A deranged man who likes to call himself the Director kidnaps a teenage boy and girl to be his actors. He expects them to perform the six acts of his play without messing up once, or else harrowing pain awaits them.
🥇1st place / The Cosmic Awards
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"HONESTLY, YOUR SMILE scares me," Adelaide told Nathan as they walked out of the room and bounded up the stair-steps, stopping at the last rung. "I noticed you smile when you're stressed or scared."
"You finally get it?" Nathan didn't look at Adelaide, glancing instead at the stage where a worn maroon couch was set. Goosebumps flared along his arms. Just one time—just one time without anything drastic happening, that was all he wanted.
"Well, yeah. You smiled when he said he's gonna shoot you if I mess up, then smiled again when a sandbag just about crushed you, then smiled again—"
"Not the best time to remind me."
"Oh . . . Right. I'm sorry," Adelaide mumbled, following Nathan's eyes on stage. "If you can't see well, he's not here right now. Like, he's here but not anywhere we can see."
Nathan nodded and awaited some type of order. Behind his back, he wrung his shaky fingers. Somewhere right now the Director must be glaring at him as if he'd done the unspeakable.
The idea made nerves lurch in Nathan's stomach. Exhaling shakily, he leant the side of his head against the doorframe and closed his eyes. Now the stress wasn't only about performing well—it was about anticipating something happening in the middle of it, or after.
"Nate?" Adelaide's unsure voice made Nathan (more) nervous before she even continued. "You're shaking."
"Am I supposed to feel relaxed?" Nathan snapped, opening his eyes again just to glance at Adelaide with a frown. Calm down, he told himself when he noticed the hostility in this. "I'm scared as hell, I admit."
Adelaide gave him a piteous look rather than an offended one and Nathan appreciated it. He didn't understand himself right now either.
"Go on, my actors," the Director said, "prepare yourselves on stage. I thought you'd know that by now."
Nathan and Adelaide hastened across the stage until they reached the couch, where Adelaide sat. Plopping down towards the other end, Nathan raised his legs off the floor and leant back until his head rested on Adelaide's lap.
He glanced up at Adelaide, and all he could see was her little double-chin. "I'd say this is awkward," Nathan said, "but last time we had to kiss. So I'll just shut up and be thankful."
"Yeah." Adelaide looked over him, in the chords' direction.
"My villain," the Director said. Every muscle in Nathan tensed. The cuts burnt for a second under the gauzes. "I have a quick question, before we start."
Nathan couldn't even hear his own heart crashing in his chest. Queasiness sloshed in his gut. He waited for the question, and it came half a minute later:
"Is the stage big enough for you, my villain? Or are you gonna have another panic attack?"
Then the Director bursted out laughing like a drunk horse. As if Nathan's claustrophobia was a joke. Subconsciously, Nathan clenched his teeth and turned in his place, glancing at the other edge of the stage.
