Sing Once Again With Me

It had been a little under two weeks since Ella first arrived at the Opera Populaire and everything was running smoothly. Her leg was near completely healed and with every passing day she and Meg grew closer as friends. Ella also met some other friends she liked to talk to every now and then, sometimes meeting them on her own and sometimes through Marcus. She also had morning rehearsals for the opera after the upcoming premiere that Meg and Marcus were in; they had afternoon practices.

When Meg's rehearsals were over she and Ella went out to buy some clothes. Ella bought one dress and a skirt, and a pair of shoes. Meg bought a new dress and Ella kindly bought her the pair of shoes that went perfectly with it. When they returned they were laughing and chatting away, actually drawing a lot of attention to themselves but they didn't care, they were having fun. It was a little after six o'clock when they put their new items in the trunks at the foot of their beds and locked them up before going to get some dinner, with Marcus and another friend of his joining them.

It was seven thirty and Ella, Meg and a few other girls were sitting together on some beds. They were talking about the next opera premiere, and what they were going to do when they moved out of the Opera House, and guys and how they wanted the lead role in the biggest opera of the year that would be happening in a few months. Then they were all discussing who they thought would be best for the lead part, other than Carlotta; and after a while Meg piped up, "I think Ella would be really good for it." Ella's eyes widened and she looked around at all the grins they were giving her. "Excuser moi? Oh no no..." a bashful smile came to Ella's face though and another girl said. "No, I think you would be really good at singing. Your voice is soft but it's clear and could really carry through the auditorium.." Then another added, "And not to mention you've probably got great range." By now Ella was blushing profusely and looking down at her hands with a small smile.

Then a girl she didn't know ruined everything by asking, "Why don't you sing something so we can get an idea?" And to destine her doom they all agreed... very enthusiastically... After Ella refused a few times they started singing a loud chant and clapping their hands. Ella tried shushing them, waving her arms around and everything but nothing worked until she finally screamed, "Alright fine! Gracieux!" They all started laughing but quickly hushed up and waited.

Ella sighed and took a moment to think. Back to when she used to love to sing... the best two years of her life...Well... If she was going to sing a song after all these years, there was only one song that deserved it, as much as she disliked the whole idea. She sighed again and cleared her throat, sitting up straighter and she began to sing... and when she did it was like she went into a trance. She felt like she witnessed those whole two years all over again right there with her only friend growing up...

"What's the miracle, if life itself is not?
Who am I to praise it's worth
With a hymn??
I may stumble over words that I forgot,
Just as life itself will slowly begin.
Sing me a song for the mountains to move,
Sing me the anthem of life,
Sing me the anthem of life.
I'm skeptical; I like my glass of wine,
I don't know your name, or what I am to do.
One day you'll wonder why I read between the lines,
And you will sing for me, the way I sang for you.
Sing me a song for the ocean to part,
Sing me the anthem of life,
Sing me the anthem of life,
Sing me the anthem of life.
So another page is turned,
Pray I understand what's happening,
But if anything, I do know this,
I'll be the best I can.
Sing me a song like the angels rejoice,
Sing me an anthem of life,
Sing me the anthem,
Sing me the anthem of life."
(-DarkLyrics.com)

Her heart was racing as she came out of the hypnotic stage to see everyone staring at her. She looked down at her hands in her lap and a few tears rolled off her face. "Excuser moi..." she mumbled as she quickly walked out of the room. "Wait..." Meg said concerned, standing up but Ella ignored her.

She didn't know where she was going but she was going up. Eventually she found a door that led to the rooftop, and thinking that it might be nice to see the night sky she went outside and was met by a cold breeze. She hugged herself as she slowly made her way down the small steps, staring at the amazing sculptures in awe. She came to sit down on the ledge of a large, glass dome with light illuminating off it from inside the building and a few more tears ran down her face.

Dear God... why did her life have to be so twisted?... It wasn't her fault she looked like Maman, Papa didn't have to sell her to that circus... but then she never would have met Eric.. Even then though if she hadn't have met him he wouldn't have been torn away from her... but it all ended in a damned betrothal to that disgusting excuse of a human... She was about to spit just thinking about him when she heard a small noise and suddenly a blade was tightly held across her throat.

A man's deep voice softly spoke into her ear, "I'd have half a mind to slit your throat right here..." Ella's heart quickened and she didn't dare say anything, even though the blade had slightly cut into her skin and it was stinging terribly from the cold temperatures. "What is your name?" the voice demanded. Ella took a deeper breath before answering, "Ella..." Her attacker didn't specifically mention last names so she wasn't going to grant him that luxury. Suddenly she was roughly shoved to spin around and face her assailant. She met the deepest gaze of icy blue eyes that glared at her with pure hatred. He was dressed completely in black, his hair was actually a very dark brown, but it was slicked down and almost seemed black as well. Most peculiar of all was the white mask he wore to hide the right side of his face. He had the tip of the blade touching under her chin, slightly pressing into the soft skin.

~~~Eric's POV.~~~

Eric had reached his end point. This strange girl that looked so like Christine wouldn't get out of his head, and he couldn't figure her out in the least bit. But the worst part of all was that something about her was so familiar. At first he had dismissed it with her looking like Christine but he knew it was something else, and it caused him to frequently think back to those horrible years he had spent as a child, being beaten and publicly put to shame by his disfigurement.

He pulled the blade up a bit more, guiding her head with it unless she wanted to be cut. "Well Mme. Ella, listen closely if you cherish your life in the least bit. You are not to sing one note even of your own free will while you stay in my Opera House. And if you do I sincerely promise the consequences will be nothing of a light manner. Now, you are free to go back to your sleeping room, but you are not to tell anyone you've seen me or that I've returned." He turned Ella around and held the knife close to her throat again, leading her to the door. She cautiously opened it and carefully closed it behind her. It soon set in place, completely closed again and the two immediately darted off in opposite directions.