Disclaimer: All original Phantom of the Opera related things belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gaston Leroux.
Chapter Five: The Nightmare Begins
Please, do not ask why I hide in shadows. Do not ask about my mask. Do not fear or pity me, I do not deserve such treatment
"Angel of Music I denied you," she sang softly as she put the note in her pocket and headed back to the room she shared with Matilda.
She walked in quietly and shut the door; she lay down on her bed and fell asleep before she could even think to change back into her night clothes. She awoke in the morning with a pounding headache and to see Matilda sitting across the room staring at her.
"Ok," Angèle said, "Whatever it is, if it's bad, I didn't do it."
"It's nothing bad. Or at least nothing bad that involves you. When I woke up this morning I found a note at the end of my bed from him asking to meet me in his domain after rehearsals. Alone. I, I don't know why," she had a bit of worry on her face, since it was strange that he would not want Angèle to come. Yes, she had denied him in the beginning, but now both of them visited their Angel on a daily basis. Why he would ask her to come alone seemed strange.
"Why do you think he asked me to go alone?" she asked, slightly pleading.
"Well the only way to find out is to go visit him today. I'd come, but I don't want to anger him," Angèle still didn't trust him completely. "I'll be near the door to the basement though, just for safety sake," Angèle gave her friend a weak smile, nervous about the events to come.
Angèle was felt like she had ruined everything.
"Now I've done it," she thought, "He'll never speak to me again. He hates me..."
She didn't know why the Phantom had asked to see Matilda alone, but she could only guess that it was because of the other night. It was just like when she had been afraid of him and Matilda had gone to see him alone. She didn't see Matilda at all that day, because being a singer and dancer already; she did not need to try out.
Angèle placed the note safely in her pocket before she left. Matilda was back asleep because those who were not trying out were able to sleep later, until try outs had ended.
As Angèle walked up onto the stage, some of the musicians glared at her.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," she thought, "I'm a traitor, blah, blah, blah..."
The managers and others that would be judging the try outs were surprised to see her. They asked her what part she wanted to try for and she replied that it did not matter.
But how was she supposed to sing when she felt so awful? She thought about how the Phantom had complimented her, but gotten upset and walked away from her when she found him. She also thought about the cold greeting she was getting from her fellow musicians in the orchestra.
"Meh," she thought to herself, "I never really felt like I belonged there anyway."
And it was with all these feelings that she stood and sang. She let out all her sorrow and pent up emotions in the same song she had sung for the Phantom the previous night. At the conclusion of the song, she almost collapsed; releasing all those locked up emotions had taken its toll on her. She was exhausted and the stress about the tryouts had also been getting to her.
Angèle left the stage with no idea how she did and was unnerved that everyone seemed to be silent.
"Well," she sighed, "At least they aren't laughing."
And with this final thought, she collapsed and fell asleep instantly on her bed, back in her own room once more.
When she woke up, Angèle found that it was already night. She had slept right through rehearsal! And she was supposed to be waiting for Matilda by the mirror in the cellars!
In a panic she ran downstairs and stopped only once she had reached the mirror. She sat down and waited for Matilda... for awhile at least. Then she got up and started pacing.
"What is taking so long?" she thought, "And why didn't she wake me up? Come to think of it, why didn't anyone come and get me for rehearsal?"
She sighed and continued pacing until it seemed that her steps would be carved into the floor.
Finally, she decided that wandering the labyrinth again wouldn't hurt. If she got lost again, then at least she would be out of everyone's way. And so, she wandered the labyrinth and found herself in front of the entrance to the Phantom's lair, she heard voices from inside and what she saw shocked her.
The two of them were no where to be found. She knew Matilda had to be here though, for she had not seen her anywhere since she left the bed to see him. Not to mention the voices she had just heard. Coming in to his lair further, she got a better look at all the things that were around. Crumpled papers of opera ideas, nothing really that interested her. Except for one packet of papers. As far as she could tell, it was a fantastic piece. The title just disturbed her a bit, the title "Don Juan Triumphant".
As she flipped through the papers more, the voices interrupted her once more. Putting the opera down, she got up and headed towards where she thought they were coming from. Although it made no sense, since they were from behind the Phantom's private room's curtain. She approached it slowly, careful not to make even a sound. Drawing back the curtain, slowly as not to be noticed, the true shock came from what lay before her.
