Talent Hall

Bad things seem so unreal to you until it’s right in front of you. Then you believe it’s happening, but it still feels like a vivid dream. I’ve always heard stories about people being poisoned, but I’ve never been poisoned myself, so it feels like a hallucination to me.

Jayla’s squeezing Jayden’s hand and cries for him to go with her as the paramedics haul her in the ambulance. She groans and then holds her stomach. The nurse apologizes for the pain she’s in and places an oxygen mask over her face. Jayden sits back there with her and holds her hand, whispering words of comfort. The back doors close and before I can blink, the ambulance is gone. I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood flowing to the back of my throat. Lia notices my gaze at where the ambulance was sitting and pats my back. I follow her back inside after everyone else. Aiken closes the door and locks it behind me.

A security guard hands me the camera from the ceiling. I thank him and struggle to figure out how to look at the recordings. Lia tries to help, but I assure her I have it under control, but she knows I don’t. Not wanting to argue, she nods and takes a step back. Everyone looks at me. Aiken groans as his watch goes off. It’s the girls turn to go out there.

“Chelsea. Chloe. Are you girls ready for the stage?”

The twins nod their heads and stand by the backstage entrance with their mats. The employees are finishing with the swings and bars designed for a gymnasium. The girl hug each other and wave at us. We wish them luck. I turn my attention back to the camera and sit at an empty table. Kayiah sits with me. The camera turns back on with some music. Aiken welcomes the crowd back to the show and announces Chloe and Chelsea as the curtains open, revealing the gymnasium on the stage. They skip out there.

“How are you girls doing tonight?”

“To be honest, Aiken, we’re a little nervous tonight. Aside from that, we’re great,” Chloe says.

“Speak for yourself. I’m not nervous at all,” Chelsea says with a giggle. “She is, I’m not.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll both do a fine job. When did you realize you loved to jump around and swing on bars?”

“We both took a tumbling class in sixth grade. It got us in shape and at the same time, it made us feel good. You have those talented contestants that have been connected with their chosen talent their entire lives and then you have us and we’ve been at this for almost four years,” Chloe explains. “Can we both agree on that, Chels?”

“Absolutely,” Chelsea says, nodding her head.

“Interesting. Well, I’ve seen you girls practice. You are both very good at what you do. So if given the chance, you would like to work with stunts and gymnastics as a career choice?”

“We’d love to,” they both say at the same time.

“Excellent. Thank you for sharing that with us. The stage is yours.”

The video shows a woman with short, brown hair, dull blue eyes, and the blueberry pie in her hands. Bruce stands behind Kayiah, not trying to distract me while I’m struggling with this. The woman places the pie on the tables, tears in her eyes, her body slightly shaking. I pause the video right after she balls her eyes out and leaves the room and show Kayiah. She watches the video with Bruce and facepalms herself, gasping at how the woman is feeling after she does his dirty work. He would force an innocent woman to do something bad so he isn’t to blame. Words can’t describe how much I would love to break his neck right now.

“This has to end,” I whisper. “I’m going upstairs. I need to do some breathing.”

Bruce looks up at the small staircase by the backdoor and is about to ask if he can come, but decides to let me go up alone for a few minutes. He’s required to be watching me, but he understands how stressed I am and will allow me to pull myself together.

I thank him and head upstairs. I open a small door and crawl through it. It’s one of those doors designed to look like the talking door from Alice In Wonderland, so you have to crawl through it. But the other side isn’t so… imaginative. They put a lot of stage props in here that can fit through the door. Small stuff. Like leftover carpet. Table legs. Chairs. Stage decorations. Anything that needs a small closet.

I stand up, wipe away the dust on my black jeans and close the door. A small TV in the corner is on and is showing Chelsea and Chloe doing their stunts. Chelsea is swinging on bars at a pace so fast it makes me dizzy just watching and Chloe is doing some of the easier and slow gymnastic workouts. It looks like she’s stretching, but since she knows what she’s doing, it’s probably something more complicated than that. I smile and take a deep breath. The room is dark and I’m not at creeped out by the TV that’s on and all the supplies that look like demons who want your soul.

