Chapter 2:
I woke up to the sound of a piano playing. Yes no doubt now I was in the Phantom's Lair. Realistic or not!
I got up despite my spinning head that hurt so bad. The supposed Phantom's Lair contained many curiosities expected of supposed phantoms. Pearl lampshades glowed gloomily but somehow sexily just like in the movies. The piano was the main attraction if you could ignore the dripping of the cavernous rooms' irrigation system. Hey, those roses have to bloom somehow under all that construction work and general sunlessness. His fingers were tossing over the piano keys lightly like a butter fly causing my heart to flutter madly. Oh I do hope he is the phantom. If only I had a decent voice! Drat! I was about 15 feet away from him when he spoke.
"I see you're finally awake," the Phantom spoke without turning around and even seeing me.
My mouth dropped open in shock and I froze. He continued to play the piano as I walked up beside him and did not look up at me until the song came to the end.
"I assume you are finding the lair to your liking," Erik turned around to look at me.
He was younger looking than I assumed he would be. Everyone thought he was to be forty when he met Christine, but he looked to be about 20 something instead.
"Yes," I said simply. I wanted to know what year it was but I felt too embarrassed to ask.
"How old are you?" he asked skimming a finger down a composition page.
"Sixteen," I continued with the single word answer. He was making me very uncomfortable.
"How did you get here?" he finally asked, scribbling some music notes on the composition.
"Err," I pondered the answer. I did not know how to answer that one.
"Why do you answer all the questions I ask with a one word answer?" Erik sounded annoyed with me, attacking the paper with the pen rather aggressively.
"I don't know," I watched him wide-eyed with that quill of red ink. I imagined that if he kept that up I and his music would look all bloody with ink. I guess I will have to tell mom my head bleed ferociously.
"What do you know then?" the Phantom slowed down on writing. He then studied the composition closely, I guess for errors.
"A lot!" I glared at his back. How dare he imply that I was stupid!
I jumped in surprise as he now started attacking the piano keys. His fingers flying over them flawlessly. Gosh they never told this in the story how random he could be!
My heart was beating rather fast now from him scaring me half to death with his fast and angry playing.
He didn't speak yet again until his song was finished. He stroked something at the bottom of the page then put it away in an old timey folio. He shut the piano then stood up from the bench.
He was threatenly tall. He was probably around 6.4 which was very tall to me since I am only 5.2.
I unconsciously gulped in fear. Oh dear what now? I kept myself from flinching as he took my arm and led me through the same dark passageway I came from. Oh not his place! We could go to mine. Definitely not for a late night drink though. I don't drink and I can't date and he would make a bad drunk, by the way he acts sober. I bet theres a bottle of some smarmy drink of the strong kind under all that cloak that he swigs daily and very expensively. I see there will be reforming to make if I am to live here. And I really did shiver in fear then. I could be here a while till I find out how to return home.
With golden eyes glowing, Erik looked down at me, curiously. He must have felt me shiver.
"Where are we going?" I asked, sounding braver than I felt. I felt like recoiling and running back to the candle light in the lair. Nice, wonderful, and bright! Unlike this scary dark tunnel. I closed my eyes, trusting him to keep me from running into something.
"To find you something more suitable to wear," was his simple answer. His answers were all so simple.
"Oh,"was all I could say back to him. I wonder if that means I'm stealing Christine's bridal gown from that dummy I saw in the movie. Speaking of Christine she will have to learn to share…There is a new girl in town. So new that I haven't even been born yet and won't be for a century or so.
I opened my eyes as we went through a trap door into a hallway. Nice and beautifully lit. I sighed in relief and realized I was gripping Erik's arm rather too tightly, kind of like I wanted to test his steely muscles like the school girls I only read about since I'm home schooled. I let go quickly, clearing my throat to sound a little more manly and less concerned with ruffles and pearly lamp shades. A woman should be able to take care of herself I presume. I'm glad he doesn't believe in doing things like others, feminism may already have taken root, or at least I can persuade him of that.
Erik was not paying attention to me as he knocked a door with a 246 on the front. The knock was a distinctive pattern.
