This is the first fan fiction I have posted to this site. I would like to get constructive reviews so that I can improve my skills. So please review. If you don't, my Punjab totetin' cape wearin' butt kickin' ninja's will descend from the clouds and wreak a punishment upon thou. Need I say more.
"It really is rather pathetic how these singers can't take care of their own costumes" the assistant costume mistress fumed as she mended La Carlotta's costume for the second
time in that week. "Really, how she manages to rip her sleeve every performance is beyond me". Usually not one to get too worked up over things Mina Chambert was
particularly infuriated that week because of her recent demotion to the demeaning job of repairing all costumes for the various productions at the Opera Garnier.
Her punishment had been dealt out to her by none other than Madame Des Raines, head costume mistress to all shows. Apparently Madame had gotten one too many complaints
from La Sorelli about her various "wardrobe malfunctions" over the last month.
The prima ballerina and Mina had never been on good terms, but after Mina stumbled up her beau being a little too intimate with the dancer, all civility vanished between the
two women. Hurt and jilted the seamstress proceeded to wreak a personal revenge on La Sorelli.
The ballerina's costumes started to experience minor but non-ignorable problems ranging from missing buttons, to seams that ripped mid-performance. It took no thought for
Madame Des Raines to trace the petty crimes back to Mina. Needless to say, Mina was immediately punished. Now she was stuck behind her machine doing menial repairs
hardly suited to her skill with material.
Cursing her beau and La Sorelli simultaneously, Mina plodded along through the tedious mending. The baritone's pants needed to have the waist let out, Carolus Fonta needed
the clasp on his cape repaired for the performance that night, and of course there was La Carlotta's sleeve that needed mending. And then all
the costumes had to be pressed.
"Why can't they hire a maid to do this? I should be designing the costumes for the new production of Faust, not darning socks." But despite her anger at those responsible, Mina
knew better than to complain out loud. Finishing up work on La Carlotta's sleeve, Mina strode across the sewing room to check in the basket by the door for any new costumes
to be mended. To her frustration she saw that someone had left five men's dress suits.
"Don't they know that I only mend costumes? What thick sort of person would immediately assume that I have the time to do their personal mending?" Snatching up the bundle of
suits, she was about to hurl them down the hall when she spied a note pinned to the collar of the top suit. It read:
To the Assistant Costume Mistress Wilhelmina Chambert: It has come to my attention that you are now in charge of costume maintenance. I should alert you of the fact that as a permanent member of the Opera, I have deemed it appropriate for my mending to be done within the Opera itself. The girl previously in charge of this job used much discretion when dealing with my mending, and I expect the same from you. At the end of each month please anticipate another set of suits from me. Have these pressed and mended by the fifth, and leave them in the third floor storage room by the balcony scenery. As long as you make no attempt to meet or see me, you shall be paid for your efforts. –O.G.
"Well I never…How did he know my full name? Must be very eccentric, having his mending done within the Opera…how very bizarre. Five days...well as long as I'm getting
paid, why not?" Mina thought to herself.
Dashing back to her machine she began inspecting the suits for any damage. They were excellent suits; very expensive Mina could tell which made her wonder even more about
the back ground of her peculiar client. After finishing starching the collar of one of the dress suits Mina decided to take a break from the dress clothes to work on the costumes
some more. Before she knew it the day was through and she had only mended one suit, so she decided to take them home.
As Mina was walking out of the Opera, she passed La Sorelli's dressing room and heard giggling from within. Suddenly feeling very jealous and lonely, Mina wished that she
had a few friends at the Opera Garnier to while away the long hours with, but the eighteen year old seamstress had never made herself very popular among the dancers, singers
and stagehands. Never thinking before she spoke had led a lot of people to believe that she was mad, and she was rather plain as well which didn't help. She had had a string of
relationships, none of which had turned out well, the most recent one ending when Mina caught her suitor with La Sorelli. Brunette, of average height, with a plain complexion,
there was almost nothing that stood out about Mina, except for her clothes. As a seamstress she always made herself the most stylish and extravagant clothes that her cloth budget
permitted. But even clothes could not make friends for her.
That night she sat awake in her apartment near the Place de Concord, reflecting on her recent life as she sewed new buttons on one of the suits. As soon as that was finished she
turned the coat inside out to begin pressing it and an opened envelope fell out. Picking it up, Mina debated with herself whether or not it would be prudent to read the contents,
but since it was already opened, she decided that it wouldn't make much difference. It was a note scrawled on a clipping from the Epoque, and it read:
Erik, I know you are here. Bouqet's death was no accident. Yes, I know about Christine too. NO MORE MURDERS. –R.
Cryptic and short, Mina had no idea what to make of it. She knew that Joseph Bouqet had recently committed suicide. It was a horrible thing in itself, but was it really murder?
Who were "R", Christine, and Erik? And why did R want Erik to stop the murders? It was very strange to be sure. As she went off to bed, Mina went through all the people she
knew who had the same names as those in the letter. She didn't know anyone by the name Erik, she did know two Christine's; one was an old set painter and the other was a
chorus singer. She knew several people with R names, but none came to mind that would associate with Christine's or Erik's. It was ever so puzzling. Mina's thoughts chased
themselves around her head, until a deep, dream-filled sleep finally overtook them.
Did you love it? Dislike it? Completely ignore it? Do you want more? If this story effected you at all, please say so. It only takes a minute. And remember the golden rule: "Never be to mean to people, because they will carry a grudge against you for life and someday they might just get you when you least expect it". So be gentle please.