PART 10 – BEDTIME STORIES

Christine tried to stifle a giggle as she watched the red faced drunk wrap his scarf around his neck and pretend to be hanging from a noose. He was always doing this whilst telling his stories of the opera ghost. It was getting late and the candlelight was flickering on the walls, giving the dormitory a sinister, spooky look which perfectly matched the theme of his tales. Christine and Meg were huddled on Christine's bed whilst Emilie was in the bed next to them, listening intently to Buquet.

He seemed to love the attention he got from the younger ballerinas who were currently surrounding him, sat on the floor, all transfixed with his storytelling. Some of them looked scared, some looked excited and some, like Christine, merely listened and didn't seem to take the man seriously.

"So this is why you must be careful," Buquet grinned fiendishly at the naïve ballerinas before him "and don't wander the opera house at night alone"

Christine rolled her eyes, as she sat up in her bed. She had heard these stories a million times.

"Do you think he will ever stop telling these stories?" she nudged Meg

"Ssssh!" Meg briefly turned her attention to Christine "He is right, you don't want to wander around alone, not with the opera ghost around"

"You don't believe its true do you?" Christine frowned

"I know its true"

"Don't be silly!" Emilie whispered "He just enjoys spooking the kids out"

"Have you ever wondered why Box 5 never gets taken?" Meg whispered to the two girls

"I hadn't really noticed" Christine shrugged as she pulled the bed covers up to her neck to warm herself up.

"Well it never ever gets taken. You just look for yourselves and you will see I'm right" Meg smirked.

"So what are you saying?" Christine couldn't see where Meg was going with this. What could Box 5 possible have to do with the fictional phantom of the opera?

"We can't talk here" Meg got up off the bed and gestured for them to follow her.

Christine and Emilie threw questioning looks at each other and reluctantly followed Meg, passing the other ballerinas, still engrossed in Buquet's chilling description of the Phantom of the Opera.

"Where are we going?" Emilie questioned as they left the dormitory

"Backstage, there's no-one there, we won't be heard" Meg led them downstairs and through the winding corridors that led to the backstage area.

Giggling, the three girls clung onto each other, trying to find their way in the dark. The props from the current opera were scattered everywhere and looked very eerie in the shadows.

Meg, slowly sat down behind the curtains, and as the other girls did so, they held each others hand, all feeling a little scared sitting in the dark.

"I shouldn't tell you this" Meg whispered gravely "But I found a note in Lefevre's office just over a week ago"

"You were snooping in his office?" Emilie giggled "How did you manage to keep that secret for over a week?"

"I wasn't snooping, its just that the door was open and as I walked past, something on the floor caught my eye" Meg took a breath "It was an envelope with a broken red skull wax seal on it. It had been crumpled up and looked as if he was planning to dispose of it so I didn't see any harm in having a look"

Meg looked from Christine to Emilie to check that she had their full attention. When she was satisfied that they were focused on her, she continued

"As I said, the seal was broken so I just took out the note inside and read it" Meg lowered her voice "It was from HIM! The Phantom of the Opera"

"It must be a joke" Christine shook her head "There are no such things as ghosts or phantoms"

"And there is definitely no such thing as a literate ghost" Emilie chuckled "How would a ghost write a note?"

"Well this one did" Meg snapped "The note was setting out his demands, which I may add have all been met. Clearly, the manager believes he exists"

"What demands?" Christine shuffled, she was getting rather uncomfortable sitting on the cold floor.

"There were many ranging from the design of sets, the arrangements of arias" Meg tried to remember the many demands on the note "And I remember, they were all carried out"

"What has this got to do with box 5?" Emilie reminded Meg

"I was just getting to that" Meg sighed "In this note, the Phantom also directed that box 5 was to be left empty for him to use at every performance and ever since I found the note I have been looking to check"

"And it has been left empty?" Emilie frowned "That's unusual you would think Lefevre would want the money from people who would pay to sit in there"

"To my knowledge, the box has been left vacant for well over a week" Meg nodded "Lefevre obviously believes the note is really from the opera ghost"

"Maybe he is just being overly cautious" Christine shrugged "You don't have to worry Meg, there are no ghosts roaming the Opera Populaire"

All three of the girls gasped as they noticed the curtains move slightly. Springing up from the floor, they all backed away as they saw a figure emerge through the curtains from the stage, walking towards them.

"What nonsense you little brats speak!" Shantelle was holding a bunch of red roses and smirking as she saw the fear in their eyes

"What are you doing here?" Meg walked back towards her "You frightened us"

"I know. I heard you scaring yourselves with those ridiculous stories" She laughed and looked at them distastefully "Opera ghosts! What rubbish!"

"They are not rubbish" Meg spoke defiantly "They are true"

"You idiots will believe anything that Buquet tells you" Shantelle sniffed at the roses she was carrying and looked back at them "That note you found was probably just from Buquet trying to convince more gullible people about the stupid ghost"

"As much as we love your company, what are you doing here?" Emilie smiled sarcastically

"I am meeting an admirer. His name is Gerard" Shantelle pushed Meg out of her way "He left me these flowers and asked me to meet him here"

"Aw and he hasn't shown up?" Meg laughed "Poor Shantelle"

"He will show up" Shantelle flicked a strand of hair away from her face and glared at the girls

"Now get lost, he will be here soon and I don't want you losers around. Go and look for your ghost"

She looked at them in disgust and laughed as she walked back through the curtains onto the stage.

"Oh, that girl seriously gets on my nerves" Meg was about to walk after her but Christine stopped her by grabbing her arm

"No Meg! Remember what you told me before. We just have to try not to let them get us down"

"Yes, there is no point in going after her" Emilie nudged Meg towards the corridors "Lets go back to the dormitory, your mother will go mad if she realises we have been wandering about"

"I guess you're right" Meg reluctantly followed the girls back to the dormitory and sighed "I guess we will never really know if the ghost rumours are true"

Shantelle looked around the stage anxiously, why had her admirer not arrived yet?

She was glad those three brats had gone otherwise she would have felt foolish standing there waiting for so long.

A few hours before, the stage had been filled with light and song and now it just looked dark and eerie and Shantelle was starting to feel edgy. Moving to the centre of the stage, she looked out into the auditorium to see if anyone was sitting there but she could see no-one.

When she could bear the silence and the darkness no longer, she went to walk away, but was stopped by an arm which had reached out from behind the curtain.

"Gerard is that you?" Shantelle struggled to free her arm "Come out from behind there, you are hurting me"

"I will do more than hurt you if you don't shut up and listen"

The voice was harsh and angry and Shantelle gasped at the ferociousness of it.

"Please let me go"

As she struggled, she suddenly felt something touch her neck and before she could swing around, she was caught in a noose and she could feel it tightening around her throat.

"No, please no" she struggled

"Now do you believe that I exist?"