"Oh Angel!" Meg exclaimed. "Can't you wait for tonight?"
"Oh yes!" I replied "Very much!"
It had been three days since Damian and I ventured deep down into the domain of the Opera Ghost and discovered the shocking truth behind this monster. Damian's brother Erik was really the Phantom of the Opera. This murderer was his brother! I shook these thought off of my mind. 'This is all in the past.' I reminded myself. 'Nothing is going to happen tonight. I have to remember that this evening is supposed to be fun.' Tonight was the Bal Masque at the "Opera Populaire" Every first of January the opera house has a masquerade celebrating the New Year. Meg and I were excitably preparing for the ball in my room. Meg was going as a swan. Her costume of white was trimmed with feathers as was her mask and head piece. I myself wasn't going as anything or anyone unparticular. I just made a dark crimson silk under skirt and a gold and black silk over dress. As I pulled up the golden gloves on my arms there was a knock on the door.
"You two almost ready in there?" Raoul asked.
"Yes!" I cried. "Just give us two more minutes!"
"Okay." Raoul answered. "But Damian and the others are waiting!"
"Like I said!" I exclaimed "We are almost finished!"
Meg and I let out a giggle. Brothers can be so impatient at times! After placing the black mask over my eyes, both Meg and I walked out of the door and down the stair case.
"My goodness you two!" Jacqueline, Christine's eldest sister exclaimed seeing our costumes. "You both look absolutely exquisite!"
"Jacqueline is right girls." Christine smiled. "You look beautiful."
"As do the both of you." I added.
Christine smiled as she spun around in a circle her pink ball gown swirling all around her.
"Merci Angel." Christine smiled. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome."
"Come on ladies!" Damian said taking my arm in his. "We have a ball to attend."
All of laughed as we walked outside to the carriage.
"Can you believe it Jackie?" I exclaimed. "You and I are going to be sisters!"
"Half sisters my dear." Jacqueline corrected.
"Yes." I laughed. "You're right." We stood at the top of the grand staircase and watched all the dancers glide on the ball room floor.
"Oh!" I gasped "Aren't the dancers so graceful?"
"Yes." Jacqueline agreed.
"It's almost if they're flying!"
"Oh Angel." Jacqueline laughed. "You still have that wild imagination like you did when you were a child."
"And you are as just as prim and proper as I remember." I giggled.
"And what are you two ladies giggling about?"
We both turned and smiled as we recognized Christine.
"Oh nothing much Little Lotte." I grinned. "Just the engagement."
"I see."
"We are so happy for you Christine!" Jacqueline smiled at her younger sister.
"I know you both are," she started. "But please, we told you to keep it secret."
"Oh we know." I nodded. "We won't tell anyone else. We promise."
"I hate to break up the conversation, but I did promise my fiancé a dance."
We all turned and laughed.
"Oh of course Raoul." I giggled. "Go ahead."
I sighed as my brother led Christine onto the ball room floor.
'Great.' I thought. 'Once again I'm all by myself.'
Just then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I swirled around to face Damian.
"Excuse me
mademoiselle, but my I have the honor of this dance?"
"Oh
yes!" I exclaimed. He took his arm in mine and led me to the
ballroom floor.
"Well monsieur," I smiled as Damian twirled me in a circle. "I must say, you are a man of many talents."
"Well I have traveled around the world." Damian reminded me. "I ought to have learned some ball room dances while I was away, don't you think?"
I laughed. He did have a point.
"True Damian. Very true."
Just then the lights began to flicker. Soon, only the ones on the stair case remained. And there, standing on the steps in all his glory, was The Phantom clothed in a blood red suit trimmed in black and gold. A deathly white skull mask was over his face. A sword dangled at his side. He held leather binding of some kind in his left hand. Damian wrapped a protective arm around me.
"Stay close." He warned me. I nodded.
"Why so silent good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good? I have written you an opera. Here I bring the finished score." The Phantom threw the large black-bound music score onto the floor causing the pages to fly out of it. He then turned to us.
"Fondest greetings to you all. I have a few instructions just before rehearsals begin. First of all, Carlotta must be taught to act, not her normal trick of strutting around the stage." Even though I didn't like the opera ghost very much, I couldn't help but agree. "As for out star. Miss Christine Daae, I want her for the lead role of Aminta. No doubt she'll do her best, its true her voice is good she knows as do I. But she has much still to learn. So, if pride will let her return to her teacher, I'll have her ready by opening night." I turned my attention towards Christine. She somehow seemed dazed as she walked up the steps to the phantom. At first all seemed well, but then he spotted the engagement ring around her neck. In a trust of anger he pulled the chain from her neck.
"Your chains are still mine!" he shouted. "You belong to me only!" With that he swirled his cape and disappeared in a puff of smoke and flames.
I let out a shriek as Damian darted past me and up the grand staircase. When he reached the top he drew his sword and plunged down into a hidden trap door.
I stood a moment amid the frantic screams. What should I do? I couldn't possibly let Damian go alone, yet I was frightened out of my wits. My hands shaking, I grabbed my skirts and ran up the steps to the trapdoor. The blackness yawned up at me, sending shivers down my spine. I gathered my courage and jumped down into the dark.
My feet hit the ground with a shock. I reeled for a moment before getting my balance. Then I looked around me. Down the hall was a flickering torch and I saw Damian running towards it. I opened my mouth to call to him, but was stopped by a cloaked figure leaping out from the shadows. I froze. It was the Phantom.
He grabbed Damian and flung him against the wall. "How dare you follow the Phantom to his lair?" he demanded. "Now you shall pay!"
"No!" Damian cried, trying to fend him off with his sword. "You don't understand! I'm-"
The Phantom stepped to the side grabbed a long rope hanging from the ceiling. It took me a minute to realize what it was and then it was too late for me to warn Damian. With a scream, he fell down into yet another trap.
I stood frozen, hidden in the darkness, and watched as the Phantom let out a peal of evil laughter. Then with a swirl of his cloak he disappeared. There was nothing left save the hole in the floor. I ran too it.
"Damian!" I cried. "Are you alright?"
"Angel?" He called back up. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to find you, I couldn't let you go alone."
In the flickering shadows below I could see him. He was pacing amid a room of mirrors, his shape reflected hundreds of times over. He looked up at me.
"I'm trapped," He said. "Hurry Angel! You must escape before he returns!"
I hesitated for a moment. The darkness seemed to grow greater and I wanted nothing more then to flee to the brightly lit opera house above. But I couldn't leave Damian. Looking around for something to help me, I spotted the pull rope for the trap door. A smile curled about my face and I grabbed the sword Damian had dropped. With it I cut the rope and tied it tightly to the post that held the torch. Then I lowered the rope down to the Count. Damian looked at it for a moment, confused.
"Hurry!" I called. "Climb up!"
Damian grabbed the rope and with the agility of a monkey he shinnied up the rope. Once there he took my hands.
"Come on," he said. "This has gone too far. We have to find your brother."