Chrissy's feet ached from the long, strenuous day. She had managed to find a job teaching dance lessons at Dong Cheng Dance Studio. She taught the little kids ballet, jazz, lyrical and hip hop from Monday to Friday.
Apart from a decent salary, she also received lessons. The manager had seen her potential and suggested she learn traditional dance, that way she could join the Dong Cheng dance team, who performed during special events.
"One, two, three," Li Wei, her instructor, counted.
Chrissy raised her right arm above her head, the ornate fan tense in her hand. She développéd her right leg, extending it up and out to reach the height of her head.
Woosh! The fan snapped open to reveal summery pinks and reds.
"And one and two and three and four!" Li Wei yelled, nodding at some points, shaking his head at others. "Too fast! Breathe through the music!"
Chrissy did a leap, reaching full splits in the air.
"Right arm above your head!"
She glided gracefully into a roll, coming back up to stand. Now for the hardest part.
Everything was sharp. Her jumps, the complicated footwork and constant switching. Legs crossing in front of one another. Changing in mid-air.
"Build some resistance when you land!" Li Wei advised.
Chrissy sank deep into the plie, her knees bending outwards for a second before she executed a one-hand front walkover.
"And.....stop," Li Wei finished, turning off the music.
Chrissy panted, giving her left leg a tender rub where she had landed a bit funnily.
"Better," Li Wei complimented. "Your movements are very clean. Just remember to take your time at certain moments. Create some tension and suspense. See you next time!"
"Thank you, Master Wang!" Chrissy bowed respectfully before exiting the studio. In the changing room, she slipped out of her dance shoes and into normal shoes, tugging a dress over her leotard.
The sky was a blend between blue and sunset. It was hazy and foreboding. She felt so sapped of energy, and home felt so welcoming. As she was nearing the front door to her house, she knew her form was slipping away, so she burst into a run.
A pale green light surrounded her, and she felt bare. Raw. Too real.
She had unlocked the door, locked it safely shut behind her. She didn't even make it to her bed before she collapsed onto the ground, crumpling so gracefully, it was like she was still dancing.
******
Weak....so weak. Hungry....so hungry. It was like her body was eating itself-it was. Somehow, even with all the food she was consuming, she was still in the late stages of starvation. Dragging herself to the little kitchen with delayed movements, she poured herself a glass of water and scarfed down a few slices of bread.
It's getting worse. She found it harder and harder to muster the strength to even get out of bed on some days, and having a very physical job didn't help.
Her bed looked too comfortable, the crisp linen and fluffy pillows beckoning. But everytime she was just about to drift off to sleep, the thought would strike her that she might fall into a deep slumber and never wake up.
So she stayed awake instead, munching on a bread roll and pondering what to do. "You'll have to take love to survive. You're nothing more than a parasite".
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Dark Side Of The Moon
قصص الهواة(Humanized) A rebel princess. A jaded slum boy. Two bloodthirsty heirs. And a cunning little girl who specializes in espionage. Or in other words, a My Little Pony Lunbra story.
