The Angel and the Phantom

Prologue

            How does it begin in fairy tales?

            Oh yes, once upon a time, in France in the countryside surrounding Paris, a wealthy merchant lived in a large château with his six children. His sons were smart and strong and his daughter filled with beauty and grace. But his pride and joy was his youngest children, the twins; a son and daughter. His late wife had past away giving birth to them and before she died, she named them Beau and Belle which in French means "handsome" and "beauty".

            The years past. The older sons went to attend fine universities and married young. His daughters had completed finishing school and attended society gathering on behalf of the family. But the twins involved themselves in other pleasures; Beau was found of horses while Beauty was addicted to literature, music and the arts. However the happy family was torn apart when the father lost most of his goods when he lost many of his ships at sea. The merchant was bankrupt, and he and his daughters and youngest son had to sell their large house and possessions and moved into a tiny flat within the city. The merchant had to look for work and Beauty had to take care of her sisters, so depressed they were about being poor, and maintain the house. The merchant finally found work, as a common laborer at the Paris Opera House and Beau became a stable boy.

            On the day he was to receive his first wages, he asked his children if they would want a small gift.

            "Oh, a necklace father." cried Marie, his oldest.

            "A golden sash for me." begged Clara her sister

            "Nothing for me." replied Beauty.

            "Oh, Belle don't you want anything? You work so hard, you deserve something." Her father insisted.

            Belle stared out the window at the snow frosted over the street. "I would like a red rose, for there are none that grow around in the city in the winter."

            Her sisters laughed. "Where can you expect him to find a rose in winter? What a foolish request."

            But her father smiled. "Perhaps there will be some at the opera. Don't worry Beauty I shall bring you a rose before nightfall."

            And so he had left them, but that night had not returned. So Beauty had waited worried for her father's safety. ***

Chapter One:  Disaster of the Rose

Belle

            Another drop of moisture from the leaking ceiling fell onto my head. I looked up at the growing crack with annoyance. The ceiling wasn't the only problem in their new home, has my sisters had pointed out daily. The cold air came through the floors and walls and I always had to wrap myself tight in a shawl to keep myself warm. But I had other worries on my mind now. Papa hadn't come home last night. He usually tried to make it in before midnight, but I had waited up till two in the morning and there had been no sign at him. Beau had stopped me from running out to find him at night.

            "It will be all right, Belle. I'm sure he's okay." He had said.

            But I just had a feeling something wasn't right. So I tried concentrating on fixing Clara' and Marie's oatmeal for breakfast. Suddenly I saw a flash of a gray scarf in the street and glanced down to see Papa stumble in the front door to our building. I ran from the stove to the stairs. "Beau, come quick. It's Papa."

            I meet him as he came up the stairwell. He was shaking uncontrollably. His once portly frame had grown thin and frail from lack of food since we had lost everything and moved from the chateau. He stared up at me with wide glassy eyes.

            "Oh Belle, my little angel, I thought I'd never see you again." He reached out to touch me and almost collapsed. I held him up and walked him over to a near by chair.

            "Marie, Clara, bring a coat and some tea! Hurry!" I called. "Oh Papa what's wrong? Why didn't you come home last night?"

            He started to rub his hands together. I put my own around his and felt they were ice cold. I wished Marie and Clara would hurry up. "I'm glad to have made it home at all. Oh it was so terrible."

            "What was terrible, father? What happened?" asked Beau, who had just entered the room. Marie followed behind him, holding a blanket, which she wrapped around Papa.

            "Clara boiling some water now. Papa, we were worried."

            "I can explain what happen." Papa said now strangely clam. "Call Clara here, I need to tell you all something."

            "Clara, forget the tea, come here quick" Marie shouted. Clara walked into the living room and knelt next to me.

            "I'm afraid this will be the only time I will every see you children again." He reached into his jacket and pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper. He handed it to me. "Take this Belle, for it cost me dearly." I unwrapped it and discovered it was the red rose I had asked for. It was so beautiful, it mast have grown in the care of a master gardener from the look of the rich petals and color of the stem.

