blushes Thanks for your kind reviews :o) You are all soooo nice! Also... I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update! It was just the end of the semester at school, so life was quite hectic... plus there's all the extracurricular stuff! sighs
Also, this chapter got a bit messed up, so I had to rewrite a few bits and pieces... I hope it turned out ok!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Phantom of the Opera (however, I do own my original stuff)… and please don't sue me! I'm just a 16 year old girl with NO money :o)
CHAPTER 4
Fingering the red skull, I contemplated opening it. After all, who knew what could be concealed inside? I had heard stories of people being sent letters with toxins enclosed. And even if there was nothing poisonous in the envelope, the red skull was definitely not a good sign. I glanced around me once again, searching for someone, anyone. Yet, the hallway was still void of life.
My eyes coming to rest upon the envelope one more, I decided that to truly figure out was going on, I needed to open it. Slowly, I broke the wax and drew out a sheet of parchment. Upon it, written out in red ink, was the following:
My Dear Mademoiselle,
Welcome to my Opera House! It is always such a treat for me, receiving newcomers. I am sure that my charming cast and crew will be most welcoming to you. They will give you extensive tours of my grand palace, perhaps even showing you places where it is best not to venture. I suggest you heed all of their warnings, as they have been here quite some time and are wise when it comes to matters like this. I know, my dear Evelyn, that if you cooperate and behave like a good girl, you and I shall get along marvelously.
Kindest Regards,
O.G.
"So," a soft voice drew me out of the letter, "You have been introduced."
A tall, thin woman was standing to the left of me. She was dressed in the most brilliant colors, from a deep crimson to a brilliant emerald, and had dark brown hair, which was twisted into a long braid, falling down her back. Her dark black eyes looked me up and down, coming to rest upon the parchment clutched in my trembling hand. She gave me a gentle smile, and closed the distance between us, putting a lean arm about me shoulder.
"Child," she spoke kindly, still gazing down at my letter, "Do not fear him. If you do not upset him, no harm shall come to you."
"B-but, who is he?" I asked in a tremulous voice.
Sighing she spoke once more, "O.G. stands for Opera Ghost. He haunts the house, bringing chaos, mayhem, and fear. Some swear that he is a ghost, while others claim he is a man, a man who has lived a tortured life in darkness."
"Have you seen him before?" I questioned, my fear suddenly turning to curiosity.
"Yes."
"And... do you believe him to be a ghost or... or a man?"
"There was nothing ghost like in his figure, but in everything else..." She broke off, pausing as if trying to remember something from the past. Her face became thoughtful, as if she were contemplating something. Suddenly, when it seemed she had made up her mind, a small frown graced her lips, but disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
"Well, my dear," The woman began, her friendly tone once more prominent in her voice, "I have forgotten my politeness. My name is Madam Alda, head of props here at the Opera Populare."
Removing her arm from around my shoulders, she extended a hand. I took it, introducing myself as well, a smile upon my face.
"Evelyn, Evelyn McPherson."
"It's a pleasure, my dear," She said, returning my smile, "I had thought perhaps we could take a small tour of the Opera so you could see where the props are kept?"
"That would be lovely! Are you wishing to go now?"
"Yes... if that is convenient with you?"
"Certainly!" I responded, "But... let me grab my cloak quickly. I'm afraid the corridors are a bit to chilly for my taste."
"Of course," She replied, as I disappeared back into my room.
Before fetching my cloak from the tiny closet, I slipped the letter safely into the top drawer of my bureau. I knew it would be safe there, away from prying eyes if anyone were to enter my room.
Upon returning to the hall, I found Madam waiting, and we set off on our small journey. I followed her through the winding passageways of stone and wood. There was nothing glamorous about back stage, yet at the same time it was clean enough. As we walked, a few people scurried around here and there, all of whom threw a friendly smile or waves at us. Overall however, there was hardly any life in the building on that late afternoon.
"Come here, dear," Madam whispered, suddenly stopping in her tracks and extending a finger, "I want you to walk over there."
