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Leroy Johnson, for as long as he could remember, had always wanted to be a dancer. His Father had been a dancer and Leroy’s earliest memories were being sat on his Father’s shoulders as he danced around the room. That hadn't lasted too long because soon his Father had left the family and his Mother struggled to cope bringing up 3 boys alone. Leroy’s brothers Willard and Lamar had turned to bad ways and even Leroy spent part of his life mixed up with a street gang but dancing was in his blood and it pulled him through some of the most difficult times in his life. He would dance on street corners; at local competitions; anywhere he could feel the groove of the music. Even when his piers ridiculed him he just kept on dancing because that’s what made him the happiest.
School had never been easy for Leroy. He struggled with reading, which threw him behind in all of his academic subjects. It wasn't that he wasn't bright but more that he’d rather be dancing than learning. Studying seemed like a huge waste of time, which he could have spent dancing.
When he was 16 he auditioned for the School of the Arts. He couldn't believe that there was a school where he could actually have dance lessons. Initially he foolishly thought he would be able to spend the whole of his High School life dancing the time away and not have to worry about any other subjects. It wasn't too long before he realised just how wrong he was and how hard he was going to have to work at the school. Somehow the hard work fuelled his determination to be a better performer. At first he clashed with a number of his academic teachers, particularly Miss Sherwood, as English was where he struggled the most. However, he never gave up and neither did Miss Sherwood. She came close a number of times but in the end she was always there for him, pushing him harder and making him take responsibility. Later in his life he realised just how important she had been to his career.
The school had always been a special place for Leroy, where the people had nurtured his talents and brought out the best in him. As a child he could never have imagined that a place of learning could be so important to him. In fact when it came time to graduate he struggled to let go. The school had been like a surrogate family for him replacing some of the love, respect and support that his own family couldn't give him. He had actually become a teaching assistant for Miss Grant and taught dance to other students. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge and sharing his talent with other kids and helping them develop their own talent.
However, after a couple of years he realised that he was strong enough to break the ties with the school and dedicate all his time to dancing. He was successful too starring in a number of Broadway productions and dance movies. Along the way he’d also found time to continue teaching. He’d remained in contact with Miss Grant and regularly performed in shows with the students. Leroy saw it as giving back to a place that had given him so much.
There was also something else that kept Leroy linked to the school, something that he’d never really been able to explain. It was some kind of mysterious force or presence that he felt and saw at the school. It was always around when anything strange occurred.
Leroy had first noticed it, way back, not long after he’d started at the school. He was in the Cafeteria and Coco had launched into a song that had brought the whole room to life and had everyone dancing and singing along.
Coco: “Take Me, Take Me Baby and Never Let Me Go......”
Leroy had energetically joined in the dance showing off his dancing prowess thinking the whole school was looking at him in awe. However, he had only felt the stare of one person and when he turned to look he saw a middle aged woman with dark hair watching him dance. Leroy didn't recognise her although at the same time she seemed strangely familiar. She seemed out of place and with a feeling of Deja Vu Leroy became curious as to what she was doing. She seemed to have noticed that he was aware of her and quickly left the room. Leaving the dance behind him Leroy followed her into the main corridor.
With his eyes fixed firmly on the mysterious woman Leroy collided with Miss Sherwood.
Sherwood: “Leroy, please watch where you’re going. You nearly knocked me over!”
Leroy: “ I'm sorry Miss Sherwood, I didn't see you there.”
The teacher then said something else that sounds like a question but Leroy’s attention is elsewhere, as he searched the corridor for the mysterious older woman. He replied anyway pretending he’s heard what the teacher had said.
Leroy: “Sure Miss Sherwood that would be great.”
Leroy noticed Sherwood shaking her head and he realised that he’s said the wrong thing but there was no time to deal with that then as he continued down the corridor.
For a moment Leroy made eye contact with the woman, which seemed to worry her and she quickly headed off into the auditorium. At the same time Mrs Berg had come out off the office and noticed Leroy watching the auditorium door close. Leroy noticed that Mrs Berg had a strange look on her face as though something was wrong, although later when he’d questioned her she denied it.
Leroy followed the woman into the auditorium but couldn't see her. He looked around the whole room and backstage but there was no sign that she’d ever been there. Some of the students were fixing scenery on the stage and when Leroy asked them if they have seen the woman, none of them had. The whole incident had left Leroy puzzled but initially he didn't see the woman again and the incident slipped to the back of his mind.
