Chapter 3: The Secret Beneath the Stage
For a moment, nobody moved.
The red emergency lights cast long shadows across the auditorium. Students clutched one another, parents called their children's names, and a little boy in a skeleton costume began crying near the front row.
The beeping continued behind the stage.
My father took my hand.
"Nia, we're leaving.""
I stared at the black curtain.
"There's something back there.""
"Whatever it is, the staff will handle it.""
"But I saw a timer.""
He looked at me sharply.
"What timer?""
Before I could answer, a woman wearing a headset rushed through the stage entrance.
"Everyone away from the curtains!"" she shouted.
"Move toward the main doors. Don't touch the equipment!""
Her voice cut through the confusion.
Dr. Brooks appeared beside her, directing students toward the exits.
"Please walk. No pushing. Teachers, help your groups get outside.""
The audience began moving.
I should have followed my father.
I knew that.
But the white smoke was growing thicker, and the beeping had become a rapid, uneven pulse.
I thought about the technicians. The black case. Brianna's strange questions.
And her words.
Now they'll finally see what happens when you steal my spotlight.
"Dad," I said, pulling against his hand, "I need to tell Dr. Brooks what I saw.""
"Tell her outside.""
"What if someone gets hurt?""
He stopped.
For the first time, he saw that I wasn't merely frightened.
I was certain something was wrong.
"Stay right beside me," he said.
We moved toward the side aisle, where Dr. Brooks was helping a younger student who had dropped her shoe.
I caught the principal's attention.
"Dr. Brooks!""
She turned.
"Nia, you need to get outside.""
"I think someone set something up behind the curtain. There's a timer, and I saw a technician checking cables.""
Her face changed.
"What kind of timer?""
"I don't know. It showed less than two minutes.""
The woman with the headset immediately reached for her radio.
"Stage crew, report to the rear equipment corridor. We may have an unauthorized device.""
A burst of static answered her.
Then a man's voice came through.
"Control, we've got smoke behind the stage. We need the fire crew now.""
Dr. Brooks pointed toward the exit.
"Everyone outside. Now.""
My father guided me into the aisle.
But as we passed the backstage entrance, I heard a sharp cry.
"Help!""
It came from behind the curtain.
I stopped.
A stage assistant stumbled into view, coughing. Her name tag read Megan.
She was carrying a clipboard, but her hands were shaking so badly that the papers scattered across the floor.
"The storage corridor!"" she gasped.
"Someone's locked the door!""
Dr. Brooks caught her arm.
"Who's inside?""
"Two crew members. They were checking the lighting controls.""
The principal turned toward the headset woman.
"Call emergency services. Tell them we have smoke and people potentially trapped.""
The woman spoke rapidly into her radio.
My father tightened his grip on my hand.
"Nia, we're going.""
I looked at the curtain.
Then at Megan.
"Was Brianna back there?""
Megan stared at me.
"Who?""
"My stepsister. Brianna Carter.""
"I don't know her name, but a girl in a red costume went through the corridor about ten minutes ago.""
My stomach dropped.
"She went inside?""
Megan nodded.
"She said she needed to retrieve something from the equipment room.""
My father went pale.
"Why would she do that?""
I didn't answer.
Because I was beginning to understand that Brianna's behavior wasn't just another attempt to humiliate me.
She had planned something.
And whatever it was, it had gone wrong.
A loud crack came from behind the curtain.
The lights flickered.
Megan screamed.
A small flame appeared at the bottom of the drape, licking upward along the black fabric.
Dr. Brooks grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and pulled the safety pin.
"Everyone back!""
She discharged the extinguisher toward the burning edge while the headset woman shouted for the remaining crew to clear the corridor.
My father pulled me away.
This time, I didn't resist.
We reached the lobby just as the first siren sounded outside.
Cold evening air hit my face when we stepped through the doors. Students clustered on the pavement, some wrapped in blankets brought from the school office. Parents hurried between groups, searching for their children.
My father held my shoulders.
"Are you hurt?""
"No.""
"Are you sure?""
I nodded.
His eyes moved over my wings, which were now bent at one edge.
"Forget the costume. I don't care about the trophy. I just want you safe.""
I looked down at the golden trophy in my hand.
I'd almost forgotten I was still holding it.
"Dad, Brianna is in there.""
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he turned toward the building.
"Vanessa said she was going to meet us here.""
"She went backstage.""
His expression tightened.
"Stay with Harper.""
I looked around and spotted Harper standing beside a teacher, her astronaut helmet tucked beneath one arm.
"Dad, don't go inside.""
"I'm not going inside. I'm finding out where the emergency crews are going.""
He kissed my forehead and hurried toward Dr. Brooks, who was speaking to a firefighter near the entrance.
I stood with Harper, trying to slow my breathing.
She took one look at my face.
"What happened?""
I told her about the timer, the smoke, and Megan's account of the girl in red.
Harper stared at the building.
