Abbi's Short Stories

The Audience

Nadia Sinacore loved playing the piano, so she was ecstatic when her parents bought her a keyboard. She practiced all the time and got really good, able to play along with recordings of Bach and Beethoven. Her parents were proud. 

One night, when her parents were out on a date, she was playing Moonlite Sonata. When she had finished, she heard someone clapping behind her. When she turned around, there was no one there. It was too early for her parents to be back, as they were only gone for about ten minutes. She got up and grabbed her taser that her father insisted on her having, and went to check the house.

Nothing.

She found absolutely nothing.

Nothing was out of place, the doors were still locked, the TV still there, the gold necklace (her mother couldn't wear it but insisted on keeping it) was still in the curio cabinet. There was nothing to show that someone forced their way into the house. And even if they did, why would they give themselves away by clapping?

She eventually gave up, putting it to her imagination, and all the horror movies making her paranoid. Nadia began playing again, this time Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Once again, when she finished, there was clapping, this time, it sounded like the room was full of people. Once again, there was no one behind her.

That didn't matter to Nadia. She grabbed her purse and ran to her friend's house, only a couple blocks away. There, she called her parents and told them what happened. Mr. and Mrs. Sinacore then told her about where her house was built.

Nadia's house was built on the same ground that claimed about 300 lives, 100 of which were unidentified. Her house was built over the Brooklyn Theatre.

One of the worst theatre fires in New York's history took place in December 1876 when the Brooklyn Theatre caught fire during the last act of a performance of The Two Orphans. The stage manager first noticed the fire, which started when a border was ignited by one of the border lights, but since it was small, the curtain was raised and the final act began while two carpenters were sent to deal with the flames. As the blaze grew, the actors took the phrase 'the show must go on' to new levels of foolishness, urging the audience to stay calm and seated, with the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reporting that one actor told spectators, "There is no danger; the flames are a part of the play." Eventually panic broke out and the audience fled the auditorium but for many, particularly those in the top gallery, which was served by only one staircase, it was too late. Around 300 people died in the disaster and a common grave was created in Green-Wood Cemetery for around 100 unidentified victims.

Nadia and her parents eventually moved, but Nadia stopped playing at home. She still occasionally her voices and clapping at the old house.

Information on the Brooklyn Theatre came from Telegraph.com.

Peace loves,

Abbi