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An unshakable feeling of worry cloaked Christine's psyche. How was she to explain to her guardian her reasoning for trying to abandon him? Would he be angry with her? Of course, he would. Why even doubt?
She rushed off from Meg early that morning during breakfast. She knew she was being unforgivably rude, but she was determined to apologize to her angel; to the shadow of a man, she remembered with a white mask, tailcoat, vest, and gloves. There was something so real about him, even though she understood he was an angel that had departed from heaven to take care of her.
Christine ran to the back of the theatre holding the front of her blue and white striped bustle dress, revealing her linen petticoat beneath. It felt too long as she ran. There was something heavy in the air but she couldn't put her finger on it until she confirmed the errie feeling of being watched by something sinister. The thought became so disturbing she picked up her pace, hoping she wasn't being followed by some creature of death she was imagining in her head.
She looked around and behind her as she ran yet saw nothing. It wasn't long before the feeling had deepened so intensely she began panicking, wanting nothing more than to make it to the dressing room, but her mood and angst furthered as the drag she was experiencing making it seem like the dressing room was much further away than it was. Finally, she made it to the door.
The dressing room was completely dark. Usually, when she visited the room the angel of music would have the room lit with candles and lanterns, yet, now, the it felt cold and dejected. It was unsettling, to say the least. She determined then that his presence was absent, and in response her heart sank.
"Angel?" She asked shakily. " Are you here? Master, I am sorry for embarrassing myself in front of you. If you are listening, know that I regret every moment that I fled from you. I can't bear the thought of making you upset with me. I'm sorry. If you're here somewhere, I just want you to know that I'm sorry," Christine divulged.
Silence. Utter and complete silence.
"Child."
A shrilling scream broke out from Christine's vocal cords as she heard a bleak unfamiliar voice coming from right behind her. She stumbled forwards unable to retract her fear. Still too dark to see, she felt two large gritty hands grab her arms, trying to pin her to the ground. It threw its legs over her forcefully.
A shorter yet as equally penetrating squeal burst through the room. This dark voice did not belong to her angel. It belonged to man longing to do unspeakable things to her. It would be easy considering the situation she had trapped herself in. Alone in the dark, unsupervised, and vulnerable. She felt utterly stupid for being so naive.
"Shhh," came the evil voice from the dark. "Don't scream or I'll kill you," he said, as he blocked Christine's hits and threw a hand on top of her mouth and one across both her arms, keeping her immobile by packing his weight on top of her. Christine smelled the whiskey on the man's breath and immediately knew who it was. She bit his hand making him furious.
