Three

For Alexis things were always easy. She had never really had to work for the life she got. She was naturally smart and talented. Outgoing and sweet, people gravitated toward her. Alexis was the youngest child of three, and her older brothers, Grant and James protected her, and watched over her every move. Her father and mother both had always wanted a little girl and when she finally came along they spoiled her. Early in her life she proved to be quite a stubborn young thing, headstrong and sure in her ideas.

Alexis wanted to be a ballerina, and her father found the best dance school in town to send her to. For Alexis, dance came naturally; she seemed to know, instinctively how to move. She was very aware of her body and how she looked when she moved. The teachers loved how easily she learned and the girls loved to share a stage with her. It wasn’t long, therefore, before Alexis made a name for herself, and started to compete.

At school Alexis was social and fun, she didn’t study hard, but she never did poorly in class either. Alexis loved to be around people, and it seemed wherever she went she was surrounded with people who loved her. She made a point to make classes fun and light, and the same as her dance teachers, her school teachers thought she was a joy to have in their classes. But as soon as that bell rang at the end of the school day all Alexis could think about was Ballet. She couldn’t wait to pull on her leotard and tights, squeeze her feet into those perfect pink shoes and feel the music flow through her.

Alexis started to attend competitions when she was only 7 years old. The confusion and stress of the backstage life made her feel alive and enthralled, where others would get nervous wound up and scared, Alexis would feel comfortable, at home, and relaxed. Of course her mother was not the same as most other stage moms were. She made sure that they got to the competitions early, and took their time getting ready, together Alexis and her mom would run through the dance routine twice before the other girls arrived and then her father would sneak backstage and beg to see it once before everyone else. So when it came to her turn to take the stage she was calm, quiet and ready, the same as she would have been dancing in her living room. When she took the stage, felt the hot lights on her face, and looked into the ghostly faces of the crowd her heart lifted and she felt alive. She loved to watch the rapt attention of the crowd for those 2 seconds, which always stretched on into eternity, before the music began and she could dance.

When she started to move her feet everything in the world fell away from her. Her body felt light, flawless and free. She could think of no feeling more wonderful than the heat of the lights and the breeze she created as she turned, and gracefully filled the stage. When people watched Alexis dance, they found themselves lost in her, she pulled them into her movements and they felt, in their hearts and souls, whatever she wanted them to feel. If she performed a slow melancholy dance she could bring her audience near to tears, and if she danced for joy and love, she would lift their hearts but no matter what she performed they could not stop thinking of her for days. After she danced, she would wait anxiously with the rest of the girls to hear the results and after it was announced her parents would weave through the crowds to find her, her father would always have a bouquet of flowers, and her brothers would always have a souvenir gift for her.

It was after one of her first competitions that Jane approached her parents. Jane, was a young, but very talented choreographer who had fallen in love with Alexis’ passion for dance. Jane explained that she had just opened a small new studio, close to where they lived. A talent like Alexis should be allowed to study alone, she should have private lessons, only once a week, and she would be given a chance to improve greatly.

It was not long before Alexis and Jane started lessons together. Alexis loved working with Jane. With Jane’s help Alexis quickly improved and learned more and more. Jane found out about every competition she could and Alexis begged to enter more and more. Jane and Alexis quickly became good friends. Often Alexis would go to see Jane outside of lessons, and soon Jane gave Alexis a key to the dance studio. Alexis would often sneak off to the studio to dance in front of the wall sized mirror alone. She loved to feel the cold wood flooring against her bare toes, when nobody else could see. She loved to turn the music on and dim the lights until she could see nearly nothing and dance for hours. The peace and serenity it brought her made her feel as if nothing could ever go wrong.

On May 16 of 1994 Alexis turned 10. For Alexis it should have been a wonderful day. Her family had made the day very special for her. Her brothers did all of her chores for her and even let her have the first shower in the morning, so that the water was still warm for her. Her father made her favourite breakfast and her mother made her favourite lunch. Grant and James decorated the whole house for her party. And her friends arrived and each one brought her a prettily wrapped gift. But for Alexis the day seemed long, boring and unnerving. She could feel all day as if something ominous was waiting for her around the corner.

