Chapter III: "O.G."
"I can't believe this!", Mossman said as he read the paper, "'Tonight, young Teela Daaé disappeared after she delivered what some are calling 'the greatest performance of her young career' we fear that foul play might be at hand'", the manager read, with a look of puzzlement on his face. "How is one supposed to run an opera house when one doesn't have anyone to sing the opera is beyond me? Oh well at least we still get the money, nothing sells better than good old fashioned gossip", he said as he sat in his chair.
"This is unbelievable!" Mekaneck yelled as he barged into the room, a look of anger crossed his face. "Simply unbelievable" he shouted again. This whole business was becoming a madhouse and Mekaneck; one of the 'wardens' was losing his mind.
"Please don't yell, don't you see my friend, this is a gold mine, people will flock here just to see this 'phantom,'" Mossman explained to his friend with a look of greed on his face thinking of all the money they'll make from this whole 'phantom' business.
"We don't have any players" Mekaneck informed his colleague, unlike Mossman who knew that people will flock to the Opera House in droves just to see the Phantom, he felt this 'phantom' was going to the ruin of them.
"You haven't read the note…oh you got one too" Mossman said as handed Mekaneck an envelope addressed to him.
When Mekaneck opened the envelope, he found a note written in red ink, the handwriting was sloppy as if a child wrote it, but Mek could still read it, it said:
Dear Mek,
What a lovely evening, Teela was astounding, we were not mad when Catra left. Also, the chorus was amazing, but the dancing was disastrous.
Mossman took out his note, written in the same red ink and poor handwriting, the note read:
Dear Mossman,
I just wanted to remind you that I haven't been paid yet, you can send it to me via the post care of PTO. No one likes a person who doesn't pay up, so you better listen to me.
"What idiot would dare to send these?" Mossman shouted as he looked at his note
"Someone who thinks like a child, no doubt" Mek replied looking at his note a bit perplexed.
"Look at this these are both signed 'O.G.'" Mossman replied as he looked the letter again.
"Who the Despondos is O.G.?" Mek asked his friend as he examined his, seeing the same signature on his note.
"O.G., O.G., O.G…wait a minute O.G. is short for Opera Ghost" Mossman told his friend realizing who it was who sent the notes.
"This is outrageous, whoever heard of a ghost who asks for money?" Mekaneck asked infuriated that someone was mocking him.
"This isn't a ghost this is a…" Mossman begin to say but just then, the Vicomte came in.
"What did you do with her?" he said angrily.
"Who? Catra?" Mossman asked him confused; he thought Adam meant the Prima Donna.
"No Teela what did you do with her" he asked again, he seemed adamant that the managers were holding Teela hostage and came to rescue her.
"How should we know where she is?" Mekaneck asked him upset that Vicomte would even suspect them of harming her.
"Please don't play games, I know you sent me this note" Adam said taking a note out from his pocket.
"What is this garbage of us taking her?" Mek exclaimed to Adam who was now quite enraged.
"Don't pretend you don't know, is this not the not you sent me?" he asked holding the note to their faces.
"Give me that!" Mossman said as he snatched the note from the Vicomte:
M. Vicomte De Grayskull,
Don't worry for Teela, her Angel of Music has her, do not try to see her again.
"If you did not write this letter then who's responsible for it?" Adam asked trying to figure this mystery, just then Catra comes in, she is angry and holding a note in her hand.
"YOU!" she shouts pointing an accusing finger at Adam. She was so bent on making the Vicomte on pay for whatever he did to her that she didn't hear the managers say 'welcome back.'
"What did he do?" Mossman asked as he came down the steps to calm the diva.
"He threatened me." She cried in her melodramatic voice.
"How did he threaten you Mademoiselle?" the manager asked the soprano, curious as to what the Vicomte did to make her so upset.
"He sent me this!" she said waving the note in her hand, the three gentlemen knew it was not Adam who sent the note, but O.G., the phantom who sent that note.
"Let me see that note!" Adam said wrested the note from her and read it:
Signora Felino,
Your days at the Opera Eternia are over, Teela will take your place tonight, if you dare to disobey me, you will meet with disaster.
"YOU SENT THIS YOU MISERABLE LITTLE NOBLEDUNCE!" Catra spat at the viscount ready to scratch him to bits.
