Saturday, June 14, 2008

The door banged open and the solitary person who rushed in brought with her a flurry of snow. She strided purposefully towards a door marked 'Backstage'. She sighed with relief as she entered the locker room and dropped her bags down. She was early: two hours early to be exact. Which was good, because warming up took at least forty minutes. She locked all of her stuff in her locker and headed into the arena. She surveyed the ice, an expanse of white, surrounded by rows and rows of seats. In approximately two hours, those seats would be filled. This was her dream. She was finally living out her dream. Nationals. She'd come this far, and she was going to make it to the end. She closed her eyes and ran through her routine in her mind, imagining herself hitting every jump, being in complete unison with her partner.

A gentle voice broke out, shattering the silence, "Chanelle." It was Scott, her partner of five years. "I knew I'd find you here." They'd been through thick and thin and today was their day. Today they would shine and achieve their dreams.

Chanelle smiled at him, "You're here early today. I was just about to go in and start my warm up." She gave him a quick hug and left the arena, hurrying to the aerobics room.

An hour later, she was back in the locker room, greeting the rest of the skaters who had begun trickling in. She pulled on her costume and slipped on her skates. Chanelle examined her skates, making a hundred percent sure that they were laced tightly. She looked at herself in the mirror, giving herself a pep talk. She stared into those deep green eyes, and in the mirror, she saw Chanelle. She saw who she was and who she was going to be.

Pull yourself together, this is the chance of a lifetime. It's what you've always wanted. You're finally here, so live your dream like it's reality.

It was time. Chanelle and Scott stood at the side of the arena. She took his hands and stared directly into his eyes, "I trust you, let's make this happen".

The announcer's voice boomed out into the arena, "Now let's welcome onto the ice, Scott Henderson and Chanelle Mirena!"

Deafening cheers met their ears as they glided out onto the ice. Chanelle took her position, feeling utterly relaxed. She reached out a hand, as if reaching to the heavens. The spotlight was on her and the rest of the arena was in darkness. The first strains of 'Tears of the Saints' sounded, and she struck out. The spotlight followed her every move. Serpentine sequence, you can do this Chanelle. Perfect, the crowd screamed it's approval. They continued their routine, side by side triple toes, perfect again. Triple twist, perfect. Throw double axel, perfect.

This was the skate of their lives. Chanelle could feel the adrenaline pumping through her. She started to want to perfect this program perfectly. She started wanting it desperately. They entered their last element, side by side camels. They hit it spot on and were completely in unison.

But.

Scott started to drift. Out of the side of her eye Chanelle could see Scott's outstretched leg getting closer and closer. Then it hit her. Literally. She felt a searing pain as Scott's blade sliced a gash into her neck. She heard a collective gasp go around the arena as she collapsed. Her head hit the ice, the cold a cruel reminder that this was reality. Scott dropped to his knees and cradled her neck. Everyone was stunned and the paramedics had yet to make a move. Then, just like that, the shock gave way to realization. Paramedics started jumping onto the ice and crowding around Chanelle. The media clicked away furiously, the story definitely would hit headlines the next morning.

She could she blood all around her head. Her blood. She stared up into Scott's eyes, his worried ones holding her pain-filled ones. "Tell me this isn't real," she whispered, "This was our chance, our dream. I want to achieve our dream."

He just stared back, his tears finally making their way past their barriers.

Chanelle could feel her strength leaving her, but she had one last thing to say. "Listen to the whispers on the ice." Then she walked into Death's open arms, leaving behind all she had.

Labels: Writing

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