The Phantom stood behind her, much more closely than ever, and she did not resist. If anything, was enjoying. His face was pressed up against the left side of hers, (as it seemed) whispering in her ear. They both looked quite happy; hands clasped together, bodies swaying in the same rhythm, whispers exchanged in a loving tone. Even though she didn't want to watch, her eyes remained glued to their bliss. He kissed her neck softly and romantically, and a light smile spread across her face.
In her surprise she forgot to stay silent, and in a bolt she ran back, tears forming in her eyes. Whether or not they had heard her, she didn't care. She just wished she had not come in unwelcome.
They had heard her though, and both looked up in surprise. Although they remained next to one another, and didn't want to move, they also didn't need to. The only thing left behind was a folded note. He knew who it was dropped by, and Matilda only needed one guess.
"Do not mind those who do not understand," he whispered to her gently. But although she remained with him, she couldn't help but worry about her friend. He had chosen her, and she knew it would affect her relationship with Angèle greatly. The more he tried to swoon Matilda, the more she worried. Her face became blank, and even with his enchanting voice swirling inside her mind, she felt no happiness.
"I can't, not after she saw."
"But why did it have to be secret from her anyway? She was bound to find out."
"That's not the point; it's that I didn't tell her myself. I have to go, I'm sorry," she pulled out of his grip, leaving him to stand alone. As she went through the mirror and out to the stage, he picked up the note Angèle had left behind. He read it over, knowing that he would never truly receive what he desired. There would always be something, or someone, in the way.
Angèle did not know what to do... The Phantom had chosen Matilda over her... there was nothing left to do...
How could she have been so stupid? To trust him or anyone else for that matter. She would have been better off never coming to the opera house. Continuing on her own. Falling in love with someone was a distraction she'd hoped to avoid, especially someone who did not return her affections.
Angèle ran up from the cellars and through the opera house. As she exited the building she was so distracted by the sight of what she had seen replaying before her eyes, that she never saw the horse coming, nor the carriage attached to it...
Matilda, upset by her friend's reaction and the fact that she had not told her sooner, raced after Angèle to apologize. Or to, at least, try to make her feel a little better. She was worried that if Angèle had wanted to leave before, that she would definitely want to go now and that she would leave without saying good-bye. Matilda might never see her again!
Matilda asked around, to see if anyone had seen Angèle. They hadn't. Finally, a stagehand informed her that he had seen her a few moments ago and she had headed outside. Matilda thanked the man and dashed to the main doors. She arrived just in time to see some medics pulling a body from underneath the wreckage of a bad carriage accident and rushing the person to a hospital in a special carriage.
"What happened?" she asked as she ran over.
One of the onlookers in the crowd that was rapidly gathering answered her, "Apparently a girl ran into the road. The driver tried to stop the horse, but it reared and the carriage tipped right over. No one inside was hurt and the driver will b e okay, but it looks like the girl got hurt worse than if he hadn't tried to stop the horse. After it reared, it came down right on top of her."
Matilda didn't know what to do, so she ran back into the opera house to tell the one person she knew would help her, no matter what had happened...
"Phantom!" she came, bursting through the mirror door to his lair. He was sitting on the organ's bench, stroking the figure that Matilda had wondered about for so long. He looked at her with sorrow willed eyes.
"She's hurt. A carriage horse hit her! She has to go to the hospital..." she said, but her scared feeling turned to worry. For Angèle, the Phantom, and herself. "What's wrong?" she approached him slowly.
"Love. I will never completely know it," he continued to stroke the figure in his hands, "Christine. She was my first love. My first Angel. But she chose Raoul. A wealthy fop who would never know her the way I did." He was scaring her, not by anger, but of his calmness. "As for Angèle, she'll be alright. I know it. But as for you," he stood up, dropping the figure of Christine in the process, "You will not leave. I won't have another love of mine be torn from my life." Matilda's face was covered by fear; not just for herself though. She tried to go towards the mirror door, but he was too fast and got there before her.
"Please," his breathing was heavy and his voice pleading, "You cannot leave. I won't allow it. Our love is known; it's shared; and I won't let someone else interfere with it." Matilda had no where to go, she couldn't leave, she couldn't see her friend, and she had never seen the Phantom like this.
