Tale Of The Missing...

Tale Of The Missing Dancer

I was a dancer that held my pose on pointe, atop a small jewel box. I lived in a small, magical antique store called "Old Friends For Sale" run by an old gentleman by the name of Mr. Henley. 

Mr. Henley would open shop every morning and pull my box off the shelf and put me to display either by his register or the front display window of the shop. He loved all of his antique pieces he owned. He wanted to find us all proper homes, so he was particular about who he sold us to. 

As for me, he favored quite dearly because he said I reminded him of his late wife Emma, who loved the ballet and loved to collect musical figurines such as myself. He kept me near him and would wind the key to play the sweet tune of  Swan Lake as I danced to the music. My dancing was limited however and there was no one else of my kind through out the small shop that I knew of. So alone, I kept Mr. Henley entertained.

But after the store closed for the night, and Mr. Henley returned me to my place on the shelf after spending the day showing off my talent for a few hopeful buyers, he would always tell me "Great job, mi lady. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day". 

Soon the lights would turn off but for a few small ones, and I would step off my pedestal. Someone else would turn the switch on for a tabletop fan that would blow air in my direction. That's when I felt most free. I'd dance and pirouette, swirl then leap and fly. I'll be caught for a safe landing by action figures like G.I Joe or Marley the the stuffed puppy.

A thunder of applause I would hear from all the other trinkets and dolls and such, who've also came alive on their own. It's always music to my ears.

Then on one such night, I stayed away longer than I should have. Oh but what a magical night it turned out to be. I'd met another dancer from a distant part of the shop, I do not ever recall his arrival.

He found me dancing alone at the store front window with only the beam of the moon to light the way. He waited patiently till I finished and then approached me. He said his heart longed to dance with me when he would watch from the shadows. 

The moon shone directly upon us when he asked me to dance. So for many more moon lit nights that passed, we danced together .

Then Magic descended down upon us one evening we were dancing . She made us human with the sole promise that we would continue to dance. She made my partner promise that he would always dance with me, so he promised. We were given passage to the outside world. We thanked her and hugged her. Finally, a dream I'd held dear to my heart was finally coming true.

He and I smiled at all our friends as we bid them all a teary goodbye. Then as we held hands, we slipped out into the night.

The next morning Mr. Henley would come to find my music box alone, yet still playing the tune I'd always danced to. A single teardrop escaped his eye as he nodded quietly to himself then returned to the front of the store. 

There he would find Magic sleeping on her side. He'd gently scoop her up and return her to her home on the shelf and deliver unto her a kind scolding saying.

"You must stop that now, Magic. I lose many beautiful dancers to you''.

With her impish grin upon her lips, she'd dare a wink. Mr. Henley would walk back over to my music box, wind it up one last time to play and whisper "Then dance you shall". 

He'd then smile then go on to continue his morning ritual of opening the shop.

By Audrey Moya

From: United States

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/audrey.moya.98/