Chapter 7- Strange happenings at rehearsal
Marie Claire took a deep breath as she opened the door to the opera house. She had been incredibly surprised to find out the news of the rose and the note this morning after she had woken up. She had been even more surprised to find out the news of her father's encounter with the Phantom yesterday, and the news had both worried and upset her. But she was glad that her parent's had decided to tell her, she needed to know what was going on. Marie's eyes had widened in shock as the note was read to her. All thoughts that the voice was only in her imagination had vanished. But she refused to let anything het in the way of her rehearsal today. But she had to admit that she was frightened of the Phantom. After her parent's experiences with him, she didn't know what to expect. But Marie Clarie squared her shoulders and shook her dark curls with determintation on her blue eyes. She put away her fears of the Phantom and focused on her rehearsal. She really wanted to d owell. She found her way backstage and almost immediatley ran into Madame Giry, who she was actually relieved to see. This was her first rehearsal after all, and she was a bit nervous. Madame Giry began rushing her around, getting costume measurements and intryoducing her to people that she hadn't met, and there weren't very many considering that Marie had been around the opera house all of her life. She felt as though she had been swept up in a whirlwind until Madame Giry finally gave her her script and left her to study her lines. Marie Claire was studying her lines rather intently whe nshe felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She jumped in her chair and turned around. She let out a sigh of relief. It was just Elizabeth.
"Lizzie, you scared the daylights out of me!" exclaimed Marie with a nervous laugh.
"You're as pale as a ghost Marie. I didn't mean to scare you that badly, I'm sorry." said Elizabeth chuckling, her green eyes with laughter. "Who did you think I was the Phantom of the opera?"
"You could have been." said Marie Claire, looking ELizabeth straightfaced.
Elizabeth looked at Marie quizzically.
"What are you talking about? The Phantom is long gone. He dissapeared years ago."
Marie bit her lip and sighed heavily.
"Lizzie you must promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to say. Do you promise?"
"Yes I do." said Elizabeth with more than a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Lizzie I've heard the Phantom speaking to me. He left a note at our house last night. And..." Marie Claire's voice faltered. She didn't want to mention her father's encounter with the Phantom yesterday. She didn't want to admit that her father's life could be in danger. She didn't want to admit that the Phantom might try and kidnap her mother. She was having trouble getting her words out.
"And... what is it Marie?" asked Lizzie gently.
"I'm just worried about my parents. You know what happened all those years ago. And well papa ran into the Phantom yesterday. And the Phantom tried to kill him" said Marie, her voice coated with worry.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Then Elizabeth came and put a warm arm around Marie Claire's shoulder.
"I'm sure everything will be okay, I'll be here for you. You know that." said Lizzie, smiling at Marie reassuringly.
Marie smiled back.
"Thanks Lizzie. I just wish I knew what he wanted from me. Does he want to tutor me?"
"I don't know," said Elizabeth worriedly, "But Marie please be careful. I..."
But suddenly the door opened, interrupting Lizzie's words. Madame Giry opened the door and looked at the two girls with piercing eyes, as though she knew what they had been talking about. They all stared at each other for a moment until Madame Giry's stern voice shot through the air like a whip.
"Girls! It's time for rehearsal. You two are as bad as Christine and Meg were at your age. Always talking whe nit was time for rehearsal." said Madame Giry with a hint of a smile on hr face.
Marie Claire smiled sheepishly. She was supposed to be studying her lines and Elizabeth was supposed to be practicing with the dancers. Just as Marie had gotten the lead singing role, Lizzie had gotten the lead ballet role. They weren't setting a good example sitting back here and talking. The two girls got up quickly and followed Madame Giry out of the room. They crossed their fingers and winked at one another, hoping that the rehearsal went well.
