Night of the Shadows: The Beginning

Chapter One

There isn’t much to do, in Shelby, North Carolina, a small town of about 19,477. JT, short for Jessica Taylor, always found herself sitting on the small cement front porch of her light brown, brick, three-bedroom farm house, watching the cars go by. She had the prettiest house in the neighborhood, she thought. Japanese bushes, red, yellow, and white pansies, rose bushes, and various green shrubs decorated the front of her home. The white railing that surrounded the porch gave the farm house a country feel. She had a garage on the left and a huge wooden patio in the back. The two white rocking chairs on the porch allowed her to become one with nature, as she watched the bees fly from flower to flower doing their pollination. Her brownish green lawn needed a little water and a lot of work, especially in the areas closest to the road. This is the house that she grew up in. JT wished that she could take her house and move it to some other state or city. She loved the house, but hated where it was located. There were too many bad memories here.

She often dreamed of leaving the small town moving to a big city like Chicago, Las Vegas or New York to pursue her dream of dancing on Broadway or any other place that would enable her to make a lot of money. She hated Shelby. She hated everyone and everything in it. Since the death of her father in 2005, Stephen Taylor, she didn't want to live in Shelby anymore. JT an African-American, was 28 with long brown hair and green eyes, had the shape of a Coke bottle and had the wit of Bill Cosby. She was smart, funny, and resourceful. She had a dazzling smile.

JT needed to get herself together, move on and make a life for herself. Maybe one day she would meet someone special. Well for now, she better get a move on, so she would not be late for work. JT taught contemporary dance, ballet, and tap at

Maggie’s, the only dance studio in town. Maggie’s Dance Studio was owned by Elizabeth Dye, a famous ballet dancer and instructor from Shelby. She had made her fortune dancing around the world on Broadway, in movies and videos. She came back to Shelby to retire. Once back home, she decided to open a dance studio so others would learn the joy of dancing. She named the studio after her best friend Maggie Seever. Maggie died of cancer when she was 35 years old. Maggie and Elizabeth had been friends since they were nine years old. They shared everything, their first periods, getting their drivers license to dancing on Broadway. The studio has been open for 30 years. In recent years, Ms. Dye’s health has been declining, so she decided to leave the studio to Maggie’s family.

The dance studio had a lobby and two studios. The lobby had blue-green carpeting against white dingy walls. There was a glass case against the left wall holding all types of dance attire. There was also a rack of costumes in the left corner. There were three flush-mounted lights on the ceiling. The wood reception desk sat at the far end of the lobby. There were also four blue pleather chairs located in a row on the right-hand side of the lobby. The dance studio was stuck in the nineties.

JT had taken dance in this studio when she was a kid. Now she was teaching there. Most people couldn’t believe that she was a dancer, due to the amount of food that she ate at every meal. She had what they called a fast metabolism. She ate what she wanted and never gained a pound. JT had 10 students. She worked with two other instructors, Cecelia and Ashley. They taught modern dance, jazz, and African dance. JT was the only one out of the three who actually had a degree in dance and experience. When she arrived for work, Cecelia and Ashley ran up to her and asked had she heard the news. What is it? JT asked. The studio has a new owner, Cecelia exclaimed!

What? JT, said. The studio is now owned by a Chicago doctor and businessman, Ashley stated. He must be rich, said Ashley. Why would he want this place? We are barely making enough money to keep this place open, said JT. I don’t know, said Cecelia, but I’m looking forward to meeting him. He is coming by this afternoon. So we will all get a chance to ask him why he wants this place.

As the afternoon went by, JT thought about the new owner. She wondered who he was, what he wanted with this place, and what did it mean for her and the instructors. Would he get rid of us? JT felt herself getting anxious. She wanted to keep working there, until she could save at least $20,000. She was only $2,000 away from reaching her goal. She had saved a lot of money quickly, since her father died. He was her only living relative. He left her $10,000 in insurance money. She had not spent one penny of the insurance money. She even had some money in the bank leftover from her previous job working with Alvin Ailey Dance Company. She believed that this money was a gift from God, which would enable her to leave this godforsaken place. She often wondered why God had made Shelby anyway. I guess the dumb and stupid people of the world have to live somewhere which is why she did not belong here.

