Chapter one
The door to the St. Vitus theatre opened with a loud creak. It quickly slammed shut as a soaking man dressed entirely in black entered the foyer.
The man was odd to say the least. He wore black dress pants and a black vest over a white dress shirt. His brown hair was slicked back and, most peculiar of all; he wore a porcelain mask which covered half of his face.
He took his dripping traveling cloak off his back, grumbling to himself about the rain.
That fool was supposed to meet me at the train station two hours ago! He thought. The director of the theatre had told him that one of the set designers, a man named Andre, would pick him up at the train station, but he had never come. As a result, he had taken a taxi to the theatre.
"Oof!" He felt a much smaller being collide with him. He looked down and saw a young woman; lying on the floor in a heap of blonde locks and skirts.
"I'm sorry" said the woman standing up. "No, I'm sorry." He replied, helping her to stand.
She gasped when she saw his face, "oh no!" She sighed, "You're Erik Destler, aren't you?" She asked "our new musical director?"
"…Yes, that's right." Erik replied, "Wasn't a fellow named Andre supposed to meet me at the train station?"
"I am so sorry about that!" Said the woman, very apologetically, "Andre had a really bad hangover; he crashed his Mercedes halfway there! –He's fine though. We just finished patching him up, so I was going to fetch you- I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, that's alright." said Erik, not wishing to upset this woman any further.
"Well, Monsieur LeBlanc is upstairs, if you'll just follow me."
"Thank you" replied Erik, "and, I don't believe you told me your name?"
"Oh, my name…My name is Collette Bordeaux. Welcome to St. Vitus." She replied nervously. "This way!" She skittered down the hallway. Erik suppressed chuckle, what a peculiar young woman. He thought, briskly walking after her.
…
Erik glanced around the small theatre; it was no Opera Populaire, but it was nice all the same. The hardwood stage sat, slightly ajar, at the front of the room. Many rows of chairs, all with blue cushions, sat at various intervals moving toward the back of the theatre. Two boxed seats sat squarely near the stage, Box 4 and, Box 6? He thought. He sighed, almost laughing; the 'Phantom of the Opera' had claimed Box 5 for his own personal use, so having a Box Five was considered to be tempting fate by many local theatres.
Well, he thought to himself solemnly, I won't try that stunt again. Just look how it had turned out for him…
"Ahem" muttered Collette, "Monsieur LeBlanc is…"
"COLLETTE!" Shrieked a feminine voice from down the hall, causing Collette (and Erik to a lesser extent) to jump with surprise.
"Oh!" Exclaimed Collette, "yes, Myrla?"
A skinny, pale woman wearing a silk brown dressing gown strutted down the hallway; "Collette, you lazy piece of work! Didn't I tell you this morning to wash my laundry?"
Collette stared at her very tattered pair of shoes, "I'm sorry Myrla, I was busy. I'll have it finished by lunch tomorrow…"
"You had better!" She shrieked. She then stared at Erik, "now, who are you?"
"My name is Erik Destler Mademoiselle…" he replied.
"Oh yes, our new musical director" replied Myrla irritably. "I hope you're as good as Jean was and not like that drunken dunce we had last time!"
"Antoine…" muttered Collette,
"Antoine, Anthony… what does it matter?!" She threw up her hands in exasperation, "chorus girls, am I right?" Said Myrla to Erik, she then turned on her heel and stalked off.
"That's Myrla Augustine; our leading lady." Said Collette
Erik gave her a funny look; "that…shrill woman is your leading lady?"
Collette laughed, "We keep telling her that she shouldn't scream as much or she'll lose her voice, but she won't listen."
"And why did she want you to do her laundry?"
"Oh, I'm just a chorus girl, so I don't make too much money; but I make an extra few coins here and there doing people's laundry, and dusting and such." She self-consciously kneaded her hands; Erik could see that they were very rough. "I have a big family to support you see; ten brothers and sisters, and a mother who is very much still with us."
"Ten?" Asked Erik,
"Ten" said Collette with a nod. "Monsieur LeBlanc's office is through here, good luck!"
"Thank-"but before he could turn to thank her, she had rushed off.
…
He knocked three times on the door. "Enter!" Replied a voice from inside, Erik opened the door and stepped inside.
"Monsieur Destler?" He asked, looking him up and down,
"Yes" replied Erik.
"You looked a drowned cat, man!" Said LeBlanc, laughing heartily, "hang up your cloak and sit down." He gestured to a rather uncomfortable-looking wooden chair sitting in front of his desk.
