Chapter Eighteen-Before the Performance

Chapter Eighteen

Before the Performance

      "Ow, Lind," Melanie sighed, swatting at his hand.

"Sorry. Your hair is REALLY tangled," the snake boy said, still running Melanie's wooden hair brush through her hair.

"I can brush my own hair, Lind. I'm not THAT much of a dumb blonde," she teased, slapping at her friend.

"Let me brush Melanie's hair!" Ceto, the girl in the tank sighed. "I want to try something."

"Please don't break me, Cee," Melanie cried, moving her stool in front of the tank and handing the brush to the girl.

"So," Ceto asked,"you really told them I had gills?"

"Yeah," Melanie shrugged. "I told them everything about every one. Nothing personal, what just...made us freaky."

"There's nothing that makes you freaky, Melanie," Keko sighed. Melanie leaned forward and ran her hands over the lime green hair with the aqua tinge.

"It's on the inside Keko...it's on the inside. I'm not sure any of you know what it's like to be afraid of your own mind..." Lind leaned down to kiss Melanie's cheek, and smile sheepishly at her. He left behind a few scales and slime, which she waited to wipe away when he wasn't looking. She played with a larger scale in her hand, running her thumb over it's smooth surface, watching it shine in the stage lights. She was tired, staying up all night, afraid. When she went to open the door that night to look for Phillip, his unconscious body slumped in the room. He had passed out at the door without enough energy to come in. Melanie made the hangover cure and he was dandy after, bouncing Gustave on his knee, and the two were at the zoo this morning. It was around noon now and they would be back any minute.

     Ceto twisted the hair in an odd way on Melanie's head, forming a gold loop. Ceto reached into her tank and pulled out a wet piece of glass, or a shard of mirror. Melanie looked at her reflection.

"Oh, Ceto, it's lovely! Thank you," she said, kissing her friend on the cheek.

Peter flew down at that time. "Hey, I got some news. Do I getta kiss?" He smiled.

"Wipe the grin off your face and tell me the news first," Melanie said sweetly, a little of her southern accent coming through on certain words.

Peter's grin twisted to a frown fast as Reid and Morgan awkwardly stumbled up unnoticed. "Fine, just don't shoot the messenger," he sighed. "Squelch told me that the Master said that you weren't to perform as a freak tonight. You're only to sing the aerie."

Melanie's eyes went wide and her eyebrows furrowed together. "Why, whatever for?"

Spencer stepped up. "To complete the fantasy. He's waited years to here you sing, not with freaks and fun songs he wrote in two seconds to entertain the public, but a song that he spent hours on and dreamed of hearing you voice with. He's infatuated and he's got this night down to a T. He's got this. Somethings happening tonight, Melly. And  I don't think you should be here for it."

     Melanie stared," I don't understand..."

"He's got something planned Melanie. I think if he gets you tonight...he won't let you go again." Melanie stared at Spencer's words as her head spun around.

"He wouldn't...he'd never..." Melanie sat. "What is he planning?"

Spencer looked at Morgan,"We don't know. But we will be outside your dressing room all night. Promise," Derek said.

"I-"

"Miss Melanie?" Melanie turned to see one of the stage hands call her name. She couldn't recall his name. Stan? Maybe.... "You need to report to the Prima Donna suite. You need to then come to the main dressing room by 6 o'clock for the 6:30 aerie."

"Thank you," Melanie said, rising.

***

"Hey, Gustave!" Melanie said, pulling the boy into her arms. Reid and Morgan were right outside the door. "Where's Papa?" she asked him.

"Sleeping. I just got back," smiled the boy.

"...How do you feel?" she asked him in a whisper, checking him over for anything out of place.

"Fine. I had a lot of fun. He's a nice man."

"Yes..." Melanie whispered,"He is."

***

The hairdresser finally left her room and Melanie examined herself in the enormous round dressing room. There was a silver mirror that dominated behind the vanity. Her hair was up in a bun, with two curls falling on either side of her face. Her dress was satin and silver, with a slit up one leg. It fell down her body in a river, showing her lithe and slender frame. Her cheeks had rose to them, her ruby lips had been painted pink, and her eyes were a slathered with silver sparkles on the lids, making her blue eyes pop.

     Gustave was hopping up and down on a chair in the corner.

"Gustave?" Melanie asked,"Could you hand me those earrings? The diamond ones on the left." He did as he was told and Melanie kissed him. "There. How do I look?"

"Momma! You look so beautiful...so very beautiful...like a queen in a book."

 Melanie laughed and kissed his slicked back hair. "You too are beautiful...so very beautiful...once this performance is through we'll spend some time, just us two. Won't that be fun?" Melanie asked. Gustave smiled and Melanie turned away from him, to reach for her necklace.

"Father!" Gustave's tinkling voice cried, and Melanie turned on a heel. "Doesn't Mother look lovely tonight?"

Phillip nodded stiffly, looking longingly at his bride. "Indeed she does. As lovely as the first time I came to her dressing room door."

"And look at you Phillip!" Melanie sighed, brushing lint off the jacket of his opera dress clothes,"You look just like that handsome boy in the opera box. The one who would always toss me a single red rose..." Melanie looked at her feet.

"Please, Gustave, if you don't mind, would you wait outside a while?"

