Summery: Christine, Raoul, and Charles return to the Opera House on
Charles's 12th birthday, but Christine KNOWS that Erik still lurks beneath
it.
The day of Charles's 12th birthday was one I'll never forget.
I noticed as soon as Charles and Raoul came down to breakfast that
something was wrong. Charles' eyes were read and puffy, but he sat down as
though he didn't have a care in the world. I didn't buy his excuse of
riding too long in the wind yesterday. He might be a veracious liar – he IS
Erik's son, after all – but he's mine too, and I know him too well.
As Charles swallowed those little fish he likes so much, I noticed Raoul
gazing at him fondly. I knew Raoul had always suspected that Charles was
Erik's son. Like Erik, he had a great weakness for Opera, and that's where
he and Raoul were going today. Charles had begged until Raoul gave in. I
sighed with relief at not having to go, and relive memories that belonged
in the past. I knew Erik still lurked beneath the Opera House. I didn't
want to set foot in his domain, and I knew that there would be no getting
away with it. He would know as soon as I walked across the threshold. I
thought I was safe now, until Charles suddenly rounded on me.
"Mother, you're going too, aren't you?"
"Well, ... um, I-," I stammered, backing away, "Well, don't you think your
father would be...uh, a better person to bring you?"
Raoul smiled amusedly at me over Charles' head.
"Well,..." Charles said reluctantly, "I don't know..." Suddenly his eyes
brightened. "But, Mother, you used to work there! I'm sure you know your
way around better than Father does! And Father would come too, of course."
Charles looked proud of his compromise, but I didn't have the heart to say
No.
"Your father knows the way just as well..." I faltered, as Raoul smiled
humorously. I sighed, knowing I had lost the argument.
"All right, I'll go!" I said, putting up my hands, "But we're not going
gallivanting off at everything you want to do or see!"
Charles leapt up and gave me a big hug. "Thank you, Mother!"
After Charles had left, Raoul turned, wrapping his arms around me, trying
to comfort me.
"Don't worry," he whispered soothingly in my ear, "It's not like he's still
alive. We're safe now!"
I shivered anyway, but it wasn't from fright. It was from nerves.
***
"Mother, look!" Charles yelled, pointing at the colossal structure that was
the Paris Opera House. "It's enormous!"
I smiled at the thought of the man who built it, as Raoul put his arm
around my waist. I looked uneasily around as he did this, wondering if
there were eyes watching our every move. Charles knew about Erik...we had
told him an 'abridged' version though. It had been several years since we'd
mentioned it...I didn't think he still knew.
We walked into the Opera House, as Charles raced back and forth, marveling
at the sights ahead of him, then coming back at out command not to run any
further ahead. It was all so familiar! It had been almost 13 years since I
had last been here. Charles was eager to go ahead and find our box, so I
told him it was all right. I instructed him to take a right at the next
corner, and he raced off. As we watched him round the pillar at the corner,
we heard a squeal and a thud. Abandoning dignity, Raoul and I raced forward
to see what was going on. To my surprise, there was Charles and Meg,
rubbing their heads from their apparent collision.
As soon as she saw me, Meg squealed again in delight and raced forward to
hug me, nearly knocking over Raoul.
"Christine, is it really you??!!" she shrieked.
"Yes, it's me." I said, uneasily realizing that if Erik hadn't known we
were here yet, he definitely would now. I held her out at arm length.
"Goodness, you've grown!"
She giggled like the girl I knew and surveyed me quickly. "I may have
grown, but, Christine, it seems like you've grown more beautiful! Is that
possible?"
We laughed, and were soon chattering on while Raoul and Charles shook their
heads in disbelief.
"Well, Meg, how are you doing?" I asked her, when we had pressed all the
latest gossip from each other.
"I'm fine, but, did you hear?" She lowered her voice at this, sneaking
glances behind her as if scared someone was listening in, "I'm the new box
keeper, after Mother retired when those idiot managers were bothering her,
and the ghost is back!"
She straightened up, nodding emphatically. "We thought he was good and
gone, but –," she shrugged, "he's still here, scaring the ballerinas, and
appearing in Masquerade balls."
I was a little dumbfounded. Since we'd arrived, I'd been trying to convince
myself that he was dead, he must be dead! Surely I had been wrong! 13 years
is a long time for someone who isn't exactly in the prime of his life! I
tried to remain as casual as I could though. "Has he dropped anymore
chandeliers?" I joked.
She made a quick laugh, but cut it off abruptly, as though still afraid of
being heard. "Anyway, I just thought you'd like to know." She said, "Here,
I'll show you to your box."
