Hello again.
I feel so abused. My chorus class had to choose a medley to sing as a replacement for our stupid finals. There were many medleys from many musicals that we could have chosen from, including "Lion King" and "My Fair Lady", and "Guys and Dolls", just to name a few. There was also an Andrew Lloyd Weber medley we could have chosen from that had "Phantom of the Opera" AND "Music of the Night" in it. That would mean that I would have gotten to sing those songs! But NOOOOOOOOOO…..my class just had to pick "Newsies"…which is also a very nice musical in itself…but Phantom is better by FAR.
But, now onto a different topic that might (meaning it will) take awhile.
Alright, I am going to explain to those who do not know who the "Red Death" really is. Okay, if some of you know, the Phantom comes to the Masquerade dressed as the "Red Death" usually with some sort of skull for a mask, and most likely in red clothing. If none of you know the actual story behind this, then this will be a great education for you.
Edgar Allen Poe wrote a short story in the 1840's called "The Mask of the Red Death". I will tell you, it was one of the freakiest things I have ever read, granted, most of Poe's work freaks me out, yet I end up loving it anyway. Anyways, he wrote this story. Don't ask how I came across it, just know it was an accident and that curiosity got the best of me. My stepmom really shouldn't keep a whole book of Edgar Allen Poe stories on our shelf; it was just begging to be read.
Anyways, the story begins with a description of a disease called the "Red Death". It was mostly a combination of the bubonic plague and hemophilia. Be sure, it was a very gruesome disease, and was described very vividly, and quote, "blood was its Avatar, the gruesomeness and horror of blood." Basically, if you got the disease, you would start bleeding all over your body, but on the face most of all, and wouldn't stop. You then became delirious and were usually dead within a half hour. Yes, not a very pleasant thing.
Meanwhile, a prince named Prospero (note that this comes from the word "prosperity") wanted to go somewhere where he could avoid this disease. So he gathered all of his friends, family, and friends' family and took them to live in a secluded palace, away from the dying people. He locked the doors and kept everyone in to be healthy and happy.
Now, there were seven main rooms in this palace that was used for parties. One was entirely blue, one violet, another white, one orange, another yellow, and one green. But the seventh room, in the most westward part of the castle, was entirely black with red windows. Because of its terrifying nature, not a soul would go in. In this room there stood a giant ebony clock that would ring every hour. And when it would, everyone everywhere would stop and stare into space, speechless. After the ring, all normal activities would continue.
Well, one day, Prince Prospero decided he wanted to have a MASQUERADE party (heehee…seeing a connection now, are we?). Now, Poe made it very clear that this man had a pretty darn weird taste in clothes and design. Therefore everything was outrageous-looking and extravagantly outdone, but still in a fun and exciting way. So, this party had begun, just as any other masquerade, with all of the rooms full to its brims except for the black room, where the clock stood. The clock rung out as usual every hour, and the following reactions would be the same as before.
But in the blue room, when the clock struck midnight, and after the ring had rung twelve times, several of the masqueraders noticed a person in the crowd no one had noticed being there before. His description was as follows: he was dressed in burial garments that had blood splattered from head to foot. His entire outfit was as quoted "stained with the red horror". And his mask was a human skull, blood covering almost the whole mask. He was dressed as a victim of the Red Death. All who saw him were appalled and disgusted, but feared his presence.
Prince Prospero, being the man of cheer he wanted to be, was outraged that someone would attempt to make fun of the very thing they all feared. He pointed an accusing finger at the man and demanded that he should be seized and hanged for his impudence. But when his men tried to approach him, they found they could not, and that cowardice completely consumed them as the entire crowd shrank to the walls, leaving a straight path for the man to pass through.
The man walked right past the stunned prince and walked straight through the other five rooms, making his way to the room of red and black. After recovering from his fear, Prospero ran after him, accompanied by some of his friends. The prince, now wielding a knife, ran into the black room after the man. Just as Prospero was about to strike, the man spun around and looked him in the eye. Within a second, the prince fell dead. His friends ran in, gathered around the man, and yanked his cloak off. To their utter astonishment, there was nothing beneath the cloak, and it fell to the floor silently. Then and there they realized that he wasn't a victim of the disease, he was the Red Death.
The Red Death was now known in the castle, and within days, every last person lay dead. The fires extinguished, the clock stopped, "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."
Alright, so basically, to sum it up, these idiots thought they could escape death, so death itself came as a physical form to prove them wrong…then killed them all.
OKAY…now that you know the story behind it, I can now answer reviews.
Rose-HAHA…you never cease to make me laugh. Thank you! I am yet again very very happy and proud at how much you liked it. I need reviews like yours. And I am glad I FINALLY got that "Masquerade" done. It took just too darn long!
StakeMeSpike04-yeah, sorry about the very long update taking. Ironically, it took me a very short time period to write it, I just had to find the time to do it. My writing is improving! YAY!
Lady of Darkness055-YOU HAVE THE MOVIE TOO! IT'S SO AWESOME ISNT'T IT! I, for one, would watch it every day as well, but my friend is actually having a Phantom of the Opera PARTY where all of us crazed phans are gonna get as many candles as we can possibly fit in her basement and watch the movie. It is gonna be so COOL!
Raven's Teacher-you get to sing "All I Ask of You"? That's not fair at all! If my chorus class hadn't picked that stupid "Newsies" instead, I SO would have gotten to sing "Phantom of the Opera" and "Music of the Night", which would have been so awesome! But, I am so happy for you that you get to sing one!
