Chapter Two
Finally Squidward begins the famous story, as he sits in a chair across from his neighbors. He puts himself, SpongeBob, Patrick, and everyone else in Bikini Bottom as the characters, so his two neighbors can better relate to the story.
"An auction is being held at The Krusty Krab Opera House," he began. "The old Vicomte De SquarePants, now in a wheelchair decides to go, to collect some memorabilia." Squidward's voice fades away as the story takes on a life of its own.
...
Some residents of Bikini Bottom were entering the old, abandoned, Krusty Krab Opera House. Among them was a seventy year old SpongeBob, De SquarePants, speedily wheeling his way into the building, pushing the other bidders out of the way.
"Weeeee! 'Scuse me. Pardon me," He arrived just in time to hear the auctioneer, a blue, mustachioed fish, standing up on the stage, behind a podium, announce the next item.
"This music box was discovered in the vaults of the theater. Attached is a sea monkey playing the symbols." This was the item SpongeBob was desperate to buy. Being back in this place after so long brought back memories of the events, years ago. He noticed an elderly Madame Puff, dressed in black, standing next to him, looking excited when music box was brought in. SpongeBob was determined to out bid her, but the auctioneer starts the bidding, a mile a minute. "Do I hear fifteen? Twenty? Twenty-five? Thirty?"
"Thirty!" Madame Puff bid.
"Thirty going once, going twice. Sold to Madame Puff.
"NOOOO!" SpongeBob cried out in dismay as the box was handed to her.
"Yes," said Madame Puff. "It's mine! Now I can pay off those speeding tickets!" She goes to exit, but SpongeBob is blocking the double doors with his wheelchair.
"Madame Puff," he said. "Can I have that please, it was one of Sandy's favorites. Every detail is exactly as she said." He made giant puppy dog eyes at her.
"Not a chance, I've been looking for this for over fifty years. I can't afford to just hand it over," she replied.
"What if I pay off all of your speeding tickets and throw in a trip to Las Vegas?"
"Deal!" Madame Puff eagerly handed SpongeBob the music box, as he gladly gave her a huge wad of cash. She jumped for joy. "I'm going to start my dream of becoming a Vegas show girl. Vegas, here I come!" SpongeBob moves his wheelchair out of her way, so she can leave. Once she's outside and no longer in view, a loud Crack is heard. "Ow my hip!"
SpongeBob was so happy to have the music box. He was about to leave himself when the auctioneer's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Moving on to the next item," the auctioneer announced, gesturing to a large mass covered by a tarp. Curious to know what it was, the sponge stayed. "A chandelier in pieces. Some of you may recall the strange affair of The Phantom of the Krusty Krab: a mystery never fully explained. We are told, ladies and gentlefish, that this is the very chandelier that squished some poor fish, so many years ago." All the bidders gasped. "I'm kidding. Nobody died, chill out. Now, perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago, with a little illumination, gentlefish?" The tarp is lifted, revealing the glorious chandelier, as the growling pipe organ of the Overture begins to play.
...
The sudden loud music scares Patrick, interrupting the story. He jumps off the couch and runs around Squidward's house in a panic, screaming and knocking things over.
"SpongeBob, you better calm him down," Squidward demanded.
"Patrick, it's okay," SpongeBob ran over to his friend and tickled his belly. The star fish ceased to panic and started giggling. "It's just the music, it goes with the story." SpongeBob said after he stopped tickling his friend.
"Oh," said Patrick.
"Are you finished with your idiocy?" Squidward asked impatiently. "I was just getting into the story." The friends returned to their seats on the couch.
"Continue," said SpongeBob.
...
We are taken back fifty years ago, when the opera house was at it's full glory. Monsieur Krabs is getting ready for the grand re-opening and everyone is rehearsing for tomorrow night's performance. La Pearl, the whale of a diva, and her husband Patangi, the not as smart star fish, are the leading roles. They are dressed in over-the-top opera costumes. The ballerinas are dressed as slave girls. Sandra Daae, a squirrel with a large air dome on her head, is in the lead, also dressed as a slave girl. Patangi takes the stage for his line, singing in a ho hum attitude.
"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the songs of angry men..."
"Wrong musical, Patangi," informed Monsieur Krabs. "From the top." Pearl belts out in her best singing voice and they all barely make it through a clumsy rehearsal. The ballerinas loose interest and gossip amongst each other. Sandra keeps to herself, daydreaming. Madame Puff, the dance instructor, storms over and bangs her cane on the floor, ordering them to rehearse.