            "Papa I don't understand."

            "I will tell you. I was working late last night. I had to move some props up from storage in the cellars. I got lost and some how stumbled upon a lake."

            "A lake?" Beau asked.

            "Yes son, there is a lake underneath the opera. But I discovered before I tried to find my way out a bed of roses, growing from the artificial light from underground by the bank. I knew I would not be able to buy your other gifts that night, but at least I could pick you rose, Belle. I leaned over and picked it up so gently and then a great shadow came over me. It was so horrible. It was a monster, a beast. He towered over me, all dressed in black with eyes like demons."

            Marie and Clara fidgeted with their hands and I could not help but feel a little frighten.

            "But father who was this creature?" I asked

            "I do not know, only that he cursed me for stealing his roses and that I should die to pay for my crime. If not he would hunt me down and kill me and my family. And so I must leave you all tonight, forever."

            Marie pointed a finger at me. "You! This is all your fault."

            Beau stood up. "No, I will find this madman and kill him myself!" he proclaimed

            "That's not possible. You could never find your way through those cellars. He would kill you before you even know he there."

            "You can't be sure of that."

            "Yes, I can. I saw him Beau. He looked like Lucifer himself."

            I just sat there, my rose on my lap gathering all this up. There was some one living in the depths of the opera who wanted my father's life all because of a rose. How could that be possible?

            "But Papa, why would this man want your life just because a rose. Doesn't he want something else? Money? What gain could he have by killing you?"

            He was silent for a longer moment. "Oh Belle, I so wished you hadn't asked that. Yes there was something he wanted, if I can bring myself to even say it." He took a deep breath. "He said he would spare my life if one of my daughter went in my place."

            I heard Clara and Marie gasp and Beau mouth open in shock. But all I could feel were tears welling up in my eyes. That I had allowed this to happen. I brushed a lock of my unruly hair off my forehead and straighten up.

            "Father, I will go in your place." I said.

            His hand flew to mine. "Oh no, I can not let you. This is no mere man, he is a monster! He would kill you, rape you or worse!"

            "No, Papa. Just let me go, let me talk to him. I'm sure I can change his mind."

            He stood up, letting the blanket fall to his feet. "Belle I won't let you. Yu are staying here. You and your brother and sisters are going to stay here, alive. I want you to grow up and be happy. Let me go, I've lived my life, there is nothing left for me now." He commanded with the esteem of a Roman senator about to commit suicide. He turned to Beau. "Son, you are in charge from now on." My sisters were weeping, and I could not restrain my own tears anymore as they too fell. "Now I need to get my rest if you please. I leave at midnight." He walked with solemn grace towards his bedroom as we all watched him.

            * Not if I can help it Papa *

            Night came quicker than I had expected it. We had all shared a somber meal in which Marie had ended in tears, blaming me for all the trouble and how I could be so cruel and not show any affection to Papa. But I had already made plans, so there was no need to cry. Yes I would miss Papa, but he would not die for me.

            I took an old bag and filled it with a few of my most personal belonging. A small tin flute I had had since I was a child, my sketch book, a few charcoal pencils, my mother's ring on a small strand of cord tied around my neck, my grandmother's crucifix and a copy of Goethe's Faust and Moore's Utopia. I slipped into the warmest gown I had, trying not to wake my sisters sleeping a few feet away. Beau had not returned from tending his master's horses and my father was still confined to his room, reciting his prayers over and over. I glanced at my rusted old pocket watch that said 11:30. I blew out the candle and wrapped a shawl over my head. It was now or never.

            Carefully I tiptoed out the hall and towards the stair. I glanced back at the house. Seeing the fire dying to its last embers, hearing the cold wind blowing from the cracks in the walls, and the light under my father's door. Yes it wasn't the most pleasant of sights, but in case I never returned I wanted to remember it just the way it was.