Stories of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 2: Prima Donna

I awake with a start to someone banging on the door of my room. I am one of the lucky few who get to room on their own.

I find the journal placed neatly on the pillow next to my head, where Erik always leaves it after he reads the story, though he usually does not write to me until later.

I carefully get out of bed and walk to the door and find Madame Giry there.

"Madame." I say softly, "What can I do for you at such an early hour?"

She, along with Erik, are the few people that I will talk to here at the Opera house.

"Here I have a note." She hands me a folded up piece of parchment and then walks off.

I unfold the paper and read,

My dear Kane,

You said that you wished to know me and you shall. I will be watching your performance tonight from box five. Please beware that a few things may go wrong with the show tonight; especially on the Prima Donna's end. Do not worry, for you will see me after. I hope that our year of correspondence will not be forgotten the moment you see me.

Much love and best wishes,

Erik.

I wonder what he has planned? I would only like to truly meet the man who has saved me from myself. A year ago, today I believe, he began to visit me. I assume that he heard my screams in the night. I asked him to stay after he sang for me, but he had to leave. It quickly became nightly that he would come and visit me. I came to love those moments, he would hold me and sometimes speak of the opera he was writing. Other times he would sing to me, he would sing beautiful lullabies.

I know how wrong it seems, a young girl letting a man a few years older than her sit in her room at night but he has done nothing but be kind to me.

I love how his smooth voice would calm me and how his warmth would pull me from cold dreams. And somehow there in the night we had both found a companion to love and adore.

I do truly love him, however terrible it may be, he has been there when no else has, my dearest Erik and I his dearest Kane.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts I place the note in the journal and quickly get ready. I need to eat before we start rehearsals again.

Slowly, I make my way down to the kitchens. I grab a small biscuit and eat my little breakfast, careful not to get crumbs on my skirt.

Suddenly I hear someone yell, "Out of my way ballet rat." I am shoved to the floor and what's left of my breakfast goes rolling across it.

I glance up and see a girl all clad in bright pink. This must be the new Prima Donna, after the Opera house was rebuilt they had Carlotta back for a while but she soon quit and this girl replaced her. This was the first time I have actually had a run in with her.

"Hey!" She exclaims as she kicks my leg, "I'm talking to you rat!"

I look up at her but say nothing. Slowly she begins to smirk, that expression strikes fear into my heart.

"Aren't you that silent girl everyone is always yapping about?" She laughs.

I nod my head, not sure if I should run or stay put.

"Well then." She continues to cackle. "Why don't you talk? Or can you even? Are you like one of those freakish mutes that belong in circus shows?"

My eyes go wide at this as memories of my father swirl into my head. I wish Erik was here to help calm me. Somehow the thoughts of him give me the strength to stand. As I walk away the Prima Donna continues to laugh and soon everyone around her is laughing too.

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to keep my blurry eyes from spilling over. Quietly, I start to hum Erik's lullaby to myself, imagining that he was here singing and wiping away my tears.

The rest of my day is filled with continuous taunting from the Prima Donna. I try to hide in the back of the group of dancers but even they think it is funny.

Soon the show is about to begin and everyone is running around frantically trying to get ready. I watch in silence as the Prima Donna yells at people to get her things ready. The first act begins with a flourish, The Magic Flute really is one of my favorite operas. Then act two begins and things begin to crumble, quite literally.

We get through the ballet, after I had been shoved several times, and the set starts to cave in on itself. It falls right around Prima Donna.

I glance up at box five, knowing this was Erik's doing and that he was up there watching his work. All that I could see of him is his silhouette but then he gets up and leaves.

People start to whisper around me, saying that the Phantom was back. I wonder who this 'phantom' that they speak of is. I will have to ask Erik later tonight.

We pick up the set as the audience leaves, suddenly a note floats down from the rafters, I look up to see who had dropped it but no one was there. I pick it up and read,

Meet me on the rooftop in ten minutes sharp.

Ah this must be from Erik. I carefully tuck the note into the folds of my skirt and make my way up to the rooftop ten minutes later.

I walk out into the chilly air and a shiver runs down my back. It looks as if it could snow any moment now.

"Erik?" I call out softly, knowing that he was hiding around here somewhere.

A hooded figure emerges from behind one of the statues, "Kane." He acknowledges.

I grin and race towards him, "Erik." I mutter into his chest, grinning, however childish I may seem.

He chuckles, "My dear, you were stunning tonight."

I pull away, "Please show me who you are, I can wait no longer."

He nods and motions for me to lower his hood. I reach out and gently lower it.

His eyes are the first thing that I notice, they are the brightest gray I have ever seen and the hold so much emotion all at once. He wears a partial mask that covers one side of his face. My fingertips dance across his one bare cheek.

"Why do you wear a mask, dearest?" I ask softly shivering slightly from the cold.

"You would be horrified if I did not." He pauses and takes off his cloak, wrapping it around my shoulders, "take this so you do not freeze."

"Thank you." I mumble, looking to the ground.

"Do you wish to know of my past?" He asks as he gently raises my chin.

I nod.

"I have lived in this Opera house since I was a child-" He begins when there is a sudden bang on the door.

"Open up, we know the Phantom is up here, we have a note!" A man yells.

My eyes go wide as I pat my skirt, realizing that the note must have fallen out. "Quickly!" I whisper to Erik, "You must hide!"

I turn to see that they are beating on the door. "I knew that ballet rat was up to something!" The Prima Donna exclaims from the other side of the door. I turn back and find that Erik has disappeared.

I jump when the door is slammed open and several police men come running out, pointing their pistols at me.

"Where is he?" They ask.

"Who?" I pretend to be confused.

"The Phantom." Prima Donna hisses.

"Who were you talking to?" One asks.

I say nothing.

"He has her under a spell!" Prima exclaims. "I heard that he practices the dark arts, he must have bewitched her!"

"Take her back to her rooms and guard her, we will question her later." The leader instructs. one of his men grab me tightly by the arm and pull me to the door and down the stairs.