KOTA

We have a new location on Kayla Harris. Grandad surprised us with the report this morning. He did a summoning chant, knowing he shouldn't have. He needs to recover. But what's done is done. He saw where Kayla was heading. The girl is on her way to Harris Theatre for some sort of show. She has a performance tonight. I'm glad it's a place we can actually go, not a private domicile. This is the update we needed. Another shot. One last attempt to discover if there is a cure.  

I have to keep positive that she can locate one. Grandad said it best. Nature always has a balance in place. Natural cures riddle most plant life on earth. There are plants which cure deadly poison. Maybe it'll be some strange herb that'll cure me. Or a special kind of liquid. Maybe magic won't be the thing to save me?

The Ahoka family pile into the wagon. Grandad and Dyani join them this time. "Remember, you three...you'll remain in the crowd. We'll handle the conversation. Matto orders everyone except his wife. "The objective is to blend in."

I want to say how can I, but the pendant has restored a hint of my normal complexion. I'm still ashy...but not as much as I was before. I was white as a ghost when I first changed. My caramel skin was gone completely. At least now there's a glimpse of the tint. As for my eyes. The honey color will never return. This is the best I'm going to get.

The wagon rolls out of the driveway and down a single road. The drive is long due to them living on the west side, not the east. The same drastic transition from poverty to worthy bothers Kota. I always heard how bad cities are. I never thought there could be such separation of the classes. Back home, my town was all as one. No one lived better or worse. No one laughed in the face of the lesser with lavish skyrises and fancy vehicles. We were a community. This city is far from that.

It's hard for me not to dwell on my hometown. The deep wound is still present in my soul. The coldness of this environment reminds me of how much I loved Tahlequah. My forever home will always plague me. So will the reason we fled. I'm the problem...even now, I'm something to be fixed. Just as this city.

Kota stares down at his hands as the car steers ahead. He ignores the window and the giant buildings whizzing by. He's thinking ahead now. To the theater. To finally seeing Kayla in person, not through a layer of magic. Her charming face and doe eyes. The swirling curls of her bushy hair. I can't wait to see the colors she possess.

Grandad work as their map, he has the dwelling memorized from the vision. Matto swerves the corner streets of downtown Chicago, peering through the rear-view mirror at his father. "Are we close? Do you see the place from your vision?"

"Yes." Grandad eyes glow white under the sun, similar to a cat's night vision. Eerie and jarring. He's accessing the surroundings. Stretching his third eye further to the location. "Three blocks, keep straight." The old man directs with certainty. He sees the exact building. "A theater full of black-lined windows." He describes. "Her thoughts are very vivid. The child must have opened her mind. I see through her eyes."

Matto keeps straight as commanded. The theater is hard to miss. A new addition to the older buildings lining the streets. Modern and edgy. An artsy, boxed structure; five levels high. He flips on the turning signal and parks on the curb.

Kota becomes cynical all of a sudden. The weight of realism warps his mind. What if this goes badly? What if she says no? "Rest your mind." Grandad reads him. "I sense she will help. Trust my intuition..." He reassures his grandson.

Matto and Odina leave the car first. Dyani follows after. Kota aid his grandfather getting out of the back seat. Will I be able to walk through? This is a public domain...right? I guess I'll find out. Kota is skeptical as his shoes near the threshold. Although his heart is dead, he witness it imitate pounding, only the organ doesn't pump. The blood around it does. The relief of passing through with no complications eases the beating of his heart. Inside, the walls are colored neon: pink, yellow, orange. White banisters cage a three-tier staircase leading down.

His parents approach the box office desk, he's never seen them prioritize a task before. They're on a mission. Matto and Odina have a flare similar to business sharks out for blood. "Which show stars Kayla Harris?" He hears his mother ask urgently.

"That'll be LUNA. An original narrative created by Studio Doll. Kayla Harris will be soloing."

"Perfect. We'll need five tickets." 

KAYLA

A buzzing frequency needles at Kayla's ears. The noise rattles her teeth and prickles her spine. She stops stretching her leg to cover her earlobes. "What is that noise??!"

Jia pauses mid arm stretch, resembling a flapping bird. "What noise?"

"Is there a speaker on...or something?"

Isabell, who strolls past the balancing bars, shrugs, "That must be the staff sound testing."

Kayla uncap her ears a little, then winches and covers them again. "I can't concentrate...the noise is too loud."

Isabell stops to listen...she's puzzled by the silence. "I hear nothing."

Kayla looks down the rows, where her classmates bend their bodies to perfection. "No one else hears that??" She's stunned when everyone shakes their head.

Mya listens hard, she even strains her neck listen. "No...maybe it's stress."

"I don't think stress messes with your hearing." Kayla scoffs.

"Well...what else can it be?"

It could be that man and woman trying to reach out to me again. The ones from Halloween night. I heard a similar buzz...only this one is far more intense. Once again, she keeps this to herself . No one will believe that I saw people open a portal right in front of me. Kayla lowers her leg. "I need water, Ms. Hayle."

"Make it quick or your muscles will go lazy."

"Yes, ma'am." Kay hustles out, leaving backstage, which is cluttered with stage latters, tall light poles, and hanging costumes from previous shows. The last performance was Sleeping Beauty. Aurora's glittery blue dress and Maleficent's black and purple cloak hang near the door. She nears a drinking fountain and press the rectangle. Kayla gulps down the water. The water is cold enough to calm her ears some. But not completely. So, she keeps drinking until it subsides.

