"Christine! Please pay attention or excuse yourself from rehearsal!"
Madame Giry snapped. It was two weeks later and Christine had her thoughts
on other things than the rehearsal.
"I'm sorry Madame Giry," she apologized quickly. "I can pay attention."
"I hope so. We don't need dancers who have their minds elsewhere," replied the ballet leader. The rehearsal continued with little excitement. Suddenly the lights went low for a split second then returned to normal. The girls all screamed.
"It's the ghost!" Meg Giry shrieked.
"Hush girls!" reprimanded Madame Giry. "Stay here while I go find out what happened." The girls all huddled to the middle of the stage even though the lights were back on and shining brightly.
Only Christine stood alone and apart from the rest. "My Angel will protect me," she thought to herself. "He won't let anything happen to me." She glanced around the house. As she scanned the room, something caught her eye. There was someone in Box 5. She gasped and looked back towards the other dancers. None of them had noticed the man watching them. She turned her eyes back to the box. The man was still there staring; staring at her! She backed up a few steps and swallowed nervously. She didn't know why she didn't shout out so that the others would see the man. It was as though his eyes kept her silent.
"Christine what's wrong?" Christine gasped and looked at Meg who had addressed her.
She looked back at Box 5. The man was gone. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Nothing's wrong."
"You look terrified," Meg argued. "What happened?"
"I was just frightened that's all," Christine replied.
"We were all scared," Meg told her. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"Well there was no reason to be." Madame Giry walked back onstage. "The managers have spoken to the stagehands and it will not happen again."
"So it was just an accident?" Meg asked.
"Yes Meg, it was just an accident," her mother replied. There was a collective sigh from the dancers; all of them but Christine. She still had a worried look on her face.
"What is it Christine?" Madame Giry asked.
"It's just that while you were gone I- I saw someone," Christine said softly.
"Saw someone where?"
"In- in the ghost's box. In Box 5." The girls gasped and Meg covered her mouth with her hands.
"Was it...him?" one girl asked.
"What did he look like?" another questioned.
"He was just watching me. He was dressed in black and wore a white mask over half of his face," Christine replied.
"It was him," Madame Giry said warily. The girls all looked up to Box 5 and, just when they did, the stage went black again. Cries of terror rose from the dancers and Christine felt silent tears run down her cheeks. The darkness pressed in on her like a weight. She had no idea where she was facing. Suddenly, she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist. She gasped and tried to pull away but they had her too tightly.
"Christine?! Where are you Christine?!" Meg yelled.
She tried to yell, but the person holding her covered her mouth with their hand. She struggled again and then heard a familiar voice in her ear.
"You're fine Christine. I'll take care of you," it said. The hand slid off her mouth and down her neck.
"Angel?" she whispered.
"Yes," he replied. "I'm here."
"I'm sorry Madame Giry," she apologized quickly. "I can pay attention."
"I hope so. We don't need dancers who have their minds elsewhere," replied the ballet leader. The rehearsal continued with little excitement. Suddenly the lights went low for a split second then returned to normal. The girls all screamed.
"It's the ghost!" Meg Giry shrieked.
"Hush girls!" reprimanded Madame Giry. "Stay here while I go find out what happened." The girls all huddled to the middle of the stage even though the lights were back on and shining brightly.
Only Christine stood alone and apart from the rest. "My Angel will protect me," she thought to herself. "He won't let anything happen to me." She glanced around the house. As she scanned the room, something caught her eye. There was someone in Box 5. She gasped and looked back towards the other dancers. None of them had noticed the man watching them. She turned her eyes back to the box. The man was still there staring; staring at her! She backed up a few steps and swallowed nervously. She didn't know why she didn't shout out so that the others would see the man. It was as though his eyes kept her silent.
"Christine what's wrong?" Christine gasped and looked at Meg who had addressed her.
She looked back at Box 5. The man was gone. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Nothing's wrong."
"You look terrified," Meg argued. "What happened?"
"I was just frightened that's all," Christine replied.
"We were all scared," Meg told her. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"Well there was no reason to be." Madame Giry walked back onstage. "The managers have spoken to the stagehands and it will not happen again."
"So it was just an accident?" Meg asked.
"Yes Meg, it was just an accident," her mother replied. There was a collective sigh from the dancers; all of them but Christine. She still had a worried look on her face.
"What is it Christine?" Madame Giry asked.
"It's just that while you were gone I- I saw someone," Christine said softly.
"Saw someone where?"
"In- in the ghost's box. In Box 5." The girls gasped and Meg covered her mouth with her hands.
"Was it...him?" one girl asked.
"What did he look like?" another questioned.
"He was just watching me. He was dressed in black and wore a white mask over half of his face," Christine replied.
"It was him," Madame Giry said warily. The girls all looked up to Box 5 and, just when they did, the stage went black again. Cries of terror rose from the dancers and Christine felt silent tears run down her cheeks. The darkness pressed in on her like a weight. She had no idea where she was facing. Suddenly, she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist. She gasped and tried to pull away but they had her too tightly.
"Christine?! Where are you Christine?!" Meg yelled.
She tried to yell, but the person holding her covered her mouth with their hand. She struggled again and then heard a familiar voice in her ear.
"You're fine Christine. I'll take care of you," it said. The hand slid off her mouth and down her neck.
"Angel?" she whispered.
"Yes," he replied. "I'm here."