I sighed while I stared at myself in the dressing room mirror. There were fifteen minutes until showtime and I was still managing to find flaws within my own appearance within the last minutes I had to freshen up for the performance. If there was one aspect of Orchestra that I hated the most, it was certainly this.
We played instruments and made music, but we still needed to look our best for the more public performances. I hadn’t been told off for how I looked yet, but it was only a matter of time with how many flaws within my own face I spotted and could never fix no matter how hard I tried.
Father was quite exceptional at pointing out each and every one of them he saw.
From the slight dark circles underneath my blue eyes that had begun to form recently from when I had begun having to deal with insomnia for the first time in my life a few months ago, to the stray strands of my short black hair that my father never tolerated during preparations for his dinner parties. The more I looked, the more I could spot that was off.
I sighed. I despised looking at my reflection and avoided doing so when I could, and it despised me in turn.
Woefully, It was still necessary to deal with it, and thus I did so. The only saving grace was that due to Mrs. Harmony’s insistence on us not attending any rides before the first performance so as to ‘not upset our stomachs’, my uniform was still in near perfect condition. The dark green dress jacket, tie, and black dress pants without barely a ruffle, and the black dress shoe still with a slight shine to them.
Not that either Gail or Holly had much appreciated her ‘concern’ for us, being quite unhappy when the older woman brought us to a gift store where only she had brought things first. They did have some plans of their own to buy some souvenirs too, but only later so that they weren’t having to carry what they brought around with them all day. They were good at planning ahead for situations like that.
The same couldn’t be said for something like ending up with Mrs. Harmony as our chaperone though. It really was just like I thought it would turn out for them. They hadn’t enjoyed their time here because of who my presence had attracted. I did at least take some solace in the joy on their faces when the older woman had finally returned fuming initially though from my ‘innocent little mistake’ and the quiet conversation they had about the various MG’s and their abilities while she did her shopping.
I gazed at the mirror for another moment before reaching upwards to comb another errant strand back into place like I had been taught to with my hands, only to catch in the corner of the mirror something that shouldn’t have been within the dressing room.
The room itself was of a smaller construction and didn’t have too much within it beyond the mirror and a few racks filled with various colorful costume parts that we weren’t allowed to touch. The walls and table were a pleasant light blue and a few designs associated with the MG's that had lent their image to the theme park were scattered around the room, plastered on the walls.
Everything here was supposed to be here, except for the stuffed white fox the size of a cat with large vibrant lilac eyes that had seemingly been made to sit in front of the door For a moment I chose to stare back at the stuffed fox I knew to not have been here when I had originally entered, using the reflection to do so.
Then I closed my eyes, counted to three before opening them, and turned around only to find there was no stuffed fox where I had just seen it. My eyes didn’t leave the spot while a surge of nerves flew through me.
Imaginary little stuffed white foxes? You really have begun to lose it.
I wasn’t entirely sure how much longer I would’ve stared at where the stuffed fox had once been had a knock on the dressing room door not interrupted me from my trance. “Come on Mer! We only got ten minutes left!” Holly’s familiar voice echoed through the door.
I took a deep breath before shaking my head. If I was beginning to see things, that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I’d just have to get over myself and ignore it if I saw the strange hallucination for a second time.
Still, I gave one last glance to my reflection which thankfully showed no strange new additions this time, before heading to the door. I opened it to the sight of Holly rapidly pulling her hand and body back from the opening door, having been poised to knock on it again.
“Gah!” She exclaimed before giving me a light glare. “Mer! You could’ve at least responded to me before doing that.”
I gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, I thought you wouldn’t be waiting right beside the door and that it would’ve been faster for me to just come on out. Why were you right beside the door though?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “I wouldn’t if you weren’t like my sister when she’s freshening up. Taking a century to actually get ready.”
I tilted my head at her. Her sister took forever to care for her appearance and liked looking at herself. I was just dealing with what flaws I could on my own and didn’t enjoy looking at myself. We were worlds apart. “I don’t take nearly as long as she does.”
Holly snorted and gave me a silent look. Before I could respond, she then began to walk away, rolling her arms in a gesture to follow her. “Sure you don’t. Now come on, before they begin to assume you got lost or something and send someone else to get you.”
I frowned momentarily, though I did follow after her. I wasn’t entirely sure I agreed with her assessment that I was like her sister in that way, but I definitely didn’t feel like arguing with her over something so frivolous. And she had come to make sure I would be ready in time so I couldn’t fault her there. I probably should thank her really.
I thought about it for a moment longer before I spoke up. “Hey, thank you for coming to get me anyways despite what happened earlier Holly.”
She gave me a light smile. “It’s what friends are for Mer. And don’t worry about that. Worry instead about how we’re going to kick ass in our upcoming performance. We’ll leave the entire theme park speechless, especially with the solo you’ll end it on. And then we’ll do it again in the evening!”
