Chapter Three:
Michelle awoke later feeling as if someone had breached her bedroom. But that was impossible. No one could get into the room. The door hadn't even been touched. She shook her head in confusion as she stood up from the bed. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkened room. She lit a few candles then walked to her makeup table. Odd. She thought she had left her diary closed. She closed the front cover over the pages.
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. "Michelle!" Madame Giry's voice echoed through the door.
"Yes Madame." She replied as she walked swiftly to the door and opened it.
"Michelle, the managers wish to see you." Madame Giry told her.
"What about?"
"I am not sure, but they wish to see you immediately."
Michelle nodded then closed the door to her bedroom as she followed Madame Giry to the managers office.
xxxx
"May I inquire to what this is about?" Michelle asked her managers.
"Mademoiselle de Chatillion, we are sorry for the inconvience but it seems that we hired another prima ballerina ahead of your arrival. We would like you to stay on, but the only position we have is chorus girl." Andre explained.
"I don't understand. Chorus girl!" She cried out suddenly feeling disappointed.
"I'm sorry mademoiselle." Firmin apologized.
"Can't I share the position with this other prima ballerina?"
"Sorry mademoiselle no. It is only fair." Andre told her.
She sighed. "Fine. I can't go back to Bordeaux. I'll stay as chorus girl."
"Thank you for understanding mademoiselle." Firmin thanked her.
Michelle left the office feeling weary and sad and disappointed all of the sudden. How could this have happened? How could she be a chorus girl when she had worked so hard to be prima ballerina? She shook her head in thought and proceeded to make her way back to her room.
xxxx
"They did what!" Erik shouted angrily as Madame Giry told him the news of what Firmin and Andre had done.
"Erik. You shouldn't be angry." Madame Giry said, trying to calm him down.
"Any idiot can see that Michelle has better poise and grace on the stage than that Marie girl. She's like a cow dancing on the stage. I will not have my opera house discredited by that untalented girl." Erik said angrily.
"Erik, be careful. Michelle is a ballerina and she doesn't believe that the Opera Ghost exists. You don't want for this to be another incident like the one before."
"No. I won't give my heart away that easily. As for the nonexistance of the Opera Ghost," He said as a smirk ghosted over his face, "I will surely remedy that. Thank you Madame Giry. I will speak with you soon." And with that said, he quickly vanished to the shadows.
xxxx
When Michelle arrived to her bedroom she felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. Tears fell down her cheeks as she slammed the door behind her, locked it, and flung herself on the bed. She shouldn't be crying, but she was so sure she would have the position that she had had in Bordeaux. Maybe coming to Paris had been a bad mistake. Armand, her friend in Bordeaux, was right. She shouldn't have come to Paris. But she couldn't go back now. She wiped at her cheeks with her handkerchief as self-pity settled in.
Meanwhile, Erik watched from behind the mirror and felt a sudden rage come over him. He hated to see a woman crying over anything. He liked Michelle, even though she did not know he existed. She was beautiful and appealing. She had golden hair, piercing grey eyes, and a figure that any man would find attractive. Her voice was beautiful and her dancing was graceful. He enjoyed watching her dance across the stage and if she had kept the position of prima ballerina, he could see her taking the stage and audience by storm.
He turned his attention to her and suddenly, without thought or preamble, he said, "Michelle stop this at once!"
She looked around suddenly and whispered, "Who are you?"
He should have stopped but he continued, "I am the Opera Ghost. You will stop this at once Michelle. You are much better than the other prima ballerina. You deserve the stage."
"The Opera Ghost! No. You can't be real."
"Why yes, I am. Do you think yourself insane!"
"No. I'm hallucinating. I'm asleep. I must be. You can't be real."
He laughed softly and smirked behind the mirror. So she wanted to make it hard. He liked it that she resisted. She would not believe him unless she saw him. "Soon enough you will see me. Until then Michelle."
Michelle listened for his voice but he was no longer there. Who was this ghost? He had to be a man. But what if he had non-respectful intentions? Oh God. What was going to happen?
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it.