Scene Five

"Does this look good on me?"

"Hey, who took that white and gold Victorian that was right here?"

"Look at this one!"

"How do you tie these strings?"

"Is it mandatory to wear these corsets?"

"I heard we have to waltz!"

"God, I look huge in this! Switch with me!"

The dressing room at the opera house was full of commotion. Alexia hung off to the side, allowing everyone first serve on the Victorian and Renaissance styled dresses lining the clothes racks. Girls were pulling pounds of makeup from their bags and taking pictures of one another. Seven huge mirrors were set up in the room, girls hounding for space around six of them. They left one alone, one with a long crack across the glass. Alexia didn't dare go near the mirrors.

"Alexia, can you help me?"

A small framed girl, Loraine, was clothed in a violet, wizard-sleeved shift. She held the strings of her plum-colored bodice anxiously. Alexia helped her tie it and smoothed out any wrinkles. Loraine blushed, her blonde hair pulled into a French braid. Alexia grimaced and looked over at the other girls. They all looked beautiful in the dresses. She didn't really want to look for one.

Quietly, a dress fluttered to the ground. Alexia glanced at it for a moment, noticing the dusted red rose sitting on top. She picked the dress and the rose up. The dress was a scarlet Victorian-style with a dark red colored bodice and even darker ruffles. She looked again at the rose and a smile crept onto her face.

"Ooh, that's so pretty. Are you going to wear it, Alexia?" Loraine asked.

Nodding, Alexia pulled it on. Conveniently, it was just her size and fit comfortably, even after Loraine laced up the bodice. Alexia rolled the rose in between her fingers. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and slipped the rose in. She stared into the broken mirror, hoping she looked decent.

She grimaced, noticing negative things. She noticed how dark colors of the dress made her skin paler, almost albino white. Dark bags clung underneath her eyes. Some of the scars were visible. To distract herself, she mussed with her ponytail. Some hair rested on her shoulder while the rest hung on her back.

Possibly a trick of the light, something seemed to move inside the mirror. She reached out and placed her palm on the mirror. She could faintly see a black clad man with his palm against the mirror where hers was. She looked up at his shadow-covered face. She smiled.

She spun around as the other girls started to leave. A table with masks sat outside, the girls crowding around it like rabid dogs. She cast a quick glance at the mirror before stepping out to grab a mask.

Just as someone had guessed, they were expected to waltz at least once during the dance. The class was ecstatic when they found out. A chance to show off was what everyone wanted. So when the first waltz started, the main lobby was full of movement. Apparently, the head of the Junior class had reserved the main lobby for the Masquerade. So the opera house closed its doors to the public at its usual time and decorated the lobby. Security guards stood by hallways, masked and dressed in tuxedos. Couples were standing on the balconies, dancing in circles, drinking punch, and laughing. It was like a true 1800s Masquerade.

However, Alexia found herself staying out of the crowd. She watched the spinning colors in a trance-like state. She reached up and ran her fingers over the velvet petals of the Phantom's rose. Her mind drifted. Where was Remy? She ran her hand down to her silver Venetian catwoman mask. Would anyone recognize her? As an answer, a familiar hand grabbed hers and pulled her into a corner. She looked up into Remy's eyes, which were framed by a mask that was half white, half black. She shivered, curling her hand into a tight fist.

"Are you okay?" He asked, glancing at her arm as if he could see the bandages. Pain filled his eyes. "Look, I'm really really sorry. I-I just… It was rabid, I thought, and when I saw your blood-"

"Relax!" She grabbed his jaw. "It was an accident and I'm not dead."

"But I should've gotten helped or stayed with you or something!"

"Enough already. What's done is done." She looked away.

"So you're okay?" When she nodded, he pulled her into a hug. He planted a quick kiss on her lips. "So does that mean you'll dance with me?"

"Only if we can stay over here. I don't wanna risk the chance of hitting my arm or something."

He nodded half-heartedly and took her hand. They fell in step with the music and soon were dancing like the other couples in the overheated, makeshift ballroom. The silver beads on her mask clattered together as they danced. They had good chemistry, stepping in time despite this being Alexia's first time dancing. But she had a lingering sense of being watched. She knew he was watching.

Alexia…

With a startled gasp, she jumped out of Remy's arms. She winced as her back collided with the wall. Remy approached her slowly, taking in her flushed skin. Alexia blushed harder. She was dancing with Remy. Why was she thinking of the kiss Erik had given her? Misunderstanding her body language, Remy chuckled as he placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her to the wall. She looked up at him, eyes wide. He grabbed her chin and tilted her face up to his. She blushed again, giving a small shiver. Without a second thought, he bent his head and started to kiss her.

All thoughts of Erik melted with Remy's touch. Slowly, she reached up to his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. His arms wound around her waist and pulled her close, deepening the kiss. Slowly, his mouth went across her jaw and down her neck, nibbling the flesh. She blushed, her skin warming under his lips.

A piercing shriek echoed through the ballroom followed by silence.

Alexia pushed away from Remy, recognizing the scream. "Loraine?" She called out, worming through the crowd towards the staircase. "Loraine!"

Loraine was sprawled out on the base of the staircase, Columbina mask held in shaking fingers. Alexia broke through the crowd and crouched next to the small girl. Her frame was shaking and her eyes were wide with fear. She kept looking towards the staircase, shivering when she looked away. The crowd became alive with gossip and chatter. Alexia rubbed Loraine's shoulder.

"Loraine, what is it?" She asked comfortingly. "Are you having an attack?" She whispered, referring to the girl's irrational and sometimes maddening hallucinations.

Loraine shook her head vigorously. "It was so gross." She whispered quietly. "The monsieur's face!" Her voice raised an octave. "The monsieur's face is so gross! All messed up and red and… I saw the inside of his cheek!" With a pitiful sob, Loraine pressed her face into her hands and sobbed.

Alexia trembled. Why was she finding it so hard to breathe? She whispered calming words to Loraine's ears until a chaperone walked out of the crowd. Alexia found herself unable to get up once Loraine had her face buried into the chaperone's chest. Footsteps from the stairwell brought everyone's eyes up.

Loraine pulled away to look before letting out another frightened shriek. The chaperone rose and pulled Loraine away, stroking her back comfortingly. Alexia didn't look up at first. She had taken off his mask… that was all the reason she needed.

Slowly, Alexia got to her feet and looked up. Sure enough, a masked man stood on the landing.

Cloaked in dark scarlet… dressed as The Red Death, was the Phantom.

Author's Note: hey, readers. wow, lots happening? anywho, the mask ideas came from the Venetian Mask Society website. check it out; its really cool :3

Alexia's mask: Silver Catwoman Mask
Loraine's mask: Silver Columbina Madam Macrame Mask