Eyes wide, Marjorie stumbled backwards, tripping on her boots. She fell hard to the floor but quickly scrambled up. The Phantom had turned away from her now, and his body was hunched over the organ, his shoulders rigid. "Leave."

Her eyes flew around the room, begging for an escape. She didn't want to find out what he meant by still letting her escape while she had the chance. Her eyes fell upon the black water, blood pulsing in her ears. She couldn't take it. Not after she already nearly drowned. And the ledge was useless. Since she pulled out the candlestick, there was no way to get to the next iron stand. A red curtain caught her eye. It seemed to lead to a small path that ran along beside the lake. She didn't know where it would lead her, but anything was better than the ice cold lake.

Her heart was pounding in her throat and her mind felt fuzzy. She darted towards the escape, fear filling her footsteps. Not too far down the path she heard a soft whimper. It echoed all around her, giving her no direction, but she knew it was the man. She turned to follow the sad sounds permeating from the lair.

Slowly, she made her way back towards the room. You idiot! The voice was shouting at her again. She jumped, worried as if the Phantom could hear it too. He threatened to kill you! Why in God's name would you ever venture back there?! You imbecile! She ignored the shouting within her head. It couldn't kill her curiosity. But that didn't mean her curiosity couldn't kill her. Carefully, her head peeked around the red curtain.

The man was no longer in his previously menacing position, but rather, he was crumpled like a wilted flower. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung. His back was turned to her, and in his hands were the ruined pieces of sheet music. They drooped sadly, just as he did. His hands gripped them tightly, