The Muse that Soothes the Savage Beast

As extra credit for Kurt Wagner’s drama class and Xi’an’s French class, students and professors alike from Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters are attending the finale performance of the musical The Phantom of the Opera in a local theater just outside of the city. All of the students sit in floor seats, and the adults sit the box seats that are on either side of the lighting and sound box. Jean and Scott sit together in a box with another couple that is taking pleasure of a romantic date. Kurt and Xi’an sit in the other box to discuss the musical and go over ideas of ways for their students to get more out of the show than just watching it. The Professor and Hank even join Kurt and Xi’an in their box to benefit from a night at the theater.

As they are ushered to their box, Hank grumbles as he adjusts his coat and tie, “I can’t believe you have convinced me to come to this. You know I detest these restrictive suits; it make me look like a farce.”

“You can’t stay in lab coat all the time, Hank. In fact, you need time out of the lab as well. Besides your classes, which are right down the hall from your lab, and going to the kitchen for meals and your daily Twinkie fix, you are in the lab from morning until night. We need to show the students that it is possible to have a normal life outside of the school, let alone the laboratory.”

“Maybe I have been a bit preoccupied with lab work, but a musical, Charles?”

“This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Think of it more as a ‘rock opera’, and perhaps you will enjoy it,” he replies as he begins to page through the playbill. “Look here,” he says, pointing to the cast list, “both Christine and the Phantom are portrayed by Irish performers.”

Hank opens his own program and reads the bios of the different actors in the musical. Just as he is nearing the bios of the main characters, the lights dim and the musical begins. He sits back and watches as the play opens with the auction, then the powerful overture begins as the chandelier is raised from the stage up to its proper place on the ceiling. It starts of captivatingly enough, he thinks right before he flinches at the sound of Carlotta’s high-pitched, operatic tone. Leaning towards the Professor, Hank whispers with a hand over one ear, “Please don’t tell me the entire production is this shrill cacophony.” The Professor just shakes his head and brings a finger to his mouth as his eyes stay locked on the stage.

Hank is relieved when the sharp-voiced diva leaves the stage in an angered huff. Then the theater’s new managers are introduced to the young chorus dancer, Christine. Although they are skeptical of her talent, the managers give her an opportunity to prove herself because of the new opening in the cast. The entire cast on the stage, the audience in the theater house, as well as Hank and the others in the box seats, are mesmerized by the pure, smooth, angelic nature in her voice and in her demeanor. Hank watches and listens in full attention as this beautiful sound comes from this young woman. He flips through his playbill to find her name in the bios:

Kady O’Halloran (Christine) – Kady is a 19 year-old waitress in a local pub where she performs occasionally and was found by the casting director. Although new to this theater and having no professional training, she is no stranger to using her vocal talents. Singing is her favorite pastime in the world, enjoying a variety of different genres of music from musical theater and classical music to oldies and folk songs from her native country, Ireland. She has only been in America for two years, but she already feels at home here. Her performance as Christine is dedicated to the memory of her family. Rath Dé ort!

Hank is shocked by the quality of voice coming from such a young lady. As the musical continues, the songs that she sings strike different chords in his mind, keeping him on the edge of his seat in certain parts because he is so engrossed into the music and the story. Kurt and Xi’an quietly exchange ideas throughout the musical, only to be shushed by Hank. The Professor glances over at Hank intermittently to see his envelopment into the story and smirks. During the last scene, the entire theater is silent and still as the interplay between Christine, the Phantom, and Raoul reaches its climactic conclusion.

The audience is in a joyous uproar as the lights dim and the curtain closes. The cast present themselves as they bow for their curtain calls, and the audience continues to clap, but when the final the characters come out, the audience again goes crazy with whistles and thunderous applause as they stand in appreciation. Raoul and the Phantom briefly leave the stage a moment only to come back with roses for an overwhelmed Kady, and the roar of the crowd gets even louder, Hank providing much of the added boost himself.

The Phantom and Raoul motion to encourage her to give a speech, who is speechless at the moment. The audience quiets down as she composes herself and manages to say with a gentle Irish accent to her voice, “Um, this has been such a wonderful experience for me: one of the best times I have ever had, doing what I love to do.” She breaks a bit, wipes away a few tears, and continues. “I thank the cast, musicians, and crew for all the work they have put into this, and I hope that I was able to bring a bit of 'ceol 's craic', that is ‘music and fun’, into your lives.” Another wave of deafening applause erupts from the crowd as Kady bows with her male costars and the curtain falls.

~~~~~~~ Three Days Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hank prepares his lunch in the kitchen, humming to himself. Logan walks in, grabbing a cold bottle of soda from the fridge and grumbling, “Why can‘t we have some better drinks in this joint besides this crap for the kids?” Hank pays no attention to him as he continues putting his lunch together, still humming with a slight upward curl to his lips. Logan lowers and shakes his head, then he takes a long swig of his soda before saying, “I didn’t go to the play for a reason, and I’m sure you ain’t singing as well as they did, Blue, so shut up!” Hank jerks when he hears Logan start to shout, dropping the utensils in his hand and staring at Logan has he continues. “The whole mansion has been dealing with your constant background music, and I, for one, am tired of that shit!”

“I am sorry, Logan. I didn’t realize that I had been affronting you with my harmonious endeavors, but it is difficult to liberate the music that is relentlessly playing in my psyche without attempting to vocalize it myself.”

“Whatever, just shut up for a while, okay?” he replies, brusquely leaving the kitchen without another word.

As Hank starts to work on his lunch again, he thinks, It is odd how fixated I am over the music of the play. Although, I believe my enjoyment came mostly from… His thoughts are immediately interrupted as Bobby runs into the kitchen, out of breath and frantic. Hank, again, drops his lunch in the abruptness of the young man’s entry, but then he goes over to the boy, places a hand on his back and says, “Just calm down and take a breath, Bobby. Tell me what has happened.”

Bobby takes a few deep gasps before replying, “Someone was found not too far from the edge of the property. She was passed out on the ground when we came upon her, and then she started… convulsing, or something, then there was blood on her back coming from somewhere and…” He gets frantic again as he tells this to Hank, beginning to run out of breath again.

“It’s alright, Bobby. You did fine. Now, would you take me to her to make sure she is well?” Bobby just nods as he leads them out of the kitchen and down the hall to head outside, but they are met with Scott with an unconscious girl, curled up in his arms, the back of her white gown drenched in blood. Hank dashes over to Scott to take the girl from his arms and rush her to the infirmary. When Scott carefully hands her over, the girl’s head tilts over to reveal the face of Kady O’Halloran.

*Author's Note: I have just started writing this from a blip of an idea in my head. No sex yet, but there will be, if I keep the ideas flowing. Please rate and review. Any comments will help, especially if it has to do with characters being well depicted, if you have any suggestions of where the story could go, and if the story is any good. Thank you!*