the 1% left

the show is over. the crowd has left, the stage is empty. she slowly returns to her dressing room by crossing the narrow corridor in the backstage maze. lights keep flashing but never fail completely. a brief reminder of the millions of snapshots they took in the old days. back when she was a rising star. young, talented and beautiful. critics agreed one of them would always be true. she reaches for the handle, twists, turns and closes the door behind her. drops the flowers straight in the bin. before they get "the touch". she sits opposite the mirror and begins the tired routine of unearthing the 1% left. soft tissues and creams do the job. but the tears rolling down her face already did most of the dirty work...