Charles's 12th birthday, but Christine KNOWS that Erik still lurks beneath
it.
The day of Charles's 12th birthday was one I'll never forget.
I noticed as soon as Charles and Raoul came down to breakfast that
something was wrong. Charles' eyes were read and puffy, but he sat down as
though he didn't have a care in the world. I didn't buy his excuse of
riding too long in the wind yesterday. He might be a veracious liar – he IS
Erik's son, after all – but he's mine too, and I know him too well.
As Charles swallowed those little fish he likes so much, I noticed Raoul
gazing at him fondly. I knew Raoul had always suspected that Charles was
Erik's son. Like Erik, he had a great weakness for Opera, and that's where
he and Raoul were going today. Charles had begged until Raoul gave in. I
sighed with relief at not having to go, and relive memories that belonged
in the past. I knew Erik still lurked beneath the Opera House. I didn't
want to set foot in his domain, and I knew that there would be no getting
away with it. He would know as soon as I walked across the threshold. I
thought I was safe now, until Charles suddenly rounded on me.
"Mother, you're going too, aren't you?"
"Well, ... um, I-," I stammered, backing away, "Well, don't you think your
father would be...uh, a better person to bring you?"
Raoul smiled amusedly at me over Charles' head.
"Well,..." Charles said reluctantly, "I don't know..." Suddenly his eyes
brightened. "But, Mother, you used to work there! I'm sure you know your
way around better than Father does! And Father would come too, of course."
Charles looked proud of his compromise, but I didn't have the heart to say
No.
"Your father knows the way just as well..." I faltered, as Raoul smiled
humorously. I sighed, knowing I had lost the argument.
"All right, I'll go!" I said, putting up my hands, "But we're not going
gallivanting off at everything you want to do or see!"
Charles leapt up and gave me a big hug. "Thank you, Mother!"
After Charles had left, Raoul turned, wrapping his arms around me, trying
to comfort me.
"Don't worry," he whispered soothingly in my ear, "It's not like he's still
alive. We're safe now!"
I shivered anyway, but it wasn't from fright. It was from nerves.
***
"Mother, look!" Charles yelled, pointing at the colossal structure that was
the Paris Opera House. "It's enormous!"
I smiled at the thought of the man who built it, as Raoul put his arm
around my waist. I looked uneasily around as he did this, wondering if
there were eyes watching our every move. Charles knew about Erik...we had
told him an 'abridged' version though. It had been several years since we'd
mentioned it...I didn't think he still knew.
We walked into the Opera House, as Charles raced back and forth, marveling
at the sights ahead of him, then coming back at out command not to run any
further ahead. It was all so familiar! It had been almost 13 years since I
had last been here. Charles was eager to go ahead and find our box, so I
told him it was all right. I instructed him to take a right at the next
corner, and he raced off. As we watched him round the pillar at the corner,
we heard a squeal and a thud. Abandoning dignity, Raoul and I raced forward
to see what was going on. To my surprise, there was Charles and Meg,
rubbing their heads from their apparent collision.
As soon as she saw me, Meg squealed again in delight and raced forward to
hug me, nearly knocking over Raoul.
"Christine, is it really you??!!" she shrieked.
"Yes, it's me." I said, uneasily realizing that if Erik hadn't known we
were here yet, he definitely would now. I held her out at arm length.
"Goodness, you've grown!"
She giggled like the girl I knew and surveyed me quickly. "I may have
grown, but, Christine, it seems like you've grown more beautiful! Is that
possible?"
We laughed, and were soon chattering on while Raoul and Charles shook their
heads in disbelief.
"Well, Meg, how are you doing?" I asked her, when we had pressed all the
latest gossip from each other.
"I'm fine, but, did you hear?" She lowered her voice at this, sneaking
glances behind her as if scared someone was listening in, "I'm the new box
keeper, after Mother retired when those idiot managers were bothering her,
and the ghost is back!"
She straightened up, nodding emphatically. "We thought he was good and
gone, but –," she shrugged, "he's still here, scaring the ballerinas, and
appearing in Masquerade balls."
I was a little dumbfounded. Since we'd arrived, I'd been trying to convince
myself that he was dead, he must be dead! Surely I had been wrong! 13 years
is a long time for someone who isn't exactly in the prime of his life! I
tried to remain as casual as I could though. "Has he dropped anymore
chandeliers?" I joked.
She made a quick laugh, but cut it off abruptly, as though still afraid of
being heard. "Anyway, I just thought you'd like to know." She said, "Here,
I'll show you to your box."