolicking on the fairground as a child. The sighting of a young woman with purple eyeshadow was the death of my smile.

When I witnessed the sighting, someone truly took an eraser and erased the smile that once decorated my face. Never has my smile been snatched away from me so abruptly. I looked the other direction, but the purple eyeshadow was etched into my brain like an etch a sketch. The problem was that no matter how much I tried to shake the thoughts out of my head, they wouldn’t budge.

Who will I have to sacrifice to save this city from its certain fate? Who’s family will be willing to deal with the pain of their loss for the greater good? Whose grave will I have to weep upon for the betterment of mankind?

As I sat on the Ferris wheel, I began to rise however; I sank deeper into my ocean questions. The Ferris wheel stopped giving me a view of the city that photographers would envy. The way that the lights of the buildings sparkled, one would think that a party was going on.

“If only the city shined as bright as it looks,” I said.

After what felt like a lifetime of pondering the cursed ceremony, I realized something. Sometimes a curse is merely a blessing in disguise. When thousands of lives are in the palm of one’s hand, it isn’t possible to please them all. The only thing one can do is please as much as possible. For that, I hope souls are grateful.

“Bryce! Bryce! Bryce! Where are you?” I said as I skated back to the food court after the ride.

I attempted to look for him like a game of eye spy. I looked at the lines for rides, lines at the food court, and even waited to see if he would come out of the bathroom. Eventually, I spotted him sitting beside a garbage can.

“Why are you sitting here, Bryce?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“I mean exactly what I said. You wouldn’t understand.” he said.

“I bet I can. Tell me.” I said.

“Why? It’s not like you’re going to be able to solve it.” he said.

“You might as well tell me. You have nothing to lose.” I said.

“Fine, I don’t think I’ll be able to do the job. I know he believes in me and gave me the offer, but I don’t feel like I can do it.” he said.

The melancholy tone that he had was a tone that I truly desired to cure. However, his words were a disease of complexity. I know how intelligent Bryce is. The truth is, he is capable of doing the job. The truth can set one free, however, the truth often gets one killed.

“Bryce, there are better opportunities that you can get, anyway. You don’t need that boring job. How about you get a job here? You can work at the fair and enjoy this fun place every day.” I said. “You can get discounts and we can hang out here on days we both have off work.”

“Thank you for telling me about the opportunity. I saw the hiring posters over there. The problem is that I can’t get myself to work in these underpaid professions anymore. I’m sick of it. I want to be great. Even though I feel like I’m not good enough to do the job, I have to try.” said Bryce.

“See you later, Bryce. I have to go to work. Here is some money for the bus.” I said, as I tossed a few singles at him. As I skated, I felt my blood boil like I was bathing in the water of a boiling pot. No matter what I said or did, Bryce just wouldn’t let go of the job. It was almost as if losing the job was like losing his arm. If someone was pointing a gun at his face and I told him to move, he was so stubborn that he wouldn’t budge.

“Hey Dysnomia,” said Husky as I skated through the front of his house.

“Are you ready for your initiation?” he asked.

“Before we talk about that we have to talk about Bryce,” I said.

“Bryce, who is that?” he asked.

“He’s my protégé. Don’t think that just because I’m in the human world that I’m not protecting him anymore.” I said.

“What is the problem? What did I do to him?” said Husky.

“I know the Ice Killers are a good gang, but I don’t want Bryce to associate with any Ice Killers. I don’t want him to get hurt because of association.” I said.

“I respect your wishes. Show me a picture of him and I’ll direct the Ice Killers to avoid him.” he said.

“Make sure you tell Mr. Guillebeaux to stay away from him too. Tell him to revoke Bryce from his job offer.” I said.

“Mr. Guillebeaux?” he said.

“Yeah, you heard me,” I said.

“I have nothing to do with him. He isn’t an Ice Killer.” he said.

“What? What do you mean? I literally saw the Ice Killer tattoo on his arm.” I said.

“I know. I hate that guy. He’s not an Ice Killer. He’s a counterfeit gangster. He goes around and brags about being in the Ice Killer gang for protection and status when most of the members have never seen that guy in their lives. He never been to any of our houses. He never been to any of our meetings. He never spoke to any of us yet he uses our name to deceive and scam people.” Bryce explained.

