Do you ever awake in the middle of the night with such a dream in your head that you become immersed in the warm blanket of odd security? You go back to sleep and the dream dances behind you eyelids, like circus performers behind a red velvet curtain. To rise from the warm plethora of blankets and abstract obscurities to the cold, rain pelted window pane...it is Meggie's turn to disappear in such a dream, to become hand in hand, eye to eye with her own imagination. Readers, today you become dreamers...welcome, to the scarlet world of a young girl... welcome, to Cantego!
Meggie stood outside a grand office door, the wood dark like chocolate, an elegant golden name plate mounted above her head. Meggie scuffed the red carpeted hallway, still standing outside the door. She plastered her ear against the cool wood, and listened to the muffled bickering...
"You promised!"
"Oh quiet, you whine like a child-"
"And you lie like a snake"
"Dear boy, I have not lied I have simply made an error. An error that can be corrected." Meggie mouthed the words spoken by the liar man; his choice was deep and full, and poured out the door frame calmly...
"It had better" the second man, the younger one, had a voice smooth like chocolate with the prickle of an accent.
"I shall take care of by mistakes; you focus on your role. We open soon, you know."
"I am aware" the man drawled, his voice dragging across the floor.
"That's what I like to hear. Now, off to rehearsal. I should have everything straightened out by the evening of this Friday." Footsteps padded softly towards the door- Meggie wrenched herself away just as the door swung open.
"Who are you?" Cried the young man.
"I'm-" She looked up at the man. He was short, about 5'6, but he seemed tall, perhaps because she was sitting on her bottom.
"You have a name, of course?"
"I'm called meggie." She blinked at the brunette man. His hair looked soft, despite the few stray strands sticking up like flimsy spiked at the top of his neck. His long sideways bangs swept across his forehead and covered one beautiful green eye. The other one stared incredulously at the girl.
"Meggie?
"Yes." She wanted to smile, but something bitter, like a sour grape, made he bottom of her tongue tingle.
"Basta! What are you doing?" Meggie's head snapped up in the direction of the door. A man with white blond hair poked his head into the hallway. His grey blue eyes searched over Basta's slim body, as if mentally groping his, then his gaze fell upon meggie. The girl gulped.
"Well well, what do we have here?"
"Her name's Meggie." Growled Basta almost annoyed. He put his hands in the pockets of his dark red pants.
"Meggie? What are you doing here? This part of the theater is off-limits." Theater? I'm in a theater?
"Um-" The girl looked from one end of the hallway to the other. Both ends were black, bathed in shadow.
"Well?" His eyes widened impatiently.
"I'm not too sure." She looked over the office man's shoulder to the nameplate on the rich looking door. Capricorn. "Sorry Mr. Capricorn sir." she stumbled over her own words. She knew these people, she felt it... But when? How?
"Do you act, Meggie?" Before she could register the question, she spoke.
"Yes." Yes? NO!
"Perfect, you're hired."
"Hired? She echoed. Basta groaned.
"She's too young." He hissed.
"Nonsense!" Capricorn rubbed his fingernails on the front of his deep scarlet suit. "She's perfect. Curly blond hair, goodly brown eyes... she'll do fine."
"Fine?" Meggie scrambled to her feet, stood beside Basta-he smelled good- and looked Capricorn in the eye. "What am i doing?"
"Him!" he pointed at Basta.
"Me?" The young man's eyes widened.
"What?"
"In the play!" Capricorn spread his arms out wide and smiled a toothpaste commercial smile. Just as Meggie was sure he'd break out in song and dance (like they did in the movies) a loud crash at the end of the hallway and a sudden flash of light snapped everyone's attention.
"CAPRICORN!" Boomed a tall man. He charged down the hallway in a fast walk.
"Oh, shit!" Basta looked every which way before diving between Capricorn's legs and sliding into the office. The door closed with a soft click in contrast to the extravagant entrance.
"Capricorn!" The man's voice grew more and more menacing as he approached. Meggie felt herself shrinking as he grew closer… he seemed mean, like he wanted to run right up to them and hit them.
"Yes?" Capricorn massaged an eyebrow with a finger, out of sheer dislike and annoyance Meggie was sure.
"Word has reached my ear that the lead actress has QUIT!" All of a sudden the girl was tempted to join Basta in the office; the tall man scared her too. But as he approached and Meggie could see his face, she noticed that it was Mo! He towered menacingly above Capricorn, by a head, and glared at him. Two strands of his dark brown hair hung around his face, sticking to the sweat on his forehead.
"Well, that is no longer a problem, we have found a replacement." Capricorn grabbed Meggie's arm and roughly pushed her towards the man.
"Who's this?" What? What do you mean? I'm you daughter!
"Her name is Meggie."
"Hmm. Charmed." He cast her a quick gaze before looking back up at Capricorn. "This had better work out" he hissed, before marching back out of the hallway.
"Who was that?" Cried Meggie after he was gone, half knowing the answer, half confused out of her mind.
"That is Silvertongue, he's this script writer. Don't worry; we don't see much of him." Capricorn lazily tapped twice on the door. "Basta you can come out now, he's gone." Capricorn rolled his eyes as Basta peeked out of the door frame. "Now get back to rehearsal!" Capricorn yelled and hissed at the same time-a feat meggie didn't think was possible-his face turned bright red and saliva flecked out of his mouth.
"Yess sir!" Basta made a face before heading down the hallway the same direction Silvertongue left.
"Well you too!" Snapped Capricorn. Meggie jumped and trotted after Basta, who ignored her existence completely.
"Um excuse me" she felt like such a little girl- "I don't know where I'm going."
"Well that's not my problem." Basta huffed his bangs away from his face.
"Well you couldn't show me around?"
"Nein."
"Where are we going?" She realized how annoying she was being when Basta suddenly hit the brakes, and stopped right in front of old fashioned double doors, lightly embossed in fake gold.
"Leave me alone!" He hissed, exasperated. He glared down at Meggie and pulled in frustration at the collar of his cream colored shirt.
"I'm sorry but I'm LOST!" She held her arms out to the side, as if that would demonstrate her frustration.
"So you're telling me you have no idea where you are?"
"Yes!"
"You're saying you don't know how you got here?"
"Right!"
"Oh my god!" Basta growled. "You're in Ruby Rouge Theater, we're rehearsing for the play Cantego, and for the record the year is 1901!" He crossed his arms over his chest, raised an eyebrow, then spun on his heel (he was only wearing socks). Meggie stood behind him, dumbstruck. "Well are you coming?" He huffed, his hand on the door.
"Errr yeah." The door swung open, and Meggie gasped. The door led off onto a teeny balcony, followed by an enormous flight of stairs running down the side of the wall. Below was a mass of benched and chairs before a stage. A golden crested, scarlet curtained stage... actors and actresses pranced around the large space, wearing everything from extravagant costumed to street clothes. It was magnificent! And I'm going to be a part of all this….
