Eternity on Paper [COMPLETE]

The Embroidered Dagger

An audience filed into a dark theater, taking their seats obediently. The curtain rose to reveal a meticulous set that was of far higher quality than anticipated. At the forefront of the stage, a man stood, bound in rope.

A second man approached the man in bondage from behind. In his hand, he carried a bloody knife.

Whispers began to echo throughout the theater, but they were quickly hushed by the mesmerizing notes of violins. Behind the men on stage, a row of beautiful women stood playing their instruments and smiling from ear to ear. The bizarre sight enticed the audience to watch more closely.

The bound man screamed, only to discover that his voice would not emerge. While the rest of his body was immobilized in rope, his mouth was stuffed with the corpse of a snake. His eyes shut tightly at the realization, while the eyes of those in the audience widened.

The man with the knife pressed the blade to the exposed neck of the man in rope, prompting another muffled scream of terror. The women began to play their instruments furiously, upping the tempo of a song that sounded both tragic and uplifting to the ears of those listening. Slowly, each member of the audience rose to their feet, watching the production before them intently.

The tip of the blade glistened under the hot spotlight as it kissed the bound man's neck gently. In a moment of graceful release, the wielder of the knife swept his hand across his subject's bare flesh. For a moment, there was nothing. But at the apex of the violin symphony's tune, a geyser of red sprayed out into the audience. The viewers attempted to scream, but their voices fell flat. They had failed to notice their own throats had been slit at the same time as the man they had come to watch.

The dark room lit up in crimson as the song came to an end. The man with the knife took a bow for the women applauding behind him. The show was now over, and the price of admission had been paid.