As the Curtain Rises

Prologue

I sat at the edge of my bed, huddled into a ball and tears threatening to spill from my eyes. Father's drunk again... If I say a word I won't have a voice.

I look over to the side of my room where a suitcase sat near my brothers bed. I could leave now... Leave all of this behind. The starving, the loneliness, the alcoholic stench in the morning, the hiding, the beating...

The other day my brother, Richard, saw me beaten to a pulp and I sat staring at the wall as more blood pressured out of my cut lip.

"I can get you out of here..." he told me. "I have enough money to get you to a college. You said you loved acting as much as I did. I know a good college away from here so you don't have to deal with all this..."

I looked over at him. His worried expression caused those big brown eyes to look brighter than normal and his ruffled hair fell over his eyes; his smile sweet and comforting. I shook my head.

"I can't leave you here with him. You remember what happened to mum... I can't."

It'd be nice to be away from here. To actually do something I would like. But I can't...

Richard, of course, disobeyed and signed me up for a college.

'Baskerville Performing Arts College'

The auditions were tomorrow. It's open for anyone... You go in, audition, announcement in the morning to see where you are put in whatever you auditioned for, unpack in your dorm and perform... But I told him I can't. It'd be too risky. Even though I'd get to see more and meet more people and get away with something without a near death experience and do what I'd like...

Maybe I can...

I grabbed the suitcase, told him that I'm ready to leave now. Better now while father is passed out than put Richard at risk tomorrow.

-

The trip to Baskerville was an hour and a half away. It poured down heavily and made the view of the open field look gorgeous. You could see lights in the distance.

"We're nearly there~" Richard told me excitedly.

"You sure you'll be alright?" I ask him.

"I'll be just fine. If father does anything, I'll get somebody. I promise."

I nodded. My gut told me this was a bad idea and to stay with Richard; to protect him... But my eyes couldn't peel away from the city as it grew closer.

We were nearly there until the car clattered and shook til it stopped just by the 'Welcome to Baskerville' sign.

"Ah, bloody hell..." Richard cussed under his breath.

"Gas station is up by the road, I can help push the car to-"

"I've got it. The school is just a block or two away. You can walk, yeah?"

"Yeah..." I looked down at my lap, unmoving from the car.

"Rich, are you sure it's not you who wants to leave? I can go back with dad and you can stay and-"

"Jim," he looked over at me, that smile plastered on his face again. "I'll be just fine. I've caught you reciting lines out of nowhere and looking up theatres and performing arts. This is the best place there is. Take it from a fellow theatre geek."

I lightly chuckled and waited in the car for a moment or two before speaking.

"You'll call if anything happens, correct? You won't be 'nice' and not call If dad does anything?"

"I will. Or at least try to... Now go! I gotta get this piece of shit of a car back to dad's." he said, glaring at the steering wheel.

I chuckled, grabbed my bag and said my goodbyes before heading towards the school. This is the start of something... I know it.

Everything will be just fine.