Not creepy at all. There’s only a voice in the back of my head that’s urging me to either turn the light on or leave. And then says leaving is the best option.

I feel along the wall and flip the light switch once I find it and the first thing I see is Jack standing in the chair with the woman on video with a baby. She’s feeding him and she’s still crying. I don’t think she’s stopped, but she’s probably traumatized for life thanks to Jack. I’ve been crying for eleven years because of him and I knew him personally. This is someone she doesn’t. I really feel bad for her. I almost want to ship her and her baby to another country far, far away from him and Savadonia.

He’s sitting in a rocking chair and is still rocking back and forth. The worst part is he’s holding a stuffed dog in his hands. It used to belong to me. Mom gave it to me at a candy store after a rough day at the dentist. That and a lollipop. To see him hold it gives me chills. Makes me think I’m in a horror film. Except this is real life and that makes it scarier. I don’t even care that his friend is sitting on a large box and knitting something that looks like a scarf.

“It’s a shame what happened to your friend.” That first statement makes me boil in anger. Usually, I’m very concealed with my emotions and can hide what I’m feeling, but he’s pushing the envelope. “It seems that we live in a world where really bad things happen to such good people. I’m sure you and my friend and her son here can relate. With your encounter with my fiance and everything.” I glare at him. “Oh, I didn’t tell you, son?” You aren’t my father and you never will be!

“Tell me what? That you poisoned an innocent girl?”

“Goodness no,” he chuckles heartily. “You’re a smart boy. You figured that out. Faster than I thought you would actually. Like a mouse trying to find a piece of cheese in a maze. I didn’t think the poison would take it’s toll so soon. Actually, I am getting married again. It’s been a long time. Haven’t been married since your mother. It’s sad to be alone. Don’t you think?”

“Well, she’s as crazy as you are, so I’m sure it’ll work out just fine,” I say, venom in my voice.

“Ouch. Someone’s grouchy tonight. Anxious to perform? I would be too. Those judges can be critical at times.”

“I just want to get through this in one piece, but if you want to kill me, get it over with because I’m not about waiting.”

“Kill you?” He asks and then laughs. “I could never kill my own flesh and blood. I want to bond with you. When I was arrested, I was portrayed as a cruel father and person, but I was preparing you for the real world. The world isn’t like they show it to be on cartoons. It’s cruel, vicious and crazy. I wanted to prepare you for it. People say it wasn’t the right way to do so, but I think it helped you realize that.”

“The only thing letting your fiancee rape me taught me was that you are a monster. I can’t imagine the torture you would both bring onto your own children through,” I say and glimpse at Maura who raises an eyebrow and rubs her stomach. My eyes widen.

“Don’t be overdramatic. If I’m going to adopt you as my own, we have to work on manners, Danny,” Maura says.

“What happened to wanting to kill me?”

“We only wanted you to stop being disobedient, but since you wouldn’t, we have to try something else, don’t we? I’d love to call you my own…”

I bite my tongue and take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a split second. My lips form a smile, but I really want to throw stuff around and maybe throw her from the window.

“I really wish you were a man right now,” is all I can say. Dad takes a tsk tsk tsk sound.

“Danny, that’s no way to speak to you-”

“She is not my mother,” I scream. Everyone flinches. Even the baby. At this point, I don’t care who dies, who cries or who gets arrested. This is my vent and scream time, so that’s what I’m going to do. “She’ll never be my mother. I’ll never be her son! Same goes for you. You aren’t my dad! You never were and you never will be, so get that through your thick skull! It will never happen! I’d rather die right now in the most violent manner possible than be called your son or step-son! And I’m not about being related to that brat of a nephew of yours!” She coos about me being “cute” when I’m mad. I stomp my foot. “No you listen to me, Maura! I’m not cute! I can be just cruel and vicious as you guys and your savage kingdom. Don’t let my appearance fool you.”