Following her direction, hesitance in my step, I crossed the hall to a small, open door and entered. I suddenly found myself standing on the grand stage of the Opera House, looking out into the large, empty auditorium. I gaped at the elegance of it all, the sculpted angels, the painted ceiling, the red velvet chairs... it was exquisite. Currently, it was completely silent, aside from my shoes which were clicking lightly as I walked. As I gazed out upon the seats, I imagined them full of people, dressed in the finest gowns of satin and lace, decorated with the most expensive jewels, gloves and fans. I could see gentlemen in their crisp suits, black bow ties bound perfectly around their necks, their white gloved hands spotlessly clean. As I closed my eyes, I could hear their murmuring voices echoing through the room, as the orchestra began to buzz from the pit below, tuning their instruments. Music began to softly caress my ears as I heard a man begin to sing, his voice soft and hypnotic...
"My dear," Madam Alda spoke sharply, drawing me from my dream, "I hate to rush you, but there is a show tonight, and I was hoping to show you around before we began working."
I starred at her for a moment, unsure of what to think. Her face had suddenly become hard and cold, almost angry. I couldn't figure out what I had done to change her mood so quickly. However, I had hardly anytime to ponder as, turning on her heal, she led me back into the depths of the Opera House.
"Now Evelyn," she spoke, as we continued down the long hall, "You're aware that props are the things which the actors hold and use, correct? Contrary to public belief, pictures, flowers and such are part of set decoration."
"Yes, madam."
"Good. However, here at the Paris Opera House, our props team doubles as a decorating team, so you'll never have to be concerned with confusing the two. We're in charge of props, decoration, and we sometimes help with set design."
"That's quite exciting!" I said, enthusiasm in my tone.
"Yes," she chuckled, her mood growing lighter. I was quite grateful for this.
As we continued down the long hallway, I began to notice little side passageways which led off to the depths of the building. As I glanced down one particularly steep, dark stairway, I began to think back to the Opera Ghost. What was it going to be like for me, to live in a place where a man... a creature, lurked unseen by my eyes? What was it going to feel like knowing that I could be being watched at anytime, anywhere? And worse yet, how was it going to feel, to wake up every morning knowing that I am living in a place where there is someone who is not afraid to kill, and who would more then likely kill me if I got in his way? These thoughts troubled me until we reached the end of the long corridor, which was marked by a large wooden door.
"Beyond this door is the props room. Here is your copy of the key." After handing me a small, silver key, Madam Alda turned back turned back to unlock the door. It swung back without any hesitation, revealing a room which was pitch black, not a single speck of light peeking out from its depths. I shivered a little.
"The room is quite dark," Madam Alda said as if reading my thoughts. She stepped in a little way and spoke once more, "But there is always a candle and matches kept here," she pointed to a small table which lay just to the right of the door.
Striking a match, Madam lit up the room, or at least the part of it around us. Rows and rows of wooden shelf's extended as far back as I could see, each covered with an assortment of objects. I followed in Madam's footsteps as she began to explain the layout and organization.
"The shelves are arranged by item. For example, here is shelf four. This is where all of the handheld fans a kept."
We spent a good twenty minutes in there, looking around and picking out a few props, then we returned to the stage where preparation for the evenings show was already underway. As I helped set up, learning where everything went, I couldn't help but feel a pang of nerves rising inside me. Reflecting back now, I have never been able to figure out what really bothered me... whether it was the mysterious red skull note, or the worry that I would never be able to learn where everything was supposed to be on the stage, or perhaps it was the memory of those gleaming eyes I had seen in the dark passage way when I had first arrived. The uneasy feeling remained ever present during my first few weeks at the Opera Populare, however, it did fade a little when no new red skull letters came, when I finally made friends and learned how to organize the stage, and when those eyes never reappeared... at least not for awhile.
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Please R/R!
ALSO... our dear phantom will make a grand entrance next chapter... and when I say grand, I mean GRAND ;o)