There were a couple of brief encounters in the next year or so but they were so quick they barely registered with him. Like the time Lydia’s dance rehearsals were scheduled early in the morning and the dance room was really cold. Doris and Leroy had been sent to get the janitor to turn the furnace on. Coming out of the dance class, they had been running along the corridor, laughing and leaping into the air. At the end of the corridor they had bumped into Timmy, who had wanted them to sign his petition to keep the “Mikey” show on the air. Leroy had looked back down the corridor and briefly thought he saw the mysterious woman but when he’d looked again and she was gone. He couldn't be sure if it was real or of it was just his mind playing tricks on him.
It was the following year that things seemed to happen more often and that Leroy started to notice the woman more. Right at the start of the school year something strange had happened between Bruno and Doris. It was just before Bruno’s father had died and Bruno has said that Doris dressed as an older woman had warned him that something bad would happen. When confronted Doris had denied any knowledge of the conversation. Initially this had led to a rift between Bruno and Doris and for awhile they weren't even talking.
Then when Bruno had to quit school and the kids were performing a song to say goodbye Leroy had seen the strange woman sat at the back of the auditorium watching the performance. Leroy had noticed that as Bruno left the room he’d exchanged glances with the woman. Leroy had jumped off the stage and ran to the back of the auditorium but when he got there, again, no one was there. Initially Leroy had once again thought his mind was playing tricks but a few weeks later there was could be no denying this strange woman was definitely at the school.
It was the night that the President, Ronald Regan, was supposed to be coming to one of the school shows, after Dwight had sent him a letter inviting him. Leroy hadn't wanted anything to do with the show as Reagan’s policies had put his Uncle Ben out of work. Leroy had left the school and gone to hang out at Caruso’s but unfortunately there was a hold up and his clothes were stolen. As he arrived back at the school a big crowd had gathered in the lobby and the special agents were holding a strange woman, who claimed to be Doris. Bruno had said it was the same person who had tried to warn him about his father, while Holly thought it was a teacher, Dwight thought that it was Morloch’s wife and Doris couldn't even see the woman. They never really got to the bottom of the mystery as she was taken by the special agents to the hospital and that seemed to be the end of the matter. It did mean that Bruno and Doris made up their friendship as Bruno then believed teenage Doris was telling the truth about not warning him about his father.
However a couple of odd things did happen at the same time. Leroy remembered clearly that at one point he’d looked at Lydia and it was obvious that she had seen something. Leroy had tried to talk to her but Lydia wouldn't admit to anything.
Leroy: “Are You Okay Miss Grant, You look like you've seen a ghost!”
Lydia turned to him and appears to be shaken by something.
Lydia: “I’m fine Leroy; I don't believe in ghosts, it's just this whole thing is a little unnerving, having strangers doing goodness knows what at our school.”
Lydia then turned and looked at the people around her. She clapped her hands quickly a couple of times and addressed the crowd:
Lydia: “Okay people lets break this up and give them some room. I'm sure we've all got other things we should be doing right now”.
The crowd had begun to disperse but Leroy had looked back over his shoulder towards the teachers’ lounge. He’d suddenly felt cold all over his body when he saw what looked like himself carrying some lunch and going into the teachers’ lounge”.
Leroy had been very confused by what he saw as he had no explanation for it however a stern voice had brought him back to reality.
Lydia: “Leroy I've already told you to put some clothes on, you’ll catch pneumonia in this weather!”
Leroy had started walking down the corridor, but all he could think of was what he’d thought he’d seen. He’d looked back a couple of times but everything then seemed normal.
Things got even stranger during the performance of that show. The rain had stopped and the President had had another engagement but the kids put the show on for themselves anyway. The final number was a song called “Makin It” which Leroy had performed with the new guy, Chris Donlon.
Suddenly out of nowhere this same woman was standing in the middle of the stage, in the middle of the number. Leroy hadn’t noticed her at first but could hear murmurs from the crowd. When he did notice her, he and Chris had exchanged confused glances but carried on with the routine. Then much to everyone’s surprise this middle aged woman tried to join in with the routine. The crowd thought it funny but for Leroy it just made this woman stand out even more. As the woman tried to high kick her legs into the air, she yelped with pain, grabbing her leg she quickly sat down on the stage. Then one of the dancers tripped over her which sent them off balance and they crashed into another dancer. Soon all the dancers were on the floor in a crumpled heap. The music had stopped and Chris and Leroy had stood over the woman.