"Pearl, would you sing the aria again," M. Krabs ordered. "You have to perform your best, so we can get more patrons than Monsieur Plankton."
"Okay, Daddy," Pearl agreed. She clears her throat and sings, "Think of Me." Her singing is disturbed, when a backdrop crashes to the floor, she yelps and falls overdramatically. The sound of suction cups up in the rafters, is heard. The chorus girls sing: "He's here, the Phantom of the Krusty Krab!"
"Shut up, there is no Phantom," M. Krabs orders, waving is claws at the chorus girls. "It was an accident."
"Patangi! Get over here and help me," Pearl demanded. "Are bubbles more important than me?" Patangi stops trying to catch bubbles to help his wife back up on her feet.
"Pearl! Are you alright?" M. Krabs rushes over to his daughter. "These things do happen. Now from the top, time is money!" Pearl angry at her father for ordering her around, starts shouting at him, throwing a diva tantrum.
"Daddy, for the past three years, these things do happen! Well until you stop these thing from happening, this thing does not happen! You'll see, this opera house would be nothing without me! Patangi, we're leaving!" Pearl storms out of the building. Patangi follows, stopping at the double doors to say: "Amateurs," to everyone, then runs out to chase more bubbles.
M. Krabs turns to Madame Puff, worried. "What'll we do? If we can't give a decent performance, everyone will go to The Chum Bucket Opera House for their entertainment. We can't let that happen!"
"I don't know monsieur," Mme. Puff replied. "But I have a message from the Opera Ghost, reminding you that his salary is due." She hands him the letter, he rips it out of her fin.
"Salary? I ain't payin' no imaginary ghost!" He tears it open and reads. His pupils reduce to tiny pin points. The message threatens that if M. Krabs doesn't pay the Opera Ghost Twenty-thousand francs a month, an embarrassing photo will make it's way into the Bikini Bottom Times.
"I can't afford twenty-thousand francs a month!"
"Maybe you will, with the Vicomte De SquarePants as your patron," Mme. Puff informed.
"He's coming here?" M. Krabs asked. The puffer fish nodded. "The Vicomte? That means he's rich. We'll charge him extra! He can afford it. We have to be ready for tomorrow night! Who is the understudy for La Pearl?"
"There is no understudy," Mme. Puff stated flatly. "Remember, you refused to pay for real actors and understudies, so you put your daughter and that buffoon of a husband of hers in the lead roles. Cheapskate."
"We're doomed!"
"Sandra Daae could sing it sir," she suggested. Sandra turned toward them upon hearing her name. Mme. Puff gestured for her to come over.
"Sandra Daae? Any relation to the famous fiddler from Texas?"
"Yeah, that was my Pa," said Sandra. "He'd play that thing 'till the strings broke. And everyone calls me Sandy."
"She's been taking lessons from a great teacher," said the puffer fish.
"From whom?" M. Krabs asked.
"I don't know sir," Sandy replied, uneasily. "
"Oh, great!"
"Let her sing for you, Monsieur. She has been well taught," said Mme. Puff.
"Fine then, let's hear it."
Sandy starts to quietly sing, "Think of Me." She sings louder as she gains confidence and everyone is blown away by her beautiful voice, even M. Krabs. The next night, Sandy sings at the performance. The aria then breaks into a country hoe down, complete with a fiddle and a banjo. She receives a ten minute standing ovation.
The Vicomte is in the audience, in the same box as M. Krabs, and immediately recognizes her. "Hey, I know her. It's Sandy! I wonder if she remembers me." He then stands up and shouts obnoxiously at her, to get her attention. "Sandy, up here! Yoo-hoo, Sandy! Brava, Sandy! Brava! Encore! Encore!" He waves his arms frantically and almost falls out of the box.
Sandy takes her bow and walks off stage, not noticing SpongeBob. Backstage she runs into the ballerinas and they hand her flowers, gushing over how amazing she was. They are disturbed by Mme. Puff slamming her cane onto the floor.
"Yes you did well," she said to Sandy. "He will be pleased. And you!" She pointed at the ballerinas. "You were a disgrace! None of you can dance worth a barnacle! Get rehearsing now!" They leave and Sandy is left alone. She wanders toward her dressing room. When she enters, she is startled by a voice that came from nowhere and everywhere.
"Bravi, bravi, bravissimi..."
A/N: Ooooh. I love writing this. Tell me what you think so far. As for M. Krabs embarrassing photo, we'll find that out later! :D