Chapter Four – That Man and Mystery
"Thank you for everything again," Rose gushed to Anna as the group left the Opera House that afternoon. "The tour was wonderful!"
"I'm delighted you enjoyed it," beamed Anna as she led them out to the busy streets. "I hope you enjoy the bistro I have in mind - the lunch specials are superb."
"It's too bad Monique couldn't come," Ben shrugged, earning a look from his sisters and son. "What?"
"You'll be seeing plenty of her tomorrow," Anna reassured him merrily. "Follow me, please."
They all did so, oblivious to Melody's unyielding urge to go back and defy the man – if he was even a man – and solve this mystery. She was certain now, as she thought back, that the stranger was the very same masked man in her dream…but how could he be so tender and gentle in her fantasy, only to become hostile and menacing when they met? "I'm crazy – plain and simple. I've gone absolutely bonkers," she shrugged at last, though she still had no intentions of giving up on the search.
"Are you all right, my dear?" Anna's voice drifted to her ears, causing her to lift her head and glance at the woman as they neared the quaint little restaurant. "You've been awfully quiet since Riley brought you back."
"Just thinking…I've got a lot on my mind. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," she answered sincerely, earning a smile from the elder. "Um, Madame? Do you mind if I ask you a question? It might seem silly-"
"There are no silly questions," the lady laughed, motioning for the family to take their seats at a table placed just outside of the establishment. "What is it you'd like to know?"
Melody bit her lip, waiting a moment as she mentally prepared herself, the eyes of her loved ones upon her as she paused. "…does the Palais Garnier have a ghost?"
Anna smile remained, though something flickered in her kind, brown eyes. "Each opera house has at least one ghost, and each ghost makes that particular structure special. Why do you ask?"
"You'll call me crazy, but the reason I got lost was because I thought I saw someone walking down the corridor we'd just left," Melody said with a light smile, her half-truth seeming to appease everyone. "I turned the corner and didn't see anyone. I kept going towards the dressing rooms and thought I saw a shadow appear and vanish. I was a little shaken and that's why when Riley brought me back, I was a quiet throughout the rest of the tour."
"I knew it!" Riley cried, pointing accusingly at his young aunt. "Why did you lie?"
"Sorry, Riles, I was still trying to figure out what had happened," Melody shrugged sheepishly.
"I see. We get a lot of those sort of 'occurrences' at the Garnier, but rest assured, you're not the only one, and you're not crazy," Anna winked. "I'm sure you're familiar with the story 'Le Fantôme de l'Opéra', no?"
"Quite," Ben nodded, a smile growing on his lips. "It's a favorite of ours - the Leroux novel, the musical, any version we can get our hands on, really."
"Gaston Leroux based the novel on the Garnier Opera House and claimed the story he told was true," Melody jumped in, astounding everyone with how interested she suddenly was. "He said that the Phantom – or Erik – was real…was he?"
"Well, I can't say if it is true, but I know that since that story has been written, we've always had a ghost, and he goes by various names. Our family has owned the Palais since the 1880s, I believe, and you're already familiar with my son's name. We were inspired by the story – it's very dear to us – so we named him Erik, also."
"What about your estate? The one we're staying at? It's called the 'de Chagny' estate," Melody continued, leaving her siblings and nephew gawking at her in awe. "We the de Chagnys' real?"
"Heavens, yes, but I'm afraid they're not the ones from the story," Anna chuckled, waving it off. "The de Changy family left Paris in the 1930s to England, I believe even a branch of the family went to America despite the Depression, but they sold our family the house just before the Second World War. We have a family member of the de Chagny family who works at the Opera House now, actually. Adam is a performer in the company and I'm sure you'll be able to ask him all you like about his family's history."
"Then you and the de Changy family are close?" Melody persisted, cocking her head at the woman. The whole situation with just the names was a bit odd, but actually allowing herself to believe that the de Chagny line and possibly the Phantom could co-exist?
"We've always kept in touch, for many generations, except…" Anna paused, her brows furrowing as she tried to remember something.
"Except?" Rose asked, her curiosity also piqued at this point.
"You recall how I mentioned there was a de Changy member who went to America? We never found out what happened to her…" Waving it off, she smiled brightly. "Listen to me, boring you with family history! Let's look at our menus, shall we?"
"It wasn't boring at all!" Rose insisted.
"Real ghosts at the opera! Awesome!" Riley grinned.
Ben began to thank Anna for sharing the story as Melody fiddled with her camera, her brows knitting together as she fought to make sense of everything that was going on. How was it that suddenly, she was certain that the story of a disfigured maniac was real? These little coincidences that piled up before her taunted her relentlessly, and she had barely been in the city twenty-four hours! Turning on her camera, she figured the best thing to do at this point was to distract herself and take photos, lest she let her insatiable curiosity spoil her day. Waiting for the lens to focus, she strummed her fingers over the hard plastic until the screen flashed, signaling it was ready for use. She toyed with the options it gave her before scanning the area, hoping to find the proper item, place, or even person to photograph…
…and that was when he appeared.
