I first walked to the side of both of the other actors that were dressed in ridiculous outfits that almost made me wince; one wore a yellow get up that I guess was the fashion at the time for this play and Henri was stuck in this blue... thing of the same style. I almost laughed when I first saw them all dressed up for rehearsal a few days ago.
"You're almost late," said the one in the yellow, Maurice. In his eyes almost late was worthy of getting kicked out of the show; I guess he worried for me since I was still a little new to this.
"Oh hush Maurice, she's here now and these people are going to love her." Henri advocated for me. I stuck my chin out in a fake smug smile.
"So there," I said like a child, Henri laughed and Maurice harrumphed and looked at me fondly.
"Don't let your wig fall off," he tased me. I rolled my eyes, this was an old joke.
"Oh, I let it fall off one time and you just can't..." I didn't get to finish, the music came on and Maurice urged the curtain up. We walked in line waiving our fans and smiling in sync as Meg came to sand next to us, playing the part of the countess' maid. I leaned over to stage whisper to Henri.
"They say that this youth has set my Lady's heart aflame!"
"His Lordship, sure, would die of shock!" Henri said.
"His lordship is a laughing stock!" Maurice finished.
"Should he suspect her, God protect her." I sang and we all moved to upstage left of the pink bed in the background.
"Shame, shame, shame." We shook our fingers at the audience and fanned each other as we gossiped.
"This faithless lady's bound for Hades!
Shame, shame shame!" We turned to see Carlotta and Christine turn to the audience when the curtain came up as if they were caught kissing. We gave our most exaggerated surprised faces to the crowd before Carlotta began to sing.
"Serafimo - your disguise is perfect." Someone in the pit made a knocking noise and Carlotta, as usual, over acted.
"Who can this be?" She and Christine made a big show of holding their hands to their ears to hear better.
"Gentle wife, admit your loving husband." Piangi sang as Meg went to open the door, coming back waving her hands in the air; Piangi mimed squeezing her butt and Meg squeaked. Christine hastily began dusting things, her legs in a wide stance, like a man.
"My love - I am called to England on affairs of State,
And must leave you with your new maid." Piangi wiggled Christine's butt as Alphonse went around inappropriately touching everyone he saw. Christine looked disgusted, for the play, Piangi didn't really touch her.
"Thought I'd happily take the maid with me." He said to the audience, earning a hearty laugh. Carlotta, unhappy that the attention wasn't on her hurried on to her next line.
"The old fool is leaving." The crowd was a chorus of 'oohs'. I didn't really like comedies, people in the audience talk too much and it distracts went up to the front of the stage for his mini monologue.
"I suspect my young bride is untrue to me,
I shall not leave but shall hide over there
To observe her." He came back to where he was standing before.
"Adieu."
"Adieu." They walked towards each other and pressed their palms together "Adieu." Just as Piangi bent to kiss her hand she pulled away. We watched from where we sat, whispering and acting 'casual'. Piangi went and hid behind the door where we pretended we couldn't see him and Carlotta pulled Christine to her.
"Serafimo - away with this pretence!
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence!" Carlotta ripped off the skirt of Christine's dress and we acted shocked again. Christine and Carlotta hid behind her fan to share an exaggerated stage kiss.
"Poor fool, he makes me laugh! Hahahaha." Carlotta laughed.
"Time I tried to get a better better half!" She shoved her hand in Christine's face for her to kiss.
"Poor fool, he doesn't know!
Oho ho ho ho..." We laughed with them as Piangi stood behind us with Alphonse, shaking his fists.
"If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!" Before anyone could do anything Erik's voice boomed from the rafters.
"Did I not instruct box 5 was to be kept empty?" Everyone stopped laughing and shook, Meg began to scream.
"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" Meg hid behind me and everyone was looking to see where the voice had come from.
"It's him; I know it. It's him." Christine looked around scared; I went and put my arm around her.
"Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta hissed at her.
"A toad Madame, perhaps it is you who are the toad," Erik said. His voice seemed like it was coming from everywhere at once but I knew where he was. I could just see his cloak behind the chandelier. Carlotta called for her throat spray and told the orchestra to start again, completely ignoring Erik's warning.
"Serafimo, away with this pretence!
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my," her voice failed and let out a loud croak. We could hear Erik's ghostly laughter pressing around us. Carlotta looked petrified. and the music just kept playing.
"Poor fool, he makes me laugh - Hahahahaha! Ha" her voice croaked again, she kept trying to sing but only croaks came out of her throat. Erik kept laughing, soon everyone was. Christine tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder but Carlotta shook it off and ran for the wings, calling for her mother. Andre and Firmin came running on the stage calling for the curtain to close,the stagehands were quick to comply but accidentally cut out Maurice leaving him in front of the crowd. I watched him from the slit the curtain had left open to see through, he was pawing at the curtain, trying to get back through before Reyer yelled at him to stand in the shadow of the curtain. Andre and Firmin walked through the slit to address the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize, the performance will continue in ten minutes' time when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Christine Daae." Everyone clapped, I turned to get in the wings and get ready for the scene that was coming on after ballet that was coming up next. Christine ran past, having to change into the countess dress in ten minutes. I watched from the wings as the curtain went up Maurice spun around and hammed it up for the people watching.