"These notes are getting out of hand, and every one of them mentions Teela, that's all we we've heard since we came here is her name"
Just then, Madame Angella came in with Glimmer, "Teela has come back" she told all present.
"I hope she's not too worn out" Mossman told her, hoping more that she'll be able to sing than concerned for her health.
"Where is she now?" Mek asked her as to find Teela's whereabouts.
"I decided that she should go home." Angella informed the managers in a maternal tone of voice.
"She needed to rest." Glimmer chimed in after her mother.
"Can I go see her, Madame Angella?" Adam asked the ballet and music director eager to see his childhood sweetheart.
"She refuses to see anyone, Monsieur Le Vicomte." Angella replied to his question.
"Will she sing again?" Catra asked hoping the answer would be 'no'.
"I have a letter," Angella said taking a note from her from her pocket.
"GIVE IT HERE," everyone shouted wanted to see what the note said.
"Please, let's be civilized" Mossman said wresting the letter from Angella. He opened the envelope which was a sealed with wax seal in the shape of a skull. He unfolded the letter and began to read it:
Messieurs,
I have now sent multiple notes of the friendliest disposition. You have not obeyed my orders; I have decided to give you one last chance to avoid my wrath
Teela Daaé has come back, and I am eager that she should get more chances to advance in her singing career, there for in the new production of The Mute of Eternia you will cast Catra as the page and Teela in the role of the countess.
The role that Teela plays calls for beauty and grace, the role of the page is mute which makes my suggestions perfect.
I will watch the Opera from Box 5, which we will be left unsold so that I may sit there, if you do not do as I say you will invoke a disaster of great magnitude on your opera house.
I remain your obedient friend,
O.G.
"This is a plot orchestrated by the Vicomte to promote his lover," Catra informed the managers.
"Please Mademoiselle, you don't have any proof!" Mossman said trying to defend Adam as best he could.
"And you two morons, all you care about is Teela, you have rejected me, I am leaving au revoir!" she hissed at Mossman and Mekaneck.
"Please Mlle. Catra, you are our Prima Donna, we don't care about her we want you! You will be the countess; Teela will be the page the mute." Mek and Moss announced to the diva.
"You're just trying to appease me, Messiurs and it won't work!" she warned them waving her hand fan at them.
"Please Madame, Please the planet needs you, you're our Prima Donna, please Madamoissle, please sing tonight!" the mangers pleaded until finally she agreed, tonight curse or no curse, Catra would be the countess.
That night everyone was on edge, the idea of a curse did not make things better. The Opera house is full , except for Box 5."
"It seems we are doing well for cursed opera house, and now if you will excuse me I will be sitting in Box 5," Adam informed the managers.
"Is that wise, I'm sure hewill not like that, Monsieur Le Vicomte?' Mekaneck asked the Vicomte worried the Phantom might be watching.
"Box 5 is the only seat available, my dear friend," Adam informed the Human Periscope as he went up the steps to his seat.
Backstage in the bustle of assistants, hairdressers, dressers, and musicians, and singers rehearsing an unseen hand switches Catra's throat spray with some strange liquid, this goes unnoticed by the crew who are too busy appeasing their diva.
A stagehand gives Catra her throat spray and with one squirt, she walks out on the stage. Little does she suspect that she headed for disaster.
Up above on the catwalks, the phantom watched the show, he was enraged that his orders are being ignored, but what really set him off was that when we went to Box 5 to take his seat he found the Vicomte sitting there.
"I told you Box 5 was to remain empty!" he shouted from the shadows.
"It's him the Phantom!" Teela shouted pointing to the catwalks in almost frantic mood.
"Your part is silent you miserable little frog! Catra sneered at Teela.
"A frog, Signora Catra? I think it is you who will be sitting on a lily pad" the Phantom retorted calmly, every looked up to see who would dare such a thing to Signora Catra.
Catra just ignored the voice and continued to sing but as she reached the high note, something terrible happened, she gave out a loud croak. The sound elicited a giggle from the audience, but Catra regained her composure and continued only to hear another croak, followed by a second and thirds until every note she sang was croak.
The managers raced from their seats in the grand tier to the stage, they knew if they did not do something the theater would in anarchy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the interruption, the performance in ten minutes, when Miss Teela Daaé will play the countess," Mossman said as the audience clapped at the sound of Teela's name.
