Chapter 5: Masquerade and Beyond
1919
Meg sighed as she looked around the empty opera house, she went behind the stage and took the children to the dormitories. She found that they no longer exist in the opera house, only a hole.
" This area was where I slept, there were 6 of us per room," Meg said to her granddaughters
They looked at what use to be a room and Meg sighed.
" It's all in the past," Meg thought
She walked down the steps and walked down the halls of the dreary opera house. She found where her mother's room was below and knew exactly the reason why it was so close to the cellars.
" Erik," she thought
Meg touched the old wooden door way and sighed then looked at the children.
" Grandmother, is this where Great Grandmother stayed?" they asked
" Yes, my mother stayed in this room, so she could take care of him when he called for her aid," Meg said, " That was along time ago."
1871 (New Year celebration)
Meg ran down the halls of the opera house and grabbed her fans off the outside table. She called Christine, but forgot that she went with Raoul to find something to wear to the ball.
" Meg hurry up," another chorus girl called
"I'm coming hold on," Meg called back
Meg stopped feeling a draft coming from a wall, she walked towards it and felt the cool air circle around her. She looked around and then opened the door and shut it, then picked up a lantern hanging on the stone wall. She went down several steps and lifted her lantern up, she felt the air howling as it went down the darkness. She shivered and walked down and heard voices, she stopped when she saw another light. Footsteps were heard Meg breathed deep.
" Erik, she's a young girl leave her be," Madame Giry's voice pleaded
" She's entered far enough Antoinette," he growled, " I'm tired of her."
" She's my daughter Erik," Madame Giry stated
Meg saw the light stop and listened and there was silence.
" A wilting flower," Erik said
" How dare you say such a thing about my daughter," Madame Giry growled, " Maybe it is I who shouldn't have saved you."
Meg dimmed her lamp and heard the footsteps coming up the stairs.
" Get her out of my domain now, or I will be forced to do it myself," Erik growled, " I mean it Antoinette Giry…that girl of yours will be the reason I kill."
" You killed her only happiness because you didn't like a man stronger than you," Madame Giry said
Erik laughed and Meg felt her heart pound against her chest. She felt tears fall from her face and felt her hand reach for a dagger tucked away in her bodice.
" Tonight, I will make my claims, I will have Christine and there will be no one to stop me…not even the Vicomte de Chagny," he said with a spat at Raoul's title
Meg knew all this was trouble, but there was nothing she could do.
" You monster!" she shouted
She ran up the stairs and made a quick exist and slammed the passage door. Her chest heaved and she looked at the dagger.
" I'm going to have to," she thought, " He's took my beloved's life…and now he wants to claim Christine as his own. As her friend and in revenge…I will kill the Phantom of the Opera….he must die."
She ran off with tears in her eyes and only anger within keeping her going. She came to the grand staircase where the other chorus girls were practicing for the entertainment at the masquerade.
" Mademoiselle Giry, bottom row," Monsieur Reyer said
Meg nodded and slipped in between two other chorus girls. They looked at her and patted her shoulder.
" Don't cry darling it's going to be alright," one said
" Meg what's wrong?" the other asked
" I know who killed the Comte de Facet," Meg whispered
" Who?" they both asked
" A horrible, bitter man, he calls himself the Phantom of the Opera," she said
" Shh, you mustn't speak that way Meg," one said
The chorus girls opened their fans and flashed them about as they performed the routine.
" He's going to take Christine," Meg said
" Meg, stop it or he will get you," one said
" Then let him come, I'll be ready for him, I'll be ready to take what he took from me," Meg said
She closed her fan and the other two girls sighed and Meg walked off after they went through the routine.
That evening the ball began, music and song, chatter and laughter, surrounded the grand lobby of the Opera Populaire. Meg and her mother walked down the grand staircase and Meg looked about, her dagger tucked away in her bodice ready to strike the man down. Madame Giry saw the change in her daughters attitude and worried about her.
" What is wrong?" Madame Giry asked
" Nothing, I have been thinking," Meg replied, " Just smile and wave."
As the ball continued Meg had danced with several of the young men and Christine and Raoul joined the ball finally. The chorus girls and the some of the boys in the ballet climbed the staircase and performed their routine for the honored guest. It was the highlight of the evening, until He came along.
Silence came over the room as they looked up to see a man in red, with a skull mask on. He descended down the stairs and looked at the guest.
" Why so quiet good Monsieurs? Did you think I had left you for good?" he questioned, " Have you missed me, good Monsieurs? I have written you and opera!"
Meg watched him descend and breather deep, her eyes filled with fear as his eyes fell upon hers. He smiled a little and Madame Giry stood in front of her daughter as to protect her.
" Fondest greetings to you all," he said
He drew his skull blade and pointed it at Carlotta as he told his demands. He went down a few steps and insulted Piangi by telling him in order for him to play the part he must lose some weight. He then looked at Andre and Richard and told them they were to be in an office. Erik descend until he came to the middle section of the staircase. He looked at Christine and smiled a little. His high regards too her were mesmerizing to her and she walked up towards him. Meg watched in fear that this was the moment, but instead he pulled a chain from around her neck and quickly vanished through a trapped door. Though he didn't expect someone to follow him into his own domain, like Raoul did. Madame Giry walked off and Meg breathed deep as she lost her chance for her attack. She ran off and went down the hall and felt for the door, she couldn't find the door, but then she ran to the backstage. She looked up and heard a door shut and she ran up the stairs removing the dagger from her bodice. She opened door and looked around seeing the foot prints in the snow. Meg breathed deep and unsheathed the blade and closed her eyes.
