Suddenly

🌸Cost of Pain🌸

I woke in my bed covered in my blankets, it could have possibly been all a dream if it wasn't for my aching body and bruised side and chin. Every tiny movement left me in tear jerking pain that I'd never experienced before, not even when I was first in training for ballet this was something like never before. "I guess I hit that ground harder than I remembered." I said, trying not to tear up. I remembered everything and it dragged me back to reality when I realized I no longer had the mask, "I really am stuck here now...this is home." I said looking around my body stiff even my neck aches when I tried to turn it. I felt as stiff as the marble and granite statues that covered the foyer and entrance of the opera house, "How am I gonna be able to practice." I said staring up at the ceiling. And what did I experience last night, the man, the mask. It all seemed to click on my mind simultaneously, I don't know why my mind had frozen over during the experience but I had met the real opera ghost, the owner of the mask I'd been so attached to. "Well atleast I wasn't scammed out of a hundred something bucks, thanks eBay." I said trying to slowly move my body parts and sit up. A knock came from the door and I slowly looked up, "Mistress, excuse my intrusion but I came to tell you we have a doctor here to check on you after that terrible fall you encountered last night." Madame Giry said with a smile. "Thank you Madame." I said looking over at her with a smile, she returned the gaze and walked off. "Wait a minute, how does she know I fell?" I said looking up there was no way u could chase after her I couldn't even sit up in bed properly. The doctor checked to make sure I hadn't broken anything and left me to rest all day. I guess my extra practice had paid off because I wasn't being forced to work in the pain I was enduring. Madame Giry still confused me, how was she aware of what went down it was pitch black I would've known if someone was out there they'd had to have stopped the crazed madman from chasing a poor dancer down the dark hallways. My day had been uneventful and I spent it reading and sleeping, I couldn't stop looking over at the note though. "How did you get in here, I lock my door before I leave every time." I said standing up slowly and limping over to the desk. The note was just as it had been before, but somehow I viewed it differently then I had previously. The wax seal was more menacing then I had originally thought it looked a dark cloud over my thoughts a dark cloud that filled my mind with endless pictures of a mysterious man clad in black with an ominous white mask...and gorgeous ocean blue eyes that you could sink into and still see the ocean floor no matter how deep they went. I was overwhelmingly confused by my thoughts of this man, did I fancy him or was I just so overwhelmed with emotion I looked for the one outlet of safety and purity I could find and attached myself to it. "Damn you." I said looking back down at the note and shoving it into the back drawer of my vanity. I hadn't noticed how fast my heart had been racing when I thought of him, I couldn't tell if it was out of fear or admiration. I stood up slowly and walked over to my closet, I chose to change into something presentable and try to walk around just a little, I remember when I would injure myself during ballet my teacher would make me walk around the school or what is now the opera house to ease me back into dancing. But if you know anything about muscle pain or pain in general it only gets worse before it gets better. The corset sat right upon the bruise that set upon my chest and it was very uncomfortable but I tried my best to hide my pain and act as if nothing had happened. I watched the others practice for a while, they found it unfair that I got a day to rest but I thought it was better they despise me then know the truth their minds were already buzzing with thought of the opera ghost. I need not scare them anymore knowing he's real and attacking the dancers. After my uneventful day I returned to my dressing room and put my dressing gown back in, arguably I'd rather live in my dressing gown then any of the dresses I'm forced into wearing but that wouldn't be socially acceptable apparently. I sat at the vanity admiring my bruises. I was surprised nobody had pointed them out, they were prominent on the ball of my chin where I'd hit the ground the hardest. I was able to cover it up mildly but it was still discolored. "Madame allow me to formally apologize." The deep voice rang throughout the dressing room. "Oh hell no." I whispered. "Go away please." I said not looking away from the vanity mirror. "Madame please." He said walking out of the shadows, his eyes sparkled in the candlelight. I don't know what it was about his eyes that entranced me but I couldn't look away. "I came to return something of value to you, you seem to need it more than me for a reason I don't think I'll ever understand." He said, pulling the cracked and burned mask from behind him. I whipped around and took it from his hand, I paid for the quick movements afterwards and almost doubled over in pain. "Madame." He said dropping down to one knee and putting his arm on my shoulder helping raise my torso back up. He sat there for a moment before he let out a little cough standing up straight. "I apologize, excuse me." He said slipping into the shadow, I heard the sliding of something but I couldn't place it. I grabbed my desk candle and stood up trying to trail him but I was unsuccessful, I turned to face the mirror. I could almost swear I saw him dart out of view.