The Phantom's Daughter

15. The Point Of No Return

The show started without anything going wrong.
Elise nailed all of her aerial tricks, and Christine sung beautifully as usual.
After a quick change in the wings, Elise had time to watch the scene that was currently being performed.
Christine was alone on stage, until Piangi's character approached her, disguised all in black.
But the second he started singing, Elise knew something was wrong, because the voice didn't belong to Piangi, it belonged to her father.
She watched Christine come to the same realisation a few moments later.
Elise looked out at the audience, towards her father's box, where Raoul and the directors were sat, and she could tell that Raoul had noticed who was really singing under the mask.

Terrified that Raoul was going to order the guards stationed at all the doors, to fire at her father, Elise began running around trying to find Madame Giry.
Eventually she found her guardian sorting out some of the dancers in the other wings.
Elise grabbed hold of her arm, and pulled her to one side, so that they couldn't be overheard.
"Where is Piangi?" Questioned Elise.
"What do you mean? Isn't he on stage?" Quizzed Madame Giry, who had been too busy organising her dancers, to pay any attention to what was happening on the stage.
Elise shook her head, "It's not him. It's my father".
"You must be mistaken, because it was definitely Piangi earlier, as we could see that it was him"
"I was him then, but I think Erik has taken his place, since no one can tell who is under the cloak and mask".

Madame Giry stopped to listen to the man singing, and realised that Elise was right.
"He must have written in this part of the opera, so that he could trade places with Piangi, under everyone's noses" admitted Madame Giry.
"What's happened to Piangi then? You don't think Erik's done something to him, do you?" Asked Elise nervously.
"There's no need to jump to any conclusions. He may have just tied Piangi up in his dressing room"
"Then we need to try and find him"
"No, you need to stay here, because you're on in the next scene. I will find Piangi".

Madame Giry returned a minute or so later, shaking her head.
"He wasn't in his room. And no one else has seen him recently" she revealed.
"Well who saw him last?" Questioned Elise.
"I don't know. He hasn't been off stage in a while, because he changes behind one of the set pieces, before coming out in the costume he's in now" replied Madame Giry.
"You don't think Erik was hiding behind there, waiting to ambush him?"
"I'm not sure. It would've been a risk on his part, someone could have seen him"
"But since no one has seen Piangi, he must still be behind there, tied up or something"
"Well we can't know that for sure until the end of Act one, when the curtains are closed, because we can't just walk onto the stage to look for him"
"No, we can't".

The music being played suddenly changed, as the orchestra moved onto the next song.
Madame Giry and Elise moved through those who were also stood backstage, so that they could watch what was happening more clearly.
As Christine sang her part of the duet, she lifted her hand to the phantom's face.
This move looked tender at first, before she quickly pulled off his mask and hair piece, revealing the phantom's real face to the world.
People in the audience began to scream, and the orchestra stopped playing in horror.

Erik froze as he realised that everyone could now see him, and Elise felt her heart drop, as the look on his face, brought her such pain, as she felt so sorry for him.
Elise could see the guards mobilising, as the audience tried to exit the theatre.
This prompted Erik to act, and he grabbed hold of Christine, pulling her close to him.
He ran to the side of the stage and pulled on a rope, revealing a trap door on the stage.
Erik jumped into the hole, forcing Christine to come with him.

With everything and everyone in disarray, Elise ran onto the stage at the same time as Raoul, just as the trapdoor closed.
Elise then made her way over the doors that were a part of the set, which Piangi used to do his quick change behind.
She pulled open the doors, and jumped back in horror, as she saw Piangi's body hanging by a rope, just like Buquet.
Piangi's death sent more shock waves around the theatre, causing even  more people to scream and shout.
Despite the people running around her, Elise couldn't seem to move.
Piangi had been nothing but kind to her, and she didn't believe that he had a bad bone in his body.
But Erik had killed him.
He had hung Piangi by the neck, just so that he could take his place.

Elise suddenly realised that Carlotta was beside her, when she heard the woman's cries.
Carlotta and Piangi had always had a bit of a thing together, and Elise had never seen the singer reveal such raw emotions before.
Her screams weren't making Elise feel any better, so she ran off stage.
Elise caught sight of Meg, Madame Giry and Raoul exiting via the stage door and she decided to follow them.
"Do you know where he has taken her" she heard Raoul ask Madame Giry.
"Yes, and we must hurry, before it is too late" replied Madame Giry.

"I'm coming with you" announced Meg.
"No Meg, you must stay here" insisted Madame Giry.
"But I want to-"
"No, it is not safe for you. You must not follow us".
Rather reluctantly, Meg stayed put, while Madame Giry pulled Raoul towards one of the secret entrances to the phantom's lair.
She opened the door and ushered him inside, but did not follow.
"Aren't you coming?" Questioned Raoul.
"I cannot come any further" replied Madame Giry.

"Alright then, I guess I have to do this alone" sighed Raoul.
"Be careful Vicomte. And remember, keep your hand at the level of your eye" warned Madame Giry.
"Why?"
"Why? Buquet, Piangi, and the circus performer. That's why. His favourite method of killing is via a noose"
"O.K, I'll be careful then".
Raoul raised his arm and ran off down the tunnel as Madame Giry closed the passageway door.

Elise had to make a choice.
She had to decide who's side she was on.
Her father had rejected her, believing it was in her best interests. But he claimed to care about her deeply.
However, he had killed several people, and was obsessed with keeping Christine for himself.
Christine on the other hand, had promised to keep Elise's secret, and had remained her friend, despite the phantom being Elise's father. She had sworn to be Elise's friend and family, no matter what happened.

It was clear to Elise that Christine was the loyal one, who would stand by her side no matter what. So Elise's position should be by her side.
While no one was looking, Elise slipped into the tunnel, following Raoul, as they headed down to rescue Christine.