He looked casually at his wristwatch before checking the street and stepping forth, taking long, confident strides towards them as he held his head high. Melody found herself gawking at him through the camera, stunned by his angular face, prominent nose, his thin, entrancing lips, and dark blue-green eyes. He appeared to be as tall and thin as a rail, and yet she had a feeling that he was more than just skin and bones by watching the way he walked. The man's hair was black as night, flopping over his right eye as he walked. He moved his long, thin hand up, running his fingers through his locks so that his hair was brushed back before returning his hand back to his pant pocket. He was dressed in fine clothes, though his demeanor showed he was going to a casual event as he was clearly missing a tie and the two top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned.
Her finger pressed the button just as his eyes looked directly into the lens, prompting her to quickly look away. She looked down to see the photo appear on the screen, sending her blood racing once more. She held her breath, fighting to steady herself. She had never felt herself become so alive before just by looking at a man…except perhaps for earlier today during the mirror incident, not to mention the dream she had…but that's all it was, wasn't it…a dream?
"Did you get my good side?"
The cool chuckle sent her jumping out of her seat, bumping against a figure she didn't expect to have nearby. "Oh, God!" she gasped, edging away as she realized the handsome man walking the street was right in front of her, a crooked smile showing on his lips.
"Darling, you've frightened the poor girl!" Anna scolded him, sending him a scolding look as he walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Say you're sorry!"
"I do apologize, mademoiselle," the man said cheerfully, bowing his torso to Melody. She felt blush appearing on her face at this and quickly turned away, biting her tongue.
"Erik! Good to see you again!" Ben exclaimed, leaping from his seat and offering the newcomer his hand.
"Likewise, Ben," the man grinned back, shaking Ben's hand heartily.
"Erik!" Riley beamed, hopping out of his seat. He raised his hand to the man, slapping his palm against the grown-up's. "Got anymore horror movies?!"
"I do, but your father needs to check them first," he smirked, earning a pout from the boy.
"Girls, this is Erik Chevalier, your new teacher!" Ben announced, smiling from ear to ear as he looked to his sisters.
Melody felt as though she had been hit by an eighteen-wheeler, her entire being frozen as she stared at the man named Erik. A tsunami of emotions wracked her from within, her mind spinning as she dared to think that this man and the stranger in the secret passage were somehow connected. "This is the instructor Ben was talking about?! There is no way I'm singing with him! It's too embarrassing! I'm so used to doddering, old Professor Collins!"
"It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Chevalier!" Rose smiled politely, offering her hand to him.
"I take it you must be Mademoiselle Rose," winked Erik, taking her hand and shaking it before planting a kiss upon her skin.
"Oh my," she blushed, ducking her head away.
"Watch your smoochin', pal," Ben smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"And you must be Mademoiselle Melody," he said as he transferred his attention to the stunned brunette, offering his hand to her as he smiled politely.
Reluctantly, she gave him her hand, shaking it cautiously. "It's nice to meet you," she said quietly, beginning to tug her hand out of his when suddenly, he gripped it gently. The memory of the stranger in her opera grabbing her shoulder made her tense, but he only brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it, just as he had done with her sister.
She watched as his long, thin fingers worked deftly to cover her wound, her heart suddenly fluttering, though she couldn't understand why. Setting his materials aside, he niftily tied the strip of cloth around her finger, resting his hand over hers. "You may take it off in the morning," he instructed her, his voice soft and enchanting while his golden eyes glimmered in the firelight through his mask.
On a whim, she leaned forth and embraced him briefly, hearing him gasp as their necks brushed against each other. Pulling away, she tucked her hair behind her ear and blushed. "I'm sorry…I just…thank you, Erik."
"I…I'm looking forward to beginning our lessons and working with you both in Le Chanson Showcase," Erik's voice came suddenly, snapping her out of her trance.
"Thank you so much for taking us in! We're so excited to be able to participate!" Rose said gleefully.
His head turned to face her, a smile hesitantly growing on his face. "I am honored to have been asked to be your tutor. Your voices sounded marvelous in the recording Ben sent to me," he complimented them, noticing how Melody's hand fell from his, her eyes averted as she remained silent. "Are you well, mademoiselle?"
"Fine, thank you," she said curtly, casting him a forced smile before sitting down once more, turning off her camera before daring to look up at him again.
"Well, let's all order something to eat," Anna suggested, motioning for her son to sit down.
Melody and Erik Chevalier stared at one another a moment, each one contemplating the other. Turning away, the two perused through their menus and uttered not a word, silent as they pretended to be interested in the paper before them rather than each other. "I don't know what or how to feel about you, Erik Chevalier…and I don't like it."
~OG~
"Knock, knock," Ben said, opening the door as he poked his head into Melody's room. Seeing her sitting on her bed with her tablet at hand, he entered the room and sat down beside her. "The pics came out good," he noted.
They had split from the Chevaliers after lunch, sightseeing many of the more populare places Rachel had asked from Melody – the Seine River, the Lourve, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palace of Versailles, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Riley was the only one who grew tired after the third stop, asking if they could head back to the Garnier to see if Erik would take him to the catacombs.
