{ danses des petits cygnes }

Lilith is ten years old and for Christmas, Duke Leblanc has given her a ballerina doll, complete with tutu and little pointe shoes on its feet. Lilith loves it. With all her heart, she loves it dearly. On Boxing Day, while Jean-Paul is away – rehearsing for a special New Year’s appearance with the other boys from the ballet school, she sits down in her room and lets the doll dance. Odette from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, like Mother danced the part years ago. Before Jean-Paul and Lilith destroyed her life. There are days, like today, when Lilith regrets ever being born, if only because her birth robbed the world of its most beautiful etoile. A star who shone brightly in the darkness. Because Lilith has read the reviews, has seen all of Mother’s praise on paper. The most enchanting Odette yet and the most seductive Odile. Gentler than a morning drizzle, yet stronger than a typhoon. Truly, a God’s gift… to ballet. Lilith leads the doll through the motions, lets it bend to the floor, touching its cloth hands to its silk feet in the position of the dying swan. One day, she hopes, she will be allowed to dance Swan Lake, too. In the role of Odette. And at that time, she will dance it so beautifully and so brightly that she’ll finally be repaying what she took away, by robbing Mother of her art form. By robbing Mother of her everything. Therefore Lilith’s everything, as well.