Curtain!

"Curtain!"

"Curtain?"

Evelina looked up in confusion. The sun stood high and was still shining brightly even though it's already past midday. West had chosen a location under a tree to get themselves some shade, also for her to easily embody the character given to her.

Which was a tree.

"Curtain's up," West explained, like it was the easiest thing to understand. "Take action. It's time to act?"

Evelina groaned, exasperated. How would she take action if she did not know how to act as a tree. Was that even a thing? She could act dead if they would consider it, since the roles they were given were some...things. Yes, they were things! There were no movements, no emotions. She did not get it.

Were they making fun of her?

"Do you expect me to just stay still like this one?" She tapped the branch next to her.

"No. I expect you to act like a tree."

The vampiress clenched her fist, her fangs threatening to show themselves. The heat was getting to her, her throat dry and her skin prickling. Daylight was not an issue if it was not hurting her, or if she's not under it for a period of time.

And sure, maybe she was not under it this time but it was more of her impatience and annoyance at a certain someone, mixed with the warmth of the air that was affecting her. It was not anywhere near good.

"I'm already acting like a tree!"

She was standing there, tired arms still stretched as if reaching for the sky. Evelina could already feel eyes staring at her, probably wondering if the lady behind the mask was making fun of them. Or maybe they were the ones making fun of her?

West tilted his head, playful doubt on his face. "But trees don't talk."

She gawked at him. "And trees do not also have mouths, nor ears, and eyes! Nor ridiculous masks they wear to hide their identity! With that in mind, the point is lost already."

"Except that we wouldn't be going anywhere if you don't act your role."

"Oh, bugger off! I can go anywhere I want without that 'role challenge' of yours."

Evelina began walking away from West. She heard him call her name but she had enough of them. It had been nothing but a full week of shame for her and to take another day of it was too much.

She was a vampire! How could they treat her like she was one of them? Or worse, like she was below them. They should have been grateful first for she already had the power to allure a mortal. She had tested it on Royce and Sybil and it still worked. Well, it had always worked. She just thought it might be broken because of the days when she cannot capture the witches' attention.

Evelina spotted the fountain she once saw when she first got in Eldham. It felt so long now since the day she arrived in an exhausted fashion. The same heat was making its way through, but this time it wasn't thirst that she was experiencing.

She stared at her reflection on the water. Her mask was the color of deep teal. It didn't make much sense to the role they had given to her. None of the trees she encountered had teal leaves. But West was the one who gave it to her. She smiled unconsciously, but disappointment slowly forced its way to her.

Evelina shook her head. No, it was silly of her to think that she would belong.

But to belong was not why she was there, was it?

She was in Eldham to perform the tradition, a decision that was pressured for her to take. She had to always remind herself of her real responsibilities. Why she was there and why she needed to push through with it.

Sighing, Evelina decided to remove the mask for a bit. Maybe to see who she really was. Or who she should be.

She touched it to move the material, but it slipped from her hand.

That was odd.

She tried to take it off again, pulling it from the sides. She pulled it up. And then she tried to pull it down. And again from each side.

It was useless! The mask showed no sign of wanting to come off.

Evelina shrieked, her whole body going with the beat of her struggle. "What the bloody hell is this?"

But the answer was already in her mind.

Magic. Of course, they would use magic.

Evelina let out an agonizing scream before completely sighing in defeat. West really made it so she would not be going anywhere far, did he not?

How rubbish of him!

Despite her anger, the vampiress turned around to return to where she left the lad- in the process of bumping into someone. Evelina let out an annoyed groan from the impact. "Could you, at least, try to look at where you are going?"

Without waiting for a reply, she stormed off.

Of course, she was aware that she's in a public place. But she was in a terrible mood. To consider her surroundings would place her in a point where she'll be very impatient to just curse everything and reveal what she was.

Evelina went to find West but it seemed like he found her first.

Her eyes widened when a hand suddenly held hers, squeezing her in a manner of worry and comfort. Evelina met his gaze and saw something in them. Something familiar. She noticed how he was searching her face, his breath heavy as he placed both of his hands on her cheeks.

"You-" Evelina began, before quickly forgetting what she had to say.

West blinked. "You know, you should never leave a witch alone until they tell you to." He exhaled loudly and quickly let go of her. "It's just...don't disappear like that again! If this is a challenge for you then this is a challenge for me, too! What do you think would the others say when my recruit goes missing? They wouldn't trust me again, that's for sure!"

Evelina felt like she was being scolded by her mother.

"Amazing, West. I suddenly thought you care about me."

"I mean, I did go looking for you," he said. He crossed his arms, a displeased look on his face. "Do you really have to run off like that just because you don't want to be a tree? If you think that we're making fun of you, we're not. Must I remind you that you aren't the only recruit that's going with this?"

The lady frowned. "I am aware of that. But do we really have to go performing for people?"

"Isn't that the whole point? The troupe was clearly testing all of you. And if I weren't the one assigned to you, they would have failed you already."

And she could not let that happen.

"Do I have to thank you, then?" she jest.

West shrugged, hiding an impressed expression. "You think of me unaware that you are not the type of person to be grateful?"

"I have my moments."

"Oh, we'll use those moments."

They used it, alright. And they weren't very pleasant, either, as it still revolved around the 'tree-role' exercise. Ignore vampire stamina when it had been almost two hours of standing still like a tree, unable to perfect it. In fact, what was the use of vampire stamina when frustration was the only thing she felt.

"Ready?"

"Bring that damn curtain up!"

There were a few changes. West let her adjust with her space. Instead of him, she would be the one to say if she was truly ready to serve her performance. It did not do much, though, because the actor in front of her had the nerve to say inspiring words then, whilst managing to be too strict towards her now.

"What if the wind suddenly blows? You're just going to stand there?"

What does he want her to do? Fly?

But as if she could say anything. She's a damn tree! And just for this to finally be over, she needed to cooperate.

"I don't see any leaves on you. If you're trying to be like this tall guy over here," he tapped the branches next to her, "then I should see leaves on you even when there's none."

Really, what kind of logic is that?

"You're the whole tree, Evelina. Not a dead log!"

It's settled. She would kill him in his sleep.