The man…or maybe he was more of a creature now, laid on the floor, his back pressed up again the thick, wooden, door. It was dark and quiet and lonely, which wasn’t new, but these days he was feeling his loneliness more sharply. Now that he’d been reminded of what it was like to have someone…even if he had no idea what she looked like. Sure, he’d caught fleeting glimpses through the gaps in between the door and the wall, but it was just shadows, the soles of her shoes as she came and went. Sam closed his eyes, weary and hungry and wishing she would come down and visit him again. Speak to him even though he had nothing really to say, but he liked to think she knew all the things he wanted to say. He’d almost drifted off to sleep when he heard familiar footsteps approaching his door. His eyes opened immediately and fell on the small window where he could see a faint spattering of stars in the sky. She was late, but she was coming…she was here! Sam sat right up and pressed his ear to the door, sharp teeth digging into his lip as he greeted his companion with a curious whine. He wanted to know why she’d kept him waiting.
Being out after night fell was quite the reckless move from her part and young Sally knew it, better than most for she had seen things that existed only inside other girl’s nightmares. Whenever ballerinas put on their pajamas and went straight to bed, witches were given permission to roam the dark hallways of the dance academy — hunting and gathering… It was only then that the once harmless world of music and waltzes became a truly evil place. Death awaited around every corner and as she walked in the most utter silence, the blonde student felt no stranger to her own stupidity. Sally’s feet were small and delicate, perfectly capable of carrying her through open doors and down endless staircases without as much as a single tap echoing around her. She owed them her life and the man waiting for her downstairs… well, he owed them his sanity. Every time she gave herself a moment to think of his loneliness — how scared he had to be, a painful twitch made Sally’s stomach tie into little knots that only loosened up once they were sitting face to face… with a locked door always standing between them. Sam was a good listener, the closest thing to a friend she had, even if his looks remained a mystery to her. There was something about his silence that provided her with comfort even during the darkest of times… the least she could do in return was keep coming back, every day once all lights went out.
The dungeons were their secret spot, the only one he was allowed to visit. Once she finally reached his cell, Sally went straight for the door and let it support her entire weight, palms brushing over the cold wooden surface — Sam was awake, the small ballerina could hear his almost desperate whines. “Shhh, I’m sorry… they were all over us —— someone would have seen me and then we’d both be in deep trouble.” By God, she wanted to touch him… Let him know everything was okay now but all she could feel were sharp splinters threatening to pierce right through her skin.