Just then she heard the front door open. As she looked up from behind the reception desk she was blinded by the light and the shine of the front door glass, she could not make out who had entered the front door. She spoke to the air, can I help you? The voice that answered was cool and smooth. He had a northern accent and bass voice. JT looked up and saw him, the man that would change everything in her life. Hi, I’m Dr. Jason Glassam, the new owner of the dance studio. Hi, I’m Jessica Taylor, but everyone calls me JT. It’s nice to meet you. Where are the other two instructors? he asked. JT stated that they were teaching class, and would be done shortly. Jason said, OK, I guess I will have to wait. I would like to talk with all of you about my plans for the studio. JT looked at him, with unbelief. She took a minute to evaluate the man that stood before her. He was Caucasian, tall, built, with dark curly hair, a well-groomed beard, and a handsome smile. The cologne he wore was masculine and earthy, like pine. He had on a tailored black business suit, with a silk trim crisp white shirt, shiny black lace-up square toe shoes, and white-gold jewelry. The black, white and gray striped tie and diamond cuffs links gave his suit the dazzle it needed. He did not wear a wedding ring, but these days that did not mean anything. He stood there looking around with authority. Jessica could tell that he lived a good life, a life that she someday wanted to live.

So how long have you been working here? Dr. Glassam asked. I have worked here for five years, JT answered. So you enjoy teaching dance? he asked. Yes, I have always loved music, dance, and singing, since I was a little girl. So this is a dream come true for you, he said. Where did you study dance? Dr. Glassam asked. I went to Juilliard, answered JT. You must be really good, he said. She could tell that he was impressed. So how did you end up here? he asked. It’s a long story that I don’t care to discuss, JT said. She turned her back to him to finish tallying up the business receipts.

Just then, Ashley and Cecelia and their students came through the door. OK, girls, Ashley said, Make sure that you practice the grand jetes and the tour jetes that we went over today. We will have tryouts next week for the lead dance roles. OK, a group of the girls giggled and laughed as they went out the front door. Ashley and Cecelia turned to see the man standing in the corner. Ashley and Cecelia looked at JT with whimsical smiles. Cecelia and Ashley this is Dr. Glassam, the new owner of the studio. Hi, Cecelia said throwing out her hand. Ashley said, Nice to meet you. Dr. Glassam smiled at them. As I was telling JT, I would like to talk with you about the studio. Are you done with classes for the day? They shook their heads, yes. OK, well then, let’s go to dinner. Is anyone hungry for a good steak and some seafood? Jason asked. Cecelia, grinned, I know I am, I will get my things. Ashley said that she would love to go, but had made other plans. Give me a minute, I will see if I can change my plans. Ashley disappeared in the back room. JT locked the receptionist desk and gathered her stuff.

I’m ready to go, Cecelia smiled. Ashley reappeared, Good news everyone I can go. It might be best if we were able to freshen up and change clothes and meet you at the restaurant, JT said. That is a good idea, said Cecelia. Would that be OK with you Dr. Glassam, asked Ashley. Yes, that would be fine, Dr. Glassam responded. The name of the restaurant is The Red Note. OK, we will meet you there at 7, JT said.

Dr. Glassam drove off in his rented white, sleek, silver-trimmed Cadillac DTS. The car seemed to glide as it went down the road. The girls looked at his Cadillac DTS and were impressed. The girls each got into their cars. Cecelia in a Nissan 300Z, Ashley in a Toyota Corolla, and JT in a Toyota 4Runner and went home to shower and change.

The girls arrived at the restaurant at 7 p.m. sharp. It was located on the outskirts of Shelby. The restaurant from the outside looked charming. It had brown brick, with exquisite white trimmed windows with beige stucco. As they got out of their cars, they just stood there looking at the building. Dr. Glassam walked up behind them and smiled, are you ready to go inside? Yes, the girls said. As the girls entered the restaurant, Dr. Glassam looked them over. They looked a lot different in dresses, heels, and makeup. Each one was attractive.

