[As the last vote is cast, the whole of the auditorium abruptly goes dark save for the lights on the automaton Wizard head and the spotlight on Hester’s box 5 balcony. A few seconds drag on in the near pitch black theatre before the lights on the stage come up and the music begins. The green curtains on the stage part, revealing a colorful and elaborate Viennese court. While the background is clearly a beautifully painted backdrop and the ferns clearly fake, the dancing costumed figures in gowns, finely tailored coat tails and masquerade masks hiding their faces look very much real.
In the middle of it all stands Empress Elisabeth of Austria, looking perplexed but resigned to her fate. Tucked behind her ear the ice rose Elsa made for her sparkles in the stage lights and Hester, steeling herself in her box, begins to sing:]
All our times have come Here, but now they're gone
[A tall and imposing masked figure steps out from behind Sissi and takes both her hands in theirs, sweeping her into the small crowd of circling dancers.]
Seasons don't fear the reaper Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain You can be like they are Come on, Sissi Don't fear the reaper Sissi, take his hand
[In the distracting swirl of full skirts and coat tails it might be easy to to lose track of Sissi if not for the fact her face is the only one visible. She looks over her shoulder at the person gripping her hands, terror gripping her expression but somehow she doesn’t seem surprised. After all, he’d said she’d married her husband to escape him. With Franz dead and death being her destined fate, how could she get away now? ]
Don't fear the reaper We'll be able to fly Don't fear the reaper Sissi, he’s your man
[The other dancers pay her and her partner no mind, tirelessly twirling with no pauses in their dance but their movements are oddly stiff, almost like their joints won’t bend the way the dance needs them to. Sissi’s partner spins her to face him, gazing down at her through his mask. She lifts her gaze to look up at him- and blanches, all resignation gone from her body language. She starts to shout, to make any kind of sound, but Hester’s voice drowns her out.]
La, la la, la la La, la la, la la
Love of two is one Here, but now they're gone Came that last night of sadness And it was clear she couldn't go on
[Around Sissi and Death the dancers part and still, encircling them but leaving a wide enough gap for their audience to watch what unfurls. Death grips her hands and begins to waltz while she struggles, trying to pry herself away from him but his grip doesn’t budge.]
Then the door was open, and the wind appeared The candles blew, and then disappeared The curtains flew, and then he appeared Saying, "Don't be afraid"
[He drags her through the waltz, all the while she tries to pull away and run off-stage. Abruptly it all stops and he turns her back to face the audience, finally letting go of her hands and delicately cups her chin and the top of her head-]
Come on, Sissi She had taken his hand
[-and snaps her neck. Hester chokes on a note as Sissi’s body goes limp in Death’s arms, her eyes going wide with horror. Her hand flies to her necklace, gripping the tiny golden ‘H’ like it’s her own lifeline. Her eyes dart to the Wizard, staring up at him before she finishes the song.]
Sh-she had become like they are Come on, Sissi Don't fear the reaper
[On the stage Death dips Sissi’s slack body and leans in to press what might be a kiss through a solid black mask as the curtain closes. The music trails off and Hester clasps her hands over her mouth as soon as the last note leaves her lips, turning and racing out of the balcony box before the spotlight goes out. The glowing green lights of the Wizard’s mechanical head go dim just after and, in the back of the house, the locks on the doors audibly click unlocked.
EXECUTION: CAME THE LAST NIGHT OF SADDNESS
In the middle of it all stands Empress Elisabeth of Austria, looking perplexed but resigned to her fate. Tucked behind her ear the ice rose Elsa made for her sparkles in the stage lights and Hester, steeling herself in her box, begins to sing:]
All our times have come
Here, but now they're gone
[A tall and imposing masked figure steps out from behind Sissi and takes both her hands in theirs, sweeping her into the small crowd of circling dancers.]
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain
You can be like they are
Come on, Sissi
Don't fear the reaper
Sissi, take his hand
[In the distracting swirl of full skirts and coat tails it might be easy to to lose track of Sissi if not for the fact her face is the only one visible. She looks over her shoulder at the person gripping her hands, terror gripping her expression but somehow she doesn’t seem surprised. After all, he’d said she’d married her husband to escape him. With Franz dead and death being her destined fate, how could she get away now? ]
Don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly
Don't fear the reaper
Sissi, he’s your man
[The other dancers pay her and her partner no mind, tirelessly twirling with no pauses in their dance but their movements are oddly stiff, almost like their joints won’t bend the way the dance needs them to. Sissi’s partner spins her to face him, gazing down at her through his mask. She lifts her gaze to look up at him- and blanches, all resignation gone from her body language. She starts to shout, to make any kind of sound, but Hester’s voice drowns her out.]
La, la la, la la
La, la la, la la
Love of two is one
Here, but now they're gone
Came that last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on
[Around Sissi and Death the dancers part and still, encircling them but leaving a wide enough gap for their audience to watch what unfurls. Death grips her hands and begins to waltz while she struggles, trying to pry herself away from him but his grip doesn’t budge.]
Then the door was open, and the wind appeared
The candles blew, and then disappeared
The curtains flew, and then he appeared
Saying, "Don't be afraid"
[He drags her through the waltz, all the while she tries to pull away and run off-stage. Abruptly it all stops and he turns her back to face the audience, finally letting go of her hands and delicately cups her chin and the top of her head-]
Come on, Sissi
She had taken his hand
[-and snaps her neck. Hester chokes on a note as Sissi’s body goes limp in Death’s arms, her eyes going wide with horror. Her hand flies to her necklace, gripping the tiny golden ‘H’ like it’s her own lifeline. Her eyes dart to the Wizard, staring up at him before she finishes the song.]
Sh-she had become like they are
Come on, Sissi
Don't fear the reaper
[On the stage Death dips Sissi’s slack body and leans in to press what might be a kiss through a solid black mask as the curtain closes. The music trails off and Hester clasps her hands over her mouth as soon as the last note leaves her lips, turning and racing out of the balcony box before the spotlight goes out. The glowing green lights of the Wizard’s mechanical head go dim just after and, in the back of the house, the locks on the doors audibly click unlocked.
You are now free to go.]