Chapter 4: The Chandelier Falls

Phineas had decided it was enough. It was high time to pay a visit to Box Five. It was a dark, silent night when he and Ferb made their trip through the seats of the opera. The statues that adorned the theater in day and candlelight now looked to be no more nor less than spirits themselves. Everything was changed in the darkness. They were half-afraid they'd actually see the ghost. They soon stood in Box Five. For a few moments, it seemed that the seat in which "the ghost" sat was as empty as any other. Then, Phineas grabbed Ferb's arm in a death grip. They both seemed to see something in that chair, but could not agree on what. Needless to say, they performed a thorough inspection of the entire box.

Before calling it quits, Phineas checked the pillars. The left pillar (upon entering the box) was hollow. A man might hide here, thought Phineas, and project his voice to that seat. He pointed out the pillar to Ferb. "Perhaps our former manager could not see through this ghost's schemes and tricks, but I begin to see it quite clearly," said Phineas. Ferb nodded in agreement. They then began hatching a plan for the next performance. When the ghost "arrived", they would be ready. They would watch the next performance from that very box.

Needless to say, the very next morning yielded another letter from the ghost. This letter ran:

My Dear Managers,

Are we now at war? If you wish for us to continue to live in peace, then I have four conditions:

1.)Place my box at my disposal immediately.

2.)The role of Marguerite will be sung by Penelope Daae tonight. Worry not for Candace Sorelli, for she shall be ill.

3.)It has come to my attention that you have dismissed Miss Isabella Jammes from her duties. I wish for her to be restored to her position.

4.)You shall have Miss Jammes deliver a letter stating that you accept the provisions in the book of instructions regarding my allowance. Form of payment shall be discussed afterward.

If you do not meet these conditions, tonight your performance shall take place in a cursed house.

A word to the wise is sufficient.

O.G.

It was later brought to the young managers' attention that one of the 12 horses in the stables had been stolen. The horse in question, Cesar, was stolen by a figure in black. The stable master had no remark about it other than it had to have been the ghost. This ignited a fury in Phineas. He was still in this fury when Miss Isabella Jammes came to the door saying she had gotten a letter from the ghost saying her position had been restored. He turned her out of the office so quickly, she hardly knew what happened. When she did realize, she screamed and pounded on the door until Ferb came out and made her calm down.

It was at this same time that Candace Sorelli received this anonymous letter:

Should you try to sing tonight, you shall meet a misfortune far worse than death.

She knew it had been the ghost. She knew it was all so Penelope could perform in her place. It wasn't fair. She was the experienced performer, she was the one who had been there the longest, she was the one (in her mind) with the fairer voice and airs. She was indignant, then, at this letter for shoving her from center stage in such a way. "We shall see," she said. She made precautions to bring supporters with her as well as Jeremy Piangi, her number-one admirer. If Penelope's admirers had intentions against her, then she would snuff them out.

When she arrived at the opera that evening, she received another note in the same handwriting and ink. This one read:

You are ill, my lady. It would be insensible to try to sing tonight.

Candace believed not a word of it. She went on with the performance for that evening. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Meanwhile, Phineas and Ferb were in their seats in Box Five. The ghost usually came around the first act, if not then near the end of it. When the first act passed them by and there was no sign of the ghost, they began to feel confidence in their plan. However, they were made aware of the rumor that Candace was being plotted against by Penelope's supporters. When they went to investigate, they returned to the box to find a pair of opera glasses and a box of sweets.

Poor Peter… he watched the performance with heartbreak. The love of his life, who had once performed among the angels, had lost the skill in her voice. He knew why too. He wept bitterly and his brother Phillip felt sorry for him. Peter had only recently returned from his trip with a terrible cold. Even now, the lingering effects of the illness weighed heavily upon him. Phillip suddenly greatly disliked Penelope for putting his brother in such a state. Peter had received a letter from Penelope effectively cutting him off from communicating with her or so much as seeing her. His heart was in pain.

The performance was still going strong. The ghost was nowhere to be seen and practically forgotten. Practically.

When Candace came upon the stage once more for the longest of her lines, a great catastrophe occurred. In one moment, her melodic voice sang, and in the next, came a toad! Quite distinctly, with no room for doubt, it was a toad. It sounded not once, nor twice, but several times.

Then, as clearly as her voice and that toad sounded in their ears, Phineas and Ferb heard the ghost. They heard his voice say, "The way she's singing tonight, she'll bring down the chandelier." When they looked to the chandelier, it began to sink, then fall. Screams erupted and people tried to flee, but there were many injured that night. There was also one death. The only death that night was the death of the woman chosen to be Isabella Jammes's replacement. The woman had died instantly on her very first and last night at the opera.

I wanted Phineas and Ferb to be a little smarter than the managers in the book. Also, super sorry for the slow update! I've been really busy lately and haven't had a lot of time or inspiration for my stories. I hope you shall all please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)