December 1864
It was about midnight when the Corps de Ballet finished dancing.
Mme Murie's stern voice ended the practice.
"We shall practice again tomorrow at precisely 6 o'clock!"
Quade stood against the wall concealed in the shadows gripping the violin tightly against his chest.
The ballerinas scattered out the door and in a matter of seconds Quade recognized the long dark hair with no ribbon passing him.
Quickly but carefully Quade followed her.
He was indeed carrying out this plan.
After hours of convincing himself to let her go he finally gave in.
If this caused her any harm he would stop immediately but he had to proceed with it. He had to know what would happen otherwise he will become mad from the curiosity.
Suddenly Annabel turned around a corner. Quade had to move more quickly.
After another moment of moving along corridors Annabel finally stopped in front of her bedroom entrance.
Quade watched her every movement smiling with satisfaction. Her room was at the end of this corridor which meant also the most isolated.
This was already an advantage. The plan was already successful.
After Annabel closed the door behind her, Quade gently moved forward and placed his ear onto the door.
He had excellent hearing and waited a few moments to give Annabel enough time to prepare herself for bed. Quade had no desire to be disrespectful and saw her only with honor.
The minute he heard the blowing of a candle he knew she was asleep.
Very softly Quade turned the doorknob and cautiously entered the bedroom, locking the door behind him.
It didn't take Annabel long to fall into a deep sleep and when this happened Quade began to hesitate. This could be disastrous! What was he thinking?
Continue Quade, no turning back now!
He continued.
He started very gently to play a melody on the violin.
This caused her to turn slightly.
She was responding!
The minute Quade started singing it was like volts of energy were send through her body.
Annabel's eyes widen and she sat up straight slowly turning her head towards the music.
Quade looked into her kind brown eyes and was overwhelmed with excitement.
What triumph!
Only there was one thing missing that would have made this moment even more extraordinary.
That Annabel would also be aware of this special moment, only she was completely mindless of what was happening.
Just like his mother was.
False admiration.
Quade couldn't help but think of the horrifying reality, but he dismissed it immediately.
He was finally interacting with her!
Now the only thing left to do was to see how far he could go and if teaching would be possible.
With determination and confidence Quade kept playing the rest of the night until that last hour when he suddenly realized that Annabel was no longer in her bed but right in front of him a few inches away.
Her eyes looked through him as if she didn't see him at all.
He didn't know whether or not Annabel would remember any of this.
This startled him and he stopped playing completely. The moment he did this Annabel collapsed to the ground!
Quade ran over to her putting down the violin beside him. She started to moan softly and with a horrifying realization that she was starting to wake up, he pulled her swiftly off the ground and gently carried her back to the bed. Luckily she wasn't injured.
Quade embraced the situation so much that he hadn't noticed her sudden change of position.
Having her in his arms made his knees go numb that Quade himself almost collapsed.
Very subtly he continued singing and her moaning stopped, back in her trance-like condition, drifting back to sleep. Quade sighed with relief.
Annabel was a light as a feather. As he laid her down he was once more suffocated by her beauty and had the sudden urge to touch her beautiful face but resisted immediately.
Quade had no sense with what he was doing. All that he did know was that he had discovered a way to communicate with her, through music.
An opportunity like this might never happen again.
Annabel was special and now he had the chance to help her discover her potential once more.
************************************
January 1865
It's been a month now at the opera and Annabel had never been more happy.
She had been conquering her despair and she had lived her life at the opera with new-found confidence.
Annabel was enthralled with excitement!
Especially now that the dream had changed.
For the past month it had only existed of violin music but now all so suddenly the entire dream had changed.
It happened unexpectedly.
This time no violin was present.
The entire focus of the dream was now on that angelic voice.
It was astounding!
The dream would start like it usually did.
Annabel would stand in the middle of her bedroom and wait anxiously for that music to begin.
Not hearing the violin was at first disappointing but when she only heard the voice Annabel dismissed the disappointed immediately.
Her heart began to flutter when she took in this entirely different melody.
A melody much more emotional.
As she was listening with joy a figure appeared.
Annabel slowly noticed the tall dark figure who gently moved about the room. Before the dream had changed, the only part she could remember seeing was the violin. This figure was a strange new part of the dream.
She was half aware of what was happening. All her focus was on the figure and this music that floated around in the room.
It all happened so slowly.
The figure circled around her singing more louder now and before Annabel could do anything else this singing made her open her mouth and she began to sing!
Annabel began to sing as if she never stopped at all. As if she knew this unknown music all her life.
When this happened the figure stopped moving as if it was just as surprised as her. It lifted its hands which were gloved, moving them along the rhythm.
Annabel tried to focus on the figure but she couldn't, it was like the music controlled her mind.
The figure moved closer to her until it was right in front of her.
She couldn't identify him.
The climax of the dream came unexpectedly, the figure suddenly pushed her chin up and before she could think another thought they both reached a falsetto. In forte it made her entire body tingle with pleasure.
Annabel didn't understand how any of this was possible but she dared not question any of it. This was too extraordinary and she kept on praying that this wouldn't abandon her.
It didn't matter that it all was just created in her subconscious, what mattered was she was finally encouraged enough to continue here at the opera. Her passion was returning and that was all she could ever ask for.
Nothing could make her more happy. Though that was so until the unexpected arrival of the Patron de Changy at the Opera that very next week.
The patron who used to have picnics with her in the attic and tell scary stories from the North...