As the boat hit the shore Erika attempted to stand up but fall into Erik as he said, "Welcome back Erika. It is nice to see you again without the restraint of time. Did you sleep well?" Erika finally felt the domino mask being removed from her face allowing her eyes to open, but she saw nothing but darkness and felt a shiver of fear run down her spine.
"I would say the same to you Erik but I can't see you. What is the meaning of having your house like this? Yes, I did sleep well until being woken up. Where are you?" Erika replied as she felt around her, but did not feel Erik anywhere near her.
A low chuckle from the shadow's a small distance away, than Erik's voice said, "Follow my voice Erik. I want you to learn to trust me, come towards me." As Erika walked towards Erik's voice she stopped when she felt her feet hit the water's edge, "Keep coming Erika, I am just ahead of you. Please trust me." Erik's voice said smoothly as Erika continued into the icy cold water, but slipped on the smooth rocks and once again fell into Erik's arms, with a cry that barely reverberated of the walls around her.
"Thank you for catching me Erik. Can we please go back to the shore and turn on the lights?" Erika said as she began to shiver from the cold temperature of the water around her.
"Of course Erika, hang on a second." Erik said as he carried Erika back to the shore, and turned up the lights to a dim before putting Erika down in a chair and wrapping a blanket around her. "Would you like something to eat Erika?" Erika said as he moved towards the kitchen, but turned in time to see Erika nod her head. As Erik disappeared and after a minute Erika heard a pan sizzling, and then Erik came back in with a plate of bacon, toast, and eggs down in front of Erika. As Erika ate she noticed that Erik seemed very tense. Erik noticed Erika's look of concern before she quickly dropped her gaze back to her food. Erik decided to address it saying, "What's on your mind Erika?"
"I was just wondering why you seem so tense Erik. Is everything okay?" Erika said quietly not raising her gaze from her breakfast until she felt her chair being turned and a hand underneath her chin force her to look into Erik's eyes.
"I am only tense Erika because I am afraid of what Firmin is going to do to get you back. If he tries to get down here by himself he will die, but he does not know of anyone who would willingly lead him down here. Are you worried about me Erika?" Erik said smiling as Erika's cheeks turned a lighter shade of pink.
"I was a little bit yes, but the most we can do is waiting and see if he is going to try anything. Relax Erik, Firmin acts all tough but he is far too selfish to care about a dancer's life, he would rather protect his own by hiding." Erika said as she stood and walked over to the organ, and looked at a piece that seemed to be in the working. "Could you play me something from this Erik?" Erika said becoming mesmerized with the lyrics of the song.
"Unfortunately Erika that score cannot be played to anyone, nor will it ever be again. You are still too innocent for the music that this score contains. Allow me though Erika to play you a different piece." Erik said as he sat down motioning for Erika to join him. "After I play why don't we go sit down again and get to know each other a little better. That sound okay to you?" Erika nodded and sat on the floor next to the organ as Erik began to play a piece from the newest opera that was being rehearsed. It took Erika a moment to realize that the music had stopped and that Erik was looking at her with a small smile on his face before he stood and offered his hand and led Erika over to the table again and said, "So tell me your story Erika and I will tell you mine."
"Do you want to know the whole story Erik?" Erika said and looked as Erik nodded, sighing before continuing, "I was born in Persia, and raised there for many years with my mother and father. My father worked for the royal family and my mother was a teacher for a school. My father was an
architect and designed many of the homes that servants, and those who served the royalty, and my mother taught music, and was never questioned or challenged by even the most unruly children. For many years we lived in the houses my father had built and under the safety of the royal family, but then everything began to go downhill. When the sultan's only daughter went missing and was found dead in a hidden passage way my father was blamed for it and sentenced to trial even though he had not part in the design or making of that part of the palace. My father tried to get us out of the country but the sultan had made sure to cut off all chances for us to escape, so we had to sit and wait for my father's fate to be decided. My father was cleared due to lack of evidence, but then my father made the fatal mistake of trying to get all of us out of the country without canceling the contract with the sultan, which is an immediate sentence of death. He was caught when he was boarding the flight the day after we left and was shot there in the airport. The never came after my mother or me because they had killed the man that could have betrayed all of their secrets. So my mother and I moved her e to Paris, and lived her and my mother thrived here in this theatre but then was killed when she was walking home and was caught up in a shootout between two different gangs. I moved in and took my mother's place as the opera diva. I am sure you know the rest since I stepped foot in this opera house." Erik nodded and slowly stood and led Erika to a room that turned out to be her room.
Erik didn't speak until he had sat down next to Erika on the bed when he said, "This is your room Erik, if you need anything I will be right next door just knock if you need anything. Sleep well and I will see you in the morning." Before Erik stood up he gently leaned over on kissed Erika on the cheek, than quietly left the room, as Erika sat in silence wondering if it was just a figment of her imagination that Erik had just kissed her on the cheek or if that was a true show of affection from the notoriously cold hearted opera ghost. After sitting there for a few long minutes Erika decided to shrug it off and get some sleep and think more about it in the morning, as Erika slowly fell asleep her dreams began to drift
to the mysterious man who lay just a few feet away from her in another room before she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep for the night.