The Phantom of the Opera vs. his fear of Heights
Crash, "sorry, monsieur," the waitress, Amanda, said passing the snack table. It almost toppled over on top of Ubaldo Piangi, the lead tenor here at the Paris Opera House. Smells bombarded my nose: fruit punch, cupcakes, and…oranges? "Oranges, really André?" I said picking up the round fruit. Monsieur André, one of the owners of the opera house is in charge of the snacks for this year's Halloween party.
"Well, Erik, I thought we could use some healthy food here." He lowered his voice, "Piangi is on a diet." We looked over at Piangi at the same time. He was gorging himself on cupcakes, so much for that diet. "Also these are blood oranges. Get it." He pointed to his costume with a smile. He and his business partner, Monsieur Firmin, are dressed as vampires. I just rolled my eyes, tossed back the orange and grabbed a cupcake.
I looked around as I tasted the sweet chocolate of the devil's food cupcake. The end of the monster mash played behind me from the dance floor. I know pretty much everyone here. There was Piangi; he's dressed as a giant gourd carved into a smiling face. Then there is La Carlotta coughprima donnacough, she's dressed as one of the most famous people to be executed by the guillotine. Yes, she's Marie Antoinette. Then there is Meg Giry and her mother Madame Giry, Meg is dressed as a swan and her mother as a…well I think she is dressed in a kimono. My eyes finally rested on Christine and her fiancé, Raoul, they are dressed as the characters Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. I must applaud Raoul for the fake blood on the costume, very realistic. I'm guessing that it is fake blood and not pig's blood. This is my first year at the opera house and therefore first party so I'm dressed as, wait for it…The Phantom of the Opera!
"Erik, you have icing on your mask." Christine said with a giggle as she and Raoul passed me to get to the dance floor. I quickly whipped away the black and orange swirled frosting from my mask. I could feel my face getting red. Christine is easily beautiful and for that a lot of guys here love her, me no exception. The song changed and I immediately recognized it, of course it was "The Point of the no Return," my favorite song from The Phantom of the Opera.
"Oh, sorry I'm late."I turned my head to see who said that and I almost burst out laughing, Annette, the newest singer in our cast, was dressed as, get this, Christine. Christine as in the musical I'm dressed as, not the person.
"Christine, Christine," I sang as she walked towards me. She laughed as I did the weird cape twist the actor who played the Phantom made look so easy. Yeah, it's not easy. The cape flew off my shoulders and wrapped around Piangi.
"Amateur," He huffed as he threw the cape on the ground. I reached out my hand to Annette. She took it as I started to sing the next words in the song.
Past the point of no return- no backwards glances. We walked towards the dance floor as her voice chimed into mine. As the song ended clapping surrounded us, I smiled. Sadly my happiness is short lived, the lights went out and in the pitch darkness I heard screams.
"André!" I turned my head to see Monsieur André has jumped into Monsieur Firmin arms. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"I think we broke a fuse." Joseph Buquet, the man in charge of set changes said.
"I'll fix it." Before I worked here, I worked a summer job as an electrician's assistant, so I know my stuff.
"The box is up there." Buquet said pointing up, "You have to go up those staircases and walk across the dome and go inside that door. Good luck," I'm deathly afraid of heights, oh great!
"Anyone have a candle?" I smiled nervously. Firmin, having dropped André handed me a candelabra. It was already lit so using my light I made my way over to the stairs.
"Need some help?" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Annette.
Blushing, I just shrugged and mumbled, "sure, Ok." So, up the staircase we climbed. As we reached the top my fear became stronger, eating me up. At the last step I hesitated, I'm up somewhat high and not to mention if I slip there is no stopping me from free-falling all the way to the ground. I'm not that scared of heights as I am of falling off a high building.
"It's alright, I'm right here next to you. I'm not going to let you fall." Annette said softly grabbing my hand. I feel like an idiot. Here I am all handy and brave volunteering to fix a fuse when I can't even go up 4 or 5 stories before acting like, well, a little girl. So sucking up all my fears I climbed the last step and started out on the ledge. Half way though some of the candle wax dripped from the candelabra I'm holding and lands on the ledge. I'm in front so I just step over it, but Annette didn't see it, so she slipped.
"Help!" Annette shouted as she fell forwards towards the chandler. Gasps rang though the dome echoing back their cries. Everything moved in slow-mo, I reached forwards blindly after I dropped my only source of light. To everyone luck I felt a hand, pulling with all my might I pulled Annette up and on her feet. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. I'm so happy she didn't fall.
We made our way to the fuse box and using a fuse Buquet gave me, successfully turned on the lights again. The adrenaline was already gone when we started our way back. But this time I wasn't the one that was scared the most, Annette held onto me for dear life the whole way. She wasn't calm until her two feet were on ground.
"Thank you," her voice came out shaking, her arms still positioned around my waist. She tilted her head up and kissed my cheek.
"You're welcome, Christine." I replied and the whole opera house burst into laughter.
I'm Don Jun Triumphant!