The ballet began and I sat on the ground, fanning myself. The girls were dancing beautifully, as always.
ERIK
I watched that disgusting little man search for me; it was almost amusing how he thought he could catch me. But now he was going to pay for threatening Danielle. He ran through the maze of catwalks following after my shadow before I shook him. I stood behind him, just waiting for him to turn; he looked around and came face to face with me. His face contorted in horror, now that I was right in front of him he didn't seem so eager to fight me the way he always boasted he would. Instead he turned tail and ran, the coward.
I countered him at every turn. What a wonderful game of cat and mouse we were playing. I jumped to the rafter he was on and pulled my weight from side to side making him trip, his face went through a gap in the planks as he gazed at the ballet below, the last sight he would ever see. I slung my lasso around his neck and held tight. He opened his mouth like he was going to scream for help but only a weak gurgle came out. I grinned down at him and whispered in his ear, "This is for the wrongs you've done and the sins you've committed." I let the air escape his lungs before I pushed his body off the rafter and left it to hang there. I surveyed the damage I had done, the dancers were in a tizzy, everyone was screaming. Danielle had her hands covering her face, fingers spread wide to take in the scene with terrified eyes; she knew it was me. Her mouth was open like she was screaming but the crowd's screams drowned hers out. My attention was diverted from her when I saw Christine sneaking off with the Vicomte, tossing everything to the wind I made my way up to the rooftop after them.
DANIELLE
I couldn't believe it. Erik had killed someone. Moreover I can't believe I'd forgotten that this would happen, I could have done something about it! I screamed and cried in a corner until Madame Giry pulled me to my feet and took me to her office.
"Danielle, are you okay?" She shook me a little to make sure that I was still with us. The screams had died in my throat a while ago and now the tears came. I cried for five minutes before I remembered what was happening right now on the roof between Christine and Raoul. This was going to crush Erik's heart. I need to be with him. I hauled myself up, pulled off the ridiculous powdered wig that was somehow still on my head and washed the white off of my face, neck and arms in less than a minute.
"That's better," I said. "I need to go to the roof."
"Are you sure you're alright? A minute ago you were having a break down." Madame Giry put her hand on my still wet arm.
"I just need to get up there now. Something bad is going to happen, just trust me." Madame Giry let me go and I ran to the rooftop.
"Don't worry about the performance, because of the murder it has been canceled for tonight." She called after me. I stopped and hid at the bottom of the spiral staircase as Christine and Raoul came down, wrapped in each other's arms and looking blissfully happy. I felt my heart plummet into my gut, Erik was up there suffering alone. As soon as they were out of sight I ran up the steps and opened the door just enough to get through. I had no idea what I was going to say yet and I had no idea how he would react to me being there.
Erik was slumped over the rose Christine dropped.
"I gave you my music,
made your song take wing
and now, how you've
repaid me:
denied me
and betrayed me.
He was bound to love you
when he heard you sing." Erik held the rose to his chest and I felt my heart break for him. "Christine." He whispered. Very faintly I could hear Christine and Raoul sing to each other from the bottom of the stairs.
"Say you'll share with me,
one love, one lifetime...
Say the word and I will follow you...
Share each day with me
Each night, each morning..." Erik's back went rigid and he ripped the petals from the bud and threw it to the ground, running to the statue of a cluster of angel's and climbing between the wings.
"You will curse the day you did not do!
All of the Phantom asked of you!" I watched Erik slump over and begin to sob. I still don't have the right words but I don't have the time to think of them anymore.
"Erik?" He looked around at me with savage eyes, I almost jumped back in fright. "Erik, come down from there." Wow, I sounded like a mother. Or a cop trying to convince someone not to jump off of a building. Slowly he got down and walked over to me.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be doing your job?" He snapped. He was going to be snippy with me? Fine, I'm going to be snippy with him.
"It was canceled because a certain ghostly murderer decided it was a great idea to punjab our chief of the flies." I crossed my arms in front of me.
"He deserved it. He threatened you." I froze. Buquet was dead because of me? I' d thought that Erik was tired of having to deal with him or something.
"You took his life because he was threatening me? Erik, even if he told anyone he thought I was working with you, who would believe him? And if they did what would they do about it? Everyone's too afraid of you to do anything to me and now you're telling me that it's my fault someone is dead? I don't even know what to say anymore." I put my hand to my head, trying to block the horrible thoughts.
"I didn't mean to..."
"No, you didn't think, did you?" I leaned back against the cold stone railing, suddenly feeling so tired.
"Danielle..." I looked at him in the eyes and saw he was crying.