“My name Karah,” she corrects.

“Maura fits you,” I sneer. “Are you listening?”

“You’re exaggerating, Danny,” she says in a sing-songy voice and then rubs her stomach some more. “Your half brother is overreacting, baby. It’s not working because he’s so darn adorable, isn’t he, Jack?” He nods his head and smiles. “I’m sure he’ll love you as much as Mommy and Daddy do.”

The woman on the floor with her baby is watching me and staring at a metal crowbar on the floor next to her. I’m sure she’s thought about hitting Maura in the head with the crowbar. It could work. I mean she is a woman with a child to care for. I would have thought of it. I probably would have tried it without thinking, but now that I’m actually thinking about it, it would be a bad idea because Jack would overpower her even if she managed to knock out Maura. There’s no doubt Jack would kill her without a second thought. And maybe the baby too. How can I protect them without endangering the people downstairs or in the audience?

“He’s a stubborn, dear,” Jack says. “Gets from it Danielle, I’m sure. She was… difficult at times. He has certainly picked up on that and it seems like it sticks with him now.

“You don’t have a right to talk about my mother. My real mother.” He smirks.

“My mistake.”

“He’s loyal to his mother. It’s a good trait to have.” Give me a break! “I’m glad he has that. I wouldn’t know what It’s like.” She looks down at her beeping watch. “We’re going to be late for our show, dear. Wish we could stay for your whole show, Danny.”

She glimpses at the TV at the same as me. A comedian is in stage, cracking some jokes and the audience. I’m surprised Chloe and Chelsea are done already.

“We’ll be watching you dance though. Wouldn’t miss it for anything else in the world.”

Watching you.

Maura clears her throat and hands me a small card with Jack’s name and number on it. “If you want to talk before then, here’s a card with his information on it.”

I accept the card, but stare at him and then remember the night he said the words he just said.

Watching you.

It was raining. The night he and his fianceewere finally caught with their sick and twisted acts. The cops were outraged and could have killed him then and there. She got away, but as the cops dragged Dad out to the car, he tried to swing on Mom again, but was dragged across the floor harder.

“You can’t take him away from him, Danielle. Danny, listen to me, I’ll always watch over you. Don’t let your mother poison your mind.”

A cop punched him in his face and threw him the back of a car. “You are sick, you know that?” he shouted and then slammed the door shut. A doctor from an ambulance picked me up and tried to calm me down.

“What did he mean? He’ll always watch over me?” She didn’t have an answer then, but I think I have one now.

Of course!

That would explain everything.

He knew where to find me in Seattle, Newark, andLondon. He knew where to send an assassin or as he would prefer, messenger. He knew where to send someone to have my mother killed. He knew where my room was. Knew about the palace party King Henry had thrown for us all and knew Kayiah and I were heading out to the garden to talk. If he knows what I think he knows, what else could he possibly know? I’m not doubting he knows a lot more than I think. I know he does. I’m not sure if I should be slightly creeped out or utterly terrified…

Once again, I answer my own question when the small door opens. My heart goes through multiple waves of panic when I see Lia’s bright blonde hair and light blue eyes. Jack steps back and smirks as Lia stands up and gasps, staring dead at Jack. I glance between the two once and then turn to Jack, waiting for an explanation.

“Well, you’ve grown, Lia.”

A tear trickles down her left cheek. Jack raises his fist, something balled up in his hand. I back away and stand in front of Lia. He throws it to the ground. Smoke fills the room and causes all of us to cough and gag and the baby to wail. I wave my hand around trying to clear my vision a little bit, but the smoke starts to vanish in a minute of so and as soon as it does, they’re gone. Lia takes a deep breath and leans against the wall. The woman crawls next to her, still holding her baby and asks her to try to relax and helps her stand up, leading her downstairs. I take a couple deep breaths myself.

