𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮,𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲
Victoria was sitting in the chair in front of the small mirror in her dressing room, she was getting ready for the last rehearsal before the musical premiere.
Theater, her grandmother loved theater, Vic inherited her passion for theater from her.
Her grandmother who wouldn't be present at her first musical with the lead role.
Her grandmother had died two months before Vic got the role, her parents went back to work at the restaurant and Vic was left alone, she didn't understand how her father seemed so good, their lives went back to normal as if nothing had happened and Vic didn't. could handle it.
She was raised by her grandmother, she was her life, the only one who understood her, her second mother, Victoria loved her so much, she couldn't just go back to her normal life, she needed her grandmother.
Vic lifted her face and looked into the mirror, her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, she was wearing a gray blouse and a long black skirt.
Her eyes glistened with tears, Vic blinked several times to stop them from rolling down her cheeks, it was time to go on stage, her director was waiting for her, she got up from her chair and looked up and her mouth curved into a small smile. .
— I'll do it for you grandma, I'll make our dream come true.
Victoria opened the dressing room door and walked down a small hallway, stopping behind the stage curtains and picking up her script to begin rehearsing.
She noticed that director Cooper was talking to two firefighters, they were fighting maybe? Vic wondered why, she knew the firefighters checked that everything was in accordance with fire safety regulations, but why was Cooper fighting with them? Everything was always in accordance with the regulations.
Victoria got a little closer to the edge of the stage to try to listen, she noticed the older firefighter, his name was written on his uniform, Captain Herrera.
— Sir, please hear me out, several musicals have been performed on this stage, nothing happend before, no, accident, fire, nothing will happen this time.— Cooper rubbed his beard in frustration.
— Security protocols aren't being followed, unfortunately I can't give permission for the musical to be performed, I'm sorry, but you need to fix the fire curtain, — Herrera explained calmly.
— Listen Captain we don't have time for that, the curtain was never a problem and as I mentioned nothing ever happened on this stage - he replied looking around making sure no one was looking and then turned his attention to Captain Herrera — I promise that later of today's number I will fix the curtain.
Captain Herrera looked at Gibson, rolled his eyes, and wrote something on the paper he handed Cooper.
— Please sign this, if anything happens you take full responsibility and confirm that the Seattle Fire Department tried to warn you that the rules weren't being followed.
Cooper took the paper from Herrera's hand without thinking twice with a smile on his face,signed it. The two firefighters walked away and Vic crossed the stage until he was close to him.
— What was that? she questioned trying to keep her voice down.
— Don't worry Victoria, just security issues — the man replied forcing a smile — are you ready?
Vic wasn't sure it would be all right, but she just nodded and headed to the middle of the stage ready to start rehearsal.
Hours after the rehearsal, it was finally time for the musical, Vic was all dressed up and waiting anxiously behind the curtains, she took several deep breaths trying to calm down, her parents weren't in the audience but she wasn't surprised by this, after all they'd never seen her musicals, but this time her grandmother wasn't there either. Vic squeezed her eyes tightly to keep from crying.
— Grandma, I can't do this without you — she muttered.
Vic was still replaying the lines in her head when she heard someone scream, she quickly turned her eyes to the stage and saw a stage screen on fire, people in the audience got up from their chairs and ran to the exit, Cooper yelled for everyone to get out and Vic helped out a few people and made sure everyone got out safely.
She went back to check on Cooper and saw him trying to push the piano across the stage.
— Cooper what are you doing? You need to get out.
— No Victoria, this piano has been in my family for many generations, I'm not leaving without it, you go Victoria.
Vic could feel the heat of the flames near her, it was really hot in there and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.
— Cooper come on — she yelled again and coughed a few times.
— Hey, what are you doing there? — Vic heard someone yell behind her, just as the voice approached. Vic recognized the man, it was the fireman from earlier.
— Cooper, my director is over there.— She pointed toward the stage but it was impossible to see anything. — Cooper!— Vic yelled one last time before being pulled by Captain Herrera.
He took her outside and ran back inside. Vic looked around several fire trucks and ambulances parked outside and firefighters hurriedly running.
Tears were streaming down her face and Vic was breathing uncontrollably, she was panicking, where was Cooper? Why he still hadn't left?
She sang the song from the little teapot in her head, her grandmother always sang that song when she was sick or calm her down.
"𝘐'𝘮 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘵
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦,"
Vic couldn't look away from the burning building until she felt someone tap her shoulder.
— Are you okay? Were you in there? Need to be checked? — Vic turned slowly to look at the person who was talking to her, her eyes meeting his blue eyes.
"𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘵.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱
𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵"
Victoria couldn't answer, her chest was rising and falling rapidly, she couldn't breathe, all she could do was think about Cooper.
— I'm Lucas, chief of battalion 25, could you tell me your name? — Lucas studied her face calmly, her eyes were looking at him but they weren't paying attention, her face was covered in tears and ash. Lucas slid his hand gently up her arm.
They stayed like that for about 15 minutes looking at each other, Vic focused on the blue of his eyes as she hummed the rest of the song in her head, when she finally calmed down she opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the words.
— Vic. — Her voice came out as a small whisper and Lucas had to strain to catch it.
— Is that your name? Vic? You need to be checked out Vic. — Lucas moved his hands gently to Vic's back and guided her to a nearby ambulance so she could be checked out.