"Let's go down Erik; I think we've had too much excitement or the night." I pulled him by the wrist and led him down to his home. Erik slumped into a chair and hung his head. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"About what? About the woman I love choosing the patron over her Angel? About the way it feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest?" He stopped and looked at me. I allowed myself a weak smile.
"Erik, I've had my heart broken by men many times and I've almost had my heart ripped from my chest. Remember people are fickle and it's better to be alive than not having your feelings reciprocated." His eyes lit with anger.
"Don't you dare tell me that I should just sit back and accept that my Christine will be in the arms of that useless Vicomte! I will never let him have her!" He threw me an angry look. "I thought you and the Vicomte were becoming a cozy couple already." I raised my eyebrows at him. He was spying on me and accused me of something without the entire story? What kind of crappy book was my life turning into? I guess I just had to take it.
"Erik, me and him are friends, nothing more or less, don't take your anger out on me." For a minute he looked like he was going to kill me before he controlled his emotions. I took a deep breath. "Erik, I'm sorry you're hurt, that's the last thing I want for you. I care about what happens to you and I want you to be able to love someone and be loved by them but I don't know how to make you feel better. If you want to keep trying for Christine I won't say anything against you, just remember I'm here for you." He put his arms around me and held his face against me.
"You're too good to me." He sounded depressed and embarrassed. Good.
"You're right, I should've washed my hands of you as soon as you started talking to me but, like a moron, I didn't and now I'm stuck with you." I joked. I liked Erik even though he could be a jerk sometimes.
"Was this meant to happen? What is going to happen to me?" His voice was slightly muffled from having his head pressed in my chest.
"Erik, you know I can't tell you anything now, but when this is over I'll tell you what went wrong. The only thing I can tell you is that it's different because I'm here." I laughed a bit. "Though I'm not sure what effect it'll have on this." Erik grunted his acknowledgement and turned around and began to compose something that was unmistakably Don Juan. The melody Erik created was dark and angry. "Don't put hate into this work Erik, it'll taint it." He let out one bitter laugh.
"What do you know about my work?" His work meaning his opera.
"Don Juan Triumphant, something consistent in every adaptation of your life. Believe it or not your mask is less consistent than this opera." He looked at me like I'd grown a second head. Maybe I shouldn't have talked about his mask? "Don't worry about the drowning in the river thing, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that won't happen." Who knows if I'm making it better or worse.
"Why?" He asked cautiously.
"Because you didn't kidnap Christine during Faust and that's what happened in the adaptation with the river." He shook his head.
"And how can my mask be less consistent than my opera?" He asked.
"Well there was this crazy movie where they made you some lunatic that lived in the sewers of the Opera who was raised by telepathic rats and you ate people I think. It was fuckin' weird, also the first thing I saw after I read the original book." He had turned to face me, mouth agape.
"Telepathic rats? Movie?" Ah crud, wasn't supposed to mention movies, too hard to explain.
"Yeah, telepathie rats. I don't know the premise of the movie and I'm pretty sure the directors only wanted to get it as fucked up as possible and it was like, half an hour long. Stayed away from it after that. And a movie is moving pictures that they arrange to show one after the other until they create movies that can last to hours." Erik shook his head, I'm not sure if he got it. "If you're ever in 2011, soon to be 2012, I'll take you to see one."
"Sure, I'll just take a vacation to your time next year and you can take me to see one of your futuristic inventions." I was happy that, even if only for a few minutes, I could get his mind off Christine.
"Well, it's late and I'm tired so I'm going above to get to bed you should go to bed too. Night." I walked over to the entrance to the tunnel and left.
ERIK
Danielle left and I remembered why I had been upset to begin with. I was shocked that she had taken my mind of Christine so completely for so long. I felt restless, too energetic to compose, so I decided to draw. I took charcoal to a piece of parchment and began to draw Danielle.
"No one would listen
No one but her Heard
As the outcast hears." I drew the small frame of her face, tinting the shades of her cheek bones.
"Shamed into solitude,
Shunned by the multitude
I learned to listen
In my dark, my heart heard music." I thought of the horrible years spent as the Devil's Child and the horrors Danielle faced as a little girl.
"I longed to teach the world
Rise up and reach the world
No one would listen
I alone could hear the music." I slashed the dark, maddening waves of her long hair around her oval face and kind eyes.
"Then at last, a voice in the gloom
Seemed to cry 'I hear you;
I hear your fears,
Your torment and your tears.'" I drew her lips last, tantalizing and full.
"She saw my loneliness
Shared in my emptiness
No one would listen
No one but her
Heard as the outcast hears." I hung my latest masterpiece next to a beautiful one of Christine, I hardly paid the former any attention.
"No one would listen
No one but her
Heard as the outcast hears." I walked to my bedroom and blew out the candle closest to my bed before pulling the curtain down and, with a fond memory of Danielle shouting at another pair of drapery, went to sleep.
Here's the next chapter! I hope you liked it! Same stuff of claim of belongings, and review!