This talent show just took a terrifying turn. And now I’m not just slightly creeped up. I’m full on five year old clutching a blanket and teddy bear level scared.

Blake plays with Lia’s hair while she sits on a chair and licks an ice cream cone. The guards are talking to the king and queen about what the woman with the baby and I told them happened upstairs with Jack and Maura, who’s real name happens to be Karah soon to be Carter. Princess Sydney glimpses at me, her eyes full of concern. I focus on Lia and cross my arms when Blake stops playing with her hair. He smiles at me, but I can see right through it.

It’s fake.

He’s pretending to me happy and strong for Lia, who was just dying of a heart attack. Right now, I don’t think I can even try to pretend to be happy, so Blake’s stronger than I am. I can’t. Jack, the man who let his fiancee rape me was the reason I cut, fell into a deep depression and maybe inspired the voices that led me to starve myself. Since moving in with Lisa and Blake, I think I’ve made so much progress. Now that he’s back, trying to squirm into my life and wreck it up again, I can feel myself slipping away and losing my sanity. I’m falling back into a dark area of my mind. I can physically feel it too.

Before I moved in with Lisa, I didn’t think anything would change. To me, everything would be exactly the same. No friends. Everyone would hate me or only tolerate me. I would be alone with Ana again and the desire to lose all the weight I possibly can. At the same time, I would be alone with my suicidal voice and tendencies. And don’t even get me started about how afraid I was of Blake thanks to Jack and Maura. I thought Blake would be the one to take advantage of me once I got to trust him a bit more. I thought he would be the one to hurt me again and it was too much for me to handle. And all of it is because of Jack and Maura or Karah. To be honest, I don’t care for her actual name.

I go around a corner in front of the staircase leading up to the small door and storage room and then lean against the wall and place my head over my knees, my hand clutching them close to my chest. Lia sniffles and blows her nose. I hear footsteps walking around. All is quiet until a soft hand touches my hand. Not knowing who it is, I bite my tongue and mumble that I’m fine and whoever it is doesn’t need to worry.

“Don’t lie to me.” Kayiah. “I know you aren’t okay,” she whispers. “It’s understandable that you wouldn’t be with all that’s going on. I can’t imagine going through everything that you’ve gone through. It’s cruel. It’s sick, but it’s made you stronger than you think.”

“How do you know that?”

“I was here when you were new to New Jersey and I’m still here now that you’re used to a new home and new friends. Between then and now, you’ve changed and for the better.”

“Not really.”

“Everything you’ve gone through, it’s made you not only stronger, but you’re compassionate for other people. Including those kids you helped. After your horrible past, you could be a terrible person and do whatJack does, but you didn’t do that and you’re still not doing that. That, my amazing boyfriend, is admirable. It’s no wonder so people love you. It’s no wonder you’re doing so well in this competition. How you present yourself to the press, kids, elderly and the king and queen help you do well in the talent show.”

I don’t even know what to say right now, so I just sit quietly and look at the floor. She sits next to me, kisses my cheek and leans her head against my shoulder. Together, we listen to the audience clapping and whistling for the end of the comedy section. I smile as they thank everyone for being a great audience and run backstage, shouting they’re alive and they didn’t get booed. Always a positive side in a day.

When Aiken comes around the corner, he flinches and then asks Kayiah to let him talk to me alone. She smiles and tends to Lia with Blake. He sits on the staircaseand sighs. “I know you blame yourself for some of what’s happened this month and for Jacks’ reasoningfor what he’s done your whole life, but you can’t keep doing that.”

“It is my fault, Aiken.”

He shakes his head. “You were a kid when he started when he does, maybe even before you were born. You’re still a kid. You need to be a kid and not blame everything on yourself. You never got that growing up. From an early age, you were forced to grow up. You never got a real childhood. We all want you to have that now while you can.”

I squint. “I never went into detail.”

