Between Mirrors and Roses (A Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction) ✓

15: The Night of the Opera

Christine

I dreamed about Erik.

I stood in a grey glen, surrounded by swirling mist. Erik slid up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning his face down to my neck. His breath tickled at my ear. "Christine," he sang in a silvery voice.

I closed my eyes and melted against his chest. "Do you love me?" I asked.

His hand tilted up my chin, exposing my neck. "No," he said gleefully, and a rope tightened around my throat.

I collapsed into his arms, his laughter ringing in my ears.

I shot awake. My heart jackhammered, and the sheets tangled around me were soaked in sweat.

In the bathroom, I splashed water on my face to rinse away all traces of the dream. I gripped the edges of the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked haggard. The lack of sleep this week was taking its toll. If Erik slept only this much all the time, I was impressed that he didn't kill people more than he did.

I left the house early to don my costume and makeup. A crew member braided my hair and pulled it back, and I looked much more put together after several layers of stage makeup hid my face. I went to Meg's dressing room to help her with her more elaborate costume and makeup, and then it was time for one last dress rehearsal.

Faces painted white, dots of color highlighting cheeks and lips, scurried about backstage. Raoul came up to me and wished me luck. "If anything goes wrong," he said, "look for me in Box Five."

"But that's the Phantom's box," I pointed out.

"Yes," he said. "I told you that we are expressly disobeying all his commands."

I sighed. "Be careful," I said.

Raoul seemed to take this as a sign that I cared for him, and he gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek before leaving me to rehearse.

We were dismissed for a quick meal, and then the stage was reset for the real performance. The opera went smoothly up until the scene where the pageboy was revealed and the Countess and chorus sang about her ignorant husband.

"Poor fool, he doesn't know!

Hoho, hoho...

If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!"

A voice boomed through the theater, raising heads and causing the orchestra to fade out mid-song. "Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?" Erik declared. Though no one could see him, his presence permeated the theater.

"It's him," I whispered, overcome with emotion.

"Your part is silent, little toad," Carlotta snapped at me.

What were we to do? The audience murmured in their seats, and the cast looked to the managers' box for instructions. Befuddled and striving to appear in control of a tumultuous situation, the managers hurriedly gestured for us to continue.

Carlotta walked offstage to re-coat her throat for singing. She strutted back to the center, cleared her throat, and backed up the song. The orchestra, taking her cue, resumed the music. "Serafimo, away with this pretense! You cannot speak, but kiss me in my..." Then she let out a resounding, frog-like croak. Laughter echoed throughout the theater. She tried again, beginning to panic. "Poor fool, he makes me laugh - Hahahahaha!" Then she croaked again and again until the audience was in stitches, and the managers had left their seats and rushed to the stage. "Mother!" she screeched and ran off into the wings.

Pandemonium. Andre and Firmin stammered out an apology to the audience. The thick curtains closed, veiling the chaos backstage.

I was pulled through the gap where the two curtains met by Firmin, who was saying, "...the role of the Countess will be played by Miss. Daae."