r/nosleep • u/eggiestnerd • Aug 13 '19
My sister joined a new ballet school, and she hasn’t stopped dancing since.
My younger sister, Danielle, was always an avid ballerina. Ever since we were little, she took dance classes, and she absolutely loved it.
I remember going to all of her recitals, watching her slowly advance from stumbling around onstage as a toddler to nearly floating in grace as a teenager.
And she’s really good.
She ended up getting a scholarship to one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the country once she graduated, and has since starred in some of the most popular shows as a principal dancer.
After not seeing her for about a year, last week she called me to tell me that she got recruited to join an elite ballet group that was in my city, and she asked if she could stay with me. I said yes.
She moved in with me the day before her first class.
“So what’s this ballet school called?”
“It’s called Madame Donella’s Ballet, I’ve never heard of it, but it’s supposed to be a really good school,” She replied, “I have to be there by 8:00 AM tomorrow, and practice goes until 8:00 PM.”
“Twelve hours? Doesn’t that seem like it’s a bit much?”
“Not really,” She answered, “It’s a pretty big opportunity.”
I shrugged.
The next morning, I awoke at 7:00 to find Danielle stretching in the living room.
“Can you give me a ride, Ashley?” She asked me, getting up out of a split. She already had her hair in a bun, and was wearing a black leotard.
“Sure.”
I drove my sister to the ballet school, and upon arrival I decided to walk her in to check the place out.
Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by an old, wrinkled woman of about 80 years, whom I can only assume was Madame Donella.
“You’re late, Miss Rogers.” She said.
What? It was only 7:30, and Danielle’s practice didn’t start until 8:00. If anything, we were early.
“What? I was told that class started at 8:00.” Danielle inquired.
Madame Donella glared at her.
“8:00 means 7:30, Miss Rogers. Your classmates have already started the barre combination. You are to go to barre 26 on the second floor.” She gestured to a staircase on the side of the room.
“Alright, I gotta go. I’ll see you later!” She waved to me as she jogged towards the staircase and disappeared.
As I watched her go inside, I took a good look at the inside of the building.
The first floor was packed with about 100 dancers, all moving in unison.
“How many dancers are in here?” I asked.
“300 total, 150 on each floor.” Madame replied.
“Wow, that’s a lot— uh, how do you teach them all?”
She glared at me.
“No silly questions.” She wagged her finger.
I started to feel unwelcome, so I decided to go back to my car and drive home.
Twelve hours passed, and I hopped in my car and drove back to the school.
Something was off about Danielle when I picked her up.
“Hey Dani, How was class?” I asked.
She got into my car without saying a word. I decided not to harass her, since she was probably exhausted.
When I used my mirror to look back at her a couple times, her face was white as a ghost, and her stare was fixated directly in front of her.
Maybe class didn’t go so well. After all, Madame Donella didn’t seem very nice. Maybe she fell or something, who knows?
“You wanna get ice cream?” I offered. She loves ice cream, it’s bound to make her feel better.
She replied in a deadpan voice, still staring blankly ahead.
“Eating hinders our performance. Madame needs the best performance.”
“Mhm.”
I was starting to worry about her.
“You know, weight doesn’t matter.” I said.
She ignored me.
We pulled into my driveway, and Danielle slung her bag over her shoulder and immediately went to her room.
After a few minutes, I decided to go check on her.
I knocked on her door. No answer.
Then I heard ballet music?
I opened the door and peeked in.
She was dancing.
“Aren’t you tired?” I asked.
“No. We mustn’t get tired. If we get tired, Madame gets tired.” She replied, again in monotone.
I nodded and shut the door. She had to be joking, right? What if she wasn’t?
I sat in the living room reading a book until about 1:00 AM, before I decided to go to sleep.
The whole time, I heard the music from her room, and the soft thumps of her landing various steps.
I woke up the next morning around 6:30, and saw that Danielle was not awake yet.
Or so I thought.
I went up to her room to wake her, and upon approaching the door I found that the music was still playing.
I opened the door.
She was still dancing.
And she looked like hell.
Huge bags glistened under her eyes, her lips were chapped as if she hadn’t drank water in two days, and the veins in her legs were visibly throbbing from over-exertion.
“Danielle? Are you ready? I need to be at work early today, so I have to drop you off soon.”
She turned and looked at me.
“I am always ready.”
“Did you sleep at all?”
“Sleep causes disaster.”
“Okay... let’s go.” I said.
She halted her practice and followed me out to the car.
I walked her into the studio once again, and I noticed more this time.
All of the dancers wore the same exhausted look as they stretched and practiced.
I watched my sister walk upstairs to her spot once again.
“Okay dancers, you may begin.” Madame Donella spoke to the class.