Chris was angry: "Who are you and what the hell are you doing? Are you stupid? This is my first show and you're ruining it!”
The small crowd of students and teachers had moved from the stalls to the stage and now stood around the woman who was sat on the stage, clutching her leg.
Lydia: "Wait Chris honey, calm down a minute so she can speak. (turning to the woman) Would you like to explain to us, what you are doing?”
The woman sat in silence and everyone waited for her to speak. However the silence was broken by a claxon sounding throughout the school. The fire alarm had Morloch and the other teachers instructing the students to evacuate the building. Somehow in the evacuation Leroy had lost sight of the woman and again she’d just seemed to vanish. Months then went by and everyone again just seemed to forget all about her, all except Leroy.
At the start of Leroy’s Senior year Leroy waited by the phone in the backstage area as it rung Doris rushes past him to answer it.
Doris: “Touch that and I’ll break your arm. (She then lifted the receiver) Doug?”
Realising it’s not for her she handed the phone to Leroy and stormed off.
Leroy: “Hi Baby how you doin’? I was just getting ready to call you. Yeah, what’s going on?.......... How late? Two Weeks!”
At that moment there had been a loud crash coming from the make-up room as though someone had fallen over. Leroy turned and saw the mysterious woman standing nearby. She’d rushed into the room and the door slammed behind her.
Leroy quickly rushed to the door and opened it slowly but to his surprise the make-up room had been empty. Leroy was left feeling confused and frustrated.
A few weeks later in the middle of a really bad blizzard, lots of teachers and pupils had been stranded at the school. Leroy had had an audition and had been desperately trying and brave the weather to get to it. Having tried a number of times and failed Leroy tried one more time. It had been getting dark and at the school steps Leroy had bumped into Doris’ Mother.
Leroy: “Hi, Miss Schwartz”
Angela Schwartz: “Hey Leroy why don’t you have on a muffler or hat?”
Leroy shrugged and turned to go.
Angela Schwartz: “Oh Leroy!”
Leroy had Pulled his coat tightly around him and set off to try and make it down the street.
A woman was walking in the opposite direction towards him but he hadn’t taken much notice of her until he heard her call out.
Mysterious Woman: “Mom!”
As the woman had called out, Leroy saw the big red doors of the School entrance close behind Mrs Schwartz. The woman crossed the street, almost falling over on the snow as she’d rushed past him. As the woman headed into the school Leroy’s mind had been left racing with what he heard.
“Could it really be an older version of Doris Schwartz?”
A few months later Leroy saw the woman again and this time he got close enough to actually speak to her. Leroy had been stood in the school lobby. Cleo Hewitt was upset after Chris Donlon gave her a bad review in the school newspaper. After reading the review she’d rushed past Leroy, down the steps to the school exit. At that moment Leroy had been shocked to see Julie Miller, who had left the school a couple of years earlier, coming up the steps carrying her cello. She’d paused by Dwight and picked up a copy of the newspaper and sat down on the bench next to the lobby staircase. She’d looked puzzled as she’d read the front page of the paper. Montgomery, who also left the school a few tears earlier, was then passing. Julie had stopped him to show him the article and he too seemed confused.
At that moment the school bell had sounded and the students quickly dispersed. Leroy found himself virtually alone in the lobby with the mysterious woman and he’d called over to her.
Leroy: “Excuse Me, over the last few years I've kept seeing you hanging around the school but I don’t know who you are. What’s weird is that strange things sometimes happen like just now when two students who left the school over 2 years ago are suddenly back in the halls with no explanation. What’s even weirder is that I've noticed that when anything strange happens, you are always nearby.”
The woman’s eyes had met Leroy’s and he thought he was going to get some answers but she didn't say anything.
Leroy became impatient: “Well? Don’t you have anything to say?”
The Woman was about to speak but then just vanished. Leroy had looked around the lobby but realised he was alone and angrily hit the wall with his fist.
Leroy: “Dammit!”
Having come face to face with the woman Leroy definitely thought she looked like an older Doris but it was months before he saw her again. During that time he’d convinces himself that the person was Doris. He’d tried talking to teenage Doris but she’d been no help at all.
When Leroy had first become Lydia’s teaching assistant he’d struggled to fit in. No longer a student he’d been treated differently by the other kids and not being a fully qualified teacher he hadn't felt recognised by the rest of the faculty. It wasn't long before he became accepted and he’d settled into the position.