“Blake told me a few things that shaped you into the person you are today... I wish you would stop blaming yourself, and I realize it isn’t your fault. Jack plays a huge part in this. I will admit that, but I need you admit you have some responsibility too and I don’t just mean with the kids because it wasn’t your job in the first place.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I need you to let us help you love yourself as much as we love you. Hating yourself is no way to live your life. If you don’t love yourself now, you’ll be miserable all your life. You’re fifteen. That’s a long time to live in pain and misery. It’s a cruel punishment.”

“It’s impossible for me to love myself. I try so hard and at the end of the day, it just seems that I’m incapable of loving myself. There’s just no way. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Daniel, I would not lie to you. It is possible, but with that attitude about it, you won’t. I told Kayiah the same thing when she was so negative about life. You have to believe you can or you won’t… Do you know why Lia got better with her issues?”

“It must have something to do with what you’re telling me,” I say. “Am I right?”

“You are correct. I don’t know if they told you, but Blake hired someone in our building to talk to Lia twice a week when her eating disorder, suicidal thoughts and the abuse from Holly’s mother was exposed to him. She had to adjust to some changes, like not having a closed door, which is something you’ve had to deal with. She had to learn to open up and eventually realize it isn’t her fault… Something you still struggle with, and I understand she has her moments, but she doesn’t think like that all the time… like you do. She had take her time and we’re all patient because of what you guys have gone through in your lives. I don’t understand what rape and wanting to kill yourself is like. I admit that, and I probably never will, but something I can promise is that I’ll always be here for you, Lia, Kayiah, and any other human being…” He glances at the staircase where Jack and Karah were being creepy with a woman and her baby held captive. “With a soul, that is. I’m struggling to understand how you’re normal with a demon for a father.”

“I’m anything but normal, Aiken.”

“You have a beating heart, don’t you?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s been shattered and I’m not sure it works right, but yes, I do have one… I guess I see what you mean.”

“We’ve all had our hearts broken. Blake has had his broken more than anyone else I know. I was actually surprised that he ended up finding true love with a woman of pure heart and moral character such as your aunt. Lovely woman. He’s had a rough time with finding love. A really rough time. I thought the universe was against Blake, but a good heart always pays off. Blake certainly got his reward for being such a good man.”

“You think so?” I ask with a smile.

“I know so. He tells me all the time. About how much he loves you guys. He’ll always be there for and so will I. We want you believe that, but whether you choose to or not is your choice.”

I nod. “Thanks. I’ll… try to keep that in mind.”

“Is there anything else you need to talk about…? Are you nervous to perform at all?”

“I’m extremely anxious,butsomething else is more important right now…”

“And what’s that?”

“I want to tell Blake and Lisa too. They need to know before they… attempt their plan.”

He turns his head slightly to look at them and smiles, nodding his head, and then calls Kayiah over. She’s sitting next to me and is squeezing my hand within ten seconds. They approach us slowly and glimpse at Lia for a moment and then sit on the staircase, but not before Lisa kisses my forehead. I smile and sit up straighter, taking a deep breath. Aiken smiles gently, reassuring me that everything will be alright and I have feeling it will be for the most part, bug if Jack and Maura plan to come back tonight to watch me like they said and they get bored, things might take a turn for the worst. They could, believe or or not, hurt a crowd of innocent people for their own amusement. Shocking, isn’t it?

“Remember how the guards and I told you Jack and Maura were upstairs and they were sitting in the dark and it was really creepy, but not as creepy as the things they said, but I didn’t tell you what they said yet.”

Everyone nods. I’m about to continue when Aiken’s watch goes off. It means he hasto go. We’re trying to keep everything that’s happened on the down-low so the audience and subjects of King Henry don’t go into a crazed panic. That wouldThe Elimination’s job a lot easier tonight. If he isn’t out there to introduce the singers within the next eighty seconds, they will panic because of everything that’s happened this month. I’d go into a panic too.