The restaurant, The Red Note, was even more attractive inside. The tables were decorated with shiny silverware, a vase of red roses and elegant white linen on each table. The walls were painted in white cream and crimson red. There were brass sconces on the walls and oak hardwood floors. Large unique abstract paintings hung on the walls. The waiters were all dressed in black and white. As they stood at the entrance, the hostess asked if they had a reservation, Dr. Glassam, answered yes. Oh, Dr. Glassam, I didn’t know you were with these ladies. Would you like your usual table, sir? the hostess asked. Yes, Dr. Glassam responded. As the hostess led them back to a table in the corner, the girls looked at the men and women that were there eating, laughing and socializing. They seemed so happy, as if they did not have a care in the world.

The table had five place settings. The hostess removed the extra place setting and told us to enjoy our meal. As we settled into the booth, I wondered what Dr. Glassam would say. The waiter came over to our table, told us the specials and took our drink orders. As we waited for the drinks, Dr. Glassam started talking. Well, ladies I know that this is all new to you, and you are probably wondering who I am, how I came to own the studio and what my plans are for the studio. Yes, we are, said Ashley. Well, let me start by telling you a little about myself. I’m originally from Charlotte North Carolina. I was raised around classical and jazz music and always had a passion for music and the arts. At an early age, I decided to be a doctor. I would help all the wounded animals that I found in the woods, he laughed. So, after graduating from high school, I went to Duke University to pursue a degree in medicine. I moved to Chicago after I graduated from Duke Medical School. I’m a cardiologist. My mother Maggie was Ms. Dye’s best friend. So, the studio is named after your mother, asked Ashley. Yes, it is, he responded. They danced together on Broadway. When Ms. Dye became ill, she decided to leave the studio to my family. Since my father is in his 70’s and I’m the only child, the studio became my responsibility. Ms. Dye was very talented and always seemed to have the brightest talent. Several of her students went on to dance in the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Broadway, and in videos. I want to carry on Ms. Dye’s tradition and honor my mother’s name.

We gave the waiter our orders, and he went off to put them in. Dr. Glassam returned to his previous conversation about the dance studio. I plan to do some remodeling to update the place. I wanted to make the studio an inviting place where people want to come to learn all forms of dance. Dr. Glassam, how are you going to get people to come to this little town to take dance, asked Cecelia. What is your marketing strategy? Dr. Glassam, was quite impressed by the question, and smiled back at her. Well, I have already line up first-class instructors to teach the classes. I also spoke with a few of the dance companies and asked them to consider using our facility for practice when they are performing in the area. So you have lined up some first-class instructors? asked JT. Where does that leave us? We have been with the dance studio for five years. What are we suppose to do? Whoa, I’m not getting rid of you. I would like all of you to stay on. I will be expanding the studio to include nine studio rooms. So there will be enough room for the new instructors and for all of you. Are you willing to stay on? The girls looked at each other and said yes. Just as they answered the question, the food arrived. Everything looked great and tasted even better. We ate without talking for a few minutes. Finally, Ashley asked the question that all of us were thinking. Are you married or do you have any kids? Dr. Glassam, blushed as he began to answer the questions. No, I’m not married and I don’t have any kids. The girls were shocked by his response. Why aren't you married? Cecelia asked. Well, I haven't found the right woman yet, he answered.

As we ate, Dr. Glassam continued to tell us about the plans for the studio. He really had thought about every aspect. But I was still unsure about the place becoming a big success. Maybe he could pull it off. For dessert we all ordered cheese cake with strawberries. With our bellies full, we all said good night and headed for our cars. The girls thanked Dr. Glassam for the dinner and told him that they looked forward to working with him. One last thing ladies, please call me Jason instead of Dr. Glassam. We will be working together for a long time, I hope, and should be on a first name basis. OK, the girls said. I will see you tomorrow at the studio.

Chapter Two

Sara Greene was the cutest little seven- year-old girl that anyone had ever seen. She had long blonde locks, brown eyes, dimples, and the sweetest voice. She loves to read and play with her dolls. Sara was a curious child and always seemed in tuned with other people's feelings. She could tell things about people that they could not see. Sara could feel things. Sometime these things made here feel bad and scared. She did not know what to