~No One Would Listen~ (POTO) - Part Six

 She had lied…Christine asked her and she lied…only minutes after the Phantom visited her, offered her to be his student. She accepted and now she lied.
Karla could hardly believe that. Why had she accepted at first place? Ah, yes! She knew the answer, but was too proud to admit it. Klara was singing better, she was better singer (thought most of the people found her voice creepy) she was smarter, she was even prettier!
That last one was not actually truth…both of the sisters were beautiful…even thought they had some differences. Karla's straight, brownish-blond hair and warm dark brown eyes, were so calm and gentle, she could have any man in her feet.
Klara's wild dirty blond curls and cold amber eyes (they seemed almost golden when she got angry, sad or upset) were just as attractive. Moreover, thought Karla was sensibly taller then her twin, they both had nice bodies.
However, Klara was singing better. Only the Phantom could help Karla outstand her sister. The girl knew it, which is why she accepted.
That was the only reason. Karla was afraid, no terrified, of that man. What he did to her brother and her soon-to-be sister-in-law was scaring her. Christine's stories did not help. Just what power did that man have in this Opera? All of the magic tricks she had heard, the description of his lair…all of this was bringing this question in her head – Was he as powerful as the stories said? Or may be even more?
She was done with rehearsing for the day and she was finally able to get her time alone. Klara had gone somewhere so she had the room all for herself. Not for long thought…
*You are not going to believe how many books I bought!* exclaimed Klara with an unusually honest excitement in her voice. She practically threw the door open and let all of the books fall from her hands on her bed.
Karla moved towards her, sat on her bed and took a few books.
~Vampires, werewolves…~ she went through the titles. ~'The witch hunt', 'Dracula', 'The haunted castle'…~ on and on all the same kind of books.
*So what do you think? They are going to be a hell of interesting books!* Karla stared at the younger twin. Her eyes were sparkling (that made them golden which had always scared Karla) her cheeks had reddened and it seemed like she was trying hard not to jump and clap.
She looked like a little girl that is waiting to be praised for something she did.
*Not really my kind of books…* Karla muttered as she went back to her own bed stand and started brushing her hair.
It was a good thing she had her back turned at her sister, because she did not see the change in her. Klara's eyes quickly lost their shining, her cheeks became paler, she seemed to turn shorter, her teeth were gritted, and her hands were in fists.
She was angry.
*Christine is worried for you.* the younger girl noted with an icy tone. *She thinks the Phantom might want you to be his student.* Karla flinched. *I share that opinion.*
If she knew, if Karla only knew about Klara's meeting with the Phantom the very same day… However, she did not.
*I am telling you what I told Christine. He has not visited me and if he does (which I highly doubt) you will be the first ones to know.*
Klara snorted, angrily moved all of the books from her bed to her nightstand, gabbed one of them 'The best from Edgar Allan Poe', laid on her bed and started reading.
Karla started at her sister. What was with her? Why did she react like that? She could not have known about the visit, the offer…could she?
She let herself lay on her bed. It was evening already, she had dinner with Christine and Raoul (Klara was out so she probably did not eat. However, it was normal – she never ate much).
It was a very interesting day. Klara saved Raoul from the Phantom, almost was killed by a falling beam (his revenge according to her), Karla got a role in the upcoming opera, was visited by the Phantom, accepted to be his student, then lied Christine about it. Now she was lying her sister about the very same thing. She had no choice thought. Christine would freak out if she knew, Raoul would be very mad if he knew, and Klara…She did not know how her younger sister would react.
She was sometimes afraid from how little she knew about Klara. The younger girl had built a shell around herself long time ago.
~When she was silent…~ Karla thought.
What must have her sister felt to make her stop talking for months? She probably felt alone, betrayed…Karla felt guilty of that. She was supposed to protect Klara as an older sister…but partly because of her Klara was so closed, so …emotionless.
Had she forgotten how to love? Or did she never know it? Did she feel she was alone against the world when all of the family members would go against her?
 
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*Stop acting like a little child!*
*I am a little child!*
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Those words were stuck in Karla's mind. Was Klara's childhood taken away from her? Their parents could see how calm and collected Karla was, her business-like self, the phlegmatic of her ways. She would always agree with her mother, do as she was told. They expected the same thing from their other daughter as well. However, Klara was free; she was wild, alive, and full of opinions (even at the youngest age she had her own idea of what to do, what to say or how to act).
Their parents (mostly their mother) were not happy with it. They wanted her to be just like their 'perfect little Karla'. If the older girl could understand how much she was a reason for the Countess and Count to be so stern with the younger girl... She was too little to understand that. At least then.
All of this hurt Klara. She felt like she was the worse one. She felt like everything she did was wrong (or at least not half as good as what Karla would do). Soon she started to act up to that image. She built this shell around herself, created the thousand masks she wore everyday. The cold, manipulating, sarcastic, cruel, heartless 'Evil twin'.
There was still for anyone to find the sad, lonely, and tired of trying to make her parents proud with her, little girl behind that mask.
Even Karla did not know she was there.
*Will you blow the candles out? It is hard for me to sleep with that light.* Klara's voice ripped her from her thought.
*Sure.* she answered and in a second darkness took over the room.
Just how it has taken over that little girl's heart, turning her in the cold 'Black Pearl'. A long time ago…