Um…I haven't been able to update because first I was too lazy, but then I went on a skiing trip this weekend, and…-Authoress rambles on until Victor comes in and whacks a bucket on her head-
oo0o0oo
Tori plastered a smile on her face, acting as the lovable little pageboy as Carlotta squawked on. Oh, sure, she hated being stuffed into frilly little clothes and being totally silent, but she was too polite to let everyone know otherwise.
In the corner of her eye, she spotted a little bit of movement in the rafters, but ignored it. But she began to see more and more, and anxiety boiled in her stomach. Higher it rose, until Tori felt fit to burst.
Not my idea of fun-
"Psst!" Carlotta poked her harshly in the side. "Move more, you sitting duck!"
An undistinguished mumble brushed past Tori's ears. She rolled her shoulders and flexed her hands, the anxiety whipping around. Remembering her practices and obeying Carlotta's command (which she didn't do often), she performed her scheduled blocking.
She didn't even notice the black figure on the ceiling until it spoke.
"Did I not instruct (pause for suspense) that Box 5 was to be kept empty?"
That did it. Tori flew offstage, tearing off the frillier parts of her costume but staying decent, ignoring the cries of the cast to come back and the confused murmurs of the audience. After looking around frantically, she found the stairs leading up into the rafters and took them two at a time.
The black figure had already left his place atop the balcony.
(A/N: -cue "Barracuda" by Heart-)
Tori tiptoed around, now in totally different territory than she was used to. She knew she was on the bottom level; there was nothing to stop her from falling off and cracking her skull on the wooden stage some ways below.
Looking up, she saw Buquet, the stagehand, walking about nervously, looking about for something that wasn't there.
Down below, Carlotta's voice failed, and the ballet was put on. Chaos was reigning on stage as the crew changed scenes and at the same time searched in vain for Tori. It was like a chain of bad events, falling like dominoes on top of each other.
Tori kept running.
She came to a wall, where a couple of ropes dangled in front of her.
"Dead end."
She took two ropes and, using the wall as a foothold, climbed up to the next level of rafters, where she kept running.
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Unknown to her, Buquet was also running, and he was only a level above her.
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The wood creaked, but Tori ignored the sound. She looked up worriedly to Buquet. Although she didn't like him very much, she cared about everyone in the Opera House, even Carlotta.
Ascending level after level, she came to a hallway, which would lead to a line of rafters slightly above the ones she had come from. She ran through the hallway, noting all of the doors leading in and out of it. She wiped an X out of the dust next to the door that led to the roof.
It was one dark and gloomy hallway, she had to admit.
She turned the corner and climbed the rising floor, starting to pant. Tori had no idea what she was looking for, yet she knew.
She came to the door and yanked it open in a rush.
OH MY GOOD GOD!
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He stepped back and dropped the rope, smirking at the startled screams that erupted from below. Buquet deserved to die; he was just too shifty. Now for the biggest question: where in the world was-
He turned around, and the smirk disappeared.
Found her.
Tori stood there with her mouth gaping open in shock. Her eyes started to water, and her breathing quickened.
"Tori, I…"
She whimpered, tears forming in her eyes, and shook her head, starting to back away.
He took a step forward, a hand outstretched.
She turned and ran.
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Victor: I knocked Amanda unconscious. o.0
So, yeah…she is one happy little girl because she got her Corpse Bride DVD and, she says, can watch me all the time now.
I blame her friend for convincing her that she is my wife…