Dream Journal: Day 1
Well, I’ve never been much into keeping a journal, but anything to figure this out, and get Dad and Todd off my back! Anyway, so last night sure was something. It started with a street level view of the Paris Opera house (oh and I am like floating through the dreams, like a ghost! Ewww creepy.) Anyway, so I go into the doors and I see it all in its 19thcentury splendor, and I hear the sound of a cane tapping against the floor, and I push this door to the side open and I stumble across ballet practice. I look around eagerly to see if I can pick out anyone “familiar” you know, like Meg, or Christine or something. Of course, not knowing what the heck they look like, I’m kinda lost, so anyway, the ballet mistress is getting very frustrated cause they are all totally out of sync, and she keeps looking over at one girl in particular who is in the back and has dark circles under her eyes.
“Christine Daae! (I let out a small inaudible intake of breath!) What on earth is your problem today? Have you lost all sense of rhythm? Come here!” She said, in a very demanding voice. (Hmm, I might add that it is all being spoken in French, which of course I can fully understand, as I now know it almost better than I know English.) Christine walked to the front of the room with her head bowed in shame. “Now, what is it my dear? Why can you not stay in step with the others?” Christine lifts her head and I could see the tears welling up.
“I…I don’t know, Madame. I…I seem to be at sixes and sevens these past few days. I have not been sleeping well, and well…” She looked down at her ballet slippers as words failed her. The ballet mistress looked at her very strangely. “Perhaps you should go home and lie down for a while. I want to see you here in time for the performance this evening well rested and ready. Come see me in my office briefly first, when you get here.” Christine nods her head in assent and quietly leaves the room.
The room slowly dissolves into blackness and I feel as though I am propelled forward in time and I am suddenly seeing Christine knocking on the door of the ballet mistress (whom I am sure is Madame Giry, as her name is on the door!) “Entrée.”
Christine peaks her head around the door. “You asked that I see you before the performance, Madame Giry?”
“Ah Christine, yes, please come in.” I slip quickly through the door behind Christine before she closes it. “Please sit down my dear”, Madame Giry says as she gestures to the seat across from her. Christine sits down, still looking as though she needs more sleep. “Now, it seems that there is something that is troubling you. Would you care to take me into your confidence?” Christine looks up and says, “No, Madame, I am just weary.”
“Mmm, I think there is something, only you can’t or won’t tell me. Very well, if it will not interfere with your performance…”
“Oh no, Madame! It won’t. I promise!”
“Well, alright then. You had better go and get dressed.” Christine gets up and leaves. I stay with Madame Giry, entranced at being in her presence. Knowing what she suspects, I watch as she gets up and leaves. I follow her up to the infamous box 5, where she is startled to find someone of actual flesh and blood there. “I beg your pardon Monsieur.” She says as she bows and begins to back away. I catch a small glimpse of what could possibly be a fairly handsome young man, if it weren’t for the fact that I know exactly who it is. “Raoul!” I quietly whisper to myself. I follow Madame as she leaves the box with a terribly frightened look on her face. She rushes off to be backstage, to make sure all the girls are dressed and ready for this evening’s performance.
Now, it is as if I am in the audience as the curtain rises. I have no recollection of what opera was performed, or anything, for that matter, until it was time for the ballet. I watched as poor Christine, trying her best, completely bungles the entire thing! And all of a sudden there is a terrible domino effect as all of the ballet girls fall over and give Christine dirty looks as they all attempt to get up! They are all tangled together! (If I hadn’t felt so sorry for Christine, I would have found the entire incident terribly funny!) Suddenly, I am propelled back stage, after the performance to see Christine receiving a stern reprimand from Madame. As Madame spoke, Christine held her head down and I could see the tears as they hit the floor. With a great sigh of sorrow and frustration, Madame tells her that she had better go change and come see her first thing in the morning.
I follow Christine into the girl’s dressing room, as she passes all the girls making faces at her and saying cruel things. She goes to the last stool and stares at her reflection. She hardly notices the other girls leaving. At last she is alone in the room and then, as she continued to look at her reflection, another reflection slowly came to the surface. (Boy did my jaw drop! I almost started jumping up and down yelling, “It’s the Phantom! It’s the Phantom! Oh my God! Hell! Where is my autograph book when I need it?!) For yes, it was indeed the actual real live PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!!!!! Ahem, anyway, as the reflection becomes clear, a voice that seemed to come from inside MY head begins to speak in soft dulcet tones. “My dear sweet girl! Why are you so unhappy?” Christine puts her head in her arms and begins to sob. “Oh my Angel! I made a complete fool of myself tonight! I ruined everything!”
“Oh no mon cher,” he said in a wonderfully comforting voice, “You were lovely! But perhaps you should take this as a sign to practice your singing more. I will help you. Now, dry your tears, my sweet and you will hear from me again soon.” As he spoke, Christine looked up at him, wiped her tears away and smiled…
That’s when I woke up.
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