"You think Brianna did this?""
"I don't know.""
"Then why did she say that thing about your spotlight?""
I gripped the trophy harder.
"Because she wanted me to know.""
Harper's face went pale.
A fire engine pulled up beside the school. Firefighters moved quickly toward the stage entrance while police officers began directing everyone farther from the building.
One officer approached Dr. Brooks.
"Do we know whether the fire was accidental?""
"We're investigating," the principal replied.
"We have reports of an unauthorized device behind the stage.""
The officer wrote something down.
"Any students with access to that area?""
Dr. Brooks looked toward me.
I felt my stomach tighten.
She crossed the pavement and approached us.
"Nia, I need to ask you a few questions.""
Harper stepped aside.
Dr. Brooks lowered her voice.
"Tell me exactly what you saw backstage.""
I described the technician, the black case, Brianna's conversation, and the timer.
The principal listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she asked, "Did you see Brianna touch any equipment?""
"No.""
"Did she say what she was planning?""
"No. She only said something about stealing her spotlight.""
Dr. Brooks nodded slowly.
"Thank you for telling me. I need you to stay here with the other students.""
"What about the people trapped inside?""
"The fire crew is handling it.""
"But Brianna—"
"We will find her, Nia.""
She turned away to speak with the police officer.
I stood frozen, listening to the distant crackle of radios.
My father returned a minute later.
"They're evacuating the entire building," he said.
"The firefighters are checking the backstage corridor.""
"Did they find Brianna?""
"Not yet.""
Vanessa finally arrived, her heels clicking rapidly across the pavement.
She was still wearing the expensive coat she'd worn to the competition, and her hair was perfectly arranged.
"Where is my daughter?"" she demanded.
My father faced her.
"Vanessa, what happened?""
She ignored him.
"Where's Brianna?""
"She's missing," I said.
Vanessa turned on me so quickly that I stepped back.
"What did you do?""
I stared at her.
"Excuse me?""
"My daughter was fine until you started competing against her. What happened backstage?""
"She took my costume. She was angry because I won.""
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
"You humiliated her in front of the entire school!""
My father pulled her hand away.
"Enough, Vanessa.""
"Don't tell me enough! My daughter is missing, and Nia is standing here with that ridiculous trophy as if nothing happened!""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"People could be hurt!""
Vanessa's mouth tightened.
"Don't you dare pretend you're innocent.""
My father stepped between us.
"She's our daughter, too. And she just reported what she saw. You will not accuse her without knowing anything.""
Vanessa stared at him.
For a moment, I thought she might strike him.
Then a firefighter emerged from the building.
Everyone fell silent.
He removed his helmet and spoke to Dr. Brooks.
"We've contained the fire. Two staff members have been located and are being checked by paramedics.""
Vanessa rushed forward.
"What about the girl in the red costume?""
The firefighter exchanged a glance with the principal.
"We found a red costume in the equipment corridor. No one was wearing it.""
Vanessa's face drained of color.
"Where is my daughter?""
"We're still searching the adjacent rooms.""
I felt a chill move down my spine.
The costume had been found.
But Brianna hadn't.
A police officer approached Vanessa.
"Ma'am, we'll need to speak with your daughter when she's located. We have reason to believe someone may have interfered with the stage equipment.""
Vanessa's eyes darted toward me.
"Someone?""
The officer nodded.
"Can you tell us whether your daughter had access to the backstage area?""
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
I watched her face carefully.
She knew something.
I could see it in the way her fingers twisted around the strap of her handbag. In the way she looked toward the school doors and then away. In the way she seemed more frightened by the officer's questions than by the possibility that her daughter was missing.
"Vanessa," my father said quietly, "what aren't you telling us?""
She shook her head.
"Nothing.""
"Look at me.""
"I said nothing!""
The officer stepped closer.
"Ma'am, if you have information that could help us locate your daughter, you need to tell us now.""
Vanessa swallowed.
Then she looked directly at me.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Nia, you need to understand something. Brianna didn't do this because she wanted to win the competition.""
I stared at her.
"Then why?""
Vanessa's lips trembled.
She glanced at the police officer, then back at me.
"Because she thought the device was supposed to scare you. She was told it wouldn't hurt anyone.""
My blood turned cold.
"What device?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
Behind us, a firefighter emerged carrying a small black case.
The police officer immediately ordered everyone to move back.
An investigator approached the case without touching it.
I could see a digital display through a narrow opening.
It was dark now.
But beside it lay a folded piece of paper.
The investigator carefully opened the paper with gloved hands.
He read the first line.
Then his expression changed.
"Who is Nia Carter?"" he asked.
My father moved closer to me.
"I am," I whispered.
The investigator looked directly at me.
"This was found beside the equipment. It has your name on it.""
He held up the paper.
May you like
And beneath my name, written in thick black ink, were six words that made my knees nearly give way.
*SHE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO WIN.*
