Chapter 1: Returning to Life
1 week after the Opera Populaire
Erik's eyes opened and he moaned a little, he found himself laying on a soft pallet of blankets.
" He's waking up," voices said
Erik's eyes adjusted and saw he was somewhere inside, he felt sweat running down his forehead. He turned his gaze to the 9 eager young faces, that stared at him.
" Bonjour Monsieur," they all said
" Am I dead?" he asked
" No, Monsieur just ill," one said
Erik looked up at the ceiling and placed his hand over half his face.
"I don't see through a mask, I don't know where I am," he thought
"Let's warm up young ones," a soft voice called the girls
Erik looked over and saw her standing there, she was familiar to him, but could not remember her. She looked over at him and walked gracefully over to him.
" Bonjour Monsieur," she said
" Do I know you?" Erik asked
She nodded and placed a cloth on his forehead and said, " Only from afar Monsieur. My mother you know."
" Who is your mother?" he asked
"Madame Giry," she said
" And what is your name?" he asked
" Meg, Meg Giry," Meg said
Erik sat up and the covers dropped to his waist, Meg placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Lay back Monsieur, you are not well," Meg said, " I shall be back to care for you, bring you food and a doctor."
Erik looked at Meg and laid back, she laid the blankets over him, then watched him drift back to sleep.
" I'll be here," Meg whispered
Meg walked off and taught the 9 young girls, who were training under her. The opera house they were in, was nothing like the Opera Populaire, but it had its benefits.
By the afternoon Meg came with a doctor, he gave him some medicine, but told her he could do nothing for his memory loss. Though being who he was, might make him hurt if he remembered. Meg thanked the doctor and then looked at Erik, she knelt down next to him.
"Your suffering from some memory loss, what do you remember?" she asked
" I wore a mask," he whispered, " and dwelled in a dark place since I was a young boy."
Meg nodded and grabbed Erik's hand, he looked at the young woman, who held his hand. He could not turn his gaze another way, to him she was an angel.
" You can stay here in the opera house, there are some dormitories, and they need help as a stage hand," she said, " It's not much, but it will get you started."
"I appreciate this Mademoiselle," Erik said
" Please, rest that is what you need now," Meg said
She wiped his forehead from the sweat and then got up. She walked off and the stagehands looked at her.
"Is the gentlemen alright Mademoiselle?" they asked
" He's going to be just fine," Meg said
" What of his face?" one asked
" What of his face?" she replied, " Are you afraid to welcome this man because of his disfigurement? Shame on you, who dare call yourselves gentlemen."
" Sorry Ma'am, we won't look down on him again," the three men said
Meg nodded and walked towards the dormitories and made up a private room. She sighed and sat down on the bed, she looked down at the bed.
"This will do," Meg said, " this will do."
Day by Day, Erik became well and started his new way of life as a stagehand. He climbed the ropes into the rafters to undo the scenery piece and effects to the show. The other stagehands whispered about him as they watched Erik run through the rafters.
" He's got a face of a monster," one said
" Mademoiselle is to sweet on that man, he's the Phantom of the Opera, why should anyone show him pity after what he did?" another said
The three men looked at Erik as he came down, then was called down, by one of the ladies of the opera house.
" Thank you Mademoiselle," Erik said
She gave a nodded and Erik jumped down as he lifted the extra rope.
"Hey slow down, there's time to finish the scenery," one said
" Well, I just wish to finish it," Erik said
Erik tossed them the rope and then climbed up. He finished tying the rope to the wheel, which would let out the scenery piece. He looked at the other stagehand, whom turned the wheel to bring it up.
" There we are lads, we have a fixed wheel," the stagehand said
The stage hand let go of the wheel, forgetting to lock the wheel. The wheel spun around and the scenery piece fell.
" Heads up!" the stagehand shouted
Erik and two other stagehands jumped down using the ropes. The scenery knocked out one of the supports, which hit a piece of scenery already on stage. The scenery on stage fell forward towards the ballerinas.
" Girls come this way," Meg called
The 9 girls ran towards Meg and she looked at the piece of scenery. She sighed and the 9 girls looked at their instructor as she just stood there. Erik and the two other stagehands looked at Meg.9;
" Are you all alright?" one said
" We're fine Alain," Meg said
Erik looked at Meg as she got the girls lined up further up on the stage. She glanced over and saw Erik and he turned away quickly. She smiled a little and looked at the 9 girls as they went through their routines.
That afternoon Erik tied up the last scenery piece and sat on the rafters, to eat a little something.
" May I join you?" a soft voice asked
Erik turned and saw Meg, he stood up and she smiled as she took a seat.
" You don't eat with the other stagehands do you?" she inquired
" I rather not," Erik said
" Are you afraid they are going to talk about you?" she asked
Erik shook his head and said, " No, I just don't feel like I fit in with them."
Meg nodded and unfolded cloth that held a croissant sandwich and took a bite.
" You've gotten better at what you do Erik, I've seen you work," she said
" I feel like I have been through those rafters and the loft so many times, but I don't know if I have," Erik said, " It comes so natural to me, but yet I don't remember anything. I remember things that I don't think exist."
" You are still suffering from memory loss, perhaps it will come to you," Meg said
Erik nodded and looked at Meg as she finished up.
