I am late.
I am late for my drama class.
What a great way to start!
I am Leila, a student who enjoys acting.
I take drama lessons in a small studio next to my university, in the 'Border' .
It is not a well-known place
but the teacher there is really talented.
We call him 'Bob', I don't if it's his real name but everyone calls him that and I just went with the flow.
opens the Border's dor
Bob: Here comes the star.
A round of applause, please!
He does this every time someone is late, it is like a way to tell us to not act like a spoiled brat and come in time.
Leila:Thank you! Thank you!
I will try my best to give you a better show next time!
I want to thanks my fans-
Bob:Mrs Leila, you sure know how to act!
Leila:I learned from the best!
Bod:Fine, fine. Go get changed.
Today's lesson is a bit different from usual.
Leila: Are we going to summon devils?
Bod:Get ready!
5 minutes later
Bob:First I want to introduce, Mrs July.
She is a professional dancer and she performed a lot with celebrities!
A woman appeared from behind, it was July.
July:Hello, everyone!
It is a pleasure to meet you.
I hope we get to know each other more and form deep connections.
Leila:Sir, are we going to dance?
Bod:Yes, July is going to teach you the techniques of' Gato'!
actors chatting
-Gato?
-is that a dance?
-I never heard of 'Gato' before
-Isn't Gato cat in Spanish?
July:Exactly! We are going to dance like cats!
Bob:Don't be surprised!
Allez ! Tous sur la piste de dance !
(Let's go! Everyone on the dance floor!)
Yes, I forgot to tell you!
Bod is french!
We gathered all in the dancing room of the studio.
July put some music on and asked us to dance, without showing us the moves.
I guess I just have to be creative?
The music was unique.
I never heard it before.
It sounded like a ritual music or something.
I remember hearing that in my childhood.
I don't remember where exactly.
I just went with the flow!
I mixed ballet and hip hop.
Don't act surprised.
We know it is a unique mix!
Some movement were gentle while others were more badd*ss?
July liked it and asked the others to imitate me.
I danced and danced.
I felt a little dizzy but I couldn't stop now.
Everyone is looking at me.
As an actress I can't stop in the middle of a performance!
Strangely, the lights are still on but the atmosphere seemed heavy.
I couldn't see the teachers face clearly and couldn't hear my classmates floppy and awkward footsteps.
I met eyes with Lili.
She 'imitated' me the best.
When we saw each others face, everything went dark...
I guess I am dead.
Kidding.
I probably collapsed and got taken care of.
I wonder who carried me to the resting erea.
Was it Paul or Bob?
-hey, are you alive?
Who is it? I don't know this voice.
I opened my eyes slowly and glanced around.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT IS THIS PLACE?
WHAT AM I DOING IN THE BEACH?
Is this paradise?
I am really dead?
What the hell?
The movements weren't that exhausting and I wasn't feeling that bad.
Why am I dead?
I got question filling the empty space in my head.
That's when I saw Lily.
I remember she was the last person I saw in the studio.
What are we doing here?
Leila:what's this place?
Lili: It took you 2 hours to wake up.
The people here are strange.
I don't know how to say it but they are suspicious.
I am as confused as you are.
For now, let's be calm and understand the situation.
Maybe we are not alone in this situation.
Leila:you think so?
Did we collapse?
I don't remember much, we were in the studio dancing with July and then We met eyes.
The lights were suddenly turned off?
Lili:I don't know.
I didn't see any of our classmates.
Except us.
There's no one in this strange place.
Leila: what happened when you woke up?
Lili:I found myself in these strange beds across the beach.
It was empty but then some people came and where confused.
Maybe we teleported to the beach?
Leila:so do we enjoy a bit of this beach and go for a swim?
Lili:we must first explore the erea.
Leila:I hear footsteps.
Someone is coming.
A person appeared.
It was Mrs July!
Leila:what is this place?
Lili:Mrs July! Is this a prank?
Leila: Lili! How can you say that!
Lili: It is obvious.
Why are we here? alone?
And what is whith this beach?July:it is indeed incredible.
Leila:did you also wake up in this place?
Lili: Don't you find it strange?
That all of this happened after we started doing her weird dance?
I think she got something to do with that!
July:Incredible!
You really are smart, miss Lili.
