Love Never Dies

Chapter XVII

I walk to the wings and watch four very important people pacing around: Papa, Raoul, Aunt Giry, and Gustave.

Gustave was absolutely entranced by the scenery.

Papa was mumbling to himself, "Stay and be mine, Christine. Stay."

Raoul was mumbling as well, "Please Christine. Stop the show. Please."

Aunt Giry was pacing back and forth at an accelerated pace. "Maybe she won't go on. She'll lose her nerve, or her voice will fail, and then Meg and I will earn our reward."

I watch as they nervously stare at the stage, Christine standing in the center behind the curtain. I notice Aunt Giry walk over to Papa.

"I hope Christine is worthy of you. I hope her singing makes up for what your blindness has done to Meg and me."

Meg! I forgot to tell her good job. I walk over to her dressing room only to be greeted with an open door and a smashed mirror. "Oh god..." I race down the hallways. She wasn't stable. I needed to find her, fast. "Meg! Meg!" I open every door I can, throwing them open in a frenzy. I spot Rachel down the hall.

"Rachel!" I race to her. "Rachel, where is Meg?!" She stares at me, frightened. "I think she just went backstage, she was saying something about Christine's son."

"No..." Gustave. She was going after Gustave for something. I think back to when I left her room, she seemed upset. "Thank you, Rachel!" I race past her and hear what I've been waiting for so long: Christine singing my aria.

I'm torn. Do I find Meg and Gustave or listen to my mother sing? I could stand there and listen to her sing for hours. I also realize that this means Christine was staying in America.

Finally, after several painful moments of listening to my mother's pure voice, I tear myself away from Christine and run after Gustave. I find Meg by the back door of the theater.

"Meg!" Her head full of blonde frazzled hair whips in my direction. "What are you doing?"

"Making them pay for what they did." She continues moving forward, Gustave's arm in her grip.

"Please, Miss Giry, I just want to watch my mother sing-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" She pulls a gun out of her dress, aiming it at Gustave. "Meg! What are you-?!"

"Don't move. Don't test me." She shoves me through a doorway and starts to pull the door shut. "You did this to me. Your mother. You. Are. An. Exact. Copy." She puts emphasis on every word. "Every single thing." I know what she was talking about. "It's not my fault! Meg, please, just listen to me-!"

She slams the door shut and I hear something being slammed against the door. I race for the door handle, only to find it jammed.

"Meg! Let me out!" Tears begin spilling down my face. "Please!"

But no one heard.

AN: Chapter 17, yay!