Christine awoke to find a slither of light, which was beaming through the fine gap in the curtains, shining onto her face.
She sat up. Memories of the previous evening flooded back to her. She smiled sweetly.
Rehearsals for Il Muto start today, Oh I can't wait to see Carlotta's costume…A faint 'Meow' startled her. Her eyes travelled to the floor and in the middle sat a black cat. Its fur was long and sleek and shone beautifully and it seemed quite young. It looked up to her with its lamp-like yellow eyes.
"Hello, where did you come from?" She said sweetly. The cat walked over and jumped up on the bed, rubbing its head against Christine's arm attentively.
"Ahh, you're cute aren't you now?" She said with a smile.
Christine had always been very fond of cats, and this one seemed to be very fond of her. It had now curled up in her lap and was purring softly.
A voice called Christine's name through the door.
Christine sighed silently before answering. "Come in Meg."
The door creaked open and Meg's head popped round it. The cat's head bolted upright looking sharply towards Meg's head which looked as though it was suspended in mid-air.
"Sorry Christine, I thought I heard you talking to someone." The rest of her body emerged from behind the door.
"Oh, I was umm…" Christine stuttered, her face turning slightly pink.
"Well who's this then?" Meg asked. She had obviously spotted the cat.
"I don't know." Christine replied. "She was just on my floor this morning when I woke up."
"She's very cute. I didn't know anyone here had a cat." Meg said looking at the cat curiously.
"I don't think anyone does." She said.
"How do you know it's a she anyway?" Meg asked.
"I just know. She looks female." Christine replied.
A rather fearful voice came from the doorway and interrupted their conversation.
"Miss Daae." Madame Giry said sternly. "Why is that cat in your room?"
"She was just here when I woke up." Christine replied innocently.
"I see. You do know that rehearsals start in 15 minutes, and I don't expect you to be late, nor do I expect to see that cat in your room again." Madame Giry said sharply.
The cat hissed at Madame Giry and she scuttled out of the room rather quickly.
"Mother is superstitious about black cats." Meg informed her friend. They were both trying not to laugh. "Come on, you had better get dressed. I'll meet you down there OK?"
"OK, see you then." She answered.
With that Meg disappeared out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Christine lifted the cat gently off her lap and placed her down on the floor.
"Well, you don't have a collar, but if nobody claims you I'll look after you myself, despite Madame Giry's disapproval." She said softly.
The cat looked at the clock on her bedside table causing Christine to gasp.
"Oh no! I'm going to be late." She cried as she read the time.
With that she quickly changed into some more appropriate clothes, and hurried out of the door.
-
Christine ran down the corridors, took first left, then second on the right and hurried down some stairs. Madame Giry is going to have my head! She gulped at the thought.
Christine arrived backstage and peered round the curtains, her eyes scanning the stage. She was watching her instructor teaching the ballet girls their dancing, and Reyer as usual was giving his orchestra a pep talk.
She attempted to sneak onstage, hoping that Madame Giry had not taken account of her being late, but she already knew that this was a vain hope. Madame Giry was one of those people who had excellent vision and hearing: the eyes of a hawk and ears of a bat.
"So nice of you to finally join us Miss Daae." Madame Giry's voice came from behind Christine. Christine swallowed hard and turned round slowly to face her. "In future try not to be late as you in particular have a lot to get done."
"Yes Madame." Christine replied. She took her script and began to read through it.
-
The cat walked up to the occupied seat in box 5 and jumped onto Erik's lap. She settled nicely and began to purr softly as he ran a hand over her silky black fur.
His bright blue eyes left the cat and were now focusing on the stage where the performers were busy practising. He removed a notebook and quill from one of the pockets in his cape and started to take notes.
Orchestra are entrancing for their first attempt, they are clearly putting a lot of effort into this. His eyes now swept over the dancers and were appalled by what he saw: No, no, that definitely will not work, they have neither got the feel nor the rhythm. If they don't improve, I shall have to inform my managers that I'm not satisfied with them.
His eyes then fell on Christine; he replaced his notebook and quill without taking his eyes off her and sighed. She truly is an Angel; I could sit here and watch her all day. He felt his face begin to burn slightly and tears beginning to form in his eyes.
The cat had sensed this for she had put her front paws on his chest and put her head up to his face.
He broke into a smile. "I'm being ridiculous." He whispered and began to tickle her chin.
She responded with a silent mew, and curled into a ball in his lap, her head upright watching Christine as well as Erik.
He continued to watch her lovingly; his eyes sparkled as she read out the lines of her script.
-
Christine was still reading out the lines she had from act 1. She was just about to attempt to memorise the first few and try to act along with them, when Madame Giry ordered everyone to take a short break.
It was only then that she realised that Piangi and Carlotta were both absent.
She walked over to Meg, who was reading her lines out loud.
"Meg, where are Carlotta and Piangi?" she asked her friend.
"Oh I forgot to tell you. Carlotta stormed out this morning, and of course Piangi has gone too. If she doesn't perform then neither does he. They come as a package." She replied, still partly engrossed in her script.
"Well it makes a change for us, not having to hear her." She said to herself.
"So, have you given her a name yet?" Meg asked.
"Huh? What?" Christine said stupidly trying to gather whom she was talking about.
"The cat."
"Oh right the cat. I don't know. I think she is a stray, but I'll look after her until I can find her a real home." She glanced over to where Madame Giry was standing.
"But back to Piangi and the toad, who will replace Piangi?" She continued.
"Oh I don't know." Meg replied, "No one else fits the part, but can we talk about the Phantom, as I have some questions I wish to ask."
Christine's heart began to race. How could Meg have possibly found out this soon?
"That rose that was in your hair, I noticed there was a black ribbon on your bedside draw when I came earlier and was sitting on your bed." She continued. "Was that ribbon tied to the rose?"
