Le fantôme de l'opera

Chapitre neuf | La réapparition de Carlotta

Chapter nine | Carlotta's reappearance

Christine

I had been woken up early by Meg shaking me awake, shouting at me to get up.

I sat up in my bed and looked to my left to Cadenza's bed to see that she was not there.

"Where's Caddy?" I asked, as I went behind the screen to get into my ballet costume for practice.

Once I was ready, Meg came and pulled me out of the room shouting "I don't know but we have to get to rehearsals now! We're extremely late and you know how mother gets when someone is late!"

As we ran towards the theatre to practice for the new opera, which was going to be announced when we get to the theatre, Joseph Buquet appeared out of the shadows and said,

"Yellow parchment is his skin,

A great black hole served as the nose that never grew.

You must be always on your guard,

Or he will catch you with his magical lasso."

He then proceeded to tie a rope, which had been made into a noose, around his neck to scare the poor ballerinas who had walked by us.

Madame Giry walked through the crowd towards Buquet, taking the rope off of him and grabbing his wrist before the drunken man could run off.

"Those who speak of what they know,

Find too late the prudent silence is wise."

She began as Buquet struggled to get out of her grip. She continued

"Joseph Buquet hold your tongue,

He will burn you with the heat of his eyes."

She then left him go after handing him the rope back to him. He ran away from her looking terrified. She turned towards the ballet girls and said, "Everyone start practicing your old routines! Christine, Meg! Come with me, please."

Meg and I looked at each other and ran to Madame Giry, trying to catch up with her before we all stopped outside the managers office and heard Carlotta, Piangi, the two managers and the Vicomte de Chagny, one of my childhood best friends, talking and arguing before Madame Giry walked in with Meg and I following her.

"Miss Bellerose has returned."

She said before Firman interrupted her.

"in that case, our meeting is adjourned!"

"Where precisely is she now?"

Andre asked Madame Giry, not noticing that we're standing behind her.

"I thought it best that she went to her dorm..."

I interrupted her by stepping in front of her and saying,

"She needed rest."

Raoul then intervened into the conversation, seemingly worried about Cadenza and pushing past me to ask Madame Giry,

"May I see her?"

"No Monsieur, she will see no one."

There was then a loud shout from the managers, Piangi and Carlotta, after Madame Giry had replied to Raoul, who seemed to not recognise me.

"Will she sing? Will she sing?!"

"Here, I have a note."

"Let me see it!"

Everyone other than Firman, Madame, Meg and I shouted towards the ballet instructor, before Firman snatched the letter out of Madame's hand before anyone could get to it and shouted "Please!"