Lili:Tell us what you know.
July:well, he didn't lie.
You are quite smart.
I can't tell you much but I will explain something :
"Dance till death, just like marionnettes"
Leila:we are going to die?
Lili: she is going to kill us.
Leila don't worry I will protect you.
Lili wasn't that well-built and was petite.
In the other hand, I was average?
I wonder what is going to happen to us.
Is she going to drown us?
July:get up and follow me
Leila:why would we do that?
You are going to kill us!
Lili came closer and whispered:
Let's do what she wants for now and we will figure out how to escape.
Julia:Ladies?
We got up and followed her to a forest near the sea.
It was quite a beautiful place, but,we are going to be assassinated.
July:you will stay in groups
Lili:This means we are not the only victims.
July:ehem, each day you get to pass a test.
If your score is less than 40 you will get executed.
Leila:What kind of tests?
Lili:is it going to be a physical test?
July:Ladies, you will know tomorrow.
Leila:lili, do you smell it?
Lili:yeah but I can't identify it.
Leila:is it the smell of the dead?
The deeper we went in the forest, the stronger was the smell.
We finally arrived at a tent.
It was in the middle of the road.
July:you will be spending the night here.
Your friends are here.
Lili:in the middle of the forest? It will be dark soon!
Leila:our friends?
Lili and I went to have a look inside the tent.
It was empty.
Confused, we looked around.
We saw a scarf and some ships.
July:oh, my!
Lili:what? Where are they?
July:they are not here.
I think they are dead by now.
Leila:Dead? How is that possible!
July:if they are not back at 7 pm they get shot.
Lili:What? Is that a rule?
July:oh, did I forget to tell you? My bad.
Leila:how can you forget...
Lili was angry.
Really angry.
They first kidnapped us, took us to some forest by the sea and is toying with us.
Lili started punching July in the face.
Lili:What do you want from us?
Say it!
You killed them!
I wanted to stop Lili but she was right.
This woman is clearly a bad person.
But she can kill us if she wants.
Which makes her a very dangerous person.
Leila:I think you should stop Lili.
Lili didn't hear a thing, she was busy punching July in the face.
Strangely, July didn't say a thing or fight back.
Was Lili really that weak?
Leila:Lili! Stop it!
July:I guess it's time.
Lili:Time for what, murderer!
July:hey, I am not a murderer!
Leila:Besides, they might be alive! And went for a walk?
Lili:you don't understand.
Leila:what? You were the one who told me to act quiet.
I don't understand.
Lili:Exactly! So, shut up!
July:The hunters will be set free sooner, get inside the tent. See you tomorrow,ladies!
Lili:Just like that?
Leila:Explain what you meant.
Lili:Hey, July I am still talking to you!
Leila:Lili!
Lili took a rock and threw it.
It didn't kick her target, July.
It landed a metre away from us.
Lili,weak, went inside the tent.
Leila:Are you OK, Lili?
Lili:This b*tch is annoying!
Leila:But you shouldn't get worked up like that!
She said she is going to kill us!
Lili:She killed our classmates from the drama studio.
Those are Shin's ships and Rosa's scarf!
She would never have left it behind!
It was her mother's!
Leila:I didn't know that...
Lili: of course you don't.
You never spent time with us in the café next to the studio.
Leila:That's because I got things to do!
Lili:There is no point in arguing with each other.
We should sleep before the sunset, this way we won't be much afraid of the forest's noise at night.
Leila:Here, I found this!
Lili:Nice, Leila !
We can sleep on it.
Leila:Good night, Lili.
Sorry about earlier.
Lili:It is not your fault, relax.
It is this place...
I am worried.
Leila:Indeed, we are in the middle of a forest.
And just like that, we spent the night in a tent.
We didn't sleep well.
The forest was agitated.
It was the hunters?
Animals?
We couldn't tell.
We just tried to sleep.
We woke up early.
Lili suggested we go out and look around.
Leila: Will July come and look for us in the tent?
Lili: I don't know, probably?
Leila:what if she doesn't find us there?
Or worse, we get lost!
Lili:You are right.
But do you truly trust her?
I mean she kidnapped us.
We should be thinking of a way out.
Leila:What if she doesn't-
Lili:She is going to kill us anyway.
There is a chance we can get out ALIVE!