Sweet Intoxication
Chapter Seven: Disobiedience and Death
Disclaimer: If I owned the Phantom, do you really think I would have enough free time to write a long, detailed, fanfic about it?
Rauol took a tired and upset Christine to the managers office. She was sobbing hysterically.
"Rauol, no! I can't go in there looking like this! Please, let go of my wrist!"
"Christine, it's all right. Everyone's been so upset. Just go in for a few minutes, show them you're not dead or harmed, and then I'll let you do whatever you want."
"Take me back downstairs to my Angel"
Rauol stopped and looked at her "Christine, you're obviously very upset and confused about everything you've been through in the past few days, so I'll ignore that comment. But, Christine, really, it's okay, you don't have to obey that 'Angel' of yours anymore. Everything will turn out fine, just wait and see"
Rauol stopped in front of the door to Firmin and Andre's office and knocked politly. He turned to Christine. "Relax, Christine really. Everyone will be so relieved you're all right. They've been so concerned."
Christine stole a brief glance at herself in a nearby mirror. God, she looked terrible. Her hair was a knotted mess and her curls were strewn all over. She wore no rougue or lipstick or anything to darken her pale, white skin Her nightgown still had faint traces of water marks from being in the lake. She looked horrible, and heaven knew who was inside that office waiting for her. She han't really cared about her appearance because she assumed only Erik was going to be seeing her downstairs, but Rauol had ruined that assumption. Oh, of all days not to wear her corset and stockings! Her nightgown hung limp on her, without a corset to tighten it on her curves, and you could see far above her ankles and some of her leg that the stockings should have covered. Well, at least was wearing slippers and wasn't barefoot.
The door finally opened to reveal Firmin, Andre, Madam Giry and Meg, all in a tight cluster around Andre's desk, looking at something. Rauol walked in proudly, gently ushering Christine inside, in front of him. "Monsieurs, I have found Mademoiselle Daae. She is well and unharmed, only a bit distraught, but I believe that is to blame on our infamous Pha-."
"Thank you Vicomte" Mme. Giry cut in before the foolish boy said anything more "What a relief it is to have you back Christine. Come in dear"
Everyone loked up at once at the unexpected news. Meg Giry instantly rushed over to hug her best friend.
"Oh, Christine! You're all right! Mother and I were so worried!" she said. Speaking softly into her ear, Meg asked her "Is it true? Were you really going to elope with Rauol after the gala?"
"Meg Giry!" Meg turned around to find her mother glaring at her, obviously having heard what Meg whispered. Meg's face began to redden. "Sorry, Mother" she said curtsying. Christine smiled sympathetically. She knew how embaressing it was to be scolded like a small child in front of guests, but Madame Giry was infamous for doing that to her ballet girls, and her daughter.
"I should say so! The last thing Christine needs right now is you pestering the life out of her with foolish rumors!" Madame Giry said. She gently embraced Christine "Oh, my dear. I'm so glad you're all right! You gave me such a fright, just disappearing like that. You must promise you won't do that again"
"I promise" whispered Christine. Firmin cleared his throat
"Well, We're all relieved Miss Daae is well. Thank you for finding her, Vicomte, but at present, we have more serious matters at hand. Miss Daee, there is an opera tonight, and we are currently trying to place you. But perhaps you would like to, find a more attire before I continue? he said, embarrassment plain on his face. Christine blushed deeply, tried to smooth out her skirt (as if it helped), mummered her aplogies and goodbyes, and left, running as soon as she was out of sight. Meg followed her.
"Christine, wait!" Christine stopped, allowing Meg to catch up to her.
"Oh, Christine, it's horrible! That dreadful 'Opera Ghost' left us another message while you were gone, and said in the new production of Il Muto, you were to be as cast as the countess and Carlotta as the pageboy!"
Christine smiled "Well, what's so horrible, Meg? It sounds nice. Carlotta will be silent for a change."
Meg shook her head "That's not all! Firmin and Andre decided to show the ghost who's in charge,they're going to purposefully disobey him. You are playing the pageboy, and Carlotta's playing the countess.
Christine's smile fell. "Oh"
"Yes, and what's worse is they've been complimenting her all day, showering her with gifts and pampering her so she might consider even taking the lead role! It is truly sickening!"
Christine looked at Meg, trying to hide her disapointment of being thrown out of the limelight. "Oh well, I have to change. I hope there's a clean dress I can wear in my closet."
"Christine, no! You have to get into costume right away! The play's going to begin in a few hours!" said Meg, hurying herself and Christine towards the wardrobe department. There Christine bathed, changed into the full pageboy costume, and looked over Serafino's part a few times, though it wasn't that hard to memorize a silent part. She put on a smile and joined everyone else in singing "Prima Donna". She took her place behind the bed when everone was finished groveling to Carlotta, and waited for the play to begin.