One day near the start of term he’d been auditioning students, including Dusty, Holly and Nicole, for the lead role in a new production. The kids weren't giving him what he wanted to see and he’d quickly slipped into one of Lydia’s inspirational speeches.
Leroy: “You want Fame, well fame cost and right in here is where you start paying, in sweat, ladies I just want to see some sweat.
As the up-tempo music had begun, the girls started to dance again. Leroy was unaware at first that he was being watched by the woman but after a few minutes he’d turned and looked directly at the open doorway where the woman had been standing. However there was something more alarming happening behind her that had caught Leroy’s attention. Leroy had slowly moved closer to the doorway where he saw himself dancing in another room that looked exactly the same as the dance room he was standing in. The woman had turned and looked too and was also surprised to see another Leroy dancing in another dance room. She’d let out a gasp of surprise which catches the attention of both Leroys. The first one looked directly at her:
Leroy: “Doris? Is that you?”
The second Leroy had been in mid flight during his dance when the woman’s gasp had caught his attention and he saw himself looking back from the other dance room. This has caused him to fall, and he was crying out in pain. A concerned Lydia and other dancers swarmed around trying to help.
The first Leroy watched the events in amazement, his questioning eyes met the woman’s eyes, as she looked back at him. Leroy slowly moved closer to the woman, who had turned back to look at the other room where a crowd of people surrounded the other Leroy. The woman turned back to the original dance room, where the first Leroy was now standing virtually face to face with her. Suddenly the door slammed shut in Leroy’s face but he hadn't seen the woman touch the door. He quickly opened it and called out:
Leroy: “Doris!”
Leroy had looked around, however the corridor was empty. Leroy had found the events very disturbing. He couldn't understand how he saw himself and was concerned that the injury could happen to him in the future, particularly if the injury had been serious. Dancing was Leroy’s life and the thought of being injured and not being able to dance had terrified him. He was certain that the woman was definitely Doris but how and why she kept showing up had remained a mystery to him.
It was then only a few weeks before he briefly saw the woman again. He was again in the dance class, watching as Jesse and Nicole performed a number from a street version of Carmen that the School had produced. As the song ended Leroy saw Nicole look over to the doorway and shake her head "No". As he looked towards the doorway he saw the woman he believed to be Doris turn and leave. Leroy wondered if Nicole could see the woman too and rushed over to talk to her. They had walked together into the corridor. Nicole had been chattering away but Leroy stopped in his tracks, shocked by what he can see. All around him in the halls were different versions of Jesse.
Leroy: "What the ...?"
Nicole turned to him with a looking concerned.
Nicole: "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Leroy looked back at her: "Don't you see them?"
Nicole looked around: "See who? I can see Jesse walking towards the end of the corridor, just past a woman but that's it. What do you see?"
Leroy: "I see hundreds of Jesses!"
Nicole was surprised: "What? You're kidding me, right?"
Leroy: "I wish I was. I can't believe that you can't see them!"
Both Leroy and Nicole had stood looking around the corridors; both were confused by what the other had said they were seeing. Then as music started one by one each of the Jesses started to join in with the song and dance. Leroy had never seen anything like it and as he watched a big grin spreads across his face.
Nicole was puzzled: "What are you seeing that's made you smile?"
Leroy shook his head: "I don't know what I'm seeing or why but it looks like fun."
Leroy watched the dance and then started to join in with it. Nicole thought it looked odd because all she could see was Leroy dancing on his own to no music.
Nicole: "Are you feeling okay Leroy? Do you need to lie down? This doesn't seem normal!"
Leroy ignored her comments and carried on dancing. Suddenly there is a flash of light and he found himself outside the school in the street. All the different versions of Jesse had disappeared leaving only one who was performing the song. Leroy had seen the Doris woman in the school corridors but had lost her in the crowd outside the school.
The next time he saw her was at the party for when Holly had left school. Everyone had gathered in the lobby to present Holly with a cake. People were taking it in turns to hug Holly goodbye and after his turn, Leroy noticed a puzzled look on Holly’s face as she looked into the distance. Leroy had turned and followed where Holly had been looking and for a brief second saw the woman. There had been another flash of light and again the woman was gone. Leroy had wanted to talk to Holly about what she had seen but it was too late she was already leaving.
