The Beauty Underneath ● The Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 15

◌The Shadow◌

"Melodie. I know you're there." I chuckled as I came out of the shadows, Julian's bright, smiling face filling my heart with excitement. "What are you doing out here?" He asked, looking down the hall, checking to see if anyone was there. There was none. We were up in one of the more abandoned, isolated areas of the theater. 

"I grew bored of watching the performance. And I wanted to see you." I followed Julian around as he went about his work.

"Well, I'm not doing anything very interesting." I shrugged.

"I don't care." He looked at me, a smile still on his face. "I uh--I made your little brother something." Julian stopping his work. I pulled the tiny, wooden toy train out from behind my back. He gasped, taking the toy gently from me.

"Melodie...You made this?" I nodded.

"My father didn't just teach me how to play the piano." Julian gave a laugh before attacking me in a hug. I stood there, shocked. No man had ever--ever hugged me. It wasn't something I knew I needed until it was happening. He pulled away too quickly for my liking. 

"He'll love it. Thank you." I smiled, giving a small nod. I knew words would fail me.

"Julian! What are you doing up there?" Julian's friend, Richard, shouted.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He called back. "I'll see you tonight?" I nodded, messing with my dress. He gave me one last smile before rushing back downstairs. I watched the stairs he had disappeared down. I wanted to hug him again. I wanted that feeling I got in my chest to stay forever.

Just as I went to slip back into the walls, a woman came climbing up the stairs. "Julian?" She called in her songbird-like voice. It was too late for me to disappear, for she had spotted me. A deep frown formed on her lips. "Who are you?" She asked, looking me over with a judgmental look. This woman was Gloria Bleeker, the leading lady. I took a few steps back. Why wasn't she performing? Had the show ended already?

"Uh--no one. I was just leaving." She looked me over again. Hate in her eyes. 

"What's with the mask?" I had to go. I had to get out of here. I went to push past the actress, but she pushed me back and before I could stop her, she had grabbed my mask, ripping it from my face. She gasped as her eyes looked upon my face. "Freak!" She shouted, tossing my mask over the railing.

My eyes burned. No. No, I couldn't be weak. I couldn't be weak! But the tears flowed down my face nonetheless. I clutched at my face, trying to hide my horrible disformity. "Not only are you a freak of nature, but you're a little thief as well!" She was being too loud. Soon enough people would start to notice. "That's Florence's dress. I could spot it a mile away." She stalked closer. My fear and sadness turned to anger. Red hot and dangerous.

That guttural roar escaped my lips again and I shoved the sneering women hard. She screamed, falling backward. Right down those steep, dangerous stairs. She landed with a dull thud at the bottom. A vacuum of silence surrounded me. I froze. Maybe she was okay...with this false hope, I shakily looked down the stairs. Gloria Bleeker lay there, her eyes wide. Eyes that weren't seeing a thing. A trickle of blood formed behind her head. That tickle soon turned into a pool. Gloria Bleeker was dead.

Someone rushed over to the still women. It was Julian. "Oh god--" He looked up and froze. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. "What have you done?" It was barely a whisper, but I heard it. In my shock ridden state, I still had the right of mind to run. I ran into my safe haven behind the walls. As I ran, my body began to shake violently with each sob that left my mouth.

I had killed her...I had killed her! I had become the very thing I fought never to become. A monster.