A/N: I've had this idea in my head for some time now: what if Erik had a psychiatrist? It's just a bit of drabble I wrote when bored, much like all the other stuff I think of. It's a one shot, plainly, just to get this out of my head and onto paper. So here it is. ~Sir Bob Bobbington


"Ah, Erik. Come in, come in... take a seat..."

"I'd rather not."

"Well I need to talk to you. You are... let's see... seventeen. You have no second name recorded... in fact, you don't even exist according to my files. Do you have any idea why that is?"

"Nobody records something they'd rather not know."

"Right... so. Erik. Is that what I should call you?"

"Yes."

"And do you have any friends?"

"No."

"No one at all?"

"Nobody."

"Erik, you have to co-operate with me here. It says here you have a friend named... Antoinette."

"She's not my friend."
"What is she then?"

"Who."

"Sorry?"

"'Who is she then', not 'what'. She is a person."

"Did you just correct me?"

"Yes."

"There is someone else too, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"Is it a girl?"

"Yes."

"How old?"

"Fourteen now."

"How do you know?"

"I know everything."

"How?"

"I observe."

"And you observe this girl?"

"Yes."

"For how long have you done this?"

"Seven years."

"So you were ten when you first started to observe?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She was crying."

"Why?"

"Her father died."
"How?"

"Stress."

"How did you know she cried?"

"I could hear her."

"How?"

"Through the walls."

"Do you have good hearing?"

"Yes."

"And what did you do?"

"Spoke to her."

"What did you say?"

"Things."

"What things?"

"Nothing that concerns you."
"Erik..."

"I sang."

"You sang?"

"Yes."

"What did you sing?"

"Things I composed."

"Why?"

"She wanted an Angel of Music."

"Angel of Music?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Her father promised her."
"And you were her Angel?"

"I am her Angel."

"Does she believe it?"

"Yes."

"What is the Angel of Music?"

"A demon."

"Why?"

"His face."

"What's wrong with his face?"

"Disfigurement."

"And does she know?"
"No."

"Why not?"

"She's too innocent."

"What does an Angel of Music do?"

"Teach her music."

"What music?"

"My music."
"How do you teach her?"

"I sing."

"How?"

"Through the walls. In her head."

"In her head?"

"Yes."

"Erik."

"I sing songs in her head."

"How is that possible?"
"Ventriloquism."

"Clever..."

"Yes."
"Does she know you?"
"No."

"How does she not?"

"I am invisible."
"How?"

"I hide."

"Hide?"

"In the shadows."

"And do you approach this girl?"

"Yes."
"When?"
"When she doesn't see me."

"And what do you do?"

"Sing."

"She never hears it?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"She sings my songs."

"And she knows?"

"No."

"How does she remember then?"

"Subconsciously."

"What?"
"She doesn't realise she sings them."

"So you are the Angel of Music."

"I am."

"What else?"
"A demon."

"Why?"
"My face."

"Show me."

"No."

"Erik."

"No."

"Very well... what else are you?"

"Ghost."

"Oh?"

"The Phantom."

"You are the Opera Ghost?"

"Of course I am."

"How are you never seen?"

"I don't know."

"Are you a genius?"
"No."

"It says here that you are a magician..."

"Yes."

"A musician..."

"My music is my life."

"A composer..."

"Again, it is my life."

"Interior designer..."
"Where do you think I get my masks?"

"You make them?"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"The first was just a scrap of clothing."

"Did you make it?"
"No."

"Who did?"
"She did."

"She?"

"The witch."

"Who?"

"My mother."

"Why is she a witch?"

"She ruined me."

"But she made you a mask."
"To hide my face."
"Why?"

"It is the face of the devil."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so."

"This girl-is she disfigured?"

"God, no!"

"Really?"

"Anything but!"

"And her name is?"

"Christine..."

"Erik!"
"Hm?"

"I thought I'd lost you."
"What?"

"You looked dead."

"Ha..."

"Moving on. Antoinette. How did you meet her?"
"Personal issues."
"You can tell me."

"No I can't."

"This is a private conversation. I won't tell anyone."

"The circus."

"That's not so bad."

"I was the main attraction."
"How so?"

"The Devil's Child."

"What?"

"That was my name."
"Why?"

"My face."
"And you still won't show me?"
"No."

"Why not? Erik. Answer me."

"No."

"You're impossible."
"I know."
"How do you feel?"

"Alone. Dark. Unloved. Dead. Alive. Gone. Invisible."

"Any positive thoughts?"

"Christine."
"And Antoinette?"

"Perhaps."
"Why so distant to her?"

"Sibling rivalry."

"She's your sister?"
"As good as."

"I see. I think we're finished here, Erik."
"Good."

"Come back next week."
"I will consider it."

"For Christine."

"Maybe. Like I said, I'll consider it."
"But it's good to talk to someone, is it not?"
"Goodbye, Monsieur."

"Goodbye, Erik... until next time."