Curtain Call Before the Silence

Silence! Absolute, unforgivable silence! I blinked—first the left, then the right—and realized the spotlight was warming my velvet lapels. My fingers twitched, tightening firmly around the polished cane. I lifted it two inches and brought it down against the wooden floorboards with a sharp, resounding tap. A crisp echo bounced straight off the pleated curtain behind me! The performance has officially begun, even if the hall currently awaits its grand commotion.