5 An unforgettable performance

Chapter 5 An unforgettable performance The next morning was bright and sunny. Carlotta was lying in bed, eating chocolate truffles, when her maid came in with a letter.

"What's this?" Carlotta demanded, her mouth full of chocolate. If you appear on stage tonight, you must be prepared for a misfortune worse than death! "It's a threat! Someone is telling me not to sing. How dare they? Get my things, I'm going straight to the manager."

In less than an hour, Carlotta was in the manager's office. "Monsieur!" she shrieked as she slapped down the letter. He read it quickly and went pale. "It's the phantom," he muttered. "Phantom?" Carlotta's ears pricked up. "I'm not afraid of a ghost. I will sing tonight!"

That night, the whole cast felt uneasy. But Carlotta wasn't in the least worried. "Phantom? Pah!" she declared. She fluffed up her costume and marched on stage.

Carlotta lifted up her arms and opened her mouth wide, but all that came out was a loud, harsh... Cr-r-roak! The audience gasped. Carlotta continued to croak like a toad and the audience began to laugh.

The manager, who was looking on in disbelief, heard a chilling voice in his ear. "Carlotta sings tonight to bring the house down..." "I beg your pardon?" The manager spun around, but the figure behind him had gone.