By the end of the end of the interval I had calmed down enough
about the crushing of my car, that when James put his head round
the dressing room door, I did not go for his throat.
"Are you two ready for act two?" He asked.
"Of course," responded Mary, "but you have got
to promise us that there won't be any surprises as horrible as
being crushed in a car."
"Oh yes. I can promise that. The second half will be
decidedly more gentle," he promised.
We went to the stage and waited in the wings. We were both
dressed in figure hugging white dresses with skirts that flared
from the hip. Soon the curtains opened and James introduced the
second act of the show, then he introduced us. We danced on and
stood either side of him. He told the audience how we loved to
dance. The lighting then changed so that the front of the stage
was lit from the front, but the rear stage area was lit from
behind and especially two screens. I understood what we were
supposed to do. I began to dance and Mary joined me, while James
went to the front corner of the stage to be out of our way. We
danced, music swelled, I began to enjoy myself. I danced towards
to the back of the stage going from being brightly light to being
in silhouette. I then danced behind a screen. I could see my
shadow leap onto the screen. I liked the look of that so I
continued dancing so that my shadow remained on the screen. I saw
Mary do the same. As I watched Mary began to fade but her shadow
did not. I caught a glimpse of my hand only to discover that it
had faded too. Soon we were invisible except for our shadows.
Then the tingle started all over and I felt myself drawn into the
shadow on the screen.
James came over and turn both screens edge on to the audience
and brought them forward as the front lighting faded. It was
plain to all that we had become our own shadows. I did not dare
stop dancing. As we continued dancing James put swords throw the
screens. I could feel the swords pass through when they were
first inserted but after that I could not feel any effect of
them.