“Again, it’s a duet, but sure.” I nodded, even if I really wasn’t excited about the performance itself still. I didn’t want to let those feelings bleed through to my face though, so she didn’t have to be concerned about that. I’d play my part out to the best of my ability nonetheless, my own grievances notwithstanding.
It’s what I’d always done after all whenever I wasn’t excited for something. However, it certainly would be the first time I’d have to do it with music.
We proceeded through the halls of the backstage building and soon enough, we were out and out into the backstage path, headed for the stage where I could see through the fences that separated this place from the rest of the theme park that scores of people were already starting to gather and crowd each other out of space. The path we were taking was attached to the building itself, filled with greenery, and more importantly a place one had to have permission to be in and not flooded with all the various people wandering within the theme park or gathering for the performance.
Though the theme park was an expansive thing that even with all the technology and magic I knew it made use of, it still surprised me just how it had all been implemented.
It was so massive that even from the centralized area the stage was in, I couldn’t see the edges of the park from where we were, though not just from sheer size alone. My vision seemed to stop at giant walls which rose up to form a dome that I knew really wasn't there and was instead illusions only visible from within the theme park that represented one of the seven different outer sections within. Each of which being based on a specific MG with the colors in said section matching up with them and filled to the brim with attractions themed after them and their color.
All of which were connected to the central plaza through fancy bridges over an artificial river that surrounded the plaza. It was quite the incredible feat of magitech, a term that nearly everyone used in place of the official term used to describe the blending of magic and technology, and I knew from the animated discussions of my friends had involved the help of various MG's to create the park in the first place.
It was a monument to all that MG’s stood for and the hope they brought to so many.
I sighed. If only she were here to see it. She would’ve loved everything about this place. From the rides within, to the various overpriced merchandise, to even the tiniest of details used in the decoration of it. She probably would’ve been able to manage to brighten the day for both Holly and Gail despite the chaperone switcheroo.
“You’re thinking about your sister Noelle again, aren’t you?” Holly’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts, her gaze locked right on my own. My own silence and the stiffening of my shoulders was response enough for her and she continued on. “I know you two were as thick as thieves before whatever happened, happened. If you ever want to talk about what happened between you and her, I’m here for you. And I can guarantee that Gail would be there for you too. Talk about it or now, we’re behind you all the way.”
I stared at her and did my utmost to get a handle on the wistfulness that had momentarily overtaken me. Showing that to anybody else that wasn't Gail or Holly would only end in terrible things for me when they took advantage of the weakness I had unwittingly displayed. And even then, I didn’t want them to worry for me of all people. I wasn’t worth that.
It was also for the best that neither of them learned of all the details and not just what I had been allowed to tell them.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“You’re right, I was thinking about her.” I began, forcing a smile onto my face. “Don’t worry though, I’ve come to terms with what happened between us. I wish she could’ve been here for many different reasons, but I’ll just have to hope that one day we can reconnect. Maybe even beginning with the fact she missed going here because of her apprenticeship, heh.” My voice felt flat, even to me. Doubly so when I tried to shift the topic to something else and tried to force a joke.
For a moment, Holly’s gaze didn’t shift whatsoever as she stared at me and I wondered if she had seen through me. Eventually though she nodded and grinned back at me. “Alright Mer. We’ll just have to tease her about missing this relentlessly on the next call then.” There was a twinge of sadness within her voice despite the more upbeat tone she used within it. She was still worrying and trying to hide it from me.
I mentally cursed myself. Why did it have to be such a struggle for me to lie to them when I could do it so easily with everybody else?
An awkward silence descended upon us after that and I found it difficult to pay much attention to the world around me other than just enough to follow Holly. Before I knew it, we were standing on a bustling stage with a glimmering blue sheen of opaque magic in front of us acting as our curtains.
We stopped by where an array of different instrument cases laid in a pile that’d be just out of view to any prospective audiences. Holly gave me one last smile before grabbing her own case and taking her own instrument of choice from it, a tuba, and hauling it towards her section within the orchestra with a deceptive ease. The beast of brass was far heavier than she let on, and I knew my friend did some strength exercises outside of class just so she could handle carrying it around better.
I quietly shifted my attention from Holly and towards the pile, swiftly identifying the unassuming plain black case that held my violin right beside a case heavily decorated with pictures and symbols of various different MG's I had seen so many times, yet couldn’t name.
I took a deep breath before I forced my gaze away from her violin’s case. I didn’t quite understand why her case was still here, but I shook my head to refocus myself and popped open my own case, revealing my violin in all its simple elegance once more. I took it and its associated bow, whose hairs too glowed with a soft purple light just like the strings of the violin, in one hand, gently closing my case with the other.
With that, I was off towards my own seat, one which turned out this time to be in the second row right between Charles and Mrs. Harmony’s girl. A seating only possible had we both just ‘ended up’ at the edge of our respective sections. How fun.
