The stage had never been the same after she'd left her fiance's side. She couldn't find the right magician to assist, the right place to do it, the right tricks to preform. She was starting to wonder if it had been the best choice after all. She'd loved him so much, been enamored with him… but after the accident it never was the same again. He'd become so cold and crazy.
A part of her knew Pandora had done it on purpose. He didn't want her around, and after that accident she was never allowed to see his face. Every time she asked she was treated harshly. Maybe if she'd just stuck it out a little longer. Maybe if she'd just tried a little harder.
None of that mattered now. It had stopped mattering a long time ago. Her life was never going to be the same again. She'd been demoted now. The only acts she could get a time with were in seedy bars and kid's shows. None of it was worth her time. She was starting to wonder if anything was worth it at all anymore.
Catherine side, resting her hands on her palms. Her gaze was glassy with too much drink in her system. The more she drank the more she liked to pretend the pain of loss went away. The pain of failure would fade just a little bit more. But it was all a lie. Nothing she did fixed it.
Someone once had warned her that Pandora would ruin her life. A fortune teller, if she remembered correctly. She'd been too young to understand it and too starry-eyed with the up and coming magician to do anything to help herself. She'd fallen hard. And indeed, after some time, Pandora had ended up ruining her life.
She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes in a vain attempt to dry them. Finally she got up, leaving her money on the counter and stumbled outside. She should have called a cab. It was chilly and she was still stuck in her skimpy assistant's costume. She'd been lucky no one had assaulted her yet.
That luck ran out when she ran right into the back of some cloaked body. No one reached out to steady her, to help her as she stumbled in her heels and fell to the sidewalk.
"Nnn…" She started rubbing at her back to try and nurse the oncoming bruise she felt.
The person turned around sharply, a gold object appearing in their hand and aimed violently at her. "Watch where you're going." The voice was cold, creepy and full of warning.
Even in her intoxicated state she could barely breathe. She was scared so suddenly. She didn't want to look. Shaky blue eyes raised and she saw a dark set of violet glaring at her. The hair style was unbelievably spiky. Just more ridiculousness. But it all set one dark image. "I-I'm sorry." She tried to get out as fast as possible. Hopefully he'd leave.
There was a spark of recognition in those harrowed eyes. A cruel smirk came to life on his lips and whatever sanity he'd seemed to have faded. He knelt to her, reaching out to cup her face. She tried to back up but there was nowhere to go. He came closer and closer no matter how much she struggled. "You're that puppet's lover, aren't you?" He breathed out right in her face.
"Puppet?" She was terrified all of a sudden, faced with a golden glow on her attacker's forehead. It was all too unreal. She was starting to question how drunk she'd gotten. But there was a real sense of danger looming here.
A warped laugh sounded from her and he grabbed her face even harder. "He talked about you. Catherine. Sweet Catherine."
Yes, Pandora. He often called her that. Her eyes broke, tears escaping from the corners. "Please… leave me alone…"
He leaned in closer. "He killed himself."
Without realizing it she gasped. "That's not true!" Pandora might have been broken after the accident but he would never!
The deranged man laughed even harder, pressing that hard gold rod right against her cheek. It too started to glow. He leaned in as close as he could get, sucking in her scattered panting. "I ordered him to do it."
With whatever last strength she had she pushed him away and got to her feet. Her shoes were abandoned in the street as she took off as fast as she could go. That laughter seemed to follow her as she tripped and stumbled through the sidewalks and alleyways. She didn't stop until she came upon the safety of a large church. Surely that would keep her at bay, that would keep him away, it would make it all stop.
There was a clutch in her soul and she could barely breathe. She could hear that laughter echo through the high beautiful ceilings. She fell to her back, watching the world shake around her.
"Don't you want to be with him?"
The laughter continued, it wouldn't stop. It started taking the breath away from her until she couldn't think anymore. Unthinking she reached out blindly, finding some discarded piece of sharp metal.
"My sweet Catherine."
Without even thinking anymore, feeling as if someone else was taking over her, taking delight as that steel was plunged deep into her chest. All she held on to was the thought of her dear Pandora. The days before things went bad. If she could just see him one last time…
Finally, the laughter ceased.