"Thanks," Melody said, still focused on fixing the lighting in the current picture that held the four of them before the Eiffel Tower. She was tired from running around Paris and unpacking once she got home, but her mind still churned with thoughts of the ghost-like man and Erik Chevalier.
Ben crossed his arms over his chest, watching her in silence. "…you ok?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?" she answered blandly.
"Oh I don't know. You get lost in the Garnier, you come back looking spooked, you get all excited when Anna talks about her family history, then get scared stiff when you see Erik, and then you acted like nothing happened all day while we did sightseeing. Did I miss anything?" he teased.
"My period's coming up," she lied.
"Oh." He blinked, scratching the back of his neck. "That explains it."
"Yup."
"…Melody…please just talk to Erik. Explain what happened to you."
Glancing at him, she raised an eyebrow. "You mean you didn't already tell him?"
He shook his head. "No…I just mentioned you had a rough experience but you've got lots of potential." When she didn't answer, he sighed, exasperated. "Please Mel? I know you can do this. I want you to be happy-"
"What would make me happy is if you wouldn't shove this down my throat," she snapped, glaring at him. "I'm going to bed now, Ben. We'll talk in the morning." Turning off her tablet, she tossed it to the foot of her bed and turned onto her side, reaching for the nightstand light. "G'night."
Casting her a sad look, he kissed her head and whispered "good night", shutting the door after him once more.
Guilt pricked at her gut, making her curl up into a ball. She hated it, lying to him and being rude, but he just wouldn't stop with trying to get her to sing again. Growling in frustration, she sat up and moved to the window, irked by the persistent glow of the streetlights. Snatching the curtains, she began to yank them close when a figure below caught her attention. Squinting, she could make out the figure of a dark-skinned man standing by the lamppost, his black hair streaked grey as his piercing dark eyes watched the house with a burning intensity. He wore a shimmering green and gold jacket that fell to his knees and dark, well-fitted pants, the quality of his foreign clothes superb.
"What's an Indian doing outside the house?" she whispered, her brows furrowing as she took another step.
Without a warning, the man glanced up at her window, and caught sight of her.
"Where are you going so fast, Monsieur de Chagny?" asked a deep, rich voice.
The blonde young man impatiently raised his eyes and quickly recognized the astrakhan cap upon the man's head. Stunned, he pointed accusingly at the foreign figure. "It's you! You, who know Erik's secrets and don't want me to speak of them! Who are you?!"
"You know who I am," the man answered gravely. "I am the Persian!"
Melody bit back a gasp as she hopped back, stunned by the new vision. The stranger outside also seemed to reel back, blinking at her for a moment. Without another word, he walked away calmly, never looking back.
Pressing her palms against the glass, she watched him leave, wishing she could make him stop. There were so many questions gnawing at her brain, so many conflicted and confused feelings she felt all at once…why was it happening to her? Why now? Dejected, she tugged the curtains shut and trudged back to her bed. Sitting on her bed once more, she reached for the camera on a whim, turning the device on and tapping the buttons until she found the picture she was looking for. Erik Chevalier looked like a supermodel come to life, walking straight for her, completely normal and breathtaking. Yet, in his eyes, there was something more, something hidden…she couldn't explain, but she had seen how he, too, was bewildered after they had touched, after the flashback…
Hitting the button once more, her eyes widened as she saw an unexpected picture appear on her camera screen. "What-?!"
Two prominent golden eyes glared at her in the darkness, the faint outline of a white face mask showing from the dim flash that had gone off. It was him…the man in her dream…the one who looked so similar to the man in her flashbacks…the stranger in the secret corridor in the Palais Garnier. She almost didn't remember that she had accidently hit the button on her camera and snapped the photo of him! "Thank God the flash wasn't on," she breathed. She couldn't imagine what he would try to do if it was obvious she had taken a picture of him. A smirk slowly appeared on her lips as she cocked her head at the photo. "Looks like 'Monsieur le Fantome' isn't a phantom at all…at least, I don't think ghosts can appear on screen."
Setting her camera down, she reached for her tablet and placed it in her lap, tapping on the icon to open a tab. She typed her question into the search engine. She frowned in frustration as she saw a variety of answers appear, ranging from 'yes' to 'no' to 'only under certain conditions'. "Crap," she muttered, falling back against the pillows. Pursing her lips, she erased her previous search and instead typed in 'flashbacks'. Again, she found answers that did not suit her, most of the results turning up as 'post-traumatic stress disorder'. Turning the device off, she huffed in anger, stalking over to the bookcase and peering in the dark until she found the book she wanted. Retracing her steps, she slipped under the covers and sighed wearily, opening to the prologue of the book.
"The Opera Ghost really existed."
Those words mocked her for what felt like ages before she finally felt her body giving in to drowsiness. Placing the camera and tablet on the nightstand, she gave up her search for the night, though she took another minute to stare at the first five words written in Gaston Leroux's novel. Slipping under the covers, she sighed wearily and shut the book, placing it atop her belonging on the nightstand before she closed her eyes and let a dreamless sleep take over her.