Immediately when I sat down, the auburn-haired girl on my left began to speak with a voice as sweet as saccharine, her flute laying on her lap. “Oh, there you are Merrick! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it in time or if that brown haired girl who Mr. Gin said had been getting you, was purposefully trying to get you lost. I mean, haven’t you heard? There was this other girl who was lost on campus and-”
Some days I wished there was a mute button for people like in the games that Gail sometimes showed me. How sad it was that even if it did exist, I wouldn’t even be able to use it lest I risk offending someone or missing something that was actually important.
So instead, I just had to settle for partially tuning her out and giving nods and hums of agreement whenever they were appropriate while I set-up the smart music stand in front of me. Changing it from its default to my own preferred settings, the stand glowed as its display shifted to accommodate me.
Occasionally, Charles spoke to me from my right to try and get my attention about something or the other that wasn’t important. The brown haired boy was more shy but more polite, yet still was someone who just like with Mrs. Harmony’s daughter at the end of the day. And just like her, I didn’t care to properly pay him any attention, responding in near the same ways I did to her.
I was used to doing it after all, though usually that had been in my other classes and not orchestra. I suppose it wouldn’t matter much after today anyways. This and the one later tonight would be my last performances, the furthest father was willing to let me go with my hobby before I was to take up a much more useful class in its place.
Nobody knew except the academy officials he had been talking with to make the switch as smooth as possible. Not even my friends even if I wished to tell them. Going against his word on that just wasn’t in the cards.
I inwardly sighed only to find myself blinking in surprise at the hand that now rested on the smart stand in front of me, idly noting that both of those seated next to me were glaring at the one who dared to do such a thing.
It was Gail.
He never liked it when people glared at him and usually shied away when people did so, but this time he did nothing of the sort, focused only on me.
“Oi, what’d I tell you about the void stare. Only got a minute until showtime so focus up. Let’s make it one to remember, yeah?”
Before I could even respond he was gone to his own seat a decent bit aways within the same row as me. “You really shouldn’t let those who aren’t in our circle talk like that to you Merrick. It’s not good to let them think they can.” Charles' soft voice came after Gail left.
I hummed noncommittally in response while I thought on Gail’s words. I continued to think on them even as Mr. Gin and Mr. Caleb took up their positions in front of us to act on their second part of their job outside of our teachers, but as our conductors too. I was even thinking on them when the illusionary wall in front of us fell and revealed the expansive crowd that had formed in front of the stage within the central plaza of the theme park, enough so that it would be a pain for even the most agile of passerby to weave their way through it.
Make it one to remember. I let the idea bounce in my head while my two orchestra teachers talked towards the crowd about how honored they and everyone else here was to perform for them and other topics like that.
I stared at the violin I held in my hands before nodding ever so slightly to myself. I doubted that Gail knew this would be one of my last performances, but the sentiment was still strong nonetheless. To give this my all no matter what and end it on as high of a note as I could possibly manage.
A little selfishly for myself, mostly for Noelle.
It didn’t matter there wasn’t really a point for me to try anymore since my time with the orchestra was growing short. All that mattered was that today was my sendoff to this part of my life that I had shared with my twin for so long. I would rekindle that shared passion we once both held today to play at my best for one final time.
My grip on my violin and bow tightened as I felt a fire begin to ignite within me, coincidentally at the same moment Mr. Gin and Mr. Caleb turned back towards us. A silence, one only disturbed by people in the crowd who really couldn’t manage to take the hint of when it was time to shut up, fell over us all. And when I readied my violin to begin playing it the moment the first song began, my mind felt more clear than it had in months since the incident.
My gaze focused on both the conductors and the music displayed on the smart stand in front of me. A second passed, then they both began to wave their batons, Mr. Gin I knew being the one of the two of them for me to follow and pay attention to.
The first song passed in the blink of an eye for me. Then the second, then the third, then the fourth. All month, it had been a struggle for me to care, but today? It was so easy to play the songs I had practiced hundreds of times. Never once overshadowing the part I was supposed to play, yet shining still amongst all the other violinists.
Before I knew it, the final song had come and the first half of it had passed in an instant. All the violinists, including me, waited while a long streak of measures filled with rests lit up on our smart stands while the rest of the orchestra continued on with their own parts.
My foot rhythmically tapped along to the beat, never once straying. The music swelled, surged, and waned around me, but my mind was waiting for but one moment. The violin duet the song and the performance would end on.
Achingly slow, it approached as the sounds around me began to dim. I closed my eyes, for I had played this particular duet more times than I could ever count and didn’t need to read off the smart stand in front of me to play it, if anything playing it better blind. Four beats now were all that was left before the duet.
I let my breathing slow down, ignoring the sweat that had seen fit to form at some point during the performance and the gasps that unprofessionally pierced the air around me. Three beats now.