"Mother, may I go exploring? By myself?" Melanie sighed.

"Yes, but stay backstage, my darling. When I'm finished, meet me here."

"I will," he promised, running off.

Melanie sat down in the vanity chair as Phillip got to his knees at her feet.

"Since our proposal day...things have gone astray..."

"Phillip-"

"I'm not proud of the way that I've acted."

"We've both been-"

"The demands I've made. All our hopes, misplaced. I'm aware of the price they've exacted. Though I've no right to ask you to, there's one thing more I'd ask of you, if you love me as I love you."

Melanie took his hands and kissed them. "Anything, darling."

"Don't sing the song, dear."

"What? But, Phillip-"

"You have to know somethings terribly wrong here."

"But I have to do this. It's what we agreed to."

Phillip sneered,"That hell spawn demon! He's had us playing his game all along, dear."

"Let me just get through this, listen, please. I need to."

Phillip kissed her hands. "You need so much, I know. And I've denied you. You need the man you knew, back here beside you. You'll have him back I vow, just ask it of me. But we must leave her now, if you still love me."

Melanie stared skeptically at her fiance,"You mean it, Phillip? Truly?"

"I booked a passage for three on a freighter to France. Let's be on it for both our sakes...and the child's. Leave this place behind..." Phillip left the dressing room, where he was met with his adoptive sister. Charlotte surrounded him with all her condolences. On what though was a mystery. He just prayed that Melanie wouldn't sing. If she sang, he had to leave her. He made a bet. He promised.

Keko entered Melanie's dressing room that night, and removed her mask. Melanie didn't flinch at the festering, rotting skin falling off her friends face. She hugging her friend and excepted the congratulations she gave.

"You look amazing!"

"Thank you, dear," Melanie sighed. Keko's skin was sagging lower from the last time Melanie had seen her, and it had gone from Green to a dark royal blue.

"I was thinking, after the show-"

"Mother, I was-" Gustave bounded into the room, and dropped whatever he had been holding in his hand. He let out an awful scream, to which Morgan and Reid entered. Reid caught sight of Keko's face and had to catch the door frame. Melanie thought she might cry for her friend's sake when Morgan held down the vomit. Gustave continued to scream all the way out of the room.

"Gustave!" Melanie screamed as the green haired girl fumbled for her mask. "Keko-" but the girl was out the door. Melanie bolted for one or the other. "I've got Gustave," Reid promised. "You stay here."

"Reid-"

"Make your choice, Melanie. You don't have much time."

***

Melanie sat at her vanity. 16 minutes till curtain. She would be on stage at 2 minutes before. Her breathing was heavy and her stomach was in knots. She couldn't calm her breathes. Melanie hadn't been this nervous before he first major performance, why now?

    Melanie looked in her mirror, then down again. She ripped the necklace of diamonds off her neck and stood. Before she could rush out the door, a hand caught her shoulder.

"...You didn't hurt him today," Melanie whispered.

"And I expect to be payed for it."

"...Did you kill all those people?" Melanie asked.

"Only because I hoped the BAU to make a visit."

"So you did plan all this? You killed...Just to get me down here."

"I killed for you."

"I have to stay loyal to Phillip. He's made me an offer I cannot refuse."

"That's because he knows his love is not enough. He knows he isn't what you need. He's knows your made of finer things. I think on THAT we're all agreed. It's time to leave him in the dust. It's time to be who you should be. It's time to do now as you must and set the music in you free." The Master knew Melanie was hooked. She was staring at their reflections in the mirror, and was admiring what a picture they made. The Master smiled.

"In moments...mere moments...drums will roar. There you'll stand, just like before. The crowd will hush...and then in one sweet rush, I will hear you sing once more. And music, our music, will swell and then unwind. Like two strands of melody, at last entwined! Will fill us, complete us, make us whole. Seal our bond forever more.... Tonight, for me, embrace your destiny. Let me hear you sing once more!" How Morgan  hadn't heard her master's lamanent was beyond Melanie, but she was dizzy and honestly had to consider singing. He had placed the net of diamonds around her neck again, and the dressing door flew up. Her master disappeared.

"Miss Wilkes? It's time." the stage hand shut the door to give her two minutes.

"Twisted every way what answer can I give? I know I can't refuse, and yet, I wish I could. Oh God..."

Melanie remembered Phillip, young and brave in her old ratty dressing room in the town's theatre. Showing her the newest red rose he'd bought for her triumph. She still had every one in a box at home.

She remembered her master, tall and strong. He knew her soul. Phillip knew her heart. It was breaking. Her soul was crying. Melanie didn't know what to do. Gustave...what if Reid hadn't found him? Melanie looked around. She saw the gold papered dressing room and vanity. This could be her home. Or a castle in France, spending summers at Ardely and Ramblings. Melanie thought of her master's promise to her once, letting her inherit the theme park when she died. Melanie thought of Phillip's promise, to change into her perfect suitor. Perfect husband in months time. Gustave...Phillip...Master.... Her head was aching. Her heart was pounding. Melanie stepped out of her dressing room, and on her way to her adoptive son, she caught sight of the stage, the set, the lights. She heard the mumbling crowd behind the curtain-a full house. All these people...Melanie walked out toward the light as the stage boy said in his head set-

"Curtain."