" This is for you and the sake of the people down there," she thought
She felt a cool breeze touched her bare shoulders and she turned around to strike. Her hand was caught and Meg breathed deep, she turned around and saw him holding her by the wrist.
" Stupid girl," he hissed
Meg grabbed his gloved hand and slapped at him with her other hand. He grabbed her other hand quickly before it could touch his flesh.
" Let me go!" she cried
" So, weak for a woman with such anger," he said, " Do you really think you can strike me down with the same blade that killed your beloved?"
Meg kneed Erik in the gut and Erik let go of her and she grabbed the dagger. She thrust the blade into his shoulder and tears fell from her face.
" You killed him!" she shouted
" You killed him," Erik replied, " By letting him take my seat, I warned you Little Giry that he was not for you."
" You killed him, you selfish bastard!" Meg shouted going to strike again
Erik grabbed her by her ankle and pulled her, she fell to the ground, her hand lost hold of the blade. Meg breathed deep and winced in pain that ran through her body. He came to his knees and looked at her as she just seemed to be so stunned. He removed his read coat and tossed it to the side. He looked at the stab seeing the dagger went deeper than he thought it did. She looked at him and tears fell from her face as she tried to move. Erik leaned forward and looked at her and she narrowed her eyes.
" You have a lot of anger just as I do," Erik said
" I have no anger only the desire to kill for a reason," Meg hissed at Erik
Erik nodded and reached to touch her face.
" Little Giry, you are such afraid to open up to new things," he said
" Stop calling me that, the only person who can call me that is my father," Meg said
Meg's hand moved a little, but Erik did not see her moving it, nor see what she would do next.
" Hear this Little Giry, what I do is my business and none of yours…stay out of my way and you may just live to see the next…"
Meg swiped her hand across his face and grabbed the mask and his wig off. Meg gasped and looked at him, her eyes filled with horror and Erik moved away covering his face. Meg sat up and tossed the mask to the side.
" No, you stay away from me," Meg said, " and from Christine."
Meg ran off before Erik could grabbed her, she ran down the stairs and Meg ran into her mother.
" Are you alright?" her mother asked
" He attacked me mother, why are you protecting him?" Meg cried
Madame Giry wrapped her arms around Meg and led her downstairs. She looked at the stairs and Meg closed her eyes.
" Meg, your dress, there's blood," Madame Giry said
" His blood," Meg replied, " I stabbed him."
" Meg, you didn't!" her mother exclaimed
" He killed Comte de Facet, my lover, why shouldn't I make him suffer?" Meg cried
Madame Giry sighed and stood up and then told her daughter Erik's dark past. There was no compassion in his life and still that was one reason he hid. Meg told her mother to escape Erik's hold she ripped off his skull mask and wig. Madame Giry looked at her daughter and shook her head.
" You should have never done that Meg, that is a danger in itself," Madame Giry said
" I saw his face, his disfigured face and he became weak," Meg said
Madame Giry sighed and let Meg have her moment alone, Meg closed her eyes and then opened her eyes to stare at her mother and father's picture.
" Papa, he called me Little Giry, he called me the name you called me," Meg cried, " How does he know that name? It's a name only you call me."
The following week Meg practiced with the others,for Don Juan. She walked down stairs and heard Christine's voice. She walked downstairs dressed in her practice outfit. She saw Christine wiping her eyes and Madame Giry talking to her. Christine walked off and Meg walked downstairs and Madame Giry looked at her daughter.
" Meg," her mother said
" Mama, what's wrong with Christine?" Meg asked
" She had a bad experience this morning, that is all," her mother said
Meg sighed and walked with her mother and Madame Giry looked at her.
" What is wrong?" she asked
" Last week that man you call Erik, called me the name Papa called me. He called me little Giry," Meg said, " How does he know that name?"
" I don't know Meg, but Erik knows more than we do," she said
" Did Papa know about Erik?" Meg asked
Madame Giry looked at her daughter and said, " Yes, he knew about him, in fact it was he who helped me take care of Erik."
Meg felt betrayed by her mother and shook her head.
" The Phantom of the Opera is just some crazed man who lives to cause misery," Meg said, " He doesn't deserve to live."
" Meg stop this now," Madame Giry said, " Your become tainted with anger like he is and if I didn't know any better this anger is all a sign of love for him."
" What! I don't love a monster!" Meg shouted, " I only loved one man and now he is dead!"
Madame Giry looked at Meg and grabbed her hands.
" Erik is not a man that kills for pleasure, he's afraid just like you are…afraid of what may happen in the future. His only comfort is the mask he wears and my caring for him," Madame Giry said
" And why do you think I love him? He depends on you not me…I don't love a monster," Meg said
" Fear has already changed you Meg, it's becoming love and your angry because you know it maybe so," Madame Giry said
" No! No! I won't listen! I'm going to kill him and everything will be alright!" Meg shouted
She ran off with tears in her eyes and ran out the doors of the Opera Populaire.
" I hate him, I hate the Phantom of the Opera," she cried falling on the steps of the opera house, " I hate him…I hate everything about him."