Erik was silently creeping along the secret passageways, drawing closer to the hidden door backstage. He had changed into a suit, tie, cape, and of course, his mask before leaving his lair.Hopefully, he would arrive before Il Muto started. He knew those folish managers had disobeyed him, but he was going to make certain Christine was in the limelight tonight. He had mixed up a concotion of his own invention that looked identical to Carlotta's voice spray, but would achieve the exact opposite of its desired effect by almost instantly coating a person's vocal cords with their own phlegm and mucas almost instantly, forcing it impossible to sing. He wished he could just kill that spoiled, little pampered diva, but he knew that was a bit too drastic, even for the Opera Ghost. He opened the door, just as the play was beginning. Silently, and praying no one was watching him, he swiftly removed Carlotta's original spray, and replaced it with his own. He put it securly in his cape pocket, and swiftly moved to the passage that led to the secret door in the balcony. He was about to go to Box Five, when he noticed it was occupied. And by that Viccomte, of course!
He cursed under his breath and opened the door to the other passageway. He stopped and shuddered, hearing that awful Carlotta beginning to screech "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh". Christine should have been singing this, he thought. He watched her walk around the stage, putting on comical expressions, and taking much longer, confident strides in her pageboy's pants instead of the normal small, timid, steps in her skirts. She still looked radiant, even dressed as a man. Snapping hinself back into focus, he counted the remaining measures in the song, untill the break where he could speak. Making sure he would be heard, but not seen, he said in a booming, voice "Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be left empty?" he said, purposefully hissing the last word. He watched the Vicomte look around nervously, and had to stifle a laugh. He saw Christine's annoying little friend, that Meg Giry, say clearly to Christine "He's here, The Phantom of the Opera"
"It's him" Christine softly mummured. Erik saw Carlotta point her fan accusingly at Christine and snap "Your part is silent, little toad!" She grinned innocently at the audience.
"A toad, madame?" Erik muttered angrily "Well, perhaps it is you who are the toad" He watched Carlotta go backstage, and grinned. He would be getting his revenge soon enough. He thought for a moment someone had seen him, so he swiftly left, closing the door behind him. Moments later, he heard several croaks, and Carlotta screaming, and knew now his task was accomplished. The managers made the announcement of Christine playing the countess, and shoved her back through the curtain. Erik hoped she would find the rose he left for her.
But, he told himself, there's someone watching me. He knew for certain there was. He looked a little harder, and saw it was that drunken stagehand, Joseph Buquet, that had mocked him several years now to those ballet rats. Buquet opened the door, and got onto the rafters.Erik moved a few boards over, letting Buquet search wildly for him. He found him, and began to run towards him. Erik climbed up a rope, swinging over to another rafter. He had already decided then and there Buquet would not live to tell of his encounter with the Opera Ghost.
Buquet moved in the other direction. Erik climbed over a bit, and positioned himself so he would be directly behind him. Buquet turned around and gasped, looking into the face of the Opera Ghost. He began to run wildly away from Erik. Erik caught up to him in a few quick strides. Buquet tripped, and fell flat. Erik quickly removed his Punjab Lasso from his cape pocket. Looking down, he tightened it around Buquet's neck. He saw the ballet girls spinning down below him, seeming to go ten times as fast from Erik's point of view.
In a desperate attempt to live, Buquet rolled around, and tried to pull the rope from his neck, but it was too late. Erik pulled harder, gazing upon Buquet's stunned and terrified expression, until he heard a sickening crack, satisfied that the job was done. Without a second thought, he dropped Buquet's body from the rafter, and stood, hearing the terrified screams of the audience and ballerinas, as they realized what had just happened. Erik stood, in a moment of proud, horrible triumph, and let the body drop to the floor.
Christine was getting dressed in the countess' underlayers, when she heard terrible screaming coming from the stage. She ran outside to the stage to see what had happened, Madame Giry right at her heels. Christine stopped and gasped horribly when she saw a body hanging from the rafters. She felt like throwing upwhen she saw that the victim had been hung, and watched his body drop sickiningly to the floor, causing everyone to move away and scream. While everyone looked at the body, Christine forced herself to look up at the rafters, hoping that who she suspected would be there wasn't, but he was. Her Angel of Music, her protector, was standing up there, an expression of cold horror and glory on his face. She couldn't believe it. After all this time, when he had seemed so sweet and nearly angelic, he could have been plotting this all along. Who knew who he could kill next! Her beloved Angel was a cold-blooded murderer and Christine knew at that instant, her angel could never be trusted again.
Author's Note: Hello! Just wanted to say, please read and review, even though this cliffhanger was totally weak because we all ( I assume) have seen the movie/play and know what happens next, but hey, you never know, I could totally change things:) !