He found himself surrounded in darkness...like a cavern.

Direction unknown, he started off blindly forward...his hands reaching for guidance that wasn't there. As he continued forward, he heard the low muttering of a female voice...repeating the same words over and over again.

The voice became the beacon to which he journeyed.

As the voice became clear, he noticed that, while he couldn't see anything, he was aware of his surroundings. A large open space with obstacles surrounded him...a chair...a table...a trunk...a rug...props for a play.

Climbing through the debris... he realized he was on stage in an opera house, upstage right... a thin beam of light peeking in through the grand drapes.

The voice was silent.

He opened the curtains and the spotlight landed.

..and there she was...bathed in the light.

In her hands, the papers which contained the script of the failed plot.

Stepping into the light, she saw him.

..the papers fell from her hand...

...tears in her beseeching eyes...

"It didn't go as planned."

And it all went dark.