Chapter 2: Phantom of the Opera Strikes
1 week to Opening
Leon tapped his foot on the stone steps on the edge of the watery path. The gate opened and Philippe came with the boat. Leon stepped into the boat. Philippe pushed off and they sailed down the passage and came to the hall, a horse waited for him there.
" She waits to hear your voice," Philippe said
Leon nodded and jumped down and walked with his brother up to the first hall, which he created for his own devices. He opened the trap door and stepped up into the stairs. A room was split into two and he locked both sides of the room.
" Sing," he said
Michelle opened her eyes and turned to the wall. She heard his voice and heard his movements in the room beside her.
" What do you wish for me to sing?" she asked
" Anything," he said
Michelle nodded and he watched her threw the little peep hole in the thin wall. She stood up and warmed up and began to sing a melody familiar to his own ears.
" Think of Me," he whispered
He stopped her and touched the wall.
" Your afraid, and that is why you hold back," he gently said, " Again without fear."
Michelle nodded and looked towards the wall and began on key and Leon tapped his foot to her voice. He closed his eyes and pictured the audience staring at the young girl. He opened his eyes once she stopped singing.
" That is it for today, leave," he said
He unlocked the doors and vanished through the back, before she could come around to see her tutor. She raised an eyebrow and saw a rose on the chair, she picked it up then left. She walked down the hallways and listened to the diva, who was not much older than herself. Her name was Isabelle and she was a very needy person, but very nice. Michelle walked along the halls and stopped, hearing noises. She went to enter a room, but then a hand found her shoulder. She turned around and saw Madame Cuivre.
" Madame Cuivre, I heard a noise," Michelle said
" There are machines washing clothes, please return to the dressing room," Madame Cuivre said
Michelle nodded and headed down to the stage. She watched as Philippe and Isabelle did their lover's duet. The 8 dancers watched and sighed with a dreamy eyes.
" Their such a beautiful pair," one said
" I heard a rumor that they are engaged," another said
" It won't work out, he's to selfish and she's to needy," a third said
Michelle looked at Philippe and shrugged and then walked behind the stage and stopped again hearing someone in the rafters. She saw a black cape and looked at the stage latter. She climbed up onto the later and went up onto the rafters. She walked carefully across to the other side and saw the door shut. She looked around and then followed.
Leon knelt down and grabbed something and lit a candle to see what he was doing. Michelle entered the dark loft and carefully shut the door, so not to disturb the person she was following. Leon flipped through the pages of the journal he had discovered and read it. Michelle got closer and saw he was searching through a book. He looked up and saw someone and reached for the candle, but in the process knocked the candle. The hot wax spilled on his hand and Michelle jumped and went to aid him.
" Here don't be so fast," she said
Leon looked at her with his suave half and narrowed his eyes.
" What are you doing here?" he growled, " Don't you know this is dangerous."
" What should I be afraid of a phantom too?" she said, " The Phantom can't harm anyone after all he's mortal too."
She gently peeled the wax off his hand wipe the rest off with her handkerchief. He looked at her and she smiled and then cleaned the floor.
" Why not use a flashlight, it's safer than a candle?" she questioned
" I don't like modern technology," he whispered
Michelle sat down and then looked on his face. She saw a mark that looked like a cut. She reached and he moved away with a growl.
" I'm sorry, you just had a cut," she said
He grasped the book and stood up and Michelle saw the mask and gasped. He narrowed his eyes as she stared at him.
" What are you looking at? My face? Does it interest you?" he growled
" No," she whispered, " I'm sorry."
She turned away and he vanished through another door. She turned around and breathed deep, all that was left was a petal and note. She lifted it and broke the seal and read the letter.
" I knew it was you," she said
Day after day Michelle took lessons and was cast into the opera for the opening. She was to play a small role, but it was expected. Leon watched her rehearsed and stayed in the shadows, then left with only a note to mark he was there. He walked down the halls and Madame Cuivre followed him with a tray of food. She watched him sit down and made him lunch from the tray of food.
" You are failing in feeding yourself," she said
She looked at him as he ate and poured a glass of wine. He drank it and she sighed.
" You should rest, your strength is withering away," she said
Leon turned away from her stares and removed the mask. She sighed and poured him another glass.
" Your student is doing well Leon, and yet your far from thought," she said
Leon pushed the chair out and narrowed his eyes and slipped the mask over his disfigured half. He turned around and looked at her.
" If your suggesting that I'm falling for her, you're wrong," he said, " She's a child of ignorance."
Madame Cuivre sighed and peeled him an apple and sliced the bread.
" Eat Leon," she said
She looked at his pale untouched skin.
" Do yourself a favor and go out tonight and let your flesh feel some air," she said
" Stop trying tell me how to take care of myself," he growled
" Your not taking care of yourself," she replied
Leon took the knife and said, " I bleed just as normal as any man does."
He cut his arm and let the blood fall and Madame Cuivre sighed. She looked at the depressed man. His spirit was gone, he was just an empty shell. His brother had not been of any help. Philippe was using his brother for the tutoring of his own talent. In fact he trapped him here so he could control his life.
" You are human Leon, so why play these games, and open the newly healed wounds of the people who have heard of the opera house incident," Madame Cuivre said
Leon sat down and looked at the mark that bled, Madame Cuivre wrapped his arm.
" Perhaps this is a lesson for you Leon," she said
" To do what die?" he questioned
He stabbed the table with the knife and sighed.