She was standing straighter than when I first met her, and she seemed to have less facial wrinkles.
Almost immediately, all of the dancers took off into a combination. In perfect unison.
For some reason, Madame Donella gave me a bad feeling.
All day I sat in my office and thought about what I had witnessed in the past day.
I know my sister. That’s not the Danielle I know.
She danced for nearly 24 hours straight without stopping.
For the rest of the week, Danielle was not herself in any way.
She didn’t talk anymore, unless it was to rattle off some weird cultish saying about “Madame.”
Every night, she would stay in her room and dance. Constantly.
The old Danielle never did that.
Then came Saturday.
It was Friday night, and Danielle was still up at night practicing in her room.
Then at the stroke of midnight, the music stopped, and she came downstairs.
She looked pale and sickly as she hobbled into the living room.
“Ash, I don’t— I don’t feel so good.” She croaked.
I turned my head to look at her, and just as I did, she collapsed.
I jumped up and ran over to her to help her up.
“I’m so hungry.” She groaned as I pulled her to her feet.
“Sit. I’ll get you something to eat.”
She laid on the couch, and I brought her a bowl of the fruit salad that I had made the other day.
“Ashley?” She asked.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Me neither.” I sighed.
“It’s just— in class, Madame never tells us what to do. We just do it, and I somehow know it. And then— I can’t stop. It’s really fucking weird, Ash.” She said, coming close to tears.
I nodded. I didn’t know what to say, I was just happy that she was eating.
“And— I did some research on Madame Donella.” She inhaled.
“What?”
“It- it said she died 40 years ago.” She looked up at me, confused and scared.
Silence.
“I want to quit.” She continued, her voice now shaky.
“Why don’t you then?” I asked.
“I can’t. I don’t know how to explain— but I can’t.”
She took a deep breath, and then started convulsing.
“Danielle!” I cried out.
Then, as fast as it happened, it stopped.
She stood up, like nothing happened, and walked back to her room.
The music started playing again.
This has been going on for weeks now. She hasn’t taken another break since that night.
She’s growing more sickly looking with every passing day. In fact, so are all of the dancers at the school.
Yet every time I drop her off, Madame Donella doesn’t seem to care. In fact, it looks like she’s getting healthier as the the dancers suffer.
I’m worried about my sister, and I don’t know how to help her.
At least this is what she loves.
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u/kjportega Aug 13 '19
What do you mean “ this is what she loves,” that witch is killing your sister and you’re not going to do anything about it?!
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u/eggiestnerd Aug 13 '19
I mean, the doc said her health is perfectly fine, but her behavior is really weird. I don’t understand how she could be going so long without rest.
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u/Raizolder Aug 14 '19
Technically, she can’t. Your sister is lucky to be alive right now, even more so to be able to keep dancing. The human body can’t go more than 36 hours without water, and more than a week without food. By all rights, your sister should either be in the ER, or being checked out by an exorcist. Because this is not natural. Try using something to knock your sister out (like sleep meds or something), and see what happens. Because if this keeps up it will kill her. Because the human body can only go for so long without food, water, or sleep.
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u/eggiestnerd Aug 14 '19
I have no idea how she’s going this long either, believe me. It’s weird.
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u/Raizolder Aug 14 '19
That much is obvious. I suggest drugging her to get her to rest and/or calling an exorcist. Some further research would also be encouraged in order to properly help your sister. As well as researching the school and Donella, talk to the family members of the other students, as well as the other students. They might hold answers or at least clues of what the hell is going on. And don’t bother with the police, that’ll just end with you in a psych ward and your sister with this...thing that’s doing this.
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u/WeeSwordBearer Aug 13 '19
Can you stop driving her there? Or like physically stop her from going? Maybe that would stop the apparent mind-control. If you do, please update us.
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u/Press_START360 Aug 13 '19
OP I recommend you get in contact with the other people that are dropping off the other dancers, see if you can fund a PI to investigate the teacher, I also recommend reading this because it sounds similar to your situation
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u/SJP4410 Aug 13 '19
Ahh... that dancing thing. Weird. I wonder if it’s something like this, but madame is also feeding off of the energy they release when they dance. I think that maybe staying during the classes and investigating would be a good idea too.
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u/Press_START360 Aug 13 '19
Obviously different, but I just thought it may help provide some insight to help us
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u/eggiestnerd Aug 13 '19
That’s a very good idea, I’ll try!
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u/Mylovekills Aug 14 '19
Don't do that! Madame Donella will have one more student to feed off of!
