The Dancer's Secret (Phantom of the Opera Phanfiction)

Joseph Buquet

Clementine 

I ran up the stairs, scanning all around for any sight of the Phantom. The stairs led into the rafters where I was met face to face with Joseph Buquet. I backed away from him. He was always very creepy towards me and the other ballerinas. He would sneak into our dorm at night and tell us rumors about the phantom, trying to scare us. It worked for some but not me. I was more scared of the man telling the stories.

I had heard that he had touched some of the other dancers inappropriately and done terrible things to the other staff. Mary, another dancer around 17, said that he had harassed her. Her mother found out about this and completely cut her out of the family for 'losing her dignity.' 

We couldn't fire him though, we had no proof and the manager at the time made up the excuse that Joseph knew how to work all the sets and backdrops and that no one did it better. They said it would be a great loss firing him. I myself thought it would do more good then bad to fire a loathsome monster like him. It would certainly make all the girls feel safer.

"What are you doing up here pretty girl? Shouldn't you be down there with the other ballerinas? Dancing?" I had a bad feeling form in the bottom of my stomach. He stepped closer and grabbed my wrist.

"Please let go, I'm not up here for you. I just need to find something." I pulled my arm away and pushed past him. I moved into the center of the rafters, looking closely at any place that would be big enough for a person to hide but still watch the show. I looked down and saw the other dancers directly below me. I had hoped that Joseph would get the hint and lay off me, but no. I noticed he stood right behind me.

"Oh come on now, what are you looking for? I can help sweetie." He grabbed me by the waist and pulled my body close to him. I didn't like this at all. thoughts raced through my head of different ways I could escape. 

"I said no thank you." I panicked when he only ignored my words, starting to touch my neck. I wriggled out of his arms and slapped his face.

"Oh girl, that wasn't very nice. Come on now. I just want to show you how the ropes work up here. Don't you want to know how the backdrops and the lights work? Come on sweetheart." He moved towards me again and I backed up away from him quickly. Apparently that was a mistake because I tripped on a rope behind me, falling onto my back.

He immediately took this to his advantage and climbed on top of me. I tried to push him off of me, failing. I was usually very strong, but he was much bigger and I guess working with stage sets made him stronger. He started to touch my stomach and waist, moving down my leg in an attempt to lift my skirt up. I kicked him In his lower region and he crumpled to the floor and I tried to move away, but he recovered quickly. 

Next thing I knew he had pinned my arms to my side.

"Get off of me! I do not wish for you to touch me!" I yelled, kicking and trying to free my arms. When that didn't work, I screamed as loudly as I could. praying someone could hear me. He slapped his hand over my mouth in an attempt to shut me up, freeing one of my arms. I bit down on his hand hard, tasting blood in my mouth. He brought his hand quickly to his chest, distracting himself long enough for me to get out from under him and shuffle further away from him.

I looked around for anything I could use as self defense. I noticed a beer bottle to my right and for the first time ever, I thanked the lord that Joseph Buquet was a sorry old drunk. I grabbed the bottle while he was still distracted and smashed it on the floor, making a perfect weapon.

He shook the pain on his hand off and turned his attention towards me again. There was anger on his face and in his eyes as he reached inside his coat pocket, bringing out a pocket knife. He lunged toward me.