Chapter VI: Murder

It was a full house that evening for the premier of Griselda. All of the chorus girls were backstage getting ready for their performance. Three of the girls, Maria, Desiree, and Chouet, were sharing a mirror as they all got their makeup on. Maria and Desiree were talking about all the things that had happened the night before, shrewdly eliminating Raphael from their discussion. Chouet simply listened to them as if she was in a silent stupor while she applied the rest of her makeup. She hadn't told either of them what had happened that morning, but everybody suspected that something had happened simply because Raphael hadn't been seen since that morning by anybody.

Maria was laughing jauntily. "Yes, that Jon Paul was certainly boisterous, right, Desiree?"

Desiree smiled. "Yes, he was!" She decided to try to get Chouet to talk once again. "So, we saw you dancing with Jacques! How was it?"

All that earned Desiree was a cold glare from Chouet. There was silence during which Chouet returned to applying makeup, then Desiree spoke again, trying to keep a pleasant atmosphere. "Was it really that bad? Poor Chouet!" There was another glare from Chouet, and Desiree then cleverly thought up a way to escape from them. "I…think I just heard the director."

Indeed, the manager had just called into the dressing room, "Five minutes to curtain!" The girls began applying their powder more vigorously, and a few shot up, rushing to the wings. Desiree used this opportunity to apply one last puff powder to her face before rushing away. That left Maria alone with Chouet. Maria looked at Chouet warily only to find with shock that she was crying. She quickly grabbed the powder, comforting her friend as she went.

"Oh, Chouet, you know Desiree was only trying to cheer you up. You just don't need to worry about last night, whatever happened, anymore." She tried to get to Chouet's face with the powder puff, but she looked away. "Come now, Chouet, you're ruining your makeup. I need to fix it."

The tears finally stopped, and Chouet looked up at Maria. "That's the whole problem, Maria. I have to worry about last night. I think I said something I shouldn't have this morning…I only hope he doesn't take it the wrong way…" She then succumbed to Maria's attack of the powder puff.

.--.--.

Raphael was still down in the catacombs of the old opera house. He was observing himself in the shattered glass. He looked almost dashing now that he was covering his scar with the mask. He then remembered his…engagement that evening. He was going to give them a taste of their own medicine. They had killed him by taking away Chouet. Now, he would…return the favor…

.--.--.

The opera began. It was an elegant opera, filled with beautiful dancing and singing. The Opera Populaire Nouveau was now more popular than ever before, and at every possible moment the audience applauded the performers onstage. It was a complete success.

Finally, with a dramatic vibrato on the final low D from the Prima Donna, the first act ended. It was now intermission, and the audience entered the lobby to chatter and the like. The cast hurried offstage as the chorus girls began re-applying makeup and the leads began changing costumes.

Monsieur Giovanni left backstage, congratulating some of the performers as he went. He had to go to his office for a moment to grab something to show the Viscount, who was observing the opera that evening. He walked along the hallways and finally approached the closed door of his office.

He entered his office, leaving the door open. He then began rummaging through his desk drawers for a certain piece of paper.

Suddenly, the door of his office shut. Giovanni jumped, looking around. He hadn't bothered to turn on all of his lights, the lamp on his desk lighting enough of the room that didn't quite reach the corners. He thought he saw movements in the shadows of one of the corners. Maybe he was seeing things…"Hello? Who's there?"

Before he could react, he felt a rope tighten around his neck. He gagged, his hands groping at his throat. He couldn't breathe…the rope was choking him, but he could not pull it away…everything was going black, his heart was pounding in his ears…the last words he heard were that of a voice he could not connect with a name. "Tell the devil that the Phantom sent you when you get to hell." Then, everything was black…

.--.--.

The performance had already started again, and Monsieur Giovanni was nowhere to be seen. Everybody was wondering where in the world he had gone to, but nobody knew. Finally, after one of the scenes, Chouet's curiosity got the better of her. She had about ten minutes before she was on again, anyways. She whispered to Maria that she would be right back, then rushed off, remembering that the manager had gone to his office during intermission. Maybe he had lost track of time in there.

Chouet walked down the hallway, suddenly feeling very cold. Why did she suddenly feel so cold? She reached the door of the manager's office and opened the door. She looked for a moment around the office, and then screamed.

Monsieur Giovanni was hanging by his neck from the ceiling, dead.

Chouet was so stunned, she couldn't move. She simply stood in the doorway, staring at the limp figure of the manager. After a moment, Jacques and Desiree arrived. Jacques seemed for the first time ever concerned. "Chouet, what is it…" He then looked in the office, seeing the manager. Desiree looked too and promptly screamed. Jacques was stunned. "My god…"

Desiree collapsed, and Jacques caught her. Chouet was still standing, numbed with fear. Jacques was shouting to a group of men as they started running towards them. "Alert the cast that Monsieur Giovanni was just found dead in his office! Hanged! Stop the show! There is a murderer among us! We are all in danger!" Once the men had left, he turned to Desiree. "It can't be…the Phantom has returned…"

Chouet finally did the first thing she could think of. She turned and ran. Jacques watched, stunned, and yelled after her. "Chouet, wait! It's not safe! Come back!" But Chouet heard nothing else as she ran up the staircase to her room. She reached her doorway and opened it, shutting it promptly behind her. She panted for a moment, and then turned around, looking around the room.

Throughout the dormitories, Chouet's shrill scream was heard as she saw who was in her room.

Note from Author: ANOTHER NOTE! I'm getting a little note happy lately. I'm just saying…don't you like the cliffhanger? I know I do. And, guess what? I'm not telling you what was in her room in the little peek at the next chapter! HA, HA, HA! OK, I'm going to shut up before I start rambling like I did last time. Oh, yeah, and once again, I remind you that the song sung in this chapter is NOT my own. I just found it and thought it was…interesting and fit with the plot. Check at the beginning of Chapter One for all the info about Griselda and the song "Per la gloria d'adorarvi."

Next Chapter: Genius or Insane?

In the shattered glass, Raphael could see somebody else standing behind him. He looked like Raphael in the way he dressed; only he seemed considerably older. But the thing they most closely shared in common was that they both wore the same mask. It couldn't just be a coincidence…