TheKRITIC-you've never seen it? Wow, you're the first reader of this story who hasn't seen either the musical or the movie. It's alright if you think that. When I write the songs in, I try to make it seem like they're either saying it or singing it, it just depends on how you perceive it. And true, my error check does tend to hate me.
EmeraldShine-thank you, and I'm glad you liked that part. I was afraid that I would describe it wrong, but apparently I did good enough! Yay!
StarGazingMoonPrincess-thank you! Glad you liked it, and I hope you like the update!
TTHPfan-I am glad you think so! Yes, I love Harry Potter too, and I secretly obsess with it as well, but I can have more than one obsession at a time.
Okay…now I can FINALLY get back to the story.
The crowd gawked in terror as the shadowed figure inched nearer, slowly but quickly at the same time. Not many could see the look on his face, but all could see his eyes. His menacing horrible eyes. They seemed to glow in the darkness as the fearful students shrank as far away as the size of the room would allow, which was not far enough.
His deadly reflection in the firelight made his appearance even more ghastly. He was dressed entirely head to foot in blood-red crimson, with a velvety cape that trailed him like a shadow itself. His mask was like most in the room, covering the eyes and nose but exposing the mouth. But his looked in almost every way like that of a shadowed skull. What hung at his waist was what all knew to be a real sword, lined with pale gold and a red skull on the handle.
With each horrifying step he took, the students seemed to gasp for air. He only grinned a calm and evil smile as he continued to make his way down the stairs. He looked all around the room, but never at Kori. All in the room gasped again as they heard him speak.
"Why so silent gentlemen?
Did you think that I had left you for good?"
Just as he said this, the table nearest to him burst into flames, allowing everyone in sight to see his morbid masked face. People surrounding the table screamed and ran in fright to find a safer place. Some ran to the doors, but found they were locked. Before panic could ensue, they all silenced at his calm, yet overpowering voice.
"Have you missed me gentlemen?
I have written you an opera!"
He reached the bottom of the stairs, to everyone's terror. And beneath his ruby cloak he drew a large bound manuscript with writing on the front. Before any onlookers could read what it said, they were grimly interrupted.
"Here I bring the finished score:
'Don Juan Triumphant'!"
He then carelessly tossed the manuscript in Gar's direction. Gar caught it with difficulty, as the weight of it nearly dragged the boy to the floor at the time of impact. All stared at Gar, wondering what and why he had given it to him. They then quickly regained their attention back to the Phantom as he spoke again, but this time even more threateningly.
"I advise you to comply,
My instructions should be clear.
Remember, there are worse things
Than a shattered chandelier…"
He said this with cold venom dripping from his hateful voice, and all knew that this was the man who killed Mark, and that this was the man who was not to be messed with.
No one moved. All stood still, afraid to move a muscle. The Phantom finally turned his icy eyes towards Kori, and stared her down to the point of utter horror. And to all's dismay, the man stepped his way through the masqueraded crowd, all parting from his side, afraid to be near him. He walked nearer and nearer to the girl, and everyone continued to move. Those standing closest to Kori shrunk back a few feet behind the girl, acknowledging that she would follow suit. But she didn't.
She stood as still as a statue, unmoving. Her gloved hands at her sides, her breathing low and silent. She stared at him with her eyes of evergreen, almost in a way of confusion. She stood straight and tall, not moving her gaze. Her facial expression was blank, and her tan cheeks went pale. Her friends surrounding looked on in fear. They were utterly confused and afraid of why she hadn't moved, and why he was getting nearer and nearer to her and no one else.
He stepped up to her silently, his feet making no sound from the floor. He got so close that his face was only inches from hers. He softened his eyes, and she, in turn, did the same. She lowered her shoulders, as if in a sigh of breath. She gazed on into his threatening but adoring eyes as his softness became more bearable. She saw him glance over to Richard in a split second. He then flashed his eyes back at her, and now they flickered with anger and jealousy.
Within the work of an instant he thrusted his hand toward her neck, reached through all the hiding necklaces above, and tightened his fist around the diamond necklace she received from Richard. He then yanked it from her throat and screamed at her, angrily dangling the necklace in front of her face.
"Your chains are still mine,
You will sing for me!"
He turned on his heel and shuffled a few angry steps from her before throwing something to the ground. Before anyone knew what had happened, a blaze of fire spurted up where he once stood, but extinguished just as quickly as it had came, leaving a smog of smoke surrounding.
Not many could see the look on Kori's face as the smoke raised, but Raven saw. Kori's cheeks were stained with rolling tears, her breathing uncontrollable. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and her hands were shaking. Raven looked on, not sure what to do. Kori continued to stand unmoving, planted in the same spot as before. But just as the smoke began to clear, Raven's eyes lit up with controlled fear.
As the smog cleared the area where Kori stood, she then dropped to the floor like a dead leaf. Some began to scream, and many friends crowded all around the unconscious girl. Raven was the first to reach her, and checked for a pulse. It was there, but it was frightfully faint, and unsteadily beating.
"Victor," she said calmly, but all who heard knew she was nervous, "Pick her up, we need to get her some help."
Victor was in complete shock himself. When he picked up the light sophomore, for the first time he had a good look of her face. Fear, anxiety, and stress shown through her features, even in unconsciousness.
"Poor thing," he muttered softly.
Wow, I think that was one of the shortest chapters I have ever written, don't you agree? Sorry about that, it will be longer next time, promise!