Towards the end of that year Leroy finally discovered what happened when he fell and hurt himself in the dance class. It was just an ordinary day and Leroy had been in class dancing. In mid leap he had heard a loud gasp. He had looked towards the doorway where the sound had come from and saw the Doris woman and himself watching from another dance class. Instantly he’d known he was going to fall and hurt his leg but it had been too late to do anything to stop the accident.
He had been rushed to hospital to discover he had a very serious knee injury. It had taken weeks of rehabilitation for him to return to full health. During his time in hospital one of the strangest events occurred. He had been getting some exercise with Lydia, walking down the hospital corridor, using his crutches when they had bumped into Coco, Bruno, Doris, Danny, Holly and Nicole. The strange thing was that every one of them was at the hospital in a different time line. Leroy had watched and listened as his friends had had a very confusing conversation as to what year it was. He’d also noticed the Doris woman standing watching the events from further up the corridor. As the conversation got out of hand with all his friends talking at once Leroy finally spoke:
Leroy: “Stop everyone stop! We've all been experiencing strange things for awhile now, haven’t we?
Some of the group nodded in agreement.
Leroy continues: “Well for me, when I fell and hurt my knee, I could see into another dance class, where I saw myself teaching my first class which had happened at the start of this school year.”
Coco interrupted: “You’re a teacher now? My, things really have changed; the Leroy I know is flunking out of all his classes.”
Lydia: “He’s a dance assistant, my assistant!”
Leroy ignored the interruption and had continued: “Well, there have been lots of other strange things happen over the last few years and every time there’s something strange that woman behind us, watching, is always there.”
They all turned around to look at the woman Leroy was referring to.
Leroy: “We all remember the President’s visit a few years back, well those of us who were there do and this woman was there claiming to be Doris but none of us could explain it. Miss Grant you saw something strange then didn't you?
Lydia was reluctant to admit what she saw: “Well...”
Leroy had interrupted: “Come on you know you saw something. I saw something too and then she disappeared so we all carried on as though nothing had happened. We blocked it from our memories because we couldn't explain it and just carried on. But I’ve been watching and waiting and now I think we should be given some explanation. Oh and none of your hocus pocus disappearing acts, this time!”
The whole group, except teenage Doris stood looking accusingly at the woman waiting an explanation.
The Teenage Doris as before couldn't see anything: “Oh no not this again! There’s no one there!”
There had been a long pause as the woman turned to look into the hospital room she is standing next to.
Leroy had become impatient and shouted: “Well? We’re waiting!”
Suddenly the woman seemed to struggle to breathe. The group of friends had exchanged concerned glances and that was all Leroy could remember. Afterwards when he tried to discuss the events with some of his friends none of them had any memory of the events taking place. Leroy wasn't sure if they were telling the truth or trying to block the unexplained events out.
Even when his knee injury had healed Leroy’s confidence had taken a severe blow. For awhile he not only began to question if he would ever dance again but also his sanity.
“All my life been trying to break through,
Pushing back against the odds, I paid my dues.
All my life been reaching for a dream,
Feeling so unbeatable, going to extremes.
But the man in the mirror says,
Slow down, look back, turn around.
You can lose it all so easily.
The Man in the mirror knows,
Your fears, feels your pain, cries your tears.
How can I ignore him, how can I get free?
When the man in the mirror is me.
Underneath this cloud I’m flying low,
Maybe I’ll be fighting back, by letting go.
Rising high above this empty place,
Never thinking of the obstacles I face.
But the man in the mirror says,
Slow down, look back, turn around.
You can lose it all so easily.
The Man in the mirror knows,
Your fears, feels your pain, cries your tears.
How can I ignore him, how can I get free,
When the man in the mirror is
When the man in the mirror is
When the man in the mirror is me.
I think I know him!
But the man in the mirror says,
Slow down, look back, turn around.
You can lose it all so easily.
The Man in the mirror knows,
Your fears, feels your pain, cries your tears.
How can I ignore him, how can I get free,
When the man in the mirror is me.
I think I, I think I know him, oh yeah,
I said I know,
I know him!”
Feeling broken and confused Leroy had decided to leave the school. He’d hated the feeling of being lost and couldn’t understand why he kept seeing strange events. He felt like he was being haunted and it made him angry that he had no control over what was happening to him. He became concerned that the events were getting worse. He started to fear what would happen next; what he might see and worst of all what he might possibly do.
To be continued....
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