by Megan Atwood
“Stop it! You’re ruining it!” Devon screamed at her. He had started to fade.
The other dancers onstage looked confused. The corps had almost stopped dancing completely. For a moment, her resolve weakened.
But then she was surrounded by Madeleine, Kayley, Sophie, and Emma, and the five of them created a dance on the spot. A dance for life.
They danced Devon out of the circle. He howled in rage.
“You’ll never be anything without me!” he yelled, circling around her like an animal. “You’ll be nothing, I say, nothing!”
Ophelia did four fouettés in a row, and with each spot, she said, “I. Don’t. Need. You.”
By the last spot, he had disappeared completely.
She felt the hold on her loosen. Her heart beat strongly, and her vision cleared.
In front of her were four friends who stayed with her through everything. Who jumped onstage with her and made up a dance to kick out a demon.
This, she thought. This was something to live for.
And in the middle of the stage, in the middle of a ballet about a girl who dies, Ophelia hugged her friends and celebrated her life.
Epilogue
John Johnson III patted his head with a handkerchief.
“We were lucky, Madame Puant. Just lucky.”
Madame Puant shook her head. “Not lucky. It was a show of strength.”
Johnson stood up and leaned on her desk. “What if he comes back?”
Madame Puant sighed. “You and I both know he will. He always comes back. But for now, we can rest in the knowledge that one of our students beat him.” She leaned forward. “And if she could beat him, then someone else can too. Now, don’t you think that’s encouraging?”
Johnson sank back in the chair. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, Betsy.” He chuckled. “You do seem to be right about almost everything here. I’ll give you that.”
“It’s like I told you before, John. I know my students. And I would go to hell and back before I’d let something happen to them.” She looked sadly out the window. “But we can’t do everything for them. More often than not, they must help themselves. What we can do is be there for them, no matter what comes up.”
She cleared her throat and then walked John Johnson III to the door.
“But I intend to do just that. I will be here. Always. No matter what.”
About the Author
Megan Atwood is the author of more than fourteen books for children and young adults and is a college teacher who teaches all kinds of writing. She clearly has the best job in the world. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with two cats, a boy, and probably a couple of ghosts.
