Sorry it took so long :) I wasn't near an internet source for a day, but here is the next chapter. Thanks for all the kind words and ideas. Please continue to read and review! ^^
Chapter 6
Opening night was hectic. In the auditorium, all the audience sat a talked amongst themselves. Behind the curtains, the company rushes to add the finishing touches to the set and the actors. Everyone applauds as the curtains open. The performance starts...
Above the audience, in a little room, Belle sneaks in and listens to the performance. 'Those insolent managers! I'll show them what happens when then don't obey orders.'
On stage there is a knock at the set door. La Piangia continues to sing, "Why, who can this be?"
El Carlos, as Don Attilio, calls out. "Gentle wife, admit your loving husband." He walks on stage in costume.
Belle opens the door that leads her to the ledge that looks over the audience. 'Almost...'
El Carlos starts, "My love-I'm called to Engl-"
Belle calls out, her voice resonating in every direction, "Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?"
Everyone gasps and looks at Belle. All the cast stop and look up.
Matt peaks out from behind the curtain. "She's here, the Phantom of the Opera."
Charles looks out as well. "It's her."
El Carlos glares at Charles. "You be silent, little toad!"
Belle smirks and calls out again. "A toad, monsieur? Perhaps it is you who are the toad..." Belle walks back the way she came. She doesn't realize that Buquet is following her.
The audience tenses and turns their attention once more to the stage. El Carlos shutters and begins again. "I'm called to Engl-croak..."
Everyone gasps, some begin to laugh.
"...on affairs of-croak..." Everyone is laughing now. El Carlos begins to shake and runs off stage.
The managers try to settle the audience. Monsieur Firmin calls from their box. "Er Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize. Er, the performance will continue in ten minutes...When the role of Don Attilio will be sung by Monsieur Daae. Thank you." Charles nervously walks onto stage. Monsieur Firmin waves him back. "Go, go, hurry up, hurry up." The curtain closes. "Until then, we would crave your indulgence for a few moments."
Monsieur Andre tried to improvise. "Meanwhile, ladies and gentlemen, we shall be giving you the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera."
Monsieur Reyes looked up at the managers. "What?"
"Er, maestro..." Monsieur Andre stutters, "...the, the, the ballet-bring it forward please."
Monsieur Reyes started to tell the orchestra to turn to the ballet.
The curtains open on everyone rushing around. Finally, all the ballet girls were in position and began.
Above, in the flies, Belle is swinging from one flat to the other, trying to get Buquet off her tail. Buquet tries to follow. Belle stops to rest and is unaware that Buquet is behind her in the shadows.
Buquet grabs her from behind. Before she can scream, as any girl would, Buquet places his hand on her mouth. "Shh, your a pretty piece of meat, aren't you?" He starts feeling her up, his free hand exploring her body. "Now let's see whats there behind your little mask." He doesn't notice that Belle pulled out her Punjab. In an unearthly speed she broke free of his grasp and wrapped the lasso around his neck. She leaps up and knocks him down on his back onto the flat with her great strength. Below, the ballet continued, the dancers unaware of the events above their heads. Belle tightened the rope .
She looked him right in the eyes and growled, "This is payback for all your acts of perversion you've committed towards women. The Devil's waiting for you." Reaches and removes her mask. Buquet gasps in revulsion. "I hope this face haunts you in the afterlife." She replaces her mask and snaps his neck, killing him. She secured the rope and lets his body drop. She smiled in satisfaction and headed to the roof.
When it fell, everyone gasped and screamed at the body as it made a sickening thud on the stage. Everyone starts rushing around, frantic and screaming.
Monsieur Firmin tries to attempt the impossible and calm everyone down. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats." He tries to raise his voice over the commotion. "Er, do not panic. It was and accident...simply an accident!" Beside him, Monsieur Andre looked as though he was going to throw up.
Charles starts running for the iron spiral stairs that lead to the roof. Rachel chases after him. "Charles, wait!"
She reaches him and he takes her hand. They start running again.
"Why have you brought me here?"
"We can't go back there!"
"We must return!"
"She'll kill you! Her eyes will find us there!"
"Charles, don't say that..."
"Those eyes that burn!"
"Don't even think it..."
