Angelique's POV:

I drifted deeper into this strange dwelling, almost as if I was in a trance. Suddeny the rich, musical sound of an organ being played echoed against the walls. All my thoughts of panic or escape dissapeared as I melted into the music. I closed my eyes as my lips curved up into a smile, I sang softly along to the tune of the organ.

I think it's beautiful

This place is beautiful

Beautiful, beautiful notes

Beautiful, beautiful sounds...

My smile fell right from my face as the music abruptly stopped and the candle went out in the room. Snapping out of the trance of the music and the beauty of this place I remembered that I was still stuck in the dark labyrinth hidden beaneath the opera house, and realized that the beautiful music had to be coming from somewhere.

Panic seized my heart, I was not alone. Someone, or something was down here with me.

Erik's POV:

I stopped my playing abruptly as a soft voice carried down the hall to my ears.

I think it's beautiful

This place is beautiful

Beautiful, beautiful notes

Beautiful, beautiful sounds...

Angrily, my hand fell to the punjab lasso tied at my belt. I had zero tolerance for intruders, whoever had dared to trespass in my lair was going to dearly regret it.

Sneaking silently into the next room, I saw a young girl who couldn't be more than fourteen or fifteen standing wide eyed in the center of my kitchen.

A cruel smile formed on my lips, Thought you could come exploring my realm of darkness, did you? Did you come to see the monster?

"Hello?" she called out warily, the girl twisted a lock of hair between her fingers nervously.

"Alright well I'm just go going to leave now...sorry for interrupting" the girl turned on her heel to run out the gate but with a flick of my hand I pulled the lever and it dropped to the ground, locking her in. She froze, steps away from the gate bars.

I let out a laugh holding no amusement at all, that echoed around the room. "You think I will let you leave after you have wandered so boldly into my lair?"

She whirled around to run in the opposite direction but she collided with my chest. Roughly I grabbed her by the shoulders pushing her against the wall. I heard her body hit the hard stone with a smack, and a whimper escape her lips.

"Is this what you wanted to see?" I snarled, shaking her violently.

Kill her, make her suffer, show her the monster she came to see...

The voice of reason piped up; Look at her, she's terrified, she's only a girl...

Yes but it was 'only a girl' who broke your heart...

"Please" the girl gasped.

My eyes met hers, and my heart nearly stopped. She was the spitting image of Christine. From her big brown doe eyes, to the curly mass of chestnut locks that fell past her shoulders. I loosened my harsh grip on her, and stumbled backwards. Was I hallucintaing now?

She picked up the bunches of her dress and went to flee.

"No, wait. Stop" I ordered her.

She paused in her tracks, not turning back around to face me. I rested a hand on her trembling shoulder, turning her towards me. I stared into her eyes, she looked exactly like Christine, a bubble of hope rose in my chest. Perhaps my angel has returned to me.

"Christine" I whispered.

Her eyes fluttered wide open and she stepped away from me, "Christine?"

My hopes fell, I guess she wasn't Christine, I knew deep down in my heart it couldn't be her though, this girl was much too young, Christine would have to be in her early thirties by now. However, she did look exactly like her. Perhaps she could sing like her too.

Don't be a fool you can't replace Christine with this look alike.

I growled to my thoughts and grabbed this girl, whoever she was, by the arm, dragging her deeper into my lair.

"Let me go, please! I did not mean to disturb you, I was only lost" she pleaded with me.

For a moment as I looked into her pleading eyes, my hold on her arm loosened, she looked too much like my angel...

Finally reaching my piano, I sat down and handed her an aria. "Sing"

She looked at me in confusion, "I'm sorry, what?"

I had to know if she sounded as heavenly as my Christine. "Sing. This. Aria."

She took the sheet music from my hands, hesitantly. I began to play the piano, waiting for her to come in, but she never did.

Starting to get annoyed I turned to face her, "are you going to sing, mademoiselle?"

"I'm sorry, it's just...I...well..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Yes, alright I'll sing"

I turned back to the piano as she began to sing...

Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,

E che sospiri la libertà!

E che sospiri, e che sospiri la libertà!

Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,

E che sospiri la libertà!

Il duolo infranga queste ritorte

de miei martiri sol per pietà,

de miei martiri sol per pietà.

Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,

E che sospiri la libertà! E che sospiri,

e che sospiri la libertà!

Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,

E che sospiri la libertà!

Her voice soared with the last note, the sweet sound of her song still lingered in the room. Smiling, I closed my eyes, this had to be some kind of dream. What are the chances in reality that a girl exactly like my Christine would find her way to me?

Perhaps this was the world giving me a second chance, with a new songbird.


Please review/alert!