An Angels Opera

18

Warning, may be offensive to some readers.

Meg

I stood shivering in the corner of the room. Christine had gotten me a blanket, and a warm cup of tea, but it was still impossible to get comfortable. Not in this room, anyway.

I slipped into my nightgown, and wrapped the blanket around me. The cup of tea was shaking violently, and I wondered why, before realizing that it was because my hand was trembling.

I swallowed my tears, and began to climb up the steps to Elodie's room. The wood creaked dangerously, and I quickened my pace. It was too scary in here.

When I reached her room, I stuck out my shaking hand and opened the door. Thankfully, it was empty.

I collapsed onto the bed, and allowed my tears to escape my eyes. Flashes of the previous hour ran through my mind.

A knock on my door. A charming smile. A kiss on my hand. A hand creeping up my thigh. A ripped dress. A tremendous pain. A scream. A laugh. A tear. A tongue. A push. An insult.

With every memory, a new sob escaped. I crawled over to the tall mirror, and hit it. A loud echoing noise came from it. I hit it again. And again.

I collapsed against it, and cried. I stared at myself in the mirror, and picked myself apart. Nose too wide. Eyes too far apart. Small lips.

I let myself wallow in my sadness for a few more minutes, then stared back into the mirror. I told it exactly what happened, relishing the fact that no one would ever know how I felt. I took a few deep breaths at the end, and let out a shaky laugh.

"You are fine."

I repeated the line like a mantra, convincing myself that nothing was wrong. I pulled myself off the floor, and looked straight at myself.

"You are fine."

I marched out of the room, looking ad if nothing had happened. Except for a shaking hand. Except for a broken soul. Except not knowing that someone had seen my pain.

Erik

I heard the three knocks echo down to my lair, and I groaned. I had been writing a piece for Christine, and I now had to tear myself away from it. I made sure to go as slowly as I could so that Elodie would be annoyed once I got there.

Finally, I made it to the mirror entrance. But instead of seeing an impatient Elodie pacing the floors, I saw a crying Meg Giry. She was looking straight at me, and speaking. I knew that she couldn't see me, so I just listened.

"See, I had just gotten back from rehearsal. It seems that I'm the only one who goes anymore."

I smiled, that was true. Elodie barely went, and Christine had been locked up in De Chagney Manor.

"And then there was a knock on the door, and Christine's fiancé came in."

She shook violently, then continued, "And he smiled, and said that I was wonderful at rehearsal."

She laughed, and shook her head sadly. "I should have known that he wasn't actually there. But, of course, I believed him."

She sighed, and looked down at the floor. "He gave me such a charming smile, and asked me to show him the view."

"I opened the window, and I felt those hands on my hips."

She shuddered, "He told me that I was beautiful, and I told him that he wasn't my type."

She chuckled sadly, "And then he ripped off my dress. I kneed him where it hurts the most, and tried to run. He caught me, and said, 'Now we don't want a runner now, do we?' "

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and I felt myself pity her.

"And then he raped me."

All her tears came falling from her eyes, and she let out pained sobs.

"After he was done, Christine came into the room."

My head snapped up at the mention of Christine, and I listened to her closley.

"She was horrified. She asked him what he'd done, and he said something about her doing the same with a deformed freak. Then he said that he shouldn't have trusted my Elodie."

I snarled at the mirror, and let her continue.

"She was about to call him a name, but he stopped her saying that she was still his fiancé. She said that they were through, and he ignored her, saying that he needed a wife that would heighten his name in the public. She told him that she wouldn't do it, and he said that if she didn't, he would have her lover killed, and he called Elodie a whore! And he said that he would have her arrested. "

What the hell? My poor angel was bullied by this disgusting fop?! And he dared to threaten Elodie and I?!

"And that's everything. My sad little story." She smiled at the mirror, touching it lovingly, "But you won't tell anyone. You can't. "

She stared at the morror, and I turned and left. I could hear her repeating words that I couldn't quite distinguish.

Poor, unhappy, Meg. She was trapped inside her sadness, and she felt all alone. I could relate to her.

But before I could help the little Giry, I had to speak to Elodie.

Elodie

Just as Nadir and I arrived at Erik's lair, we heard the familiar footsteps echoing behind us.

I grinned at Nadir, "Do you think we can scare him?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Only one way to find out."

We hid behind a large statue, and waited for Erik to get close. And he got close.

"What are you doing? "

Nadir and I jumped, and held onto each other for dear life.

"What the Hell, Erik! How did you manage to scare us when we were going to scare you?!"

Nadir shrugged, "We can always try again." I nodded, and Erik snapped his fingers, grabbing our attention.

I rolled my eyes, "What?"

"Meg Giry just got raped by the Vicomte."

What. The. Hell.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! OH MY GOD, IS SHE ALRIGHT? OF COURSE SHE NOT ALRIGHT! I HAVE TO GO!"

Just as I was panicking, Erik grabbed my arm, and pulled me over to a chair.

"While I would love to plan revenge on the fop, we have a bigger problem."

"And what is that?"

"He's planning on having you arrested, and me killed."

I froze, this was not good. "What do we do?"

"That's what we're here to figure out."