Mon Espion || Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 33 - Joyeux Noël

Christine mumbled a series of curse words to herself as she continued pacing the room that her and Meg now shared. Originally they had been offered to return to the dormitories but Raoul insisted if she were to choose a new chamber to sleep in, it should be somewhat private as to appease his mother. With reluctance, Christine chose to room with Meg, considering Meg was always wandering around the opera house and hardly used the room they shared to sleep in, she knew she would obtain the privacy she sought when she wished to sneak off herself. Though the room did not have a secret passageway, she was able to slip by all hours of the night if she so willed it. The room in question was quite similar to the one her and Constance used to share, apart from the walls being an off white and slightly bigger in size. Otherwise her belongings, as well as the decor in the room, appeared as if she had been there her entire life.

A small smile appeared on her face as she clutched onto a piece of parchment. It was not the letter that made her smile though, in fact the letter did the opposite, however thoughts about her affair with her Angel of Music always made her smile. She had seen him only once after the incident on the rooftop and since it was now Christmas Day, she knew her schedule would free up immensely after tonight. Christine would be able to see him much more often than before, with the cast and crew having a paid two-week holiday vacation after all. Her skin grew hot form the blush covering it, her mind teasing her sensing as she thought about him taking control over her in every way possible.

However, she knew now more than ever that Constance would eventually want to put a stop to their union, if the dancer even knew of the affair that is. The thought reminded her of the letter she had received, the letter in which was still clutched into her hand. She frowned and looked down at it, cautiously observing it as she had about a thousand times before. It was his stationary, his penmanship, his very essence and yet the letter confused her all the same.

Christine,

It would serve best for all parties involved if you retire this game of cat and mouse. You do not know the beast that has been stirred or what it is capable of contracting. Consider this your first and final warning.

Christine frowned once more at the unsigned letter, noting that this was the second time she received something of the sort. With a scoff, she decided that she needed to interrogate the one person whom she knew would give her the answers she so desperately needed. Clutching to the paper tightly, she placed it within the contents of her corset, donning the appropriate attire as she stormed out of her chambers and towards the prima donna dressing room. This was the only way she knew to get to the tunnels, her lover and the person whom she was currently seeking. No one was in the dressing room during the holidays, which made her mission all too easy. With a quick clasp of the door, she locked it behind her and turned to the floor length mirror. Too many times had she been whisked away without so much of a choice and when she was truly infatuated with Raoul, she dared not to enter the catacombs ever again. Here she was, defying not only her fiancé's wishes but also her own, she found the switch to open the mirror and stepped inside.

As the mirror closed behind her, she realized that she had forgotten to grab a candelabra in order to light her way. Another curse came form her lips as she took a few steps closer, trying best to see in the darkness before her. Her hands clung onto the stonewalls as she continued moving forward, no longer afraid of any monsters that may have found their way inside. She knew of the monsters that lurked within these walls and neither one of them was she afraid of, at least not anymore. After what seemed to be a few minutes, she found that the wall was no longer there, signifying a turn in the hallway. However, she took it, unsure of exactly where she was going. A soft light in the distance encouraged her to continue moving forward, her steps becoming more confident as she increased her speed towards it. Just as she was about to reach it, she felt the floor give in underneath her, causing the light and the catacombs to all but vanish from her sight. Her scream echoed through the walls underneath the opera house, her fear surfacing as she plummeted into the darkness, not knowing if these were her final moments.