The venue was quiet so quiet you could hear an empty bottle when it dropped as unlike other contestants who skated around the rink before their performance this person stood still in the middle of the rink. With only a dim light shining on the tall figure covered in a dark, hooded cloak like a dementor. A chilling sense of mystery lingered on the person. As the ice resurfacer moved around the person it created a dense, chilly fog.
Soon the machine left the rink, and the judges gave the go ahead for this mysterious figure to start their performance.
An ominous jazz sound was played. As the figure slowly moved toe jumping to action.
Each move the figure made the fringed fabric of the clothes move, but the scarier part was that the movements used were typically used by figure skating duos.
If this person is doing it all by himself, he is truly terribly scary body control. I don't think it's normal to lean back while skating, spinning, and jumping abnormally high like this.
A Tripple axel + tripple loop,
Our coach stood up as she realized he was going to do it. The A4 jump.
With a slight push it seems as if everything has become slow. The hood of the figure fell off from the head of the person revealing pale skin that seemed to give off a radiant glow, with a black mark that seemed like the hands were used to smear over his eyes that were closed but even with it you could feel a sense of beauty in the mystery, his black hair was short, and crossed hands black from the tips to the second joint.
The crowd erupted as he landed smoothly and spun around then gave a downward bird arm bow similar to the batman sign that caused the hood to go back onto his head without touching it.
The music changed slightly to a more sensual jazz music and his moves became more like a dragon snake butterfly.
Fast, visually pleasing and dramatic.
Finally, the given four minutes were over. The figure bowed to the judges and the music was immediately changed to something that revoked the feeling of fear and curiosity, excitement we once had.
The crowd erupted in cheers from all around as the person left the rink.
" I wonder who that person was," someone said.
" I wonder too,"
" His performance is unbelievable,"
" He did an A4 and triple axel combo, he is truly amazing," " if he performs like he does now goes to the competition he's bound to win."
Meanwhile the figure walked out the performance area and walked briskly through the dimly lit grey hallway. Behind him followed a female carrying a clipboard.
The figure realized that he was being followed by the female and ran into the male bathroom.
Rushing into the toilet cubicle the figure closed the door and took out her phone and quickly dialed someone.
"Hey, pick me up."
" Where are you?"
" Evin palace,"
" The Victorian house rink?"
"Yeah,"
" Your lucky, I'm nearby, where are you?"
One of the contestants who performed before the figure walked down the path to use the bathroom.
" Hey, Hua Wangkai right," the female asked the teenager.
"Yes," He nodded.
" The contestant that performed earlier, mysterious, just went inside. Could you tell him to come find me when he comes out?"
" I can," he nodded.
But when he went inside there was no one. Only a black cloak under the open bathroom window.
Taking it up he noticed it was the dementor cloak the person wore before discarded just like that.
After that day the printed and spread all over town were pictures and questions about the unexpected appearance of this mysterious dancer and the sudden disappearance of this dark horse.
Today's practice was a quiet one as we had been upped by a stranger. This stallion appeared out of nowhere and of course we knew things would have turned out different if he hadn't climbed out the bathroom window.
At the College of Sports and technology Ice rink we lined up quickly as our coaches walked in with their hands behind their backs.
" Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to tell you that your big championship is only half a year way so those lucky enough to make improvement after practicing will be allowed to go and also, no one knows this beautiful dance so he should really be a wild horse, so you have nothing to be worried about, but if you see him invite him to join our team,"
The others and I glanced at each other silently as her tone was a bit sarcastic.
" Okay practice time!" the other coach clapped.
And as we knew it. Nothing will whizz past them.
The following week was filled with tears, brutal training under pressure and the coaches shouted about the little mistakes we made. So much that Yoyo wanted us to accompany her to jump the fence.
During the late day of practice before our two weeks off. As I packed up my phone dinged signaling a message just came in. Looking at it I realized it was a text from my friend Jeremy asking when I will come out to go with them to the karaoke bar.
I Replied that I'm coming out in a second.
Throwing my bag onto my back I told my coach bye and walked out the gymnasium rink.
The autumn evening is already a bit chilly as the wind blew up the leaves all over the place.
I saw Tang min and Ricky sitting at the bottom of the stairs on the garden curb under the Oat tree. They talked and laughed with each other.
Jeremy was throwing something into the trashcan under the light post.
These three were my friends since tenth grade and we now live together when I'm not staying in the cold shared dorm of the gymnasium.
But no matter how hard I try I always feel like there is a thick invisible wall between us.
I sighed and walked over to them.
"Hey, guys," I greeted as I walked down the stairs.
"Hey," TangMin replied.
"Wasup man? We haven't seen you for a long while," Ricky laughed and gave me a side hug.
"Yes, you don't even text, we thought you were dead," Tang Min added.
I turned around so that they can see, "As you can all see I'm fine."
" Okay,Okay," They laughed.
Jeremy walked over and threw his hand over my shoulder almost choking me with his roughness.
"Wassup!?" he asked.
" Nothing much," I replied.
" Well, you must be tired let me carry your bag," before I could even argue Jeremy took my bag from off my shoulder and threw it to Ricky.
" You kind of smell," he rubbed his nose.
I sniffed myself, I smelled fine.
" No, I don't," I refuted with a slight smile.
" No, you should defiantly take a shower," Jeremy insisted.
"Okay,"
" You should give us your things and meet us at the karaoke, we'll go first in case they give away our room," Ricky searched my pocket and took my phone and wallet.
Why do I feel like I'm being robbed?
" What is going on here?" Yoyo walked over.
" Oh, it's nothing, they are my friends," I tried to distil her worries.
"Really?" she narrowed her eyes,"It doesn't look like that to me.
"Yes," Jeremy threw his arm around my shoulder " We are good friends since tenth grade, we even live together."
She folded her arms and flipped her hair from in front of her face,"Your good friends? How come I haven't seen any of you before? not even at the championship?"
Jeremy removed his arm and sighed" You don't know, something always comes up before his performances and sadly we couldn't make it."
" You think I'd fall for that,"
" Listen girl, why don't you scram from here and mind your own business," Ricky stood up from the curve and looked like he was about to attack her.
Yoyo walked backwards and gave ricky a middle finger," You should becafeful of your friends they don't seem all good."
Tang Min sighed," Hua Hua, Don't mind her, it's not our fault that sometimes we all have something going on, forgive us."
he smiled," Go take a shower and come to the karaoke bar, it's at Murmur alley, just tell the driver and they will stop."
" You do have fare right?" Jeremy asked.
" No, you just took my wallet," I sighed.
" Well here," he dug into his pocket and took out 50 silvers," this is the exact money."
" Today is your birthday so of course a surprise will be waiting," Ricky smiled and walked away.
Tang min waved and Jeremy laughed.
Yes, it is indeed my birthday but I wonder when they will surprised me with.
I smiled and walked away to the dorm so that I can take a shower and go out to meet them.