My Dearest Saffron

Chapter Twelve

The curtain fell for the final time. Rosaria leapt into my arms, nearly knocking me over under the weight of her body. Everyone was either smiling or crying profusely. This was it. Tonight was the final time I would play Christine Daae. These three weeks went by in a blink of an eye. So much had happened.  

I was bombarded with hugs and congratulations, but amongst the crowd, I locked eyes with Xander. When I looked at him, something new was in his expression. I snaked my way through the crowd of people, meeting him. Xander looked down at me, smiling through the prop mask and prosthetics. 

"You were wonderful," he said warmly.

"So were you," I said. He leaned closer. And closer.

I met him halfway, my lips meeting his. This wasn't a normal stage kiss, the kiss I was used to giving him. This was an actual kiss. We didn't care if others were watching. All that mattered was us. All that mattered was this. 

He pulled away. My lips tingled, numb from the feeling of his lips on mine. I was speechless. So was he. 

~

Hours later, I was still shocked and numb from the kiss. I was still clearing out my dressing room, trying to shove all of the clutter into two duffel bags. My costumes hung dormant on the clothing rack. The smell of cinnamon and roses within the room had faded, as if marking a change in the air. 

A sudden chill ran down my spine. I didn't think too much of it. 

Looking at my dressing room again, I saw how empty it was. I was so used to seeing this room filled with clutter and decorations, I couldn't unsee the items that had been in here. I stood at the doorway, taking another glance at my empty dressing room. I took the two duffel bags in my hands, sighing as I glanced at the room for the final time. I flicked off the lights, and stepped out, closing the door behind me. 

I walked down the hall to the backstage area to take another look at the stage once again. I placed the duffel bags down, stepping onto the stage again. I smiled as my feet met the center of the stage, staring out into the empty audience seats. I sighed, then turned to leave. But as I turned, I saw something up in the rafters. Thinking it was all in my head, I went up there to see if what I was seeing was real. And it was real. It was so real.

As I turned the corner to the catwalk where I saw the mysterious shape, my heart stopped. A rope around his neck. His eyes open and wide and cold. His skin pale. No sign of movement. 

Alexander was dead.

A ragged sob escaped my throat. My eyes threatened to shed tears, the salty water droplets aching to be released. How had this happened? Wait...

Oh no. 

My sadness quickly transformed into rage. I found my way back down to the main floor, leaving my bags there without another thought. I snuck my way to a hidden passageway in an empty hallway; a path that he had shown me to make his lair easier to access. 

I walked down the long, winding hallway, a tear rolling down my face. Why did it have to be Xander? 

I kept walking. And walking. And walking. Until I finally made it to his lair, the door opening to the right of the pipe organ, where he sat. Immediately, his head shot up, his eyes meeting mine. He smiled, then he saw my tears. 

".. why are you crying, darling?" He asked.

I stepped into the room. ".. what the hell did you do?" 

Erik stumbled over his words. "I..I-I don't know w-what you're talking about," he stutters.

".. you killed him.. you murdered Alexander, didn't you?"  I hissed. He looks at me, guilt and regret in his eyes. He stepped forwards, placing a hand on my arm. 

I flinched out of his touch. ".. I.. I never should've trusted you," I whispered. I wanted to smack him in the face. So I did.

My handprint lay on his face, leaving a red mark. 

".. I genuinely liked you, maybe even loved you," I shouted. I had said it. I said the words. He looked at me, one of his hands on his face, covering the mark I left.

"Saffron, I-"

"Shut up."

Another tear rolled down my cheek. I turned and walked away, not giving him another look.

WC: 756