| [The
Phantom appears from behind a sign in the upper reaches at the side of the
stage, grabbing a rope. Swan stares at him. He swings down towards
the stage, his red cape flailing out behind him. As he swings by Swan, he grabs Swan's mask off his face. He then lands on the far side of the stage, holding Swan's mask and stares at it for a moment. Swan turns to look around, his face now horrible mutilated, possibly burned, looking. The rowdy with the red shirt sees Swan and lets out a scream. Now Phoenix is shown, checking on Philbin. Chaos continues with the audience members. Philbin is shown, dead, with a bullet hole through his head and his face covered in blood. Phoenix looks up, in shock. She gets to her feet, looking around, almost horrified, perhaps at the lack of attention to this death. Swan comes up to her, with his face horribly scarred.] |
|
| Phoenix : | [In
shock.] Oh my God! Your face, what's happened to your face? |
| Swan : | [Swan
realizes what is going on. He turns to look around.] Winslow!!!!! |
| Phoenix : | [Puts
a hand to her head and starts to pull back, almost crying.] I don't understand... |
| Swan : | [Turns
aggressive, putting a hand on Phoenix's throat. He starts to strangle
her.] Your voice, remember? You promised me your voice! Our contract, remember? |
| [Phoenix
gasps, trying to pulls away Swan's hands though unsuccessfully. He takes
her to her knees. The rowdy with the red shirt is now on-stage dancing, with his red shirt half off. Swan continues strangling Phoenix. The crowd on-stage continues to dance. The Phantom now attempts to make his way to Swan and Phoenix but is blocked by people including a swan-woman. He grabs her hat, which is a stylized swan head with a sharp beak, from her head. The rowdy with the red shirt watches the Phantom's action. The Phantom pushes his way from the crowd. The red shirted rowdy copies the Phantom's previous action and takes the swan-head hat from another of the swan-women. The Phantom pushes his way past people and finally makes it to the podium where cameramen are still filming Swan, as he attempts to choke Phoenix. The Phantom stabs the beak of the hat into Swan's chest and Swan lets out a moan. The Phantom stabs more times and Swan releases Phoenix. Blood appears on Swan's chest and begins to pour down. At the same moment, the Phantom's knife wound reappears and starts to bleed heavily. The Phantom puts a hand to the wound. The Phantom screams loudly. Swan starts collapsing but falls into the arms of the red shirted rowdy who looks at Swan in confusion and detachment. The red shirted rowdy's arms are covered in Swan's blood as other rowdies pick up Swan and hold him high in the air. The Phantom, with blood running down his chest, screams again. Swan, being held in the air, tries to grab a piece of the set background. The Phantom, now on his knees and covered with his own blood, takes off his mask. For the first time, his disfigurement is revealed. He screams again. The whole right side of his face is horribly scarred with a hole in his cheek and his eye terribly damaged. Phoenix, now seeing the Phantom/Winslow, is transfixed on the horrible sight of the right side of his face and she looks on in horror. The noise from the crowd fades as the music takes over. Winslow/Phantom crawls towards Phoenix, holding his wound. She starts to back away in horror and shock. Winslow/Phantom continues to crawl down a small ramp on the stage with what little life he has left, and reaching out towards her. The red shirted rowdy follows closely at his side, neither helping nor hindering him. Most of the rest of the crowd seems oblivious and continues dancing. Phoenix continues to back away, sobbing in terror. Winslow/Phantom looks up at her, pleadingly as he crawls. The red shirted rowdy kneels down beside him. Phoenix continues to sob in horror. Winslow/Phantom crawls towards her more then collapses. His arm with a bloody hand stretched out towards Phoenix. Phoenix gasps. Winslow/Phantom reaches out towards her one last time, the left, whole, side of his face mostly towards her. He stares at her pleadingly. Then collapses in pain and dies, his head coming to rest on his outstretched arm, with the left side of his face on top. Phoenix, no longer transfixed on the mutilated side of this face, finally recognizes him.] |
|
| Phoenix : | Winslow.... |
| [Winslow lies dead, still, on the ground. Phoenix looks horrified at her own actions and her features turn to grief and loss. She rushes towards Winslow and kneels down beside his still form. She puts her head on his shoulder and softly strokes his hair.] | |
| Phoenix : | Winslow.... |
| [The
camera slowly pulls back. The still form of Winslow and Phoenix leaning on
him are the only calm forms in the whole performance hall. The red shirted
rowdy is still as well for a moment, watching. Everyone else is dancing,
oblivious to everything that has happened. The red shirted rowdy glances around as he gets up, covered in blood. Someone behind him is now wearing the Phantom's bloody mask and staring at the scene. The rowdy appears overwhelmed for a moment, then starts dancing with everyone else. The crowd sounds come back to mix with the music. The crowd can be heard, still cheering and screaming as before. Phoenix is still crouched over the body of Winslow amid the chaos as the camera pulls back and fades out. |
|
| Chapter 30 |