Here is it, chapter 3. Sorry it took so long to update, stupid computer…*glares*
For the next few weeks, Meg didn't see Joseph.
She figured he was busy with college, like he had said, and she had long-forgotten her anger of him standing her up.
Meg was now walking to the library. It was a Sunday, and she was off from ballet practice. Going by the back of Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop, Meg spotted one of her mother's friends walking up the steps that lead to the barber shop.
Just as he was beginning to walk up, she saw his wallet fall from his pocket and onto the ground.
"Oh, monsieur! Monsieur Janson! You dropped this-"
He was already inside the barber shop, and did not hear.
Jogging up to the shop, Meg picked up his wallet and took it upstairs to return it to M. Janson. But when she got to the door, what she saw made her whole body freeze in horror.
Just as M. Janson sat down, the barber slit M. Janson's throat with his razor, causing blood to spurt everywhere. The barber then pulled a lever, and the chair holding M. Janson's body tipped back, causing his body to fall through a trap-door. With a calm face, the barber then began cleaning off his razor.
He still didn't see Meg at the door.
In her horror, Meg barely noticed that she was getting dizzy, that her head suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Her vision blurred, and she toppled down the steps and onto the sidewalk.
It was such a nice day, and Erik tried to take advantage of it. It was chilly for April, but the sun shone brightly with no threat of rain like last week.
Walking on the opposite side of Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop, Erik noticed an older girl, maybe nineteen or twenty, passed out on the sidewalk. Erik almost immediately assumed she was some prostitute, passed out drunk from last night, but something about the blonde hair seemed familiar…
Taking a closer look at the girl, Erik saw with horror that it was Antoinette Giry's little daughter, Meg. What in the name of God were you doing Giry?
Antoinette would never forgive him if he just left Meg there. Hoping not to scare her, he gently shook her awake. "Meg…Meg!"
She woke suddenly, and started hyperventilating.
"Meg, be calm! I'm not going to hurt you!"
Meg shook her head, her eyes widening in terror. She was looking past him, and starting to shake.
"Meg, what's wrong? Am I scaring you?"
She shook her head again, breathing in large gulps. "Oh, oh God, oh God, oh God…"
Erik pulled Meg to her feet. Grabbing her shoulders, he stared at her straight in the eyes. "Meg, did someone hurt you?"
Her body racked with shakes. "B-b-barber. B-b-barber."
She barely spoke over a whisper.
Looking up, Erik frowned. "Up there?" he asked, pointing at the barber shop. "Did he hurt you?"
Meg continued to shake. "N-no…he-he killed, he killed…" She dropped to her knees, her legs shaking too badly to support her.
Pulling her up again, Erik managed to take her back to the opera house and through the passage way that would take him down to his lair. Meg didn't say anything about where they were going, or even who he was. She was literally frightened out of her senses.
When Erik finally brought Meg down, she collapsed to her knees again, struggling to take even breaths.
"Meg, you're safe now! For God's sake, what happened?"
Meg started crying. "I-I was walking up the s-stairs, to r-return someone's wallet, and-and the barber, he-he killed him…with his razor…and, and oh God…there was b-blood everywhere…"
Erik gasped. "Was this barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop?"
Meg nodded.
So that man that was in the shop that day is a killer. The question is, who else? Or was that man the only one?
"Meg, did you see what the barber did with the body?"
Meg's eyes widened. "T-trap d-d-door…the chair tipped back, and the body fell through a trap door…"
So that means the body went down into the cellars of the meat pie shop…Does Mrs. Lovett know that?
"Monsieur…" Meg whispered. "I'm so scared. Can't you do something?"
Erik put his head in his hands. Was he really going to get himself wrapped up in all of this? She is Madame Giry's daughter…And I owe a debt to Madame.
"Yes, I can…I'm going to take you up to your mother now, Meg. I want you to tell her what you saw. But tell her…that Erik has it under control…and that he will take care of it. She will know who you're talking about."
Meg nodded, and allowed Erik to take her back to her room.
You're going to regret this…
Hours later, Erik stood outside the barber shop, gazing up at the staircase. Let's see what's going on. Then he walked up the steps, and into the shop.
Thanks again for reading, next chapter coming up real soon!
