Chapter 5 - nightmares

There’s music. More beautiful then angel’s voices. Entranced by the scene before me. A man. In a black domino. His voice is inhuman…. There’s a girl. She looks frightened. Her face is snow.

‘Brother…’Tug on brother’s sleeve. ‘Brother is this part of the performance?’

‘Hush, Ebony…’ Brother holds a finger to his lips. ‘Be silent and you will understand.’

My eyes are captivated. Brother’s ocean eyes are captivated too. I shall not bother him though.

The two actors come together. Touching. Holding each other. The voices cease singing, yet the emotion holds still in the theater.

He breaks into a new tune. His voice…less demanding, yet seemingly more desperate.

He pulls her close. She looks up, confused. Her hands clutch the sides of his face. Trembling.

Suddenly before he finishes the verse she rips the mask off. I shut my eyes and hide my face in Brother’s arm.

Loud noises fill the air. I hear screams and gasps. The chandelier shakes ominously. Slowly falling. More screams. Falling to a nightmare.

Brother! I cry. People moving and pushing. Brother where is Brother?


Flames everywhere. Blistering heat. So scared. ‘Brother help me!’


‘Ebony! Take my hand. I’m here. Just take my hand. ’

‘I’m stuck! Help!’

‘Oh God!’

‘Brother! My dress! My dress is on fire! It hurts. Please make it stop!’

Patting out the fire. Yet it burns. I can’t move. ‘Brother…” Hot tears pouring like waterfalls.

Flaming parts of the theater rain down upon us. Face nestled in Brother’s shoulder. He smells of cinnamon. So much pain. Everything is blurry.

Something has crashed. I hear a shriek of pain. Brother’s pain. Someone grabs me. Where is Brother? Flames everywhere. Falling into darkness.

I awake in cold sweat.

…………………………………….

A Week After the Masquerade Ball

“Suzette, you have the most gorgeous hair,”

“It’s simply divine,”

“Yes I know,” Suzette smiles with perfectly white teeth. She sways her locks of midnight. Shinier then crystal clear waters.

Meg and I sit in the corner, eating stale dry buns. Like eating a crumbly rock. All the ballerinas have returned from the short vacation. Our ears filled with endless chatter and giggles.

“Ebony… I have to tell you something,” Meg says, brushing off some crumbs from her mouth.

“Alright,” I say, stilling dizzy with exhaustion. I yawn and wipe my dewy eyes. I haven’t had a decent night’s rest since the masquerade; bad memories keep invading my dreams.

“I… I want to return that mask,” she whispers quietly, glancing over at Suzette and her followers.

“What mask?”

“Shh, keep it down. I don’t want anyone to know, I’d be in big trouble,” she says playing with folds of her dress.

“Sorry,” I mumble, picking up another doughy bun.

“Ebony, remember the fire that wrecked this place?” she asks. I stiff up at mention of it.

“What of it?” I inquire, feeling the blood rush from my face.

“It’s…It’s just I was there that night. There was a crowd of people going to go find him, I went with…”

I sit silent, but wonder who “him” refers to. A man in a black domino…

“I… we ventured into this underground world. It was astounding, like a little realm all to it’s self. But it looked so far away and lonely,”
I raise my eyebrow, questioning where she’s going with this. A little realm all to it’s self?

“Why’d you even go?”

“Well I had to! He had taken…my friend. Well she used to be anyway,” Meg looked down, upset.

“Taken? I don’t understand,”

“I guess you wouldn’t understand since your weren’t there, but they were on stage. Then…this hole on stage opened and they fell through,” she says, like she’s reliving the memory. I was there however, but I was in too much shock to notice people falling through holes.

“I still don’t see how the mask has to do with anything,”

“I stole it…”

“You stole it?” I gasp. From who?

“Yes,” she looks frightened, “I stole a mask from a madman, and now I feel the need to return it,”

“Are you serious?” I ask, still wondering who “he” is.

“But the thing is Ebony, the only way I know to get there has been blocked off. The old dressing room was boarded up, that’s where you come in,” she explains.

“How can I help?”

“I don’t know the stagehands very well, but I know your friends with Henri. Could you ask him to help-”

“No way Meg!” I blush. No way was I going to talk to Henri after that awkward night.

“Come on, please you have to!” she begs, “Or at least accompany me there, please,”

I sigh. I didn’t want to go chasing the past or unlocking secrets, which I didn’t want to know.

“Fine…” I groan, “But I think this is a bad idea. You said he was a madman!”

“Don’t worry, I doubt we’ll even be able to get in,”
“It could be dangerous!”

“Shh, Suzette’s coming over,” we look up at Suzette and all her glory.

“You’re going to be late to practice Valette,”

I avoid her demeaning stare, “I…can’t today. Madame Giry offered me a private practice later on,”

She glares at me, “You can’t dance at all, can you? You shouldn’t even be here,”

“Yeah, when’s the last time you even showed up to practice?” her followers chirp.

“Leave her alone,” Meg says shyly. Suzette laughs.

“You’re both pathetic,” she sneers, “Come on let’s go.” She gestures to her group to follow. Like little ducklings…

“You’re not coming to practice again?” Meg asks.

“I can’t… I have a private lesson later,” I explain.

“Well I probably should go, I’ll see you later. And please don’t mention what I told you earlier. It’s just something between you and me, promise?”

“Of course,”


………………………………………….

Meg’s POV

It’s slightly bothersome that Ebony never shows up at practices. I’ve tried asking Maman why, but she explains it’s a private matter.

I make my way to the theater where practice is being held. Out of the corner of my eye I see…why Monsieur Bellamount!

“Monsieur- I mean Jacque, what a pleasure to see you,” I grin.

“Why the pleasure is all mine. How are you faring, Meg?”

“Fine thanks, yourself?” a little blush tickles my nose.

“Very well,” he returns my smile. His sapphire eyes lure me to come closer. He wears elegant garments with raven black hair flattering his face. “A little late to practice are we not?”

My face is practically painted scarlet, “No…well yes, but-”

“Ah Bellamount. We meet again,” I turn to see a well-built man in a long grey coat coming towards us.

“Detective Walters. It’s been too long,” he looks over at me, “I’m sorry Meg, but I have business to attend to,”

“I understand,”

“Good day,”

“Good day,”

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