Are those people back? But why? What do they want with me? Is the boy I saw before connected to them? She recalls the night she used the Ouija board. A burnt-out campfire. Dead teenagers on the ground in pools of blood. The one with the neck gash. His unbelievable gorgeousness. His long, dark hair and rugged features. His pale eyes...and how they matched the pastel flames from the strange dimension. The boy isn't human. The air spirit showed me the truth. The boy is a vampire. His unbelievable appearance proves this is true. I assume the man and woman are related to him. Possibly his parents.

She leaves the drinking fountain and goes backstage to carry on with the stretching exercise. The chiming tone in her ears is a little better. It doesn't hurt as much anymore. I hope this doesn't ruin my solo. I should ask Isabell for aspirin. This is the biggest night of my life; nothing can interfere with it. Kayla post to the barre and follow along with the class.

 Isabell demonstrates before her students; bending one leg to the side of her head. Then holds for ten seconds before switching. Next is a low dipping leg split, they all reach the floor without ruining the straight posture of their backs and arms. A praying mantis pose is next. Their legs create a perfect square while on tiptoe. The stick insect position is held for twenty seconds, while they curve their arms. Their core muscles engage by heating up like a furnace. This is a great sign that their stamina will last on stage.

Afterwards, ballet shoes are broken in. The girls unwrap the slippers. "Ahh..." Kayla sniffs the pleasant smell of brand-new fabric, recalling her 5-year-old self sliding her small feet into the shoes. The group uses a tool, similar to a food grader, to scrape the bottom of the stiff shoes, shredding the material into falling dust. Then the girls bang the shoes on the floor, focusing on the tip; the area is whacked repeatedly.

Once done, the class bends the back to the front, a popping sound follows. The same is done to the skank, the middle of the shoes, until more popping occurs. The ballet slippers are banged on the floor a few more times. The shoes are now flexible and bend back and forth easily. Okay, done. Kayla smiles down at the slippers. Perfect, my arches will be one with the footwear, I won't slip or sound too loud while on stage.

"Remember, the scouts will be front and center." Isabel announces.

"How many are coming this time?" Kayla is curious. 

"Ten total...and they're all from New York. This night will write the history of our studio. Tonight, will open the path to nationals. So, bring your best."

Exclaims of disbelief escape the girls, who stare at each other in astonishment. There has never been ten...one or two at most. This means Studio Doll is gaining a reputation. "WOW!" Kay gasps. Good thing I finished my routine! Usually, our shows draw in less talent scouts. This will be a huge win for us!

"Alright, gather around." Her class huddles into a circle and lay their hands atop one another. "On three, one, two, three!"

"STUDIO DOLL!!" They yell, raising their hands to break them apart. 

KOTA

Time is speeding up instead of slowing down. I thought when anticipating something; it mocks you by going slow. That must be a myth...because the minutes sprint by. 

The Ahoka family is allowed to enter the auditorium at 5pm. The crowd is massive....so is the stadium. Hundreds of rows of seats start from the very front and end three stories high on balconies. Kota avoids eye contact knowing people are wondering why he's so colorless. Maybe their first thought isn't a vampire....they could think I'm sickly. But still my eyes are another mystery. It's best I look away and hope the attendees assume I'm wearing outrageous contact lenses. 

He busies himself by reading the program packet. The cover showcases each of the members of Studio Doll. Kota eagerly searches for Kayla, but the ballerinas are turned away on the image. This was done to showcase their blue costume and how they tie in the back as corsets do. The dancers are on tiptoe. Kota flips the book open to read more.

So, she's a ballerina? A good one too, if she's soloing. Kayla must be an immaculate dancer. It appears she's a triple threat. A talent performer. A Spell Bender....and a beauty queen. I can't wait to see what she does on stage. I doubt she'll anticipate seeing me as much as I do her. Can I even exist in her world? Does she know what I am? How I look? Will her heavenly eyes sweep past me as they would a stranger?

His mother escorts them to the fifth row to their assigned seats. Grandad wobbles, feeling unbalanced. Kota steadies him. "You shouldn't have done the locater spell...it weakened you."

"Maybe you are right...." He inhales hard, finally admitting he was reckless to use so much power by himself. Kota assists him in sitting down.

Matto hasn't sat down yet; he's also weary of his father's loss of energy. "You need to eat, that should help." He makes his way to the main doors, excusing himself in order to bypass the large crowd.

"I will untap from her mind...now that I'm certain." 

"Yes...please take it easy." Kota can't help but be intrigued by his mind link to Kayla. "How certain are you?"

"Completely."

"Do you know what she's thinking?" 

"Yes...but only in fragments." He answers frailly.

"Does she know about my kind?"

"The air spirit has taught her of vampires. Kayla knows of a red eyed, blonde monster....and of your transition."

Red eyed, blonde monster??? That sounds like the vampire that haunted me and my friends down! Who killed my crew...who trapped me in this life of hell! Kota is too rocked by this information to say anything. He witness flashbacks of the vampire standing above the campfire. How it prayed for fun...for pleasure. The joy of the game is evident to Kota now that he's experience the taste of hunger. That demon enjoyed the chaos it wielded. It deserves to pay for its actions. I'll ask Kayla where she's seen him. I need his location!

Odina sighs in relief. "Good to know, that's one less thing to worry about. The talk will go smoothly."

"Fingers crossed, little brother." Odina grins.

Kota snaps out of his brooding and gives a wide smile to his big sister. "Thank you, kamama (butterfly)."

"You're welcome, walela (hummingbird)."

Matto returns with two soup cups and crackers. "Please eat."

Grandfather accepts the warm meal. "Wado, uwetsi (Thank you, son)."

No one is left standing; every guest is seated. Each row is occupied with a sea of endless heads. The live orchestra sets up in a designated platform before the stage. The violinists are the first to strum their instruments, although the chattering of the crowd drowns most of the tune out.