“Yeah, but he can still get Bryce hurt. If people think Mr. Guillebeaux is a real Ice Killer then Bryce can still get hurt by association.” I said.

“Unfortunately, I can’t order him to do anything. He isn’t a real Ice Killer. He has no association with us at all.” he said.

“I’ll sacrifice him for the initiation,” I said.

“Really?” said Bryce.

“Yeah, anything to protect my protégé,” I said.

“Well, you’re in luck because he is actually attending a meeting at a fancy restaurant for business purposes. You can poison his drink.” said Bryce.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” I said.

As I placed the purple eyeshadow on my eyes I thought about my performance. Such a performance is the path that will lead to the role of the lead actress. As I looked at my purple jacket and purple jeans with holes in them I knew that my performance must be fit for a king. I knew I had to take each step with passion, confidence, and royalty. I placed the black masquerade mask on my face that was the essence of my ritual. The nature of my passion. The nature of the most profound stanza in my ballad.

“You can do this, Dysnomia. Remember it is merely a performance. A mere ritual. This isn’t you. You are divine.” I said. I picked up the rose that sat on my desk and smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

As I sat in the car beside Husky I felt the blow of stage fright’s fists to my stomach. Will they love the performance or will it be the most hated in the history of the arts? Perhaps this rose is foreshadowing the sounds of the clapping audience and the bravo of the critics. I shall taste the lavish sip of the finest wine of astonishment. I shall bathe in the tears of my critics as they cry for beauty. I shall forever remember the ritual that bestowed the role of the leading actress upon my soul.

“Take these pills. Find a way to get close to him and slip them into his drink. You’ll be initiated and since you got rid of a serious pest, I’ll slide a few hundred.” said Husky as he handed me a couple of pills and an earpiece.

“I’m ready to be crowned queen,” I said before stepping out of the car.

At that moment I couldn’t understand how stage fright didn’t catch an assault charge because the amount of blows he threw to my stomach was enough to be considered inhumane. I knew that the show must go on. I have a crowd to please. I have critics to astound. 

As I stepped in the restaurant I noticed a number of people put down their forks and spoons to get a glimpse of me. I stepped with passion as the gleaming light of a familiar watch caught my eye. I followed the gleam of light like travelers following a star to get to their destination.

“Hello, I love your watch, Mr. Guillebeaux,” I said.

“Thank you. You look pretty nice yourself. What is this? Some kind of fashion statement?” he asked.

“More like a performance,” I said as I placed the rose on the table.

“How about I take you home with me tonight?” he asked as my eyes opened as wide as the full moon with shock.

“Sure, I love guys with nice watches. How about I get you a drink?” I said.

I purchased a couple of glasses of red wine and slipped the pills in one of the drinks. As I walked, guilt almost slipped me into a headlock. The thought of Bryce’s safety was the sword that I used to slay my guilt.

“The show must go on,” I said before I arrived at the table.

“Looking forward to tonight. Nothing like a little wine to get you in the mood.” I said as I handed him the drink.

“Yeah, baby,” he said.

I thought about the crowd shouting bravo. I pictured the critics for my astonishing artistic ability. I imagined the roses being thrown on the stage. At the speed of a lightning strike, I was cursed with the image of roses being thrown on top of a grave with the word Guillebeaux carved into it.

“Wait, don’t drink that!” I said.

“What? Why not?” he asked.

“Um, because I think that you can’t have wine without fine dining,” I said before chuckling awkwardly.

“I guess you have a point,” he said after staring at me for a few seconds.

“How about I get you some food?” I said.

“Sure, salad will do for me,” he said.

“Me too,” I responded.

“Since you were generous enough to get me the drink I’ll pay for the salad,” he said.

“Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” I said.

“Dysnomia, what are you doing?” said Husky through my earpiece.

“I’ll be right back. I have to pick up the phone. It’s for business.” I said.

“Okay,” he said.

“What do you want, Husky?” I asked as I stepped near the restroom.

“He was just about to drink the poison. Why did you stop him?” asked Husky.

“Because I have to wait for the perfect time, you know?” I said.

“That was the perfect time! I thought you were hungry to be an Ice Killer! Thank you for wasting my time!” he said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do it,” I said.

