It Was the Rain
I am an actress. A highly-paid theater actress.
And I was booked for a play in a city all too familiar to me.
I sat by the window looking at the sights and the people. I have been here before. I’m more or less familiar with the people. I looked to my side and woke up my sleeping sister. She rubbed her eyes and asked– “Are we there yet?”
“Yes we are.” I replied.
We then asked the cab to stop in front of a small apartment building, where in front was a butcher’s shop. The butcher’s shop has been empty for as long as I could remember. On it’s left, was a small door– which leads to a small 2 storey room my friend likes to call “home”.
I knocked. My blonde friend answers the door. All too sunny and perky in atmosphere. “Hey you!!! I was wondering when you’d get here! Come on in!”
She sees my sister who shyly peeked at her from behind me. “Your little sister is cute!!! Hey darling, why don’t you come in too?” And winked at her.
Blondie helped me with our baggages and directed me to sit while she brought them to our room. Her little brother, Jaycee/ JC?, was already sitting at the small receiving area, feet on the bench. He was silent. But his eyes were big and bright and curious to see us.
My sister said hi, but he didn’t reply. She looked at me, and I just shrugged.
I looked at my wristwatch. I had to go. I called out to Blondie that I had to go to the orientation and rehearsals. I kissed my sister goodbye, and said I would be home late so she shouldn’t wait up for me.
And I went.
…
I was introduced to the rest of the cast and crew. I said my ‘hi’s with the polite smile I always put on, and we started to work.
Script-reading. Scene assignments. Etc. Measurements for the costumes of course.
I was a loner. Nobody went near me or said anything to me, unless it was important and vital to the part. I was only talked to when the scene said I should be talked to.
But more or less, I was okay with this set-up. I wasn’t very sociable.
But hell, I am a good actress.
…
This went on for a few more days. Instead of staying at a hotel, I stayed with a friend. No matter how small it was for 5 people + me and sister, it felt like home. My sister, though a bit paranoid, fell in love with the idea a few hours after we arrived.
I went to the local theater for the rehearsals, and eat alone in nice quaint restaurants for lunch and dinner.
…
One day before the play, I was asked by my tourist parents to go to the next city to visit them there. As they are having problems going to the city my sister and I were in. Since it was a day of rest and relaxation and the play was supposed to be at night on the next day. So I packed a few of my sister’s things with mine and said goodbye to Blondie temporarily. And we went off to visit the ‘rents.
…
We had fun. It has been awhile since the family had fun. After the parents retired, they opt to travelled around to places. So I was left with my sister going around with me. I didn’t complain. Because it was okay.
…
The next day, the day of the play around 10AM, I was awakened by the buzzing of my cellphone. Somebody was calling. It was the PA, asking if I was on my way.
“I’ll be leaving this city by lunchtime. I should get there by 3pm.” I replied.
“Ma’am, you can’t be serious. The play is starting in 30 minutes!” The PA shrieked.
“What? Isn’t the play supposed to be 8PM tonight? Not 10:30 AM?” I raged.
“No ma’am, there was a memo yesterday afternoon that the local authorities wanted to stage it in the morning, so we had to inform everyone immediately.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?!?” I was furious. “I told you guys where I would be yesterday. You of all people have my number. You could have at least called!”
“Ma’am… I… ”
“What?”
“Nobody wanted to call you.”
I harumpffd. If there was such a word. I was mad. “I’ll just get ready and I’ll be on my way. And oh, by the way? F*** you!” I clicked the “END” button hard and threw it on my bed.
My sister was awakened by all the fuss I made. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re going.”
…
We arrived, miraculously, an hour later. The people weren’t waiting for long, as they too were informed in such a short notice. So the audience themselves might be late. My sister tagged along with me as we prepared for the show.
It was time for the show. The theater had finally filled up by 1PM. And it was about to start in a few minutes.
Suddenly it rained. No weather reports informed us there would be rain that day. But there it was, it rained. And it rained hard. Thunderstorm? Probably.
The electricity went out. My sister grabbed onto me since she was afraid of the dark.
I took a peek of the audience from behind the curtains. The emergency lights were on, and the audience was in a state of panic. They were running around, screaming. I couldn’t understand why. It was only a blackout, probably temporarily.
But from the back row, I saw a cluster of people walking down slowly, writhing in pain. They fell on the persons in front of them. And those persons writhed in pain afterwards as well. What the? It was like a domino effect of screaming, writhing and falling. It was fast.
When the effect came by the middle row, I could already see the expression on their faces. Aside for the pain, there were scowls– and their eyes were somehow melting out of their sockets.
I covered my mouth when I gasped. I grabbed my sister and we ran. I passed by the cast and crew– and what was happening to them was almost the same as the people at the audience.
I dragged my sister out of the backstage, out the backdoor, out of the theater and into the rain. There were no vehicles in sight, but I was hearing the different pitched moans and screams of the people inside the theater.
I didn’t know why, but I planned on going back to Blondie’s. We ran, the both of us wet. My sister was in tears. After a few more minutes, we got to Blondie’s apartment and knocked on the door. Blondie answered and gasped at the both of us.
“Don’t just stand there! Come in!!!” She pulled us in and locked the door. She bolted it with anything she had– the chair, the table, the cabinet.
In a matter of moments, somebody was knocking on the door. My sister and I were afraid. Blondie gestured us to be quiet. And covered us in a blanket…
…
I woke up.