"Why?" Christine asked, slightly relieved and at the same time trying to sound as if she didn't know what Meg was getting at.
"Because the Phantom gives roses to people he admires and they are always marked by a black ribbon." Meg said, examining her friends face.
"Meg for goodness sake!" Christine exclaimed. "You don't know that!"
"It was from him, wasn't it?" Meg pressed.
What on Earth do I say to her? She seems hell bent on finding out the truth. Christine thought irritably.
"Look Meg, I really don't wish to talk about this. You're clutching at straws. Can we please get off this subject now?"
A look of frustration came over Christine's face. Meg was being too persistent for her own good.
"Your break is over now. Please resume your places ready to begin." Madame Giry called out to the actors on the stage.
Everyone headed wearily to their places, whilst Christine continued to rehearse her lines, as she couldn't do much else as Piangi was unaccounted for, so she decided to practice her voicing.
Madame Giry stood observing her dancers with a look of uncertainty on her face. However she dismissed these thoughts, as this was the first practice. Her eyes fell on Christine who sat tightly in the corner, eyes almost glued to the script reading aloud what was written on the page. She smiled at her, she had defiantly come a long way in so short of time.
She turned away and headed toward a passageway at the side of the stage. She walked swiftly down a little way then turned the corner. A deep powerful voice caused her to freeze.
"Madame Giry." It called out after her.
Without turning she replied simply. "Erik?"
"Those two fools have finally taken my warnings as well as Carlotta."
"There was no need to go that far with the Managers." She said harshly, now turning to the shadowed part of the hallway.
"I did what I had to. At least I secured Christine the role and got that vile woman to shut up." He replied bitterly.
How did she know? Firmin didn't tell her and neither did the other. He pondered.
During the reading out of the cast for Il Muto, Madame Giry had noticed the angry red mark around Firmin's neck, so had guessed what he had done.
The long pause between the two ceased when the cat decided to make its presence known, with a faint mew.
Madame Giry became tense. "Why do you allow that cat to roam around Erik?" she asked, a mixture of fear and annoyance in her voice.
"This is Porsche's home. She has as much right to roam around as anyone else who stays here."
Erik stepped out of the shadowed corner revealing himself to her. Porsche was perched on his shoulder. Her yellow eyes bored into Madame Giry's. Madame Giry became aware of this and so focused upon the half hidden Erik.
"Very well, you're still giving her these singing lessons aren't you?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yes I am." He replied coolly.
"Do you plan to reveal yourself to her?" she asked him suddenly.
Erik's bright blue eyes flashed. He wasn't sure about how to answer this one.
She would hate me if she saw me; it's too soon anyway.
"I don't think that would be a wise decision." He replied coldly. He knew that was the answer Madame Giry wanted.
"Then what are you going to do?" She asked quickly.
"Continue to tutor her. That is all I am certain of for now, Antoinette and it won't do you any good to question me further." He told her in a low voice
"Your tutoring has certainly done a lot for her." She replied on a more positive note.
"Thank you, but it is her who does the singing." He said proudly. His voice became more serious when he spoke his next sentence.
"Your young daughter should learn not to be so inquisitive about me, asking Christine continuous questions. I kindly ask you to address this matter, and obviously Monsieur Bouquet doesn't know when to quit telling tales. But he is not my concern. My concern is only for Miss Daae."
Madame Giry looked very worried at this, but he knew what was going through her mind.
"I will not harm your daughter in any way. Just assure me that you will have a word with her." He said softly.
Madame Giry nodded silently and changed the subject.
"How did that cat get into her room last night? She usually locks her door." She glanced at the cat who hissed back.
Madame Giry jumped. Erik knew of her superstition of cats.
Erik smiled at her fear and put a hand up to rub Porsche's chin.
"She is a clever cat." He said in amusement. "It wouldn't surprise me as to how she got in."
Porsche had tilted her head to meet his. She was obviously very attentive towards him, and appreciated the compliment that she had been given.
Madame Giry sighed deeply. "I must be getting back to my dancers. I have been gone long enough."
These words made Erik remember the reason he had wanted to speak with her in the first place.
"Another thing." He whispered. "Your dancers need much work, they are not as in tune as they were with Hannibal, this is nothing against your abilities as a ballet instructor, but I would focus on them a little more than others."
Madame Giry's face became very stern. "They will improve, you have my guarantee, but don't be so hard on them. This is their first time looking at this and so give them time."
With that she spun on her heels and marched back out towards the stage. Erik and Porsche's eyes followed her, before he stepped back allowing the shadows to consume them leaving the hallway empty.
-
Later on after, the rehearsals, Christine entered her room to find the cat had made itself comfortable on the middle of her bed. She turned round and locked the door.
She yawned sleepily, and stretched up towards the ceiling. The rehearsals had gone rather well on her part. Most of it was just reading the script aloud. She hadn't lost focus for most of the day after the break and the conversation she had with Meg. However she had noticed that Madame Giry had disappeared for about 10 minutes or so. Now that she thought about it, where did she go?
Christine shook her head. It's none of your business what your ballet teacher does when you don't see her. It's not a trait of yours to pry into other people's business. I think Meg should learn to keep out of other peoples business too.
"So you're still here then?" She said to the cat. "Well I think I will keep you, as nobody has claimed you."
Christine went to lie down on her bed; the cat got off and walked towards the mirror.
"Ebony? No, Midnight? No, Sooty?" she said dreamily, with her eyes shut.
She suddenly sat upright and looked towards the cat. "I will call you..." She trailed off excitedly.
Christine heard a click, and the smile slowly began to turn into a gasp.
The large mirror that stood before her was slowly moving into the ground, revealing an empty black space behind it. – A secret passage.
