Wickedly Ever After | Hevie

Chapter 27: Don't Look Back

Clouds were swirling all over Auradon that week. It had been an unusually active storm season that year, with heavy rainfalls and gushing winds becoming more and more common as autumn progressed and winter slowly arrived. Storms were usually a sign of an angry god, with many pointing fingers at the king of the gods himself, the mighty Zeus. However, if he was ever truly angry, he wouldn't just send a mere storm to temper his fiery spirit. He would send a full-blown hurricane, which meant that the puny storms that Auradon was facing were just manifestations of nature itself. Whether there was a higher being controlling the weather or not, the lost souls at the Enchanted Forest Rehabilitation Center were not going to let such a savory opportunity slip from their fingers.

As all the patients were huddled into the makeshift amphitheater, decrepit as it was, with cobwebs taking residence near air vents and cracks in the ceiling allowing for droplets of cold rainwater to seep through, the aim was to minimize violent reactions from the fragile minds by entertaining them with a fun play, a stage production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a particular favorite of Doctor Hyde himself. Claude Frollo, with drool falling from the corners of his mouth and with at least half a working brain left, still found it quite amusing seeing his own story being put on display.

The audience had been divided between men and women, and Harry and Evie had been sat quite far from each other. The room was vaguely illuminated by candlelight, but they could still see each other through the many faces in the crowd. All they could do was give each other reassuring nods to let themselves know that everything was going to be alright. Evie then redirected her attention to the back doors as the major villains were brought in one by one. She was waiting for them to bring her mother in, but they never did. They didn't bring Captain Hook in either, which could mean either of two things. They were both dead, or the center was keeping them isolated to prevent unnecessary reactions from both Evie and Harry. It was smart of them to do so, but the princess and the pirate still feared for the worst.

It wasn't long before Doctor Hyde took to the stage to calm the audience and introduce the company who were going to put on the play. It was an all-star cast of employees who seemed to have nothing else to do with their lives except stay at their jobs during a storm, brainwashing villains, instead of staying at home with their families. Harry rolled his eyes, his frame slowly sinking into his chair with boredom.

"As our fellow actors put on their show, I remind you all that it is of utmost importance that you stay in your seats calmly and quietly. They have vigorously rehearsed for the past couple of days to put on the perfect show for you all tonight as the mild storm passes by outside. You needn't worry about anything else except fully immersing yourself in the ambiance of the grand Notre Dame herself. Now, settle into your seats and prepare to follow the story of Quasimodo and Esmeralda," Hyde said as he moved across the stage and finally exited down some side stairs.

Evie looked back at the wall of orderlies and guards lining the back corridor leading out of the amphitheater. She returned her gaze to the stage, hoping that whatever distraction Facilier had concocted would be enough to allow both her and Harry to slip away undetected. The lights then dimmed and the play began with a recording of The Bells of Notre Dame playing through ancient speakers bolted to the surrounding walls. Evie's heart began to race as the storm raged outside and the actors began making their way across the stage, enacting their lines and belting their notes. Only she knew when the perfect moment would come for her to play her part. She needed to wait long enough to make her need to go to the bathroom believable, and she also needed to choose her words carefully when asking to go. This whole escape depended on her.

Her palms began sweating, her lips started to quiver. To say she felt anxious would be an understatement. She felt cataclysmic. Sure, she had made it this far, enduring what she thought was the worst Doctor Hyde could inflict upon her, but what if he had even worse tricks up the sleeves of his dry-cleaned lab coat? What could be worse than having to relive your past mistakes and experiences your worst nightmares? A lot of things, Evie thought. She could end up dead for all that matters, though she was curious as to how they would explain that away. Member of Royal Council turns up dead along the side of a road. Surely someone would find that suspicious. Mal would.