"Fire!"
The yell came from backstage. Dancers came racing out from behind the wings as flames spread, illuminating the rafters.
"Get out," Madame Lumila yelled as her students raced down the aisles, "run! Someone fetch the fire department!"
Louis and Odette stood onstage as people raced by them.
"What's going on?" Louis asked someone, but they ran by without an answer.
"Fire," another yelled, "run!"
Odette could only stand and watch as the flames grew. The air thickened with heat. She screamed as a beam fell in front of her, lighting the stage on fire.
"Jump," Louis called to her from the other side of the wall of flames.
"I can't," she called back.
"On three," he said. "One . . ."
She took a breath, coughing when she inhaled smoke.
". . . two . . ."
Odette raced towards the edge of the stage.
". . . three!"
They launched themselves into the air, Louis stretching his legs out into a split at the height of the leap. He landed on his feet, turning to smile at Odette.
But she had flown off the stage and now lay in a heap on the floor.
"Odette!"
The rest was all a senseless blur. Somehow, he had made it here, to the hospital. Odette was in one of the rooms, and he was sitting against the wall across from the door. Rain beat against the windows outside as people wailed within.
A couple who Louis assumed were her parents stepped out. The moment they were out of sight, the woman collapsed into the man, who barely caught her.
"She can never walk again," she cried, "our poor darling. Can never dance . . ."
The man held her, stroking her hair. "She's alive, and that's all that matters," he said.
Louis rose and walked away, leaving the two of them alone. This is all my fault. I told her to jump . . . He moved out the doors feeling like someone had punched him.
Meanwhile, upstairs, a doctor and two nurses were gathered around Odette.
"What happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"Where does it hurt?"
"How did you fall?"
"Do you know who the king is?"
They asked so many questions that eventually, she pretended to fall asleep just to avoid them. She decided then that she didn't like questions anymore - these people had asked enough to last her many lives. She shut her eyes and tried to disappear into the sheets.
They finally decided she had some minor burns and a permanent hip injury. They didn't mention it, but Odette knew more than enough to diagnose the third injury. A shattered career and no chance of dancing ever again.
Needless to say, the ballet was cancelled.