The Sisters: The Curse of Gabriel's Gardens

The Angel Voice

The judges stared at her. The jury consisted of three people - Angela White, a famous singer whose popularity was at its peak ten years ago and whose blonde curls and lively eyes looked cute even though she was almost forty already. Wilbur Whateley, the city's major who was still a charming, handsome man despite his advanced age. And the last one, Zach Jordan, highly acclaimed Afroamerican director and author who always looked grumpy and gladly took the role of the jury's "executioner".

"Viola Christensen," he muttered to prove it. "I remember you from the last round. It's strange you found enough courage to come again, considering how bad it was."

The audience laughed; Viola's face went red and her insecurity grew.

"Don't listen to him," Mayor Whateley smiled at her. "You had three whole years to improve. Show him he's wrong. Sing your song and let us see."

The instrumental of the song Viola was planning to sing sounded across the enormous hall and after the foreplay, the girl added her voice. Singing was something she loved and when she stood behing the microphone, the world around her stopped existing. Her performance was perfect and even Zach Jordan had to let her pass into the next round. Viola was overjoyed. She showed them.

Angela wiped a tear from her face. "Flawless! You remind me of myself in my early years!"

"I'll be looking forward to hearing you again," Mayor Whateley added.

"Sammy? SAMMY!" Viola shouted right after she left the stage. Samantha Dayre was her best friend who came with her to root for her. She was also going to sing, but more or less only for fun. Viola expected Sammy to hug her right after she opens the stage door, but it didn't happen. Where is she?

After she didn't find her friend in the crowd, she realized Sammy probably had to rush to the toilet. She decided to check them, too. They were almost empty. But then, Viola heard faint knocking on the door of one of the cubicles. Curious, she approached the cubicle and tried to open it. The door complied.

Viola will never be able to fully recover from what she saw.

"Viola...aaa...a..." rasped the thing inside the cubicle. It was Sammy... but it also wasn't.

And so the girl started to scream. She didn't stop when the help arrived. When the doctors took both her and the thing from inside the cubicle. When they drove her into the psychiatry ward of the Everglow hospital.

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"Why are you still watching this?" Alexis rolled her eyes with a smile after seeing her sister on the couch watching the live broadcast of The Angel Voice. "It's not about singing anymore. The jury always chooses the best looking contestants to satisfy the viewers. Music is secondary as it can be autotuned later."

"I watch it mainly for this guy's comments," Diane pointed at Zach Jordan who was just reacting to a so-so performance of a contestant:

"I have an idea for ya, kid. The Middle East is not so far. Just apply into the military and the soldiers will use you as a method to get the intel even from the most dangerous terrorists," the judge said; the boy who finished singing looked genuinely devastated.

Diane laughed. "You just gotta love him, sis."

Since Alexis had nothing to do, she sat next to Diane and decided to watch a bit of the show with Diane. The next contestant was a slim, good-looking girl with tanned skin, black hair and piercing green eyes. "And here we go," Alexis said. "She's already in the next round and she didn't even start singing."

"Viola Christensen. I remember you from the last round. It's strange you found enough courage to come again, considering how bad it was," Jordan commented and the audience laughed.