MADDIE

What had we found in that office? Charles had gone completely pale at the sight of those photos. The resemblance to both of us had been jarring, it was true, but why had he reacted so strongly? He wouldn't even talk to me now...one name kept throbbing through my head. Renaud Champoux...Yet another name had caught my eye too. Raoul de Chagny. RC, RC, RC...Raoul knew my mother. I knew it. No...if Raoul was that man, then Charles would be my...my...brother? It was too insane. It had to be Renaud Champoux. Yet, I had noticed the way Raoul looked at me since Christmas. Since he'd found out Chloe was my mother. Charles and I had gone into that office looking for answers and both had come out broken and even more confused.

We were two minutes to opening curtain as I stood beside Benedetta in my pageboy costume, she shot death looks at me.
"You just better not get in my way..." She hissed at me as the overture ended and the curtain rose, as the two fops and the Confidante began their narration. I had to pretend to be kissing Benedetta passionately. When I pulled back a few people laughed, noticing I was really a girl playing a boy. Someone in the first few rows caught my eye though, scaring the hell out of me. It was Dupont. He sat staring at me as if trying to place me in his mind. I turned my head, trying to hide my face. I looked up at Raoul in Box Five...he smiled supportively, but frowned obviously seeing the fear in my eyes. As our scenes finished, Benedetta and I waited backstage...but she motioned for me to follow her.
"I just need some help with something..." She said and I followed her into the old dressing room with the mirror.
"Just here..." She said, pointing to the vanity. I went to look and she slammed the door suddenly as I heard the key in the door.

Oh God...locked in this room. Alone. I hated this room with its ghosts. I banged on the door desperately.
"Help me! Please! Oh God! Help!" I began to sob, looking for something anything. "Please I am locked in!" I sunk to the floor rocking back and forth in the darkness. There was no light whatsoever. "Help..." I sobbed against the door.
"Madeleine?" A voice called from the other side.
"Raoul?" I cried, hopeful.
"Are you in here?" He asked, and I knocked on the inside of the door.
"Yes! I am here! That woman tricked me and locked me in!" I cried, clawing at the door. Suddenly the door opened and light spilled into the blackness as I fell at his feet. He lifted me and I clung to his shirt.
"Oh God..." I sobbed into his shirt. He held me.
"It's alright dear Maddie...I'm here..."

"Have you found her?" Charles's voice came from just near the stage, near hysteria.
"Yes! I've got her..." He said as the music from the ongoing opera went on. Charles breathed in relief as Raoul brought me over to him, but before I could run into his arms I pushed roughly past him and stormed into the middle of the scene onstage.
"What the hell do you think you're doing you little worm?" Benedetta asked as the orchestra stopped playing.
"Excuse me?" I asked, eyeing her. "You locked me in an old dressing room you washed up bitch!" I cried. The managers stood and left their own box as other company members crowded around the stage. The audience was whispering to each other furiously.
"You think you're so wonderful with your pretty curls and your nice trim figure...well...you can't take my place! No one can!" She said and I clenched my fist, acting on instinct and pulled the horrid wig off of her head, shoving it back into her face.
"Oh choke on it you hag!" I said, walking away and leaving her to look like a fool as the curtain closed.

I joined Raoul and Charles backstage. Charles was not playing Don Attilo in this show since that role was for an older man, he was playing the Countess's young handsome lover after the pageboy.
"Are you alright Maddie?" He asked, checking me over. I nodded, numbly looking up at Raoul. I couldn't meet his eyes. The managers began their futile attempt to save the show.
"And...and...we are going to pick the show back up as Mademoiselle Denton will play the Countess." Andre said and my mouth dropped. M. Firmin peeked through the curtain and motioned for me before coming and taking my arm.
"Wait...listen..." I said before looking back at Charles. "He's in the audience!" I whispered frightened.
"Who is?" Charles asked and I cried.
"Dupont!"

"Ah...here she is our Miss Denton!" Firmin said, smiling.
"Isn't she just a gem?" He asked and everyone clapped as I tried to hide behind Firmin.
"Go get ready dear!" Andre whispered and I nodded, sprinting offstage. Madame Bennett was waiting for me.
" Come on dear, I've lit the candles in the dressing room."
"Where is Benedetta?" I asked fearfully and she smiled.
"Sent away...she won't be returning...not this time." She said, satisfied as she helped me pull on the beautiful costume. The rest of the show went on without a hitch, but the whole time I felt those horrid eyes from the third row on me. When I looked up at the man, he was smiling the most evil realizing smile I had ever seen as I sung with Charles. As we took our bows I held his hand tightly.
"Oh God...he knows Charles!" I whispered and he leaned over to me.
"I won't let him hurt you...I promise." He looked up at Raoul who nodded his approval with a small smile and lost the smile on his own face as if remembering.

As we walked out together for the gala after the show, the managers began to clap and whistle.
"Brava!" Andre cried. "Three cheers for the golden couple of opera!" He cried as the sea of reporters and fans surrounded us. I caught Raoul's eyes. They were so sad as he stood between Madame Giry and Madame Bennett. We fought our way through the crowds. I made sure Dupont was gone. He was. I breathed in relief.
"You were amazing!" Raoul cried kissing my cheek. I stiffened at his touch, but still smiled at him, unwilling to think about it. Charles stood cold as stone, not talking. His usually bright green eyes icy.
"Charles, is everything alright?" Madame Giry asked, a bit worried. He only stared at her.
"Why shouldn't it be?" He asked and a shiver ran down my spine. Raoul looked worried and I shrugged when he looked to me for an answer.

"You look so far away." Madame Bennett said, and he looked up toward the ceiling.
"Maybe I am..." He said, squeezing my hand before turning and walking away from us. He had run into the darkened theatre. I looked at everyone.
"I'll um...go see what's wrong." I said and sprinted in the direction he had just gone. I found him sobbing in one of the back seats.
"Charles..." I whispered, sitting beside him.
"Everything I am...was...is a lie." He said, tears streaming down his face. I was so confused.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. He looked up at me.
"Raoul de Chagny is not my father Madeleine. Those portraits we found...Destler...that man my mother knew...Erik. Oh God...it hurts! Make it go away Maddie!" He begged, holding onto my dress.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, thinking of Raoul and how much he loved Charles. It hurt my heart, my own troubles long forgotten.
"Nothing." He said. "I will do nothing...what can I do? Mother is dead and so is Erik! How could she?" He asked, his anger suddenly turning to his mother. I sighed.
"It seems, we are both living our own separate similar horrors..." I said, standing.
"What do you mean?" He asked like a child and I smiled at the irony of it all.
"We're both discovering the horrible truths about ourselves." I said and he looked down.
"Your eyes are different, you know..." He said and I looked at him.
"What did you say?" I asked and he smiled.
"Your eyes aren't like my mother's. They have a completely different shape." He said and I found it in myself to smile.
"Thank you Charles..." I said, glad to have some sense of my own identity. I wrapped my arms around him and lay my head on his shoulder as we watched the stagehands sweep the stage in heartbreaking silence.