The Phantom Diaries Read Free

almost purple hue. A tense hush fell over the stage and the entire auditorium. The few cast members in attendance shifted their gaze between Marie and Renfrew with nervous anticipation.
    A stage hand, unaware of the goings-on, crossed the stage and inspected the scattered contents of the set.
    “What the hell are you doing?” Marie turned away from the Renfrew and pointed her anger at the hapless worker.
    Renfrew, stood, rolled his eyes to the ceiling high above and ran his hand over the sweaty top of his bald head. The day of rehearsal had been long and it was evident in his face.
    The stage hand, unperturbed by Miss Diva’s ire, was calm as could be as he continued with his inspection.
    “Hey! You!” Marie called out. “Broadway reject! I’m rehearsing here.”
    He turned a cool eye her way, smirked then turned to Tom, the stage director, who appeared from side stage. “Tom, it’s even worse than I thought. In addition to the gold sword, we’re missing the candelabrum and the emerald encrusted dagger.”
    “Have you checked the prop room?”
    “Three times. They were all there this morning and now…”
    “Could you guys wrap this up some other time? I’m in the middle of my most complex...”
    “Is someone in the rehearsal hall?” Tom coldly asked. “There’s nothing keeping you from going there instead of taking up the whole stage here. We’ve got work to do as well.”
    Marie turned on her heel, pointed to Renfrew and shouted, “B minor, no modulation!”
    The music began, in B minor, and Marie began singing. “ My heart shall ache / my love will not be enough / I’ll never wake / and feel able to lust. ”
    Despite the words of love, the melody came out hard and unemotional. Her voice seemed to have a vague capacity to be sweet and carry far up to the furthest balcony, but the coldness of her heart didn’t allow for the sweetness to flow through the melody.
    Marie’s angry voice was soon joined by a faint murmur that seemed to come from high above. She glanced up, her eyes blazing with annoyance. “ I gave all I had / my heart was yours to hold / now I’m alone outside / I’ve never been so cold.” The melody was almost lost behind the grating tone of her voice.
    A slight rumbling shook under my feet and I glanced at the stage director, certain he was testing the stage sets. Nothing was moving. The rumbling increased, groaned ominously and rose high into the air, setting every hair on my back on alert. My fingers reached for my cross of rubies and worked feverishly over the stones.
    Renfrew stopped and the stage hand froze.
    My breathing stopped.
    Marie’s solitary note rang from her throat, coarse and pained, as though she’d not heard a thing. Only when she realized the music had ceased did she stop.
    The rumbling became an audible growl that seemed to seep over the stage from every crack in the wall. I had to cover my ears as the groans became a roar that seemed to consume the air in the auditorium
    My legs went numb, though I desperately wanted to run away.
    “What is that?” Marie’s shout echoed throughout the cavernous auditorium and returned to her on echo after echo.
    As suddenly as it had begun, the sound stopped and all was silent.
    “I think the guys are testing the lift.” Tom’s eyes were far more concerned than his words let on.
    “Urgh,” Marie grunted. “Start again,” she ordered Renfrew.
    Again the melody filled the air accompanied by Marie’s hardened voice.
    Again, the rumbling shook my feet and slowly filled the air.
    “What the hell is that?” Marie screamed into the air.
    “I’ll go check where it could be coming from.” Tom left the stage for a few moments, and throughout his inspection, the auditorium remained silent.
    After a thorough check, nothing was found.
    The piano rang in the air and Marie, more tentatively this time, began singing again. No slow build up of a rumble warned of the growl to come this time. A tremendous roar simply filled the