The Scream

The rule for this contest is that you have 15 minutes to write a story or poem. The prompt was a picture of a three ballet dancers, two male and one female. The female is in the air, apparently being tossed from one man to the other.

The woman stood and screamed hysterically as she looked down at her blood soaked dress. Aside from that singular spectacle, the opera house was eerily quiet.

The moment of calmness, save for the woman, passed as two smoke grenades were tossed onto the stage. Someone yelled “Fire” and that was the end of that.

Scream minus 2 days
A man known only as Rudolf gets off a plane from Amsterdam and passes through customs with nothing to declare. He does have one secret; a tiny thing really. He has come to kill the brother of the Sudanese ambassador. This secret comes with a small caveat. The deed must be done in public.

Minus 1 day
The FBI receives a call from the Sudanese Embassy. They have received a threat.

Minus 16 hours
Felicia hangs up the phone and jumps into her boyfriends arms. “I’m on! I get to dance the lead tonight!”

Minus 2 hours
The new usher shows up for work at the Opera House. He somehow knows the place as if he has worked there his entire life.

Minus 30 minutes
The ambassador’s brother shows up at the Opera House with his entourage. He is quite drunk. Body guards get him to his seat where he is flanked by two beautiful women.

Minus 15 minutes
The ballet starts on time with a whirling of dancers.

Minus 3 minutes
Felecia takes her position off stage. On cue, she leaps out onto the bright lights and begins her dance of seduction with the two male dancers.

Minus five seconds
The FBI agent in the rafters scans the audience. He sees nothing – Wait! A quick movement off to the side. The usher!

Minus four seconds
Felicia spins into his arms. He swings her up into the air. The audience gasps. It’s as if she is weightless; hanging suspended between the two men. All eyes are on her. Felicia soaks in the moment of her life.

Minus three seconds
Rudolf has never missed before. He doesn’t miss now. He next tosses two grenades onto the stage.

Minus two seconds
The woman feels the sudden splatter of warmth, momentarily unable to identify the sensation.

Now!
The woman stood and screamed hysterically…

Scream plus 2 hours
A non-descript man known only as Rudolf, boards a plane to Amsterdam.