The Phantom of the Opera

chapter 10

Soon enough, they got to the populaire and everyone had worked hard to bring the Phantom's opera to life. Claudine stood in the sidewings in her costume watching the show, waiting for her part. Madame Giry had worked the girls hard knowing they needed to be very good. She even had managed to persuade Carlotta not to fuss about Violetta being in the dance part. Erik was preparing in his own way as his dream opera was becoming a reality. Violetta worked her very best as she put her heart and soul into dancing this time instead of singing, doing her best to tune out her nasty aunt's comments about her dancing with Meg and the others. She managed to do much better than she had anticipated, and thought she would in front of a pressured crowd.

Carlotta sung, mostly with the others. "Don Juan triumphs once again!" She practically shouted at the end as she sung.

Claudine secretly admired the way it was set to nighttime. Meg was dressed as a lady of the night, though fully clothed like the others. She caught a bag tossed to her. Daroga sat in the box with Raoul, though his eyes were focused on Violetta. Violetta rolled her eyes to her aunt being her usual diva self. Even Andre seemed to slant his eyes at Carlotta from the opera box.

Meg winked to the audience as was her promot to, then she twirled off to the side. A man stood beside Piangi, with a smirk in place. Carlotta looked highly uncomfortable. Violetta pointed with the others during the song as more performers came onto the stage. There were lit torches, but also a makeshift fireplace as Piangi soon made his appearance from the tossed roses. The man grinned to Piangi. Policemen seemed to come into the aisles of the theater.

Violetta soon went off stage with Meg and the other dancers, feeling thrilled that she got to join in on the dance for a change like she had always daydreamed about when singing in chorus with the orchestra's instruments. After the plan had been recited, Passarino stood by the entrance for his Master. Daroga smiled to Violetta's part.

Claudine walked on at her bit. "No thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!~" she sung, then knelt down, picking the thorns off roses.

The men pointed to Claudine like she was important. Christine looked proud and happy for her sister. Erik emerged from the curtains in a sneaky and mysterious way as always.

"Master?" Passarino called out.

Claudine sat there, dealing with the roses.

"Passarino, go away~" Erik sung quietly as he took a look at Claudine before approaching her. "For the trap is set and waits for its prey... You have come here, In pursuit of your deepest urge, In pursuit of that wish which 'til now has been silent, Silent, I have brought you, That our passions may fuse and merge, In your mind you've already succumbed to me, Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me, Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, You've decided, decided, Past the point of no return, No backward glances, The games we've played till now are at an end, Past all thought of if or when, No use resisting, Abandon thought and let the dream descend, What raging fire shall flood the soul?, What rich desire unlocks its door?, What sweet seduction lies before us, Past the point of no return, The final threshold?, What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn, Beyond the point of no return?~"

Claudine had found herself swept away by his music. She took a single unsteady step away, mostly as she felt dazed a little bit. "You have brought me to that moment when words run dry. To that moment when speech disappears into silence, Silence... I have come here, Hardly knowing the reason why! In my mind I've already imagined, Our bodies entwining, Defenseless and silent, Now I am here with you, No second thoughts, I've decided, Decided...." she sung and turned to him, before leading him up onto the area counted as the bridge. "Past the point of no return. No going back now, Our passion-play has now at last begun. Past all thought of right or wrong, One final question... How long should we two wait before we're one? When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom... When will the flames at last consume us?~" she then added as they reached the top. She then continued to sing with him as they got closer.