The Alien Memory👽

Episode 31 - They Deserved It👽

"She wears strength and darkness equally well,
the girl has always been half goddess half hell."

-Nikita Gill

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Ashley's short laugh echoed in the auditorium. "My what a party we have today!"

"But it seems I didn't receive the invitation!"

"Who would invite a wicked witch like you?"

"A wicked--"

"Ashley, you need to laugh more evilly."

This was the fifth time Ivan had asked her to laugh like Maleficent.

This was the beginning of the play, which had been rehearsed long back, but she felt Ivan wasn't satisfied with her laugh.

He wanted it to sound eviler.

He sighed, glancing at her after rubbing his forehead.

He seemed to be doing that a lot. Judging his small eyes, Ashley assumed he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Sarah laughed, making both her and Ivan glance at her.

"See? That was perfect. Just laugh like her." Ivan nodded in approval.

"That wasn't part of the act," Ashley muttered under her breath.

Ashley sighed and shifted a little away from Sarah, Riva, and Ruby, who began rehearsing their lines.

Their voices--especially Sarah's felt like a hammer hit on her head repeatedly.

She wished for a mute button to stop the high frequency resonating in the air.

She thought about her own voice, which had rung in everyone's ears since so long.

She cringed mentally. She knew her voice was not at all pleasant, especially when she screamed.

What had been the use of screaming?

What had been the use of behaving so badly?

Nothing...

Had anything changed?

Ashley sighed. The paper, though light, felt heavy in her hands.

She sat down on the steps, wishing she could undo all the wrong she had done.

She knew she had goodness in her heart. All she needed was to not let the darkness of her life creep back.

Not again...

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"Ashley."

Ashley raised her head, rubbing her eyes as she looked at her surroundings with a frown. Don't tell me I dozed off.

"Ashley, Elena needs a crown. Lend her yours."

Ivan's voice didn't hold a question. It was an order.