Chapter 2
Yulia was loitering about the Opera House later that week. It was raining out, and in the cool summer shower she refused to go outside without her cloak, which she had conveniently left at her flat.
The Opera was not reopening until the next week due to the chandelier incident, and the majority o f the people were still quite shaken up, and as a result, were doing very little practicing. That was why it caught Yulia off guard when she found Meg Giry dancing alone on stage.
Yulia took a seat in the back of the auditorium and politely applauded when the younger girl had finished her dance.
"Oh!" she squeaked. "I'm sorry; I didn't know you were here."
Yulia nodded and walked toward her. "That's fine. I was just curious…you're Christine Daaé's friend, are you not?"
"Yes."
"She babbling on about her father and angels a few nights ago. Do you have any idea what she meant by it?"
Meg's gaze turned towards Box 5 for a moment, faltered, and then returned to Yulia. "Not here," she hissed.
"I think there's something wrong with her. She always used to have her head in the clouds, and I avoided her because of that, but I think she's really disturbed."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow…but not here."
"Why not? Why are you whispering?"
"The Ghost…he'll hear."
"The Ghost?" Yulia asked, louder. "Monsieur le Fantome! It isn't polite to eavesdrop! If you care about this opera and its performers, leave us be!"
Yulia grinned, only to find Meg several shades paler.
"Are you mad? He'll come after you!"
"Why should I fear the dead?"
"He'll kill you," Meg said matter-of-factly.
Yulia sighed. "As I said, why should I fear him?"
"You look tired."
"I got home late, "Yulia answered, sipping her tea. "Now, about Daaé ?"
Little Meg sighed, and reluctantly explained. "When she was a child, Christine's papa said he would send her the Angel of Music to teach her after he died. Christine told me that she has been receiving lessons from an angel, but…she seemed excited and fearful at the same time. I…I don't know how to help her. She always lived in a dream, but now, it seems, she won't, or can't, wake up."
"Maybe she should just marry her suitor and get away from the Opera. Between her belief in this angel and all the ghost stories…it can't be good for her."
"Why are you suddenly so concerned for her? You rarely spoke to anyone until the chandelier fell…"
Yulia glared at her, and Meg shut her mouth. "Does the Ghost ever play tricks?"
Meg giggled slightly. "You saw what happened to Carlotta!"
"That's not what I meant. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Opera Ghost is real. Now, the Opera business in very superficial; if I had to spend my afterlife at one, I'd go mad! Perhaps…this ghost became bored, and decided to toy with impressionable chorus girls? Daaé seems fit to believe whatever she's told. Her innocence is her gift and her downfall."
Meg shook her head. "I think…No, that can't be. The Opera Ghost isn't some bored little trickster. You still don't believe in him."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't, he'll make you."
Yulia stood up. "Here is the money for my meal; I must go."
Yulia was loitering about the Opera House later that week. It was raining out, and in the cool summer shower she refused to go outside without her cloak, which she had conveniently left at her flat.
The Opera was not reopening until the next week due to the chandelier incident, and the majority o f the people were still quite shaken up, and as a result, were doing very little practicing. That was why it caught Yulia off guard when she found Meg Giry dancing alone on stage.
Yulia took a seat in the back of the auditorium and politely applauded when the younger girl had finished her dance.
"Oh!" she squeaked. "I'm sorry; I didn't know you were here."
Yulia nodded and walked toward her. "That's fine. I was just curious…you're Christine Daaé's friend, are you not?"
"Yes."
"She babbling on about her father and angels a few nights ago. Do you have any idea what she meant by it?"
Meg's gaze turned towards Box 5 for a moment, faltered, and then returned to Yulia. "Not here," she hissed.
"I think there's something wrong with her. She always used to have her head in the clouds, and I avoided her because of that, but I think she's really disturbed."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow…but not here."
"Why not? Why are you whispering?"
"The Ghost…he'll hear."
"The Ghost?" Yulia asked, louder. "Monsieur le Fantome! It isn't polite to eavesdrop! If you care about this opera and its performers, leave us be!"
Yulia grinned, only to find Meg several shades paler.
"Are you mad? He'll come after you!"
"Why should I fear the dead?"
"He'll kill you," Meg said matter-of-factly.
Yulia sighed. "As I said, why should I fear him?"
"You look tired."
"I got home late, "Yulia answered, sipping her tea. "Now, about Daaé ?"
Little Meg sighed, and reluctantly explained. "When she was a child, Christine's papa said he would send her the Angel of Music to teach her after he died. Christine told me that she has been receiving lessons from an angel, but…she seemed excited and fearful at the same time. I…I don't know how to help her. She always lived in a dream, but now, it seems, she won't, or can't, wake up."
"Maybe she should just marry her suitor and get away from the Opera. Between her belief in this angel and all the ghost stories…it can't be good for her."
"Why are you suddenly so concerned for her? You rarely spoke to anyone until the chandelier fell…"
Yulia glared at her, and Meg shut her mouth. "Does the Ghost ever play tricks?"
Meg giggled slightly. "You saw what happened to Carlotta!"
"That's not what I meant. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Opera Ghost is real. Now, the Opera business in very superficial; if I had to spend my afterlife at one, I'd go mad! Perhaps…this ghost became bored, and decided to toy with impressionable chorus girls? Daaé seems fit to believe whatever she's told. Her innocence is her gift and her downfall."
Meg shook her head. "I think…No, that can't be. The Opera Ghost isn't some bored little trickster. You still don't believe in him."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't, he'll make you."
Yulia stood up. "Here is the money for my meal; I must go."