“You better! I spoke up for you! I put my reputation on the line for you!” he said.

“I told you I’ll do it,” I said.

“Okay, don’t talk. Prove it.” he said.

When I arrived at the stage of my performance, Mr. Guillebeaux began telling me about the accomplishments that he desired to achieve in the future. I took a trip through his hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams that’ll never come to fruition because of an early slumber in the bed of his casket. When the salad came, he took a bite before reaching for the wineglass.

As the cool glass touched his hand it felt like time slowed. I was watching the scene play in slow motion. I knew that the performance had to go on, but the image of the grave clouded my mind.

“Don’t drink that!” I said.

“Why not? What is wrong with you?” he said, putting the glass on the table, blocking the lips of death from kissing him.

“Why didn’t you let him drink it?!” said Husky through my earpiece. “You told me that you would let him drink it next time! You lied to me! I knew you weren’t fit to be a hero!”

“I’m sorry Husky. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.” I said.

“I did all of those things for you just to get embarrassed!” he said.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“What is going on? Who are you talking to?” said Mr. Guillebeaux.

“I have to talk to a business partner right now, Mr. Guillebeaux,” I said. “Husky,”

He was dead silent. I looked around in confusion as Mr. Guillebeaux looked at me in the same state of mind. I tapped my earpiece to make sure that it wasn’t malfunctioning.

“Husky, Husky, Husky,” I said. The only answer that I received was dead silence.

“You know what I had a long night. I think I should be heading home now. I have a lot of business to take care of tomorrow.” said Mr. Guillebeaux as he picked up a napkin. He wiped his hands and mouth before crumbling the napkin and leaving it on his plate.

The sound of an explosion ripped through the air. Mr. Guillebeaux fell out of his chair and slammed into the floor. Everyone in the restaurant screamed and ran like a group of scattered ants. As tempted as I was to move with the colony I peaked at Mr. Guillebeaux. I gasped as I saw a hole in his head with blood decorating his forehead.

“Someone help him! Someone save him!” I said before the sound of another explosion struck my ear drums. I swiftly picked up my rose and joined the colony.

“Husky! Something exploded in there!” I said as I ran towards him like I was running from a charging bull.

“Get in the car. Trust me, you’ll be alright.” he said as he unlocked the door.

“I’m sorry I failed my initiation,” I said as I sat in the seat beside him.

“What do you mean you failed? You passed. You killed him.” he said as he placed a large black device in the back seat.

“What is that? Is that one of those gun things?” I asked.

“I’ll be honest, I blew his brains out,” he said.

“This is totally insane!” I said.

“As far as we know, you killed Mr. Guillebeaux. When we talk to Mr. Ice, this will be the narrative.” He said.

A few hours later I felt the cold air of the vents from the office blow against my skin. I couldn’t tell if my shivering was the result of the cold air or the nervous energy of what is to come. As Mr. Ice looked into my eyes with a stare as cold as his name, I felt the grip of nervous energy around my neck tighten. Even Husky who had confidence as sturdy as a skyscraper began to shake a little.

“Mr. Ice, I watched Dysnomia snipe Mr. Guillebeaux in the head. He was instantly killed from the wounds of the shot.” said Husky.

I continued being the target of Mr. Ice’s stare for several seconds.

“Dysnomia, congratulations you’re an official member of the Ice Killer gang,” said Mr. Ice as he shook my hand.

“Bravo, bravo, bravo,” I said to myself as I sat in the midst of a celebration for my induction. I couldn’t help but smile a little as my new family members danced and drank red wine.

“You did it, girl. I didn’t think ya had it in ya.” said Tootsie.

“Me either,” I said.

“Look forward to hangin out with ya,” she said before taking a sip of red wine.

“You too,” I said as she got up and walked towards Husky.

The sight of her red wine made me look at the rose that accompanied me during my performance. As I looked at the bloodstain that decorated the rose, I truly realized that sometimes performances don’t go as planned. No matter what, the show must go on. The camera continues to roll. The audience continues to watch. The critics continue to critique. I didn’t do anything immoral. I am merely an actress. I am walking in the shoes of a character. I am divine. As I hear the claps and cheers. As I see the roses being thrown on the stage. All I can say is bravo, bravo, bravo.

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