The moment I started hearing something, I immediately turned back. I could see that the tears on the mannequin's cheek dried up and could conclude it had stopped crying.
I continued asking what the issue was. I continued to request an answer to my question.
This time, however, I involuntarily turned back and froze again. I couldn't speak, nor was the mannequin in my vision. I could only see the entrance door to the storage room and a little around it. I tried my best to turn back but failed. I failed every attempt to speak as well.
I heard something. I listened to the two words that I heard last night. "Help me...". It repeated those words. I didn't know what to do since I couldn't ask it any questions, nor could I move my body.
However, the one thing I understood was that the mannequin was not comfortable with others seeing it while it was speaking.
After repeatedly repeating the same thing for a few minutes, it said something else. That something else sent chills down my spine. Hearing that was the last possibility I would've expected.
"I'm trapped...Help me...". These are the words that came out of its mouth.
I knew it! No wonder it had such a similar look to the missing actor. I didn't want to indulge much with the mannequin because of that fact. No matter how much these thoughts add up, I can't jump to a conclusion directly with the points I have known until now.
I tried to speak, but I still couldn't. After uttering the exact words once again, it stopped. The noises and the paralysis. Everything has gone back to the way it used to be. The mannequin was back to normal, and the storage room looked the same.
So I was correct. Those might be tears that I saw earlier on the mannequin's cheek. It must have been crying because of the curse somehow.
After unlocking the door, I pretended not to know anything. I claimed I saw nothing, and after searching for a while, we gathered back. "It was getting too late. If we wait for her to show up or keep searching for her, we might get delayed for the play. We must proceed without her."
I said this to them, and they agreed. After that, we returned to practising like we were supposed to.