“We’ll inform you when you come back,” Blake says. “Thank you for everything.”

“Of course,” is all Aiken says and messes with Kayiah’s hair before he claps his hands and sprints onto the stage.

“He told me they are now engaged and expecting a child,” I say and sigh.

Aiken introduces the singers and asks the same questions. I peep around the corner to look at the screen and watch as both singers answer honestly. Abel, the first singer says he would love to sing for a career because it makes him forget about the real world. I turn back to face Blake, Lisa, and Kayiah, listening to the other singer August explain he wants to sing so other people can escape the cruel world and enter an alternate universe of music, dance, and fun.

“I always knew there something seriously wrong with him,” Lisa says. “Was he talking about Danielle?”

“He said I’m stubborn like Mom… Anyways, they said they wanted a son… She said ’If I’m going to adopt you, we need to work on not being to stubborn and overdramatic’. I might have snapped and they stayed calm and that added to my discomfort. Because if I’m yelling and they kill children for a living, why are they so calm about it?”

In a dark world far away

I was a princess and you were a prince

It was a long time since the war

We haven’t spoken since

People died at the hands of two kings

It makes me wince.

“It doesn’t matter. They are taking you away over my dead body,” Lisa and Blake say at one time. I flinch and put my hands up in surrender. Kayiah smiles and winks.

Never doubt the damage a pregnant woman can do, both mentally and physically. Even Jack is no exception. He won’t want to have to tell the Savadonian kingdom he was beaten by a woman. A pregnant woman at that. Plus, if anyone in that kingdom were to find out the pregnant woman to beat him to a pulp is his sister and that she has a husband to kill Jack if he tries to fight back, that’s a cruel way to lose your reputation.

I remember when I first met you.

Our souls were connected.

It’s like you just came out of the blue.

For my birthday, You gave me a balloon

And I never forgot the love you’ve shown.

Then my father ruined everything.

Said you would rue your love for me.

Peace between our parents was eventually bought

A very high price, it was.

Silence between two kingdoms.

It killed me, my prince.

You were all I sought, my love...

“Luckily, we have an advantage to this. They said they were coming back from another show before I go onstage. What this means is they know they forgot to take the woman with the baby to be silent somewhere else. Up there, she was reaching for a crowbar before the vanished. And they also want me as their son to complete their developing family…” Kayiah turns halfway and shakes her head.

“You’re not saying…”

“They can only choose one. Me or the woman they forced to poison the pie or apples. Whatever she poisoned.”

“No way,” Lisa says. “I’ve put up with a lot of your plans to fire at Jack, but this is getting out of hand.”

“Lisa,” Blake says.

“No, Blake. You guys think they won’t find a loophole around this? You think they won’t take both of you, or three of you, including that baby?” she whispers in a harsh tone.

“It won’t matter,” I say. “Because we’ll have guards to take both of them away and the woman will never be seen again by them. She’ll be safe. I’ll never have to see them again. It’s a win-win situation. It’s scary, but it will work.”

Lisa is silent for a moment and then the song comes to an end. The audience applauds. A tear trickles down August’s right cheek. She wipes it away and bows to the audience before she runs backstage. By the time Lisa sighs and nods her head, agreeing to give permission to do yet another crazy idea, the next singer, Abel, is in the middle of his song and has the audience singing along to his song. Well, technically, it isn’t his. It’s a classic song produced by Disney between the 1930s and 1950s, but he chose it and in this competition, if you chose a song, it’s considered your song for the night. It took a while for us to get rights and permission to do this and the only reason we got it was because this competition has many sponsors, including Disney.

“Okay… Fine, but Blake has to be close by to make sure they don’t try anything sneaky.”

“Deal,” I say with a smile. “I’m sorry I’ve put you through so much this-”

“Oh, honey,” she says and then leans forwards to hug me. “Baby, it isn’t your fault at all. You just have to understand I love you and the thought of Jack being close to you gives me anxiety.”

“I understand.”