I ignored the sudden screeching of an alarm that seemed to echo across the stage. What an unseamly sound right right before the duet from someone who had apparently not cared to silence their phone. It would not disturb me. Two beats now.
The sounds of screams erupted from around me and from the audience in tandem. I could not help the frown on my face that formed before I tuned both it and the alarm out from my mind, ignoring both sounds completely. Only one beat left now.
The scraping of chairs soon joined my mental blacklist. Had everyone somehow forgotten the duet that would finish the performance? Whatever the case, it didn’t matter to me, for I was still keeping beat without having let a single thing throw me off. The moment finally came to fruition and I did not disappoint it, unlike Charles who had proven so useless that he had managed to let whatever strange happenings were going on distract him, missing his part in the duet.
Oh well. Looks like Holly was right in more ways than one when she said it might as well have been a solo.
My fingers danced across the neck of the violin while haunting melodies were left in the wake by the bow whenever I shifted it across the strings. Ordinarily my partner for the duet was supposed to play a much faster and upbeat melody, creating a striking dissonance with calls and responses to represent an entire conversation within the music.
I did not let its absence stop me from continuing on with my parts, even if nobody would answer the lonely calls, my responses echoing out to the empty air.
Just like what had happened with Noelle.
Tears began to prick at my vision, but I did not stop them. Ordinarily they were only a sign of weakness that I would never let show. But in music they were the sole exception to that rule I had for myself. For when one plays a piece in tandem with their emotions, from their heart, it suddenly becomes a pillar of strength for the notes to dance off of instead. A measure of skill to those who may listen to and critique it. Even to my father.
The release of it turned my music into a lonely, vaguely beautiful melody. Turning the failed duet by virtue of a missing partner into a duetting solo.
The outside sounds continued to intensify for whatever reason, but I refused to let it drown me out while I continued to play, going on until my music came to a crescendo as it approached its end.
However, there would be no satisfying ending to it, for that was the role of the upbeat melody.
I played it anyways, my bow coursing across my violins strings with more and more fervor until suddenly it called out towards its partner with a powerful call for them to answer and finish the song.
Predictably, the sister melody never came to answer it, leaving the call forever unanswered.
I let out a soft sigh. I knew it would never come, and yet still it disappointed and saddened me all the same. And the constant cacophony of noise that had tried to disturb the moment was still there. What was going on that everyone just couldn’t seem to shut-
“MER! We gotta go!”
Two firm yet shaking hands suddenly grasped my shoulders, twisting me to face their owner while my eyes shot open in surprise. They found the terrified gaze of Gail with just a hint of bewilderment hidden underneath the terror, alongside a transparent personal illusory message centered within my vision that made my blood run cold and gave an ocean’s worth of context to all the strange disturbances that had happened during the duet.
WARNING: INVERSION UPHEAVAL IMMINENT
ESTIMATED TIME TO INVERSION UPHEAVAL: 1̵̘̰̜̫͌̾̈́4̷̧̛̛͔̟̯̑̐:̷̧̩̲̙̣̂͛̂͘9̸̝͕̯̍͜͜2̸͈̗̫̀̈́͐͌̊1̷̬̯͚̗͌̇̍?̸̛̦̒̏͑ͅ
Please proceed ḭ̶̕n̸̩͗ ̵͛͗̓ͅa̷̦͖̓͜͝n̶̨̛͖̞ orderly fashion to your nearest shelter by following t̸̩̄̔h̵͇͍̚e̶̜̿̚ ̸̢̟͋̍l̷̤̓͗i̵̦͉͆n̷̥̜͌̉e̷̼̾̇ͅs̷͎̆ͅ on the ground. Stay calm, ă̷̻͜n̸͓̯̓y̷̹͔̌ ̵͍͆å̶̡̹n̴̡̫̄d̵̝͖̿͌ ̸̺̀a̸̤̐l̴̯͙͒͆ĺ̷̦ relevant a̷͍̔̀u̴̙̓͆̉t̴̞̘͚̽̆̔ḥ̴̊ó̸͇̝̺̎̀r̶̢̢̈͠i̸̡͂̀t̴̠̰̟̾̉i̶̩̞̒e̵̦̥͝s̸̪͂ ̷͇̆͐͠h̸̯̞͙͋́͘á̸͙v̸̥̑̐e̶͚̘̺͝ been n̷̲̫̈o̸̧̤̽͌̽t̶̜̍̈ī̷̙̝f̶̺͎̞̿̅͘ȉ̵̱͆e̷͎͙͑d̶̘̎̕.̵͓̑͐̚
No wonder. Those sounds had been everyone panicking. For an exceptionally good reason too since even the very text of the warning was in on it this time, glitching out in various places. And as far as I was aware, that wasn’t ever supposed to happen.
We were so fucked.