" Do you know the opera house very well Erik?" she asked
" Only the rafters and one of the cellars, the 2nd cellar doesn't have anything in it," Erik said
" Have you looked?" she asked
" No," Erik said
Meg stood up and put out her hand and he looked at her.
" Let's have a look," she said, " There's bound to be something."
Erik looked at her and stood up and grabbed her hand. She smiled and both got down very carefully, then went off to the cellar. She lit a lantern and they traveled together, with Erik leading the way. She looked at him as she held his hand all the way down, he glanced over his shoulder to look at her. The shadows covered half his face and Meg slightly gasped, he looked at her and stopped.
" What's wrong?" he asked
" Nothing, I thought I saw something," she replied
They came to the steps that led to the second cellar and Erik continued to lead the way. As they descended the air got cooler and Meg got closer to Erik.
" Are you cold?" he asked
" A little," she said
"Then let us return, you do not need to catch cold from this dampness," Erik said
" No, I won't, I promise," she said grabbing his hand
Erik looked at her then nodded, both entered the second cellar and looked about. The cellar was full of old props and scenery pieces, they walked around it.
" It's amazing," Meg said, " I didn't know this stuff was down here, the old mangers that ran this opera house didn't speak of all this."
Erik lifted a scenery piece and unrolled it, seeing a beautiful mountain scene painted on it.
" Erik come see," she said, " Bring the light this way."
Erik walked towards her where the light died away, but soon relit the area. He looked at the organ that sat there and Erik walked to it. He touched the organ and then looked at Meg.
" I can fix this," Erik said
Meg looked at him and ran her hand over the organ and looked at Erik.
" I can help you, perhaps we can use this," Meg said
Erik looked at her and nodded, she sat down on the organ bench and touched the keys. Erik joined her and looked at the ivory keys, then looked at her.
" It's not that old, just not used," Erik said, " I'm sure it just needs a few repairs."
Meg smiled and grabbed Erik's hand.
" I know you can fix this, I'll bring some candles down here for you when you work on it," Meg said
" Thank you Mademoiselle," Erik said
The two went up again and Meg heard her mother's voice asking where she was. She walked over to her mother and tapped her shoulder.
" There you are Meg," Madame Giry said
" Did you bring the things I asked?" Meg asked
" Yes, but what did you need with these clothes?" Madame Giry asked, " It was a risk so it better be worth it."
Meg nodded and looked over at Erik, as he hid in the shadows. Madame Giry looked at her daughter and then looked up to see someone in the shadows.
" Come on it's alright," Meg said, " You know her."
Erik walked out and Madame Giry looked at Erik, slightly gave a surprised look.
" Your alive," Madame Giry said, " You weren't there when they came after you."
Meg looked at Erik as he looked at Madame Giry, he lowered his head a little.
" Erik, what is wrong don't you recognize me?" Madame Giry asked
" No, Madame, but your face is familiar," Erik replied
" He's suffered some memory loss, he was very ill for the last two weeks," Meg said, " I found him lying in the snow, he had only what he was wearing, which were soaked."
Madame Giry looked at Erik and she walked over to him, she patted his cheek.
" You are doing well then Erik," Madame Giry asked
" Yes," Erik said
" What do you remember?" Madame Giry asked
" Very little, I know I wore a mask," Erik replied, " And I dwelled in darkness."
Madame Giry nodded and grabbed Erik's hand, then gave it a pat.
" You will remember when the time is right, but Erik you must remain here for your well being counts on it," Madame Giry said
" I will Madame, I like it here," Erik said
Madame Giry looked at Meg and kissed her daughter's cheek.
" The young children are doing well," Meg said, " as well as the older girls, the opening show will be perfect."
" That is good, I checked the queue and it seems opening night will be well attended," Madame Giry said
Erik disappeared back into the shadows and went to set up the scenery pieces. The three older men looked at Erik as he went to work, without being told.
" Hey Lad, it seems that the ballerina is sweet on you," Alain called
" A lady is never sweet," Erik said, " They are pleasant."
" Perhaps," the other two replied
Erik smirked and tied the scenery pieces to the wheel, then locked it. He then climbed up into the lofts and looked at Meg and Madame Giry talk. Meg looked up from the corner of her eye and saw him. She smiled and Erik walked off back to finish up, the women that worked behind stage looked at him. Some of them whispered as he past and he turned to look at them. They giggled and went back to work, he checked the trap doors and fixed what he could, if it was broken. He came up and sat on the edge of the stage and the 9 young ballerinas came and sat beside him.
" Erik, you look so lonely," one said
" I am not lonely, I just feel out of place," Erik said
" Your not out of place Erik, your family," another said
" Yeah Erik we're family here at this opera house," the youngest said
Erik smiled at them, something did not often do, though it was they who raised his spirits. Erik looked at each young girl and nodded, then stood up as though he had been revived.
" Yes, family," Erik said
Meg and Madame Giry turned and looked at them on stage.
" He's found compassion here, this is where Erik needs to remain," Madame Giry said, " No more hiding in the dark."
Meg nodded and looked at her mother.
" Erik is truly happy here mother, he's just not aware of the talent he posses," Meg said
" He will sometime, right now he is returning to life," Madame Giry said