Inside My Mind: The Phantom of the Opera as told by Miss Christine Daae

Chapter 2: Opera Ghost

Meg runs out on stage. "He's there, the Phantom of the Opera. He's there, the Phantom of the Opera!" I cringe, he hates that title so much. By now, Carlotta is seated off stage breathing heavily with a panicked look on her face, Madame Giry is looking around, trying to find out where he could be. Oh, I wish I knew his name, that way I could put a meaning to all of this.

I hear a voice, I think it is Monsieur Andre say "Good heavens, will you show a little courtesy?" How did I know he would come to Carlotta' defense? He has been drooling all over her ever since he walked in the door. Lefevre, in a panic, calls "Buquet, where's Buquet. Get that man down here!" Turning to Firmin and Andre he says "Buquet, chief of the flies, he's responsible for this." Joseph Buquet, a man about 5 foot two, bald head and covered in soot rushes out onstage holding a rope tied into a noose. That's weird, why would he have tied that into a noose? Lefevre scolds him, "Buquet, for god sake, man what's going on up there?" With a startled look on his face, Buquet tries his best to explain. "Please Monsieur, don't look at me. As God's my witness, I was not at my post. Please, Monsieur, there's no one there. And if there is, well then, it must be a GHOST!" Meg rushes to my side and grabbing my hands says "He's there, the Phantom of the Opera" Chills suddenly shoot down my spine.

"Good heavens, now I've never known such insolence!" Firmin screams, before Andre takes the spotlight. He walks over to Carlotta, still panic stricken and says "Signora PLEASE! These things do happen". "These *breath* things *breath* do happen" Carlotta gasps. Snickering, she continues "You have been here five minutes what do you know? See, these THINGS do happen, all the time. For the past three years these things do happen". She stands up and rushes over to Lefevre, pointing her finger at him as she continues her little rant. "And did you stop them happening no." Turning to Firmin and Andre, "and you, oh you're as bad as him. These THINGS do happen. Well, until you stop these things happening, this thing does NOT HAPPEN! Ubaldo, andiamo! Picking up her skirt, she rushes off. Piangi approaches the managers wags his finger and says "Amateurs!" before following Carlotta. Ok, did that really just happen?

"I don't think there's much more I can do to assist you gentlemen." Lefevre chimes in, "Good luck, if you need me, I shall be in Frankfurt." He brushes past everyone and on his way out Monsieur Andre calls after him "Oh, but Monsieur". I hear Lefevre say "Oh, please out of my way." Andre looks around the stage before saying "Oh, la Carlotta will be back". "You think so Monsieur", Madame Giry asks. "Yes", Andre replies, matter-of-factly. Approaching him, Madame Giry announces, "I have a message sir, from the Opera Ghost". "Oh, God in heaven, you're all obsessed" an exasperated Firmin chimes in. Madame Giry reads "He merely welcomes you to his opera house, commands that you continue to leave Box Five empty for his use, and reminds you *she says as she approached Firmin* that his salary is due." Laughing, Firmin says "His salary". "Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty-thousand francs a month", Madame Giry informs him, "Or perhaps you could afford more, with the Vicomte de Chagney as your patron". "Madame I had hoped to have made that announcement myself" Andre says, clearly upset that she told everyone. De Chagney, where do I recognize that name? Madame Giry asks "Will the Vicomte be at the performance this evening, Monsieur?" Firmin answers, "In our box."

Andre approaches Madame Giry and asks "Madame, who's the understudy for the role?" Monsieur Reyer marches up to Andre and says matter-of-factly "There is no UNDERSTUDY, Monsieur, the production is new!" Meg grabs my hands, and pulling me onstage and out of my thoughtful trance, says "Christine Daae could sing it sir!"