Let Your Fantasies Unwind

Chapter 28

Later that evening, we head out to the performance. I ended up having to wear a nice, simple dress, but underneath is some shorts and a tank top. Erik looked at me funny before we left.

"I still don't understand how that's acceptable in your place." Erik says as we walk along.

"It's more of: since we don't see your private parts, you're good!" I try to explain once more.

"But what about the purity of the girls and the decency of the men?"

"The formal attire as it's now called is only for dances, balls, weddings, those kinds of events."

"But what about appearance on the street?"

"You look weird, and are a girly girl or gay, or have a mental issue."

"I'm not liking this conversation." He mumbles. He stops short in the different entrance we went through. "No, that can't be!" he whispers.

'Yay. Happy fun times...not. Management, you're in biiigggg trouble.' "What's up?" I ask.

"My box! And Carlotta is up there on the stage, not as the Page boy!"

I act surprised. "How could the management? Are they really that dumb?"

"Apparently." He growls. "I shall be back." He disappears.

'I want to watch everything unfold, but eh safest place for me would be up on the rooftop...maybe I should go when Christine goes...yeah, that sounds alright.'

I watch Il Muto continue to unfold, and then Erik interrupts them.

"Did I not instruct that Box five was to be kept empty?!"

I look down to see Christine and the other actors and singers panic on the stage.

"Your part is silent, little toad!"

"A toad, madame? Perhaps it is you who are a toad!"

The stage continues on with Carlotta's word, and they run through again up until-

Croak!

Usually I snorted or laughed a little at this part, but hearing it in real life makes me feel sorry for her.

She croaks again several times, even though it's Erik throwing his voice over hers. He laughs as she panics and runs off the stage.

"Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!" he continues to laugh.

Andre and Firmin run onto the stage and try to explain that everything will be back up after Act Three's ballet. Andre tells the Maestro to shift over quickly to the ballet, while Firmin walked off, and the ballet girls get on the stage, along with the props rushed on. Andre gets jumbled up with the girls, and is pushed off the stage to get out of the way.

I look up to the catwalks and see Buquet going to make his rounds, but Erik's shadow appears behind him. The lasso is around Buquet's neck within the blink of an eye. Meg Giry sees from below and steps out of line while watching the scene above the stage, and the Buquet's body is thrown off the side, making him hang.

I step back in horror, and even though I've seen it a million times acted out, as I've said before, it's different in real life. I feel tears sting in my eyes as the ballet girls scream. The patrons panic and the managers try to claim it's an accident. I notice Christine slip off the stage, and Raoul disappears from the box.

'My cue to leave.'

I get up to the roof a different way, and hear that Christine and Raoul are already singing. I see Erik hiding behind a statue, but is not looking my way. I stay hidden behind my statue.