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

5: Another Visit from the Phantom

Christine

Meg dragged me back to the chorus girls' communal dressing room as soon as the curtain closed. The ballet girls twittered and flitted around me in a blur of tulle and ribbon. Their praise made me uncomfortable, but I bore it with a smile; to them, I was a Cinderella of sorts—a common singer raised to glorious heights in one magical night. 

At the first opportunity, when the girls' attention was diverted elsewhere, I snuck the book I had brought with me from the modern world from its hiding place behind the dresser and tucked it into a pocket of my dress. I excused myself soon after with the excuse that I needed rest. 

Back in my dressing room, I hid the book under a corner of the palate in the side room. Just in time: a knock came at the door, and who should enter but Raoul, without waiting for a response.  

"Hello again, Little Lotte," he said. "I was concerned for you yesterday. Where did you disappear to?" 

"Hello, Raoul. I was in the chapel." 

"All night?" he asked, taking a step forward. 

"Yes, I hit my head you see..." I started, then decided I was too tired to relate the whole lie another time. "Thank you for your concern, but I am fine." 

"You look as splendid as ever. Your hair is done beautifully." It had taken an hour of elaborate pinning to transform my barely-wavy hair into a voluminous crown. 

"Thank you." I smiled sweetly. "So is yours." 

He laughed off the jab. "Perhaps we could go to dinner tonight since we missed the opportunity yesterday?" 

He looked so eager and charming that it was almost hard to refuse. Almost. "I'm sorry," I answered, "but I'm tired after the performance, and would prefer to stay in tonight." 

He looked confused and wasn't taking a hint, so I walked him to the door and opened it. 

"Good night, Raoul," I told him.  

With a gallant bow and a hurt expression, he left. 

Once I was alone again, I strode up to the mirror and knocked on it like a door. "I know you are there," I said. "I wanted to apologize." 

No response.  

"Hello?" I asked, aware that I might just be talking to my reflection. "Well, I'm very sorry for how I treated you. I would like to keep up our lessons. If you'll have me."  

After another minute with still no reply, I sighed and gave up hope. Had I ruined my chances with Erik already? 

I got ready for bed as best I could. I stripped to my shift and washed myself with a rag and water from a basin. I'd noticed that none of the chorus girls had bathed and was loath to ask how often they did. My hair was starting to take on the coarse texture of string, and I couldn't tell how badly I smelled because of the abundance of flowers in the room. Huh. Maybe that was what they were for.  

Opera life was beginning to seem less glamorous. 

Shivering now, I crawled into the bed and pulled the blanket around me. It wasn't as warm as I would have liked, and I tossed and turned for nearly an hour before deciding that holding still and curling up was the warmest I would get. 

My eyes were closed, but I thought I heard the sound of muffled footfalls drawing nearer. I opened my eyes a fraction but couldn't make anything out in the darkness. I thought I felt a blanket being draped over me. The intruder, if there had been one and my tired mind wasn't playing tricks on me, left as quickly as he came.