Chapter 1: Sarah
Sarah Williams woke to the buzzing of her digital alarm clock—6:30 AM. A morning person, she hummed a catchy little tune—something about a "sad love" and some kind of "jewel"—that she'd probably heard on the radio somewhere. She strode from her cozy, blue wall-papered bedroom to the small tiled bathroom. She grinned cheekily at her mirror as she brushed her teeth and combed her dark silky hair: she was very eager for her day to truly begin. She gave one last appraising glance at her reflection and walked towards the tiny kitchen on the other side of her apartment. Sarah whistled quietly as she gently pushed her cat Sheba of the kitchen table and poured a bowl of cereal for herself.
Her excitement and eagerness must have been contagious: Sheba, normally a disturbingly lazy cat, started purring excitedly and playfully batted at Sarah's foot. The young woman chuckled dryly as she nudged the cat to the can of tuna by the kitchen sink. "Go on Sheba…don't be a little pest!" However, the feline refused to give Sarah a second of peace, and she was forced to fend off the little animal that kept trying to lap at the milk in her cereal bowl.
This little game continued for several moments until the doorbell rang. Sarah leapt from her chair, just catching her cereal before it toppled over the edge of the table, and lunged for the door. Opening it, she grinned widely, her jade green eyes sparkling. Her boyfriend of eleven months was waiting outside, his handsome face lit by a broad smirk. Mischief played in his nearly black eyes as his raven-toned hair was roughly shoved back by a swipe from his hand.
"Michael! I've been wait…," Sarah was interrupted.
"Sarah, why ever are you up so early?" Michael cut in, feigning surprise. "Are you feeling all right? Did you want to take a nap? You really should go back to bed you know…you need to get plenty of rest. Wouldn't want to miss anything important due to exhaustion…" he baited.
Sarah attempted to glare haughtily at her boyfriend, and then began to giggle. "Stop teasing Mike! Come on, come on, come on! We don't want to be late for the audition! It's in forty-five minutes, and you know how much I want the part of Christine Daee in Webber's musical!" She grabbed his hand and leapt past him, spinning him in a half-circle and dragging him down the stairs and out of the apartment complex.
Sarah rushed down the sidewalk, ignoring pedestrians and pets as she trotted towards downtown. She knew that Michael was half a pace behind, and she didn't slow. Eight blocks, one near miss with a bicycle delivery boy, and a quick retreat from an angry bulldog later, Sarah stopped in front of a large building. She looked up in awe and a tad of trepidation. This was it. This was what she had been waiting for. She felt Michael grasp her hand in encouragement as she walked through the marble arched doorway into the entrance of the large performing center. She anxiously glanced up at the great crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling and her eyes darted to the elaborate scrollwork surmounting the columns along the walls. She blushed as she thought of her loose t-shirt, light-weight jeans, and serviceable brown shoes. Too late now, she thought.
The couple walked to the ticket window and were greeted by a stern looking woman with steel gray hair and eyes. Sarah was immediately on her guard—she suspected this woman would not be particularly friendly. She was right. "I am afraid we are sold out for tonight's performance. Performances are booked until Thursday," the woman remarked crisply.
Sarah quickly interjected, "Oh no, I'm here for the audition for The Phantom of the Opera! I'm trying out for the role of Christine," she finished cheerfully.
The woman raised one eyebrow and pointed to a door on the left.
Sarah nodded her thanks, grabbed Michael's hand again, and walked towards the door. She stopped at the threshold and looked at her boyfriend. "Michael, I would rather do this alone…it would be really embarrassing to have you there if I make a fool of myself…" she stated apologetically.
Michael dropped her hand, but kissed her swiftly, saying "You'll be fine, but I understand. I'll wait out here…maybe take a look at some of the artwork hanging around."
Sarah smiled gratefully and watched him walk down the large empty hall towards a portrait of one of the principal patrons of the playhouse. She drew her attention back to the door, took a deep breath, and walked through.