It was rainy weather, Oddey was in her room calling her mother, Eva. "Madame Vestia asked me to design a set for a play," she informed.

"You're going to design a set for a play!?" Oddey's mother, Eva, expressed her excitement through the phone. "That's so amazing, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, mom," Oddey said. "But I'm a bit nervous. This is a big job for me to handle."

"Honey, don't doubt yourself. Your professor trusts you."

"I know, I guess I never been given that chance before."

"Now you do, and you will do great. You got this," Eva insisted.

Oddey just smiled and nodded in response. "By the way, did you see Dad recently? He called me and said that he's in town."

"No, I haven't seen him too. Not even in the office."

"He bought me food the other day."

"Me too," Eva answered.

"Oh, Mom, you're blushing," Oddey teased.

"I have to get back to work," her mother denied while her daughter just giggled in silence. "And you go to bed. Don't stay up late."

"Okay, mom, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you, bye."

----

Meanwhile, Gage had to spend the rainy days by rehearsing with Courtney, "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she," he was reading his lines.

"A little more feeling than that. Do it again," Courtney told him.

"Okay. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun..."

"Come on, Gage, we've gone over this."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder. Again."

"But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," Gage recited. "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she."

Courtney was still not impressed but let him keep going. "Stop, still not good."

Gage exasperated. "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

"A little energy than that."

"But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she. "Once he was done, he asked, "How's that?"

"Still not good enough."

Gage tried to be patient towards Courtney's nagging him on how to act, but before he recited it, Felix came in, "Hey, how's the rehearsing going?" he asked.

"Could've been better," Courtney sneered.

"Okay then."

"Anyway, let's continue tomorrow. I should go back to my dorm before this rain gets worse," she said to Gage. She took her stuff and stood up from her seat. "Keep practicing."

"Yes, Ma'am," Gage responded.

"Bye." Courtney left.

"Boy, would I want to quit."

"Sucks to be you," Felix chuckled.

"Gee... thanks for that. I know acting is not easy, but WOW, this is hard work."

"I'm working with clay, a non-living thing, even that is hard."

"I'm not into this."

"You can't back out now. You sort of promised."

"I know, I know, but I'm gonna embarrass myself in the audition. I just can't act."

Felix picked up the script from Gage's hand. "No, you can't say these words to her," he clarified. "I mean, would you actually say these to Courtney."

"Nope, not really. Is that the problem?"

"Maybe, and maybe you just need to figure out another way to help you act."

The next stormy day, loud thunders could be heard inside the school, but it didn't stop the theatre club from having another session and this time. They were in the auditorium without the volunteers since all they had to do was be an extra and work on the set, yet there was nothing to work on since there was no concept yet.

Gage and Courtney, they saw Oddey come bringing her sketch pad and pencil. "What is she doing here?" Courtney asked because not only did she not expect Oddey there, but she did not want her there either.

"Oh, didn't you hear? She's designing the set," Gage answered.

"Seriously?" she gulped. "Why her?"

"I don't know." The guy shrugged in response and then turned to Oddey, who was sitting somewhere at the back to get a better view of the stage.

The students began practicing, and Oddey was sketching while watching the members practicing on stage, but mostly at Gage with Courtney and Madame Vestia to see their progress. She could see that he was not doing well on his part. "Courtney, excellent act there," the professor said, then she turned to Gage. "As for you, you need more practice, my advice to you, try to feel your role, not just be it."

"Okay, Madame Vestia." Gage acknowledged her comments. "Thank you."

"Don't worry, there's still time. You got this." Then the professor went to the other students to see their progress.

"Come on, Gage, you can do this," Courtney whimpered.

"Sorry, Court," Gage apologized.

"I feel like you're not taking this seriously."

"I am. You know that I'm not good with this."

"It's not that hard," Courtney argued.

"Easy for you to say," Gage argued back. Oddey could not concentrate from their bickering, so she moved to the seats across the aisle. "Court, chill, you heard what Madame Vestia said. We have time."

Courtney took a breath. "But I don't have a lot of time to help you, I have a lot of work to do for my classes."

"You don't think I do? I have a diorama to build for the exhibit, and I haven't started anything."

"That's my point. You need to nail this, or else you don't get the part."

"Not that I want it," Gage muttered.