"While she is preparing, we will show the ballet in the second act, and now maestro, the ballet please." Mekaneck ordered the conductor and to clarify the matter he whispered "right now!"
The ballet went without a hitch, and everything seemed normal but right at the climax of the ballet, the hung body of Ram-Man dropped to the stage, startling everyone.
Moss and Mek came out from behind the stage, they knew that anarchy was inevitable but they wanted to calm everyone to avoid anyone being injured.
"Everyone remain calm, please for safety's sake, don't panic, it was an accident only an accident!" Mossman pleaded with the people as the rushed out of the theater.
Adam saw the events from Box 5 and rushed from his seat to the stage to see if Teela was all right.
Teela was in shock as she saw Ram-Man's body hanging there, she was so entranced that she jumped when she heard Adam say to her, "Teela, follow me."
"No, we have got to the rooftops Adam, its safe up there! She said taking the Vicomte by the hand and rushing up the roof.
They raced up steps and ramps, some that were old and decayed by the long years of disuse, the boards creaked under their weight it was a dangerous climb, but Teela knew that they had to leave the building and head for the highest roof.
Halfway there, they stopped as they saw a man with dark skin and a red helmet. The man stood there on the steps, he looked at the two lovers as they continued up the steps.
"Who's that?" asked Adam as they raced up the stairs, he was curious as to why that man was standing there; he had to work for the Opera since this part of the Opera House was off limits to the public.
"That is the Enforcer he is always at the Opera, but we can't worry about him now" Teela told Adam still holding his wrist and raced up the last flight of steps and opened the door to the highest roof of the Opera Eternia.
"We have to go back downstairs," Adam told her pointing to the door.
"No, he'll kill you, he'll find me there." She said in a panic, she was so scared she was shaking.
"Who will kill me? Who will find you?" Adam asked as took off his vest and wrapped it around Teela's shoulders. He stared into her green eyes, they were not same eyes he fell in love as a little boy, these eyes were filled with fear and sadness.
"The phantom of the opera house, he killed Ram-Man and he'll do the same to you" she said as tears streamed down her face.
Teela looked at her hand and noticed something, "oh no! The ring where is it?" she said as he got down on her knees and began to frantically.
"What ring are you talking about?" Adam asked thinking it was some keepsake her father gave her.
"The ring the Phantom gave me, he said as I long as I have it, he won't hurt me" she said, her voice was full of fear. "It's not here he'll kill me and you" she said looking at Adam worriedly.
"Teela the phantom does not exist, he's a myth a fable, Adora told me so, I don't believe in him and neither should you. Believe me, no one is going to hurt you" he told her taking out a handkerchief and drying her tears.
"He's real Adam, I saw his face, it was deformed and twisted, but his voice is like that of an angel and his eyes are filled with great sadness," she told him, her eyes wide with dread and terror.
"What you heard was a nightmare" he assured her as he hugged her.
"Oh Adam" she said burying her face in his shoulder tears running down her face.
"Teela, Teela," He whispered to her trying to comfort her, it broke his heart to see so frightened.
"Teela" a distant disembodied voice echoed in the cold of the night.
"What was that?" Teela asked worriedly as she lifted her head from Adam's tear stained shoulder.
"Forget this, it's only a bad dream, it will pass in the morning and if not this will dispel the darkness" he said this as took out a beautiful diamond ring.
Teela's eyes lit up when she saw it, "Adam it's beautiful" she gasped, she knew what was going to come next.
"Teela Daaé, will you marry me?" he asked getting down on his knees.
"Yes, Adam I will marry you" she replied as she took the ring from the Vicomte.
The thought of marrying her childhood friend dispelled her fears and she was ready to return inside.
"We best get back, they'll start to worry, be ready with your battle cat, and be at the door after the show," she told him as she opened the door.
"I love you Teela and I will be ready," Adam said as they went inside.
Once they were gone, the Phantom emerged from a statue; he saw everything and was devastated.
"How could you betray me like this Teela?" he asked himself sadly, if he had eyes he would be crying, he was heart broken. However, his sadness soon turned to anger "YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU DISOBEYED ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, all of Eternos would pay for this, one way or the other….