Chapter One


Meg: Disclaimer: Basil, Dawson, and Ratigan are the property of Disney and may not be used without permission. All other characters belong to me, with the exception of my crew: JWJ, RAEB, Lizz, Emma, Sarah, and Leigh. Those six aren't even part of the story.

JWJ: Good, because if we were owned by you, I'd go insane.

Meg: You are insane. Oh by the way, this is the sequel to "Sing Sweetly For Me."


May 1901-

"Jack, this is hardly the time for this!"

"But Abigail, I'm being completely sincere! My darling, I meant-"

"You meant what? You meant to tell me about... about you and her! You've been seeing her behind my back!"

"You know it's only you I could ever love."

He tried to grab my paw, but then the backdrop fell down on us.

"Aaaahhhh! I can't see!"

A bright light blinded me as my fiancé Josh pulled the canvas tarp off of me. He grinned teasingly. "Meg, I know you love me, but you don't have to destroy all the scenery to avoid the kissing scene."

"Oh, stop it, you villain!" I said, laughing. He pulled me up.

My fellow actor, Nicholas Kaminski, was still tangled in the backdrop. "Somebody help me!" he barked out. Josh rolled his eyes.

The director of our production ran up to us. "Miss Sarentis, Mr. Kaminski, this is the fourth time this week this has happened! And it's always after the same line. What is going on here?"

"Mr. Merino, that stage crew isn't doing their job!" Kaminski complained. "They are impossible to work with! I thought this was a professional organization, not some juvenile troupe of ragtag performers! I have half a mind to leave now!"

"Now, now Mr. Kaminski, we can work this out!" Merino said nervously. "Don't worry, we'll fix this little problem right away! You just stay there now!" The small director then whirled his anger on Josh. "Mr. Havers, you're supposed to stay in the orchestra pit! I didn't ask for a violinist in my production!"

"All right, all right, I'm going!" Josh patted my paw and ran backstage. He and I knew how important this job was for him. He couldn't make too many slips.

Kaminski still complained, this time about me. I struggled to hold in my temper as he said, "And how can I expect to work with such an unprofessional staff! I get sent a mere child to act in an adult play! How insulting! This isn't a gypsy act; the Queen herself will be there!"

My cheeks flushed. It wasn't my fault he was 40 and I was only 18. Luckily, I had been better at holding in my temper over the past few months. I turned away.

"Besides, she's associated with the foulest fiend in all Mousedom! I can't associate myself with someone with so shameful a reputation!" That did it. I lost my head. I was about to tell the snobby mouse off, when another crash sounded throughout the theater. I whirled around to find two broken sandbags on the ground, the contents quickly spilling out.

"Mr. Kaminski!" I ran to the crumpled, sand-covered body. "Somebody get a doctor. He's had an accident!"


That evening as Josh walked me to my flat, we discussed Kaminski's accident.

"Is he going to be all right?" I asked. Josh had accompanied Dr. Dawson to the hospital with the actor.

"They think so. It didn't kill him. But he won't be able to perform for several weeks yet." We walked in silence for a few moments. "Meg, this is strange. It seems that a lot of strange things have been happening recently at the theater. Scenery falling, props disappearing... all sorts of odd things."

"Well, the theater is several decades old. Maybe the cables and supports aren't as strong as they used to be," I reasoned.

"But sweetheart, doesn't it concern you that that one backdrop kept falling at the same part of the same scene?" he asked.

"I admit that's a bit odd, sure, but there must be some logical explanation for all of this."

"Strange," Josh muttered.

I stopped and grasped his hands, breathing in the sweet spring air. "Josh Havers, stop worrying! It was just an accident, nothing more. Can't we forget about this for just a little while?" I playfully fluttered my eyes. "Please?"

"Oh, all right." He squeezed my paw. "So, you have a day off tomorrow. What are you going to do?"

"You don't have a day off, too?"

"No," he sighed. "Practice, practice."

"Well, since you're busy, I'll just... umm..."

"Oh no, not again! Meg, this must be the third time this month! How many judges have you seen?"

I looked down, ashamed. "I lost count a while ago."

Josh cupped his paw in my chin. "Meg, I'm so sorry. I could've stopped him. If only I had spoken up! I'm such a coward."

Tears flowed down my face. "It's not your fault, Josh. I agreed to the plan. I let him."

"But you were saving Anne's life. I knew they were going to kill her, even if you said yes. I could've stopped him!"

"Josh, don't blame yourself. It was all his fault, not yours." We arrived at my flat. Josh was depressed. "I love you," I said.

"I love you too." He gave me a kiss. "Good luck tomorrow."
RAEB, Lizz, Emma, Sarah, Leigh: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

JWJ: Stop it! What's with girls and kissing anyway?

RAEB: You are so unromantic.

JWJ: No, I'm just so normal.

Meg: (coughs, which sounds like "Manda")

JWJ: (rolls eyes)

Emma: The scenery falling down and the props disappearing sounds like "The Phantom of the Opera."

Leigh: (sarcastically) I wonder why she calls the story "Phantom," Emma.

Emma: Oh!

Sarah: You're writing a story about the Phantom of the Opera?

Meg: No.

JWJ: Sheesh. You are really bad about copying off of other authors.

Meg: If you think you can do better, you write the story.