About two hours later the company was going through one last run through of the opening scene. It was almost the end of rehearsal and everything was going normally. But towards the middle ofthe scene the lights on the chandelier began to flicker. Everyone stopped and stared. Then suddenly all of the scenery that the stagehands had been working on began to fall, and paint splattered everywhere. Everryone ran, trying to avoid the splattering paint and the flickering chandelier. This went on for a few minutes, until, as though an invisible force commanded them, the chandelier stopped flickering, the scenery stopped falling, and the paint stopped splattering. Every prson stood stock still, as if afraid to move. The tension in the air was so thick that you could have cut it with a knife. No one spoke for several minutes, eyes were darting around the stage nervously. Then the uncomfortable silence was broken by a young male voice, a boy named Arthur, who was playing Hannibal and was was Marie Claire's co- star.
"Look, there's something floating down from the rafters." he exclaimed.
Ans indeed there was. All eyes looked up and watched as a small envelope with that ever so creepily familiar seal of a skull that was the color of blood. It slowly floated through the air, it seemed tobe going in slow motion, until it finally fell at Firmin's feet. He looked down at it with wide eyes, as though afraid it would burn him if he touched it.
"Oh come n Firmin, pick it up, its not going to bite you." said Andre laughing nervously.
"It might." said Firmin, picking up the note with his fingertips and breaking the seal.
Everyone held their breath as he began to read:
"Dear Monsieurs and Madmoiselles of this lovely opera house, greetings to you all. Have you missed me? As I am sure you have guessed after this little incident, I have indeed returned. Now as you learned all those years ago, if you do not follow my every instruction you will indeed pay.It was indeed wise to place Miss de Chagny in the role of Elissa. That is one disaster you have avoided. Let us hope that you will be that intelligent in the future. Now one last request. I suggest that you leave box five emoty during performances, just as you did at the old Opera Populaire.
Fondest greetings,
O.G."
No one moved or spoke. It seemed as of everyone was in shock. But just then Marie Claire thought she heard soft laughter ringing in the rafters and the soft swish of cloak. She thought that she was the only one who heard it until she noticed Arthur looking up at the rafters to. The two locked eyes for a moment, and Marie got the feeling that he knew something. Then Madame Giry cleared her throat loudlyand announced the end of rehearsal.
"Well I believe that that will be all for today. We will see you all at the same time tommorow."
At those words everyone left rather quickly, but tried to make it look like they weren't. Marie Claire bid goodbye to Elizabeth and then walked over to Arthur.
"Hello Arthur. We haven't been introduced properly, I'm..."
"Marie Claire de Chagny." he interrupted, giving her a sly grin.
"How did you now that?" she asked laughing.
"Well It wasn't hard to figure out. I've seen your mother sing many times, and you look just like her. And I saw you atauditions yesterday, and everyone was talking about your voice. You sing like an angel, by the way." he said, his chocolate collred eyes twinkling beneath his sandy colored hair, which was tied back.
Marie found herself blushing and fiddling with her hair as she always did when she got nervous. He thought she sang like and angel! Her father had said the very same thing to her mother when she had played Elissa. Perhaps it was good omen. Then Marie remembered snapped out of her reverie and remembered what she was going to ask Arthur.
"Um," she said, clearing her throat loudly, "I don't mean to pry, but I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to hear that laughter coming from the rafters."
"Yes I did. I've known he was back for quite a while." said Arthur, "Can you hear his voice as well?"
"Yes I can." said Marie rather breathlessly.
Arthur suddenly looked at his pocket watch, as if suddeny remembering something.
"Oh no, I have to go. I'm going out with my parents tonight. But um Marie Claire I'd like to talk about this some more, so do you think that we could do something tommorow after rehearsal. We could take a walk in the park, and then I could walk you home." He asked, his eyes hopeful.
Marie's heart started fluttering.
"Sure, I'd love to. I'm sure my parents won't mind."
"Alright, tommorow then." he said, kissing her hand as he walked out the door.
Marie smiled as she gathered her things and started to walk out to meet her mother outside. He was so charming! But as Marie walked the air around her suddenly became cold, and a pair of eyes and a white mask appeared before her. She gasped, and felt as though she was being hypnotized. And then, she fainted.
"The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind..."
