Tonight was the night of the opera, and tonight was the night I hoped that all of this madness and, quite frankly, bull shit, would come to an end forever. I didn't want to be the star for I was happy just as I was! I was a simple little stagehand with my family and I even had someone to love me for who I was. Erik has spent the last hour piecing me into my costume for the first act. I had never worn something so grand! The dress was whiter than Christmas snow and twice as soft. Scattered about were pieces of the props that were under last minute construction. Erik finished with my dress and came to my side as I finished my makeup. I made sure to try and apply every trick Meg taught me, and it made me wonder how women actually enjoyed wearing such tedious work all to take it off at the end of the day. He slid the costume jewelry on my neck and fastened it with delicate ease, sealing it with a kiss to the back of my neck.
"You are going to be alright mon amour…I have faith in you…" I gave a small sigh and turned to face him.
"After all of this is over with, I want to never act again. I want to just be your bride, your wife. I wouldn't mind working, I have done it all my life." He gives my hand a soft kiss
"As my bride, you will never have to work unless you truly wish to. I will provide for your every need and desire mon ange." A knock came to the dressing room door, reminding us the show would be starting in 10 minutes. He smiled and hugged me tightly, whispering a faint "Toujours et à jamais" in my ear before walking out of the dressing room. I say a soft and quick prayer before pulling what is left of my sanity together and walk toward the stage. I see Christine on the other wing, primping her hair in a mirror. Something about her was off, she was happy, but more so than usual. Her laughter was different, an eerie tone as she is surrounded by the ballet corp. The orchestra strikes up and we assume our starting positions; It's now or never… the opera begins. The first sequence blurs by in a daze; I don't miss a line but something in my heart is telling me this is all wrong. Christine has settled into an unfamiliar and almost terrifying sense of peace. Her stage presence alone has the audience captive; like her once beloved phantom she is wearing a mask to hide the disaster underneath. Her voice is all anyone can see, it is all she will let anyone see. Even Erik could tell something was off about her. Their first duet begins; her dress flows as they dance and sing together. Erik leads her gracefully about the stage; in my heart I feel a pain of jealousy. Their voices together take the audience to a new nirvana for not a single eye in the audience or even behind the stage is distracted. Every eye trained on my Erik, every eye except mine. My eyes are trained on the prima donna, something glistening underneath one of the layers of her lavish dress. Quickly my eyes meet my phantom's and he gives me a dazzling smile, warming my cold jealous heart, but not for long; Christine's lips meet his and the crowd beings to applaud with thunderous pride. Their angel of music was back once again. Madame's hand rested on my shoulder, bringing me out of trance.
"Belle I had no idea she would try anything…" her face was dim, her peach now porcelain against her ebony hair. The streaks of silver paling with her. "I do not know what has gotten into the girl, but she needs to be stopped."
"Oh Mother, don't they make a lovely couple again, just like old times…" Meg slowly bobbed from the shadows. She had already changed into her costume for the party scene at the home of the two sisters. "I just know they will be together again." My heart cracked once more; my only friend now turned against me? Something wasn't adding up. The time came for me to return to the stage. Madame pulled me back just long enough to whisper words of advice to me.
"Be warned, she might try something" I nodded my head and resumed my position on stage. The next few scenes fly by rather quickly. I throw myself into the production; every movement, every line, I make damn sure the audience knows who this diva is up against. Now comes the part of the production I have busted my back for; Erik and I are in a garden setting where I try and wo his character with my charm. The whole production my hair has been pulled back tightly like a ballerina, now it lays against my peach skin, somehow with a soft wave to it. My eyes are lined with dark kohl and copper color, making them shine like jewels in the stage light. My final costume change of the evening before the second act. The blue of the dress mirrored the dark midnight sky as silver details shone like the stars. Compared to Christine's, it took up much less of the stage, and was more form fitting and modern. Our eyes met as he entered the stage and everything just melted away. There was no audience, no Christine, no Meg, no one but us. I wasn't acting anymore, I was finally showing the real me. The one who loved this man with all I had, and I didn't give a damn who saw. The harmony on the stage flowed more than any rehearsed piece. Time was suspended as we sang and danced, and all I could do was stare into those beautiful eyes and smile. The orchestra faded, leaving us to sing in simple acapella and that's when it happened; our lips met, the audience awed and gasped, and the curtain fell. That's when a scream pierced the applause; the scream of a rather pissed off diva. Meg was fanning her in a chair when the cast and crew arrived. Her face was flush and here eyed demanded blood, but who's was yet to be seen.
"Meg what happened to her?" Christine grabbed the ballerina's arm in a death grip. Her mousy voice was barely audible over the bustle of the crowd.
"She umm…she thought she saw a ghost…" More like the ghosts from her past finally being put to rest. Meg helped her to her feet and the diva just sauntered by, a quiet whisper on her lips. We shrugged our shoulder and readied ourselves for the final act. Erik was handed a small white envelope with a simple name scrolled on the thick card. Only he would know who to marry going into the second act. The second act begins with the two sisters bickering about who he loves. And only Christine and I knew that this argument has been a long time coming. Much of the argument was adlibbed, but the important lines were made to help the flow of the dialogue. Soon we agree to let our love interest decide, the light going black and the set changing as we find our places. The candles are relit and we hold our breath for the next words decide our fate; do we die, or do we marry? The air is stiff with tension as Erik walks across the stage, all eyes are focused on the next words out of his mouth. My hands nervously fidget with the gloves I am wearing, tracing the outline of a familiar ring, or not. Oh god where is it?! My ring is not on my hand! Erik is going to kill me! That is if Christine doesn't get to me first. I look at Erik as he clears his throat, getting ready to deliver his line. That look in his eye I have seen before, he's got something planned. He smiles and stands; slowly sauntering to milk the mood, the dramatic fool. Just say it already! If I could grit my teeth any harder they would surely be ground into power.
"Ms. LeMann, Miss, Anastasia LeMann, will you marry me?" the audience cheer wildly while the ring, my ring, is slipped onto my hand and he twirls me in the air. That's when the scream only Hell itself could unleash rang through the opera house. Christine has gone mad, crying like a spoiled child. Sure this was part of the act, but not the gun. At this range she could easily kill anyone without even aiming. The stage froze, the crowd cheered, and the shot rang. Jealousy is deadly, thus God calls it one of the seven deadly sins of man. Jealously, the act of envy, sparks the wars that have ever been fought and ever will be fought. Napoleon, the Crusades, all the way back to Cain and Able. Good people die because of envy, and the act of envy, jealously. All I could hear is the ringing of the gun fired at point blank range. I don't even feel anything. My left arm is warm, slick, and is caking in my glove. I look over but I see no hole; just the burned sleeve where the bullet passed, and the blood dripping down my arm. No one is dead, no one is hurt, and Christine well, I think she did see a ghost that evening. She saw the past coming back to haunt her. Now SHE is the lonely phantom, trapped in a world where she must wear a mask and live a lie. The only one she ever loved now loves someone else. The curtains hide the stage as we try and figure out what to do. She looks at the barrel, still hot and smoking, then looks back at me. Her last shot wasted on a poor orphan. Raoul came with a doctor, who gave her something to help her sleep. Erik looks back at me, but I can hardly hear what he's saying. I shake my head, the ringing finally subsiding and every sound coming into focus.
"Belle are you alright?" His voice but a whisper, but it's the one sound I could not live without. I nod my head and smile.
"I am now mon amour. Take me home?" I hardly finished my statement when he picks me up and carries me in his arms.

