Prolouge
"Erik..." I tuned out that too familiar voice of Nadir. The last thing I want right now is for him to pity me. "Erik. I need to tell you something." I groaned silently. Why won't he leave and go be someone else's conscience. I played my organ even louder letting the notes rattle the the crystal vase on the table. "ERIK!" Nadir slammed his fist on the organ. I turned to him, my blue gaze tinted with red.
"I let Cara go. I let her leave with that infernal boy Robert. The only thing I have left in my god forsaken life is my music. Can't you go and leave me be?" I dropped my head onto the organ top and waved my hand at Nadir. "Say your piece and let me be."
"I talked to Mr. Leroux, he wants to write your story."
"Great." I muttered. "Anything else?"
"Here I want to show you something."
I lifted my head and looked at the daily newspaper. I ran my hand through my thinning black/gray hair. I felt an unfamiliar tightening in my chest cavity. I clutched my chest and gazed at the paper heading "ACTRESS MARRIES TRADING PRINCE" Cara Dela, the newest diva at the London Opera House married Robert Chade, the son of french trading mongol Louis Chade. Cara who was first a performer at the Paris Opera for about six months moved over to london when the house ran into major trouble with its reigning diva...." Black spots ran across my eyes, the tightening in my chest increased and I felt my left arm become numb. A crap hit my stomach making my groan and made me fall backwards on to the floor.
"Erik, what's wrong." What's wrong, you ask my dear sweet conscience. I'm dying if you can't tell.
"I'm dying." I moaned and with his help we were able to get me to the Victoria Room where I hosted Cara those precious weeks before my masque came off. Nadir lifted me up onto the bed, with me helping very little. I let out a deep sigh. So this was it.
"Erik, is there anything else I could do for you?"
"Seal the house up."
Nadir nodded and looking at him I motioned him out of the room. "I would like to be alone when I go Nadir. Please lock the door when you leave. I made my final wish to my only friend. "You were a good friend Nadir."
"And you...Erik, you were the best man I ever knew, even with the casual murders." I heard his voice become thicker as he spoke. I closed my eyes and I felt him take my mask off my face. "You will not be condemned in death to wear the mask as you were in life." He lifted my silver mask off my face and sat it down next to me. I felt him leave the room quietly closing and locking the door behind him. I lay there waiting in the darkness of my exsistence for the end of it. I felt something graze my face. It was warm soothing, something I had never felt before. I cracked my eyes open, too weak to raise my head. The beautiful light glowed above me. An angel to take my to the next phase of my life.
"Erik, the angel's voice rang through my now fuzzy head. "Erik I have a gift for you if you accept it." A gift? It's too late for that. The only thing for me is death.
"What is it?" I rasped. Not being able to put the power that was normally behind my voice.
"I cannot tell you. You have to go on faith. You must choose now Erik, you do not have the time to ponder this. I closed my eyes. I had absolutely nothing to lose with this, and that angel seemed all too familiar...
"Yes," I mouthed the word, my voice had given up its fight. Suddenly a flask appeared at my mouth.
"Drink this." The voice commanded my drained senses. I had no choice but to let the fluid go down my throat, it soothed me as it settled into my stomach. I felt at peace with myself, for the first time in my life I felt relaxed. All I wanted to do now was sleep.
"Sleep now Erik." I closed my eyes and let one more sigh escape my lips before nothing.
"Erik..." I tuned out that too familiar voice of Nadir. The last thing I want right now is for him to pity me. "Erik. I need to tell you something." I groaned silently. Why won't he leave and go be someone else's conscience. I played my organ even louder letting the notes rattle the the crystal vase on the table. "ERIK!" Nadir slammed his fist on the organ. I turned to him, my blue gaze tinted with red.
"I let Cara go. I let her leave with that infernal boy Robert. The only thing I have left in my god forsaken life is my music. Can't you go and leave me be?" I dropped my head onto the organ top and waved my hand at Nadir. "Say your piece and let me be."
"I talked to Mr. Leroux, he wants to write your story."
"Great." I muttered. "Anything else?"
"Here I want to show you something."
I lifted my head and looked at the daily newspaper. I ran my hand through my thinning black/gray hair. I felt an unfamiliar tightening in my chest cavity. I clutched my chest and gazed at the paper heading "ACTRESS MARRIES TRADING PRINCE" Cara Dela, the newest diva at the London Opera House married Robert Chade, the son of french trading mongol Louis Chade. Cara who was first a performer at the Paris Opera for about six months moved over to london when the house ran into major trouble with its reigning diva...." Black spots ran across my eyes, the tightening in my chest increased and I felt my left arm become numb. A crap hit my stomach making my groan and made me fall backwards on to the floor.
"Erik, what's wrong." What's wrong, you ask my dear sweet conscience. I'm dying if you can't tell.
"I'm dying." I moaned and with his help we were able to get me to the Victoria Room where I hosted Cara those precious weeks before my masque came off. Nadir lifted me up onto the bed, with me helping very little. I let out a deep sigh. So this was it.
"Erik, is there anything else I could do for you?"
"Seal the house up."
Nadir nodded and looking at him I motioned him out of the room. "I would like to be alone when I go Nadir. Please lock the door when you leave. I made my final wish to my only friend. "You were a good friend Nadir."
"And you...Erik, you were the best man I ever knew, even with the casual murders." I heard his voice become thicker as he spoke. I closed my eyes and I felt him take my mask off my face. "You will not be condemned in death to wear the mask as you were in life." He lifted my silver mask off my face and sat it down next to me. I felt him leave the room quietly closing and locking the door behind him. I lay there waiting in the darkness of my exsistence for the end of it. I felt something graze my face. It was warm soothing, something I had never felt before. I cracked my eyes open, too weak to raise my head. The beautiful light glowed above me. An angel to take my to the next phase of my life.
"Erik, the angel's voice rang through my now fuzzy head. "Erik I have a gift for you if you accept it." A gift? It's too late for that. The only thing for me is death.
"What is it?" I rasped. Not being able to put the power that was normally behind my voice.
"I cannot tell you. You have to go on faith. You must choose now Erik, you do not have the time to ponder this. I closed my eyes. I had absolutely nothing to lose with this, and that angel seemed all too familiar...
"Yes," I mouthed the word, my voice had given up its fight. Suddenly a flask appeared at my mouth.
"Drink this." The voice commanded my drained senses. I had no choice but to let the fluid go down my throat, it soothed me as it settled into my stomach. I felt at peace with myself, for the first time in my life I felt relaxed. All I wanted to do now was sleep.
"Sleep now Erik." I closed my eyes and let one more sigh escape my lips before nothing.