"And if she has to kill a thousand men-"
"Forget this waking nightmare..."
"The Phantom of the Opera will kill and kill again!"
"The Phantom is a fable...Believe me, there is no Phantom of the Opera..."
"My god, who is this woman who hunts to kill...? I can't escape from her... I never will!"
"My god, who is this woman, the mask of death...? Whose is this voice you hear with every breath...?
They reached the roof. A light snow had already fallen. Snowflakes continued to fall. "And in this labyrinth, where night is blind, the Phantom of the Opera is here/there: inside my/your mind."
"There is no Phantom of the Opera..."
"Rachel, I've been there-to her world of unending night...to a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness...Darkness...Rachel, I've seen her!" Charles reached out and held onto Rachel. "Can I ever forget that sight...? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face, in that darkness...darkness..." He let go of Rachel and looked at the red rose he was holding. "But her voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound...In that night, there was music in my mind...And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before..."
Neither Charles nor Rachel were aware that Belle was hiding behind an immense horse statue. She could hear everything. She peaked around and saw the way Charles looked at the rose she had left for him. If it wouldn't have only pushed Charles farther away, Belle would have Punjab-ed Rachel right then and there. Belle remained quiet and listened. 'Oh, how much I want to Punjab that woman!'
"What you heard was a dream and nothing more..." Rachel shook her head and looked at Charles.
"Yet in her eyes all the sadness of the world, those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore..." He again looked at the rose, lost in thought.
Rachel walked towards him."Charles...Charles..."
"Charles..." Belle threw her voice.
Charles looked around frantically. "What was that?"
Rachel walks next to him and takes the rose from his hands. She throws it to the ground. "No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here: nothing can harm you-my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears." Rachel reached up and held Charles in her arms. Belle peaked around and nearly fainted from the shock of what she seen. Rachel was hugging Charles and he was hugging her back. "I'm here with you, beside, to guard you and to guide you..."
Charles began to smile."Say you love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime...Say you need me with you, now and always...Promise me that all you say is true-that's all I ask of you..."
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light. You're safe: no one will find you-your fears are all behind you..."
"All I wan tis freedom, a world with no more night...and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me..."
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...let me lead you from your solitude..." Belle listens from the shadows and is nearly to tears. "Say you need me with you here, beside you...anywhere you go...Let me go too-Charles, that's all I ask of you..."
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...Say the word, and I will follow you..."
They looked at each other, love in their eyes. They both sing, "Share each day with me, each night, each morning..."
Charles smiled at Rachel. "Say you love me..."
"You know I do..." Rachel smiled back.
They continue together, "Love me-That's all I ask of you..."
Charles reaches out and brushed the hair out of Rachel's face. He leans down and kisses her, fully on the lips. Rachel kisses back.
Belle grasps her chest. Closing her eyes, she starts to cry. Watching them was breaking her heart to pieces.
They let go and sing once more. "Anywhere you go, let me go too...Love me-that's all I ask of you..." They kiss again.
Charles pulls away. "I must go-they'll wonder I am...Come with, Rachel!" He starts for the door.
"Charles, I love you!" She follows him.
"Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door!" He grasped her hand.
"And soon you'll be beside me!
"You'll guard me, and you'll guide me..." Their voices faded as they walked down the stairs.
Belle stepped out from behind the statue. She walked over to where the rose laid in the snow. She kneels down and picked it up. Tears were now streaming down her face. "I gave you my music...made your song take wing...And now, how you've repaid me: denied me and betrayed me...She was bound to love you when she heard you sing...Charles..." She got down on her knees and began to sob. She could still hear their singing as it faded down into the theater.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...Say the word, and I will follow you..." It grows softer. "Share each day with me, each night, each morning..." It faded away.
Belle grasps the rose and crushes it in her gloved hands. She throws it down and runs to the edge of the roof. Her voice dropped to a low sinister tone as she sung to the dark, night sky. "You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you...!" She swished her cape and disappeared into the shadows once again.
There, another chapter! I hope it is to everyone's liking. I gave Belle a VERY good reason for killing Buquet. Continue to send more ideas, they're very inspiring and are helpful in my writing. Send some ideas about Belle's history. R&R!