This Story Has No Hero First came the eyes - layers of blue & green, shimmering softly like

the ocean. Diamond-shaped owers emerged and drooped from the corner of her bottom lid. Then came her nails - crayon blue, the color a child might use to draw the sea. Finally, her lips, painted with a broad brush, a deep, morbid black. Her skin was already an unearthly shade of pale green, altogether giving the impression that she was a nymph who had wandered too far from the ocean. When she set the brush down, it vanished, like all the other tools of her trade. She gave the mirror a lurid smile, seeming unaware that no reection smiled back. Taking a deep breath she didnt need, she strode onstage. She turned to face the audience, raised her arms, and the entire theater was engulfed in ames. The plush red carpet squelched beneath Laquoyas feet. She didnt envy the cleaning crew their job of getting everything in order again before opening night tomorrow the entire theater, from ceiling to oor, was soaked. She was glad for her thick workmans boots, which protected her from the soggy texture of wet carpet. She just wished she had something to protect her from the muggy stench of impending mold. Were thinking maybe a small electrical re triggered the sprinklers, her boss had said. Can you check the circuit breaker? And because it was dumb to call your boss a moron, she had said yes. No fucking way an electrical re could have triggered every sprinkler in the theater and kept them on long enough to drench everything. Even the actors knew that much. They clumped together in little groups, like ants feasting on crumbs of gossip. Dakota, who spent almost every off-stage moment with her nose in a spy novel, insisted it was sabotage, while cranky old Dennis bitched out Brett Young for talking about Macbeth with one of his classmates while onstage. I told you that play is cursed! he snapped. Next time do your damn homework at home! Actors were a weird, superstitious bunch. Thats why Laquoya liked them. As she approached the stage, the prop master poked her head out from the orchaestra pit. Hey, come take a look at this. Bethany gestured for Laquoya to jump into the pit, and because her boss was an idiot, Laquoya did. See? Bethany ran her hand across the panels that made up the walls of the pit. 06/09/2012 1 Katie Nolan

This Story Has No Hero The wood was warped and cracked, as though it had been put under intense heat, but there were no signs of scorch marks or ames. Could a re have done this? she asked. Laquoya shook her head. Hell no. Sides which, shit would stink. You dont got enough circulation down here to vent the smoke. Thats what I thought! Bethany rocked back on her heels. Its Amalia. Amalia was the star, the theaters main attraction. Back in the 20s, she had walked on stage in the middle of a performance and set herself on re, and her ghost was said to still walk the hallways, crying out the name of the lover who had driven her to suicide. Most of the theaters income came from running ghost tours and other paranormal events. Youre tripping, Laquoya said. Oh cut the cynic crap, Bethany said. You know youve seen her. Everybodys seen her. Everybody says they seen her, Laquoya corrected her. But she knew they were lying. The wailing specter they described was nothing like the iron-faced woman she saw so often. The rst time she saw Amalia burn, she had nearly quit on the spot. The spirit had walked onstage in the middle of rehearsal, as heedless of the living actors as they were of her. Laquoya had watched in horror as she burst into ame not two feet away from the extra nervously stammering his only line. She hadnt even made it to the bathroom before throwing up. Fine, Bethany said. You explain what happened here. She crossed her arms and waited. But Laquoya just shrugged. Aint my job to nd out. They just pay me to work the lights. She deftly pushed herself out of the pit. Bethany, who was strong but not quite tall enough to haul herself up, scowled. Something happened here, she said. Seriously? Holy shit! Somebody call those Ghost Hunter guys! Laquoya squatted down to look Bethany in the eye. Or the sprinkler people.

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Katie Nolan

This Story Has No Hero Bethany didnt waver. Something other than faulty sprinklers. Privately, Laquoya agreed. This, though This wasnt like Amalia at all. She wasnt a conscious spirit; she didnt seem to have a purpose or an agenda, or any awareness of the world around her. She was like one of those NPC video game characters, who just did the same thing over and over again. Put on her make-up. Walk out on stage. Burst into ame. Vanish. Repeat. She didnt do shit. Even on Halloween, her ghostly re wasnt any hotter than a persons breath. Bethany used one of the chairs to boost her up and she perched next to Laquoya. We should investigate, she declared. The hell for? Laquoya asked. Who else is going to do it? Come on. You know the owners just gonna call the manufacturer and demand to get the system replaced. He doesnt care about nding the truth. You watched Scooby Doo, right? Laquoya asked. You know the bad guys always a person in the end. Bethany snorted. You sound like Dakota. Why would a person do this? Its community theater, not weapons development. Im just saying, therere a lotta explanations other than ghosts. So lets nd it! Bethany slammed her hand on the oor for emphasis. Come on. Well be Mulder and Scully. Wait, now you think aliens did it? With a glare - You know what I mean. Laquoya wasnt about to admit it. It was a awed metaphor, anyway. She believed in ghosts, all right, but she knew better than to acknowledge it. Talking about ghosts only made them stronger. She idly rubbed her throat, remembering the feel of phantom ngers crushing her windpipe. Arent you even the least bit curious? Bethany asked. That rst time she saw Amalia If paid internships in the ne arts werent so fucking hard to nd, she would have run out the door and not stopped until she hit the ocean. But she needed the experience and the money, so she bit her lip until it 06/09/2012 3 Katie Nolan

This Story Has No Hero bled and forced herself to get used to it. She did her best to ignore the ghost, paying only enough attention to know if it became dangerous. She wasnt one of those dumb bitches in the movies, who heard a weird noise in the dark basement and went to check it out. She pushed herself to her feet and patted Bethany on the head. Have fun with that, Scooby. And because her boss was a moron and she was afraid, Laquoya walked away and went to check the circuit breaker.

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Katie Nolan