"My name is Daniel LeBlanc, welcome to the St. Vitus theatre." LeBlanc stared at him quizzically for a moment, "why do you wear that mask?" He asked,
"Surgery" replied Erik, one of the only lies he had rehearsed for that night.
"Ah" replied LeBlanc "do you have any experience with the Opera?"
"…I've given Opera singers voice lessons." Replied Erik,
"New talent, I like it." Said Daniel, "all the same, it doesn't pay the theatre's bills… maybe I should start you off on a trial basis?"
"Alright" replied Erik,
"I'll give you a month; after that I'll decide whether or not to let you keep your position. Does that sound fair?"
"Fair enough" replied Erik.
"Well, it's settled then." Daniel and Erik shook hands "the musical is Beauty and the Beast."
This innocent comment had a sting in the tail for Erik. "I suppose you'll be staying in Antoine's old quarters… all the way down at the end of the hall, and to the left."
"Thank you" replied Erik, "good night."
He exited the room, and walked down the hall towards what was to be his room. He opened the door, and was immediately enveloped by the smell of stale alcohol. He coughed several times and looked around, what a dump! He thought. The room was small and dark, bottles of beer and gin, many broken, littered the floor. The bed was sizeable and had dark red sheets though it didn't look particularly comfortable. I suppose Myrla did call Antoine a drunken dunce…
He opened the window to let some of the stench out; the fact that lilacs were growing under the window sill helped a bit. He sat on the bed and looked around, suddenly his ears perked up. Somebody outside was singing. He stared out the window; it was Collette, hanging laundry singing to herself absentmindedly.
"Yes, I made the choice
For papa, I will stay
But I don't deserve to lose my freedom in this way
You monster!
If you think that what you've done is right, well then
You're a fool!
Think again!
Is this home?
Is this where I should learn to be happy?
Never dreamed
That a home could be dark and cold
I was told
Ev'ry day in my childhood:
Even when you grow old
Home should be where the heart is
Never where words so true!
My heart's far, far away
Home is too
Is this home
Is this what I must learn to believe in
Try to find
Something good in this tragic place
Just in case
I should stay here forever
Held in this empty place
Oh, but that won't be easy
I know the reason why
My heart's far, far away
Home's a lie
What I'd give to return
To the life that I knew lately
But I know that I can't
Solve my problems going back
Is this home?
Am I here for a day or forever?
Shut away
From the world until who knows when
Oh, but then
As my life has been altered once
It can change again
Build higher walls around me
Change ev'ry lock and key
Nothing lasts, nothing holds
All of me
My heart's far, far away
Home and free!"
She has a lovely voice, he thought to himself. She turned in his direction, glanced at him, and dropped her laundry with surprise!
"Oh dear…" sighed Collette, looking at the pile of now soiled laundry.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you…" Said Erik apologetically
"It's alright…" Said Collette, pinning up the laundry hastily, "this is my own laundry anyway; I've finished Myrla's." She suddenly wrinkled her nose; clearly she could smell the alcohol.
"That's the room, not me" said Erik.
"Oh right, Antoine." Said Collette, "well, I'm going off to bed. Goodnight Monsieur Destler!"
"Goodnight!" Replied Erik, still thinking about her singing.
…
Erik woke up the next morning to a terrible ruckus; he shoved his way through the crowd of actors, picking up little bits of their conversations as he went.
"She finally did it!"
"…lost her voice!"
"Three days before opening night!"
"I knew this would happen!"
Sitting in the middle of it all was Myrla, clutching her throat and croaking in a very pathetic fashion. Daniel walked over to him, "there you are Erik!" Exclaimed Daniel, looking very flustered.
"What's the matter?" Asked Erik,
"Myrla's lost her voice! She plays Belle in this production, and she can't sing at all!"
"Don't you have an understudy?"
"We did, but she quit two weeks ago after she got married!"
How convenient… thought Erik,
"What should we do?!" Shouted one actor through the crowd.
Erik thought for a moment "Collette!" He shouted.
The crowd immediately silenced. Collette could feel dozens of pairs of eyes staring at her,
"Collette, you know the music…" Began Erik
"You heard me sing one song!" Retorted Collette,
"Do you know the rest of the music?" Asked Erik,
Collette stood timidly before them. "Yes" she said, very quietly, "but I don't know if I can…"
He glanced at Daniel, who nodded with uncertain approval. "Try." Replied Erik,
Collette nodded, and shakily stepped onstage. Daniel paged through the musical score, "start here" he said, to both Erik and Collette. He pointed at a piece titled Home.
Erik gave Collette an encouraging smile and began to play.
"Yes, I made the choice
For papa, I will stay
But I don't deserve to lose my freedom in this way…"
