A/N- I have a feeling that I'm going to cross every genre imaginable with this story- except, perhaps for smut, but I might be able to work that in later on as well. So, I have no idea what category best suits the story, and almost feel unqualified to judge. Book? Movie? Mystery? Humor? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also, at some point I'll need to come up with a new titleā¦
The sound of my scream brought everyone running. I sank to the floor, my face buried in my hands. The Shade was at my side almost immediately, but this time he didn't make any comment. He just wrapped his arms around me, which for some reason made me burst into uncontrollable sobs. I collapsed onto the Shade's shoulder and wept. I should never have let MegSue go through the mirror. If only I had stopped her!
The sound Erik's voice brought me to my senses, "Who is responsible for this tasteless prank?"
This was the Erik that I knew. His voice sliced through the air like a blade and his eyes blazed with angry fire. He was holding a severed head by its hair- a severed head that was made of plaster and was dripping soup all over the carpet. I felt like a fool. I should have realized that it couldn't be MegSue. The eyes were colored white, but there were no scars anywhere on the painted face. All the same, the message was as clear as the crystals on the great chandelier.
The managers nearly fell over themselves trying to see who could apologize first, "We're so very sorry, Monsieur Garnier! This will never happen again, Monsieur Garnier! Please accept our deepest apologies, Monsieur Garnier!"
"See that it doesn't," Erik snapped at the fawning managers, "I am holding the two of you responsible for finding the person behind this. That should keep the two of you busy, since you obviously aren't sufficiently competent to run an opera house. From now on, I shall take charge of matters."
The managers began backing away, all the while nodding and bowing, "Of course, Monsieur Garnier! We'll get right on it, Monsieur Garnier! Whatever you want, Monsier Garnier!"
Erik then turned to me, "Madamoiselle, you must be quite overwrought. It's no wonder that you are reluctant to accept an engagement to perform in my opera, after everything that had happened over these past two days. The poor planning and mismanagement of this company has been inexcusable." Erik extended his hand to help me up, and I took it without thinking. He was gazing directly into my eyes, and it somehow made me feel as if we were the only two people in the room, and it was not a comfortable feeling.
I stepped back, and felt the Shade's steadying arm at my waist, but Erik did not release my hand. If anything, his gaze became more direct and his grew icy with menace, "I promise that while you are singing in my opera, this thing will not happen."
I followed Erik's eyes to the plaster head which had been left behind on the table, still bleeding soup from its plaster neck. His grip on my hand tightened like a vice. I shrank away, wishing that the earth would open up and swallow me and Erik and that would be an end to this sordid mess.
Erik had caught MegSue, that much was obvious. He was offering to trade her safety for our compliance with his latest ridiculous scheme to make ChristineSue worship him all the more. Or was it his scheme at all? It all seemed so silly. Erik was a genius and he could easily train any soprano his heart desired to sing his music according to his own taste. He could cancel the performance or change the season if it suited his whim, so why would Erik care who was ChristineSue's understudy? I turned my attentions to ChristineSue, she hovered in the background, holding her delicate pink skirts out of the way of the mess on the carpet and staring at Erik as if no one else existed. Was this her doing?
"I await your answer, Carlotta," said Erik.
"Fine," I said in a small, tight voice, "I'll do it." I felt like a schoolgirl answering her teacher, the handsome, older teacher that every schoolgirl both loves and fears- loves because he is desirable and powerful and fears for the very same reasons. I hated him and yet I was desperately flattered by his interest in me and a small part of me wanted to do whatever he wanted, all for the sake of keeping his attention or being able to tell myself that I, of all people, had some ability to tame the monster. However, I wasn't a sixteen-year-old child like ChristineSue, who believed in her innocence that she could save the beast. I knew that neither my charm nor my singing voice would ever be enough to sate the devil in Erik. No matter what he promised, no matter how polite he seemed, I would never be able to breathe as long as Erik was around.
"Then it is all quite settled," said Erik, at last releasing my hand. "We can start rehearsals immediately."