When all the cake had been eaten the gifts given and the party favours handed out her friends headed back to their homes, and Alexis ran to get ready for her dance lesson with Jane. She had gotten a brand new black leotard from her mom, and she couldn’t wait to show Jane. She stood proudly in front of her mirror and admired the way it looked. There was a pinch at the top in the middle of her chest so it looked much more grown up. And the back had four straps crossing her back from each side, as she wrapped her skirt around her waist she waited to feel that peaceful feeling wash over her that she always got when she knew she was going to dance. But still there was that nagging feeling of unrest deep in her chest and her stomach knotted and turned. She shook her head quickly and pulled her sweatshirt over her head, grabbed her shoes and ran down the stairs and off to class.

The studio was quiet when she arrived. Most of the lights were off except for the main entry where Kelly, the receptionist sat chatting on the phone. She looked up when Alexis came in and waved cheerily. She gave a slight shrug and pointed to the classroom, which was still completely dark. Alexis went inside and pulled off her sweater. She looked around herself and felt the studio was colder than normal. She pulled her sweater back on and felt the lint on the inside of the sleeves, she stood a moment looking around as if something might have jumped out of the shadows at her. She slowly pulled her slippers on and tied the satin ribbons around her ankles. Finally she switched the light on and took a good look around the room. Nothing moved or jumped or hid in any of the corners. She reached out and turned on the cassette player. Bach filled the room and Alexis marched over to the barre, determined to shake this feeling she began her warm-ups.

As Alexis rounded through her warm up routine she stretched and bent and turned and her stomach got tighter and tighter and her throat began to feel like it was closing over. She reached her foot out and placed it on the barre and leaned over, gracefully touching her fingertips to her toes, and suddenly her stomach turned to ice. She felt as if there was cold water rushing through her veins and her heart seemed to stop completely. Slowly she pulled away from the barre, and sank to the ground. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned against the wall. Bach was still filling the room when Kelly came slowly in, her tiny manicured hands shaking, she walked very slowly over to Alexis and knelt in front of her. Kelly reached out and pulled the child into her lap and they sat in silence for a long time before Alexis’ parents arrived.

Mother slowly reached out for Alexis’ hand. She took the tiny child into her arms and hugged her close. Alexis felt terror rip through her. She saw her father standing back, arms crossed, and watched Kelly as the tears slipped down her cheeks. All at once Alexis knew, nobody needed to say anything. Her heart began to race, she felt nausea well up in her throat and her stomach flipped and turned a million times over. She couldn’t understand, she tried to be grown up. She tried to understand, that death is natural, as her mother explained. She tried to listen when her mother explained that although it was early for Jane, everyone has their time. Alexis felt her world begin to spin, and She closed her eyes tight from the vertigo. Suddenly her mothers arms were no longer wrapped around her. She could no longer hear Bach, but a loud ringing filled her ears. The sounds of Kelly’s sobs disappeared and her mothers smell of lavender no longer stung in Alexis’ nose. She felt a hot salty tear on her cheek and tried to take a deep stuttering breath. She had to be a big girl. Slowly she opened her eyes.

The room was dark, silent and cold. She was alone. As she looked around at her surroundings she felt confusion, but peace. The studio was the same, as it had always been, the clock on the stereo flashed 12:00 just as it always had. She turned slowly, three times, and surveyed the whole room. Questions welled up in her and seemed to trip and stumble over each other, and as quickly as they had come they were gone, and she was left with a deep feeling of calm, and peace. She slipped across the floor and pressed play on the old stereo. A wave of serenity came over her. She forgot all that she had just learned and she let the music pull her in, a slow waltz, and she stepped through the room, light as ever, peaceful and happy. She counted out the steps silently in her mind and felt the reality of her life slip away from her.


This one needs alot of work so dont say anything! Its kind of a work in progress, I set out to write about something completely different but starbucks was too cold so this is what you get! :P

new stuff on the way!