" Go," he said, " I'm tiered."
" But it's the middle of the day," she said
" I said go, I'm tiered," he said
Leon got up and placed his dress coat on, buttoning two lower buttons. Madame Cuivre nodded and walked off and Leon wrote a note to the manger that was now in control of the opera. He dropped it on the backstage and a dancer came and brought it to the manger.
" What is this?" he asked
" A letter from the Phantom, Monsieur Love," she said
Monsieur love opened the letter and read it out loud, " I look forward to hearing the angelic voices of our leading lady Isabelle and the daughter of our investor. I ask that you leave my normal seat open, for I will be attending tonight. Box five will always be open and my salary, Monsieur, is due this month don't forget the 30,000 Euros. Signed Phantom."
Monsieur Love looked at the actors and Philippe stood up straight.
" It would be wise to do as he ask Monsieur Love. He is a very vicious Phantom," Philippe said, " A man who will hang you if you speak ill of him. A cold blood killer."
He looked at the dancers and covered half of his face.
" He looks at you with only one eye, because he has no second eye," Philippe said
" I've seen him Monsieur Love, he's very slick looking, but he wears a mask, some say he's a dream," a dancer said
Michelle looked at the two and then listened to the stories that busted out all around them.
" Michelle, haven't you seen him?" a girl asked
" No, never, I've seen a man in black, but he's vanished from sight," she said
" That is him, oh I knew he dressed in black!" the dancer exclaimed
Philippe looked up to where the door to the loft was, he saw Leon standing there and then vanish.
" The Phantom of the Opera," Philippe said, " Is nothing more than a killer, ready to strike if you do not listen."
" Then we will put the amount of money up there, but not box five," he said, " That is for the most important people."
" Refusal to do what he ask could be your neck tied with a lasso Monsieur," Philippe said
" Yes, and those days are gone," Monsieur Love said
Philippe sighed and shook his head then walked off into the back. He sipped on some water and one smooth motion Philippe was pulled through a trap door. Leon stood there and looked at his brother.
" The Phantom of the Opera is a cold blood killer?" Leon questioned
" Yes, brother he is one," he said, " Now do you mind I have rehearsal?"
Leon held the lasso up and Philippe rolled his eyes. Leon slipped it around his brother's neck and pulled it tight.
" Leon this isn't funny," Philippe said
" I know," he said, " Do you see me laughing?"
" What are you going to do with that end?" Philippe questioned
" Show them how blood thirsty I am," Leon said
He pulled his brother down and tied him to a pillar under the stage. He removed his mask and slipped Philippe's on.
" You need a break brother," Leon said, " If you move that lasso it will only become tighter…rest well brother."
" Leon!" Philippe shouted
Leon jumped up and shut the trap door. He walked out and held the bottle of water.
" Shall we continue," he said
" Where did you go?" Isabelle asked
" To get a drink, I must keep my voice as pure as yours," Leon said
Isabelle looked at him and then looked at Monsieur Love.
" Alright continue," he said
Later, Leon untied his brother and let him go, but before Philippe could say anything, Leon was gone. Philippe narrowed his eyes and then stormed off to prepare for the opening night.
Leon dressed in a finer version of his black outfit. He waited until the evening light captured the opera house. He saw the opera house becoming full and he waited until the curtain was up. Leon listened to the music as the opera began, he watched from a crack in the loft door.
" I see these fools will not listen," he said
He walked out hidden by the chandelier and looked over at box five.
" I see you have yet to listen to me, Did I not instruct that box five was to be left empty," his dark voice called over the opera house.
" It's him, the Phantom of the Opera," a dancer whispered
" Nonsense he's a man," another said
Philippe narrowed his eyes and turned to the investors who looked at the man. He fled back into the loft. Michelle breathed deep and looked up seeing the stagehands heading there.
" No, don't," she whispered
Philippe stepped out and looked at the director.
" Start it again, there will be no interruptions," he said
" Yes, Monsieur," the director said
The music began to play and the cast snag out as strongly has they had before. Leon swung across the ropes and jumped on the rafters. He looked at the stage men as they went to find him. He smiled and covered his white mask as he hid from them.
Michelle walked off stage to change into her second costume and he heard something fall. She walked to the back holding her undone costume to her.
" Hello," she whispered
Leon hid and she slipped the sleeves on. Leon stood up and ran into the dark dressing rooms. He found the trap door, but heard someone coming. The stage hand came and Leon flew into the next room. He blew out the candle light and shut the other lights off. Michelle walked in and looked around, she reached for the light.
" Don't do that," a voice said
" Who's there?" she questioned
Leon stood beside her and touched her hand and she jump. She breathed deep as he looked at her. He turned her around, covered her mouth and then zipped up her dress.
" Where is the door back door?" he asked
" I don't know," she whispered
He looked at her and she turned on a lamp light and saw his outlined figure. She saw the mask and screamed. He covered her mouth again and she looked at him and fainted. The stage hand busted in and saw Leon holding Michelle.
" Mademoiselle Ecorce!" they shouted
" No more moves, or she will be the late Mademoiselle Ecorce," He said
He lifted her into his arms fully and fled through the back. The stage hand shouted that the Phantom of the Opera had kidnapped Michelle. Leon came to the back stairs and followed the hall to the dormitories. He laid Michelle there and then fled into the shadows.