Unfortunately, Courtney heard that it felt like a bullet went through her heart. "So what? You're giving up?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Whatever, I'll be with Alli." Courtney walked away from him while he just rolled his eyes and practiced alone.

---

Once it ended, the storm was getting strong, and so was the lightening. Oddey waited for the elevator to arrive, and Gage decided to leave without his friend since Courtney decided to stay to be with the people who were interested in acting like she did. "I'll be going now, Madame Vestia," he said. "I have to catch the bus home."

"Alright, see you in our next session," Madame Vestia said back.

Gage headed to the lift, and he saw Oddey was there waiting, too. When it arrived on their floor, the door opened, and Gage let Oddey get inside first, then himself. He was too frustrated to deal with anything that he did not feel like talking to anyone.

The elevator was moving down to the ground level with no stops in the middle until suddenly, a strong flash of lightening hit the building, causing the power to shut down and that the elevator stopped. Everyone in the school was startled from the sound of the lightening.

Oddey and Gage were holding the bar since the elevator shook when it halted in between floors. "What just happened?" she gasped.

Gage used the flashlight from his phone since it was dark, "I think we're stuck," he answered. "Probably cause from the storm."

"Stuck?" Oddey gulped and started to panic.

Although, the lights returned. Gage leaned to a wall, and he was calm. As for Oddey, she was not calm because she began pacing, and while Gage just watched her at first until she started breathing heavily. "You okay?" he asked, but she did not answer and just mutter something. "Hey, you okay?"

Oddey stopped and grabbed her bag, and then suddenly, she collapsed. Luckily, Gage caught her in time before she hit the floor and felt worried, "In... in... haler, " she wheezed.

"Inhaler?"

"Ye...yes... in... bag... bag."

"Hold on." Gage gently placed her down and rested her back to the wall. He took her bag and searched her inhaler as fast as he could by throwing all her belongings out.

Oddey struggled to breath, she coughed and felt her chest was getting tighter by the second, and her vision was spinning.

Finally, Gage found it and took it out, then quickly put it in her mouth, Oddey used her remaining strength to push the cannister.

After a few push, she took the inhaler off from her mouth, "I'm... okay... now," Oddey panted. She was better, but not completely, because she still felt weak. "I... just... need... to... catch... my breath. Thank... you, and... I'm sorry."

"Sorry? for what?"

"For... all the trouble."

"Hey, don't worry about that, the most important thing now is that you're fine." Gage took his bag and grabbed a water bottle that was still sealed, so he took it off for her. "Here, drink some water."

"Thanks." Oddey took the bottle from him. However, her hand was shaking.

"Let me help you," he offered as he took the cap off and assisted her by holding it for her once she drank it. "Is that better?"

"Yeah," she said in her raspy voice. Oddey looked around the elevator and flashes of memory that made her remember being inside a dark place. She closed her eyes and felt scared again.

"What's wrong?" Gage asked her in a gentle tone.

"I don't like being here," Oddey whimpered like a child and hid her face with her hands. "It's dark and... small."

"No, no, no, look at me, look at me." Gage held her shoulder. "We're gonna be okay."

"We are?"

"Yeah, I promise that we are," he told her. Oddey wanted to believe him, but she couldn't because she believed in her fears more. "I know how I can take it off your mind off."

"What is it?"

"How do you use DEVASTATION in a sentence?"

"How?"

"Well, I was supposed to go home tonight and ride the bus in DEVASTATION," Gage joked.

Oddey found it funny, "Good one," she giggled.

Gage was glad to see her smile and forgotten her fear even if it was for a second. However, he could hear wheezing. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Oddey nodded at him in response, "I just hope... that... we're not... gonna be here... very... long."

"Me too. Are you sure that you're okay? Maybe we should call someone? maybe you're parents."

"No... I'm... fine and... I don't... want... to worry them, plus... no... signal."

"Right."

"Really... I'm... fine." Oddey looked around the elevator dark again, "as long... as I stop... thinking about... falling very, very hard."

Gage chuckled at her reason for her fear, but at the same time, he was understanding about it. "That can never happen in this situation. Trust me, I'm an architect students and my dad is an engineer."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That's... good... to hear." Oddey was convinced then leaned to the hard wall.