Quick Change

"No, no, no!" Our group leader shouted from the top of his lungs. I had to stand up again from my hiding spot as our acting director group leader scolded the actors again for the fifth time.

"I've told you to express more emotions! Can't you see yourself while delivering your lines!? This is unbelievable!" He hits the papers he has been clenching so much for quite some time onto his hands directly at our actress' face.

"What kind of emotions do you want us to show you!?" That's it, our actress finally exploded, "You've been cutting us out for no particular reason! I'm tired of this bullshit!" She then walked out on our makeshift stage.

"Hey, Loraine! Don't you dare walk out on me! This play is our only way to pass this course! It's all or nothing!" She stopped for a while before snapping back at him, "You think I care…? I don't fucking care! If this play means so much to you then find someone else! I quit!" She exclaimed as she threw the mint-shaded wig that she has been wearing straight to my face. Luckily, I had reflexes close to a ninja that I caught before it hit my face.

Bitch, if only I could then I would throw this back to your ugly face. You aren't even suited to portray Lady Jeanne Cleverfield, who's a very proper lady with an angelic face that every woman envied and every man's ideal woman, the very opposite of you. Although she has one flaw, she is mute.

"What the fuck did you say!? You can't quit, you'll fail!" Our group leader yelled back. And when she ignored him, he followed her and grabbed her arm, "Not only you but all of us in this class!".

"Let go of me! I said I don't care! One failed class won't matter to me!" In her struggle, she accidentally hit his face.

"Ouch! Why you bitch!?" He then proceeded to grab her hair violently.

"AW! Let me go bastard!". She struggled under his grip and started scratching her way out of it.

"OUCH!"

"Hey, stop it you two!" Our classmates then started to intervene in the escalating conflict. Well, if it isn't stopped, they'll be both injured with the way they go at each other.

I deeply sighed, how can we finish rehearsing this play if our acting director and stage actors kept on fighting and arguing with each other? I'm just a college student crawling her way to pass her Cinematography course and graduate then find a suitable job. However, with this kind of situation, I might've to repeat another grueling year.

I had just then started to clean up the stage when I heard a classmate shout my name, "No! Look out, Cherry!". It didn't occur to me that I'd be a subject of an unfortunate event that day. Apparently, in their little drama, the actress accidentally nudged on some metal props and came crashing down. And unlucky little me, I was standing right behind those props.

The pain of being crushed underneath those props was unbearable. I swear I wanted to scream for help but I think my lungs were pinned and no air was coming out of my throat. Then everything went dark and the pain had gone away too. I don't know if I became numb or my body just accepted its fate. And it's funny because all I could think about is the heroine of the supposed play that we are trying to do.

Lady Jeanne Cleverfield was a lady who lived in the era where people judged you by wealth and physical appearance, especially women. Her story might be fictional but what she went through was really tragic. In the end, she died full of sorrow; violated, betrayed, and used. She lived helplessly with no one to care for her. Though her sufferings were partially her fault, trusting easily and always thought of the bright side. She did have sentiments at the end of her life but to me, it was quite too late. She let her body suffer too much and her mind was plagued with dreams that she would have achieved if she just fought her way through yet all was meaningless when she passed on in a dirty dungeon and her remains were feasted upon by rats.

Though who am I to judge her…? She only wanted to have a happy and worry-free life. And why am I thinking like this? I should be thinking about myself, I'm dying aren't I…? I shouldn't be dwelling over a fictional character.

I could hear the reeling of the wheels under me and various voices above. Where are they taking me? Though the smell of the place was clear as day to me.

"...Okay, transfer in 3…2…1…"

Ah, I know where I am. I'm at a hospital and I think they're trying to save me…

"... Patient's name is Cherry Blake, 25, College student… She was pinned underneath crates full of metal props used for their university stage play project…".

Yes, that's clearly me. Those crates were heavy as hell and had sharp objects too…

"...We got a pipe on her abdomen, people; better work fast or she'll bleed to death…"

Oh, there's metal on my abdomen, great. The beeping sound around got really loud and the voices slowly faded when I heard the sound of a flat line which also faded until I heard no sound at all; just pure silence and darkness.

So that was it. I'm convinced that I am dead but my mind is still here. Is this really death…? It's too dark, I can't see or hear anything at all. This sucks, I thought death will bring you peace and offer you eternal slumber yet I am here talking to myself. What did I do to be in this state? All I did was to survive and hope that after getting a job, I could escape that hell hole of a house where my aunt just sees me as a money-making tool.

Since my parents died in a car crash, their life insurance had kept me alive but that money was extorted from me by my greedy aunt. She took me in just to bathe with my parent's hard-earned money. But now that I'm dead, I wonder how she will react to my dead body. Earlier in my life, I decided to donate my body to science; my organs to those who need them so I won't worry that my aunt will just dump me into a river to rot. Plus, she won't be getting any more insurance money since I also decided to donate that money to the hospital where my body and organs will be whenever I'll meet my end. Hah! That old hag will surely go ballistic.

Hmm… So now what? Am I going to float like this forever…? Well, I hope not…

And as if I was heard, I saw a little light from afar. What is that? Well, there's no harm in reaching there, would it…? I'm dead so what could I possibly worry about? So, I tried to go towards the light. Huh, it seemed not really far because the light got bigger and brighter until my eyes couldn't take it anymore and I just had to close my eyes.

I tried blocking the light from my eyes with my hands and when it seemed to have worked, I slowly opened my eyes to see a window… A window!? I was so surprised by it that I sat up so fast that I got a slight headache. "Oh my, young Miss, are you alright…? Did you have night terrors again…?" Wait, who're you? "Hmm…? Is something on my face, Lady Jeanne…?" LADY JEANNE!?

WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!? I then quickly got up and looked for a mirror or something to see myself in. Luckily, there was a trolly by the bedside with a brass plate. I took it and looked at my reflection; mint-colored hair with golden eyes and pale-looking skin. There was no doubt… I had become the heroine of our supposed tragic story play; Lady Jeanne Cleverfield.