3 Months Later…

"Erik darling hurry up! You are going to be late for your own grand opening!" He smiles as he puts on his full mask, hiding his real identity from the world. No one sees scars and gaping holes, but a striking man with a wonderful head for art and business. I put on my best pair of earrings, checking my hair one last time as I feel lips pressed to my neck.
"Why must I when I can stay here and have you all to myself…" his voice is dark and husky. I softly sigh.
"Because you know own the Opera Gainer. Now everyone must meet Monsieur and Madame Destler. Oh Erik please that is enough!" I try and push him away, but his kisses have grown more passionate and urgent. I give in and let him rub my shoulders while kissing the nape of my neck. "The quicker we do this the quicker we can return…" one last kiss satisfies him for now. I slip into his favorite dress and help him with his cape. The once feared Phantom of the Opera now owns his opera house and has a dancing street girl turned stagehand at his side. The Phantom and the Stagehand.

Thank you all for sharing this adventure with me! I know this last chapter took a while to write, but I hope it was well worth the wait! I will be starting another story soon, this one is based on a true story, my story as I deal with the divorce of my parents. I am a college student, and as the only child I am the only heir, but life happens when you are off making plans and God says "nope, here is what will happen." No one plans for their parents to divorce, and most are much to young to remember the details, but at 21, I not only will remember it all, but I am heavily involved. First Chapter will be posted soon for "Diary of a Sassy Southern Woman".