A man with blonde hair opened the door. He glanced over Erik's shoulder at me then back at Erik, nodding. Erik took me by the hand and guided me into a parlor where a young pregnant woman sat on a couch.
"Monsieur, Madame," Erik said, politely guiding me to a chair. I sat down, feeling anxious as all three simply stared at me, intently.
"This is Madame Antoinette Giry and this is Monsieur Charles Giry," Erik introduced the two people on the couch.
Aw and Madame Giry must be pregnant with Meg! Guess I can't borrow clothes from Christine, and lucky for Christine she won't have to share.
I smiled at them, "My name is EmmaRose Lee," I put my first and middle name together so I would not be called Emily a second time around.
"Nice to meet you," they both said in unison before giving a questioning glance at Erik, who stood behind me. His stance was if he were guarding me as he was standing behind my chair.
"I found her in one of the tunnels, unconscious. I wasn't about to just leave her there," he said rather, protectively.
Hmm this version of Erik is very interesting indeed.
"Where are you from, child?" Madame Giry asked me. She looked to be about 30.
"America," I inwardly flinched. Need I say from 2010?
They all looked up sharply at me.
"So far away a country as that," Monsieur Giry mused. He looked like the professor type. With glasses and a beard.
"Yes," I looked down. Would I ever be back in my old life?
"How did you get here?" Madame Giry asked me.
"I don't know—I'm lost," I answered, still looking down. I felt tears forming in my eyes. I did not want anyone to know that I was about to cry. Claiming to have somehow crossed a few thousand miles and not know how was hard to swallow.
All was silent and then Madame Giry got up from her place on the couch, "Well as long as you are here you shall be wearing something more suitable," she took my hand and led me into a bedroom. There she rummaged through a wardrobe, coming back with a beautiful red dress, red slippers, and-oh no corset and the other undergarments. I guess being different from society didn't introduce the phantom to feminism any earlier after all. I can only hope the corset will only have a lasting effect on my waist size.
She helped me with the corset and dress then set to work on my hair. Removing all the tangles was painful, especially since I had already hit my head today but soon she had my long hair in a fashionable 1800's up-do.
When I looked into the mirror I was shocked. I looked about 20 instead of 16. The corset was horrid but the outfit was wonderful. I had always wished to dress old timey and now I had my chance. While Madame Giry was not looking I twirled around letting the dress swish about wildly.
"There now, you look lovely," she patted a little make-up on me, "Erik, shall be proud to have found such a beautiful thing as you."
I didn't know what she meant by that but I didn't ask her either.
As we walked back into the parlor I saw Erik's eyes widen.
I felt myself blush as I sat back down in the chair. I could still feel Erik's stare upon me. I had to keep myself from fidgeting. The Phantom of the Opera was staring at me. Ah!
"Have you found out any information about the stolen Opera House money?" the Phantom asked Monsieur Giry.
"Unfortunately no. If we don't find out soon the Opera Populair could go bankrupt and then it will have to shut down," Monsieur Giry answered, seeing the looks on mine and Erik's faces.
Erik had watched the girl named Emma intently as she had come from Madame Giry's bedroom.
Emma was beautiful—extremely. He could only stare at her in shock. She was probably 16 or 17.
He still stared at her as she sat back down in the chair. He stood behind her still fidgeting with a loose thread on the chair. It had been bothering him and he found it easier to focus on then on her.
There was something about this girl. He felt as if he had to protect her and he did not even know her! He was also very attracted to her. Oh but she could not fall for a monster like him. It was impossible. No one had ever fallen for him. Every girl that he had liked in his lifetime looked at him in disgust. Well the ones who he had had enough courage to show his face to had. So much for the beauty and the beast myth. His left side of his face was flawless, perfect, and extremely handsome but his right side was horridly deformed. He thought to himself, my face is both beauty and beast. I guess it's a sign I am supposed to be alone. Oh if only he could get her to like him….
He would try his best!
He finally got the loose thread pulled off and flicked to a dark corner in the room under Madame Giry's ever watchful gaze. He knew she would never question both his decision to bring the strange girl here or the thread so he decided he should go before he lost his courage or felt more uncomfortable from the puzzled look of Monsieur Giry.