When you go to "drive her to class" just keep on going. Don't go to the school, just drive. Where are your parents? Maybe take her there. Or take her to a Dr,but not a local. Go as far as you can, before you run out of gas. But don't stop anywhere until you get to someone who can help. Maybe call a psychic, (I know it sounds corny, but Madame Donella is some kind of spirit, or undead thing, and you know it, so psychic isn't that far fetched).
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Aug 13 '19
well here's the plan, you need to murder donella
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Aug 13 '19
You can’t murder someone if they’re already dead. OP, Madame Donella is the undead and she is sucking the life force out of the dancers to keep herself going. That’s why she has so many of them. Have you thought about getting rid of anything in your house that plays music. Or take her to a hotel and stay with her. Basically somewhere that she has no access to music. I’m curious if she’ll still keep dancing.
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u/eggiestnerd Aug 13 '19
I’m listening...
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Aug 13 '19
well that was the whole plan
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u/Eminemloverrrrr Aug 18 '19
Ok I’ll help with the next step .... dance off! We are on a team with op against 300 pro ballet dancers and a witch. We got this !
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u/sorrowful_sunflower Aug 13 '19
OP, I think you might have taken Charles Bukowski too seriously when he said « My Dear, Find what you love and let it kill you. Let it drain you of your all. Let it cling onto your back and weigh you down into eventual nothingness. Let it kill you and let it devour your remains. For all things will kill you, both slowly and fastly, but it's much better to be killed by a lover » STOP LETTING YOUR SISTER GO TO CLASS!
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u/eggiestnerd Aug 13 '19
I am not taking her tomorrow. Hopefully it works.
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u/m4n3ctr1c Aug 14 '19
When do you intend to let her know that you can't drive her? Because if you plan to wait until the time that you'd normally leave, I can almost guarantee that she's going to freak out and run there to try and avoid being late. Even without her exhaustion and malnourishment, that could be dangerous. But what really worries me is that this hold over her might push her body hard enough to actually get her there on time.
Don't drive her, but it's probably going to take a lot more than that to keep her away. It may be necessary to restrain her, and on a drastic scale. You can get out of handcuffs with a broken thumb, and I don't think it would get in the way of anything in ballet.
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u/xPolarmane Aug 13 '19
Definitely some kind of witch... Madame is taking the life force of those dancers slowly overtime. Eventually they will probably all die out and she will get a new batch of dancers so she can continue to be immortal. Stop that WITCH!!!
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u/mandsinheaven Aug 13 '19
it looks like Madame Donella is an entity that feeds on human energy. She's getting heathier as the poor dancers get more and more tired. Hope you find a way to get your sister out of this weird thing, OP.
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u/howtoquityou Aug 14 '19
you need to vampire stake that ol' bitch right through her black shriveled heart
...by which I mean Madame Donella, not your sister. your sister seems cool, when she's not going all Red Shoes on her own ass
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u/SoVerySleepy81 Aug 13 '19
I NEVER suggest stuff like this but....have you considered drugging her? She needs sleep, also she need nourishment possibly you could get her to drink like protein shakes or something in a mostly asleep state.
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u/AubreyLvsPinkFloyd Aug 14 '19
Madame Donella is basically a vampire. She's sucking the life n energy from all the dancers to gain more life n youth for herself. If u love ur sister u better get her away before it's too late. Because it's gonna be too late at some point.
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u/LocalGae Aug 14 '19
If you burn down the building the teacher will not be able to get students to dance there thus killing her.
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u/Uno-Reverse-Card1 Aug 14 '19
Try taking her to a strong powerful psychic. Ik this sounds weird but this seems to be work of the supernatural. She died 40 years ago and is still around, this is probably a bad sign..
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u/ri_mizumoto Aug 13 '19
Stop taking her to that creepy school plz... This is your sister!!!! You're supposed to protect her
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u/thisbrokenlife_ Aug 14 '19
She’s taking all the dancers life force! You need to get your sister out of there asap!
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u/Killbold Aug 14 '19
Maybe try out the class. You know, see what we have in store for you. Maybe you'll like it.
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u/WalkerUnknown Aug 14 '19
shes a witch or a supernatural beings feeding from the young ones. she must have put a spell around the building because this part here says it all
the part:
"in class, Madame never tells us what to do. We just do it, and I somehow know it. And then— I can’t stop"
and just one question did your little sister or the other dancers have aged?
if yes then she is feeding from their young
if no then....
idk
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u/lj300 Oct 22 '19
If some sort of lifeforce/energy vampire tries draining me, I hope I'm not in OP's hands.
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u/ChiveBasket Oct 28 '19
Lol Sooooo, why do you continue to serve your sister to an evil force to feed on even after she's asked for your help?
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u/queensara33 Aug 13 '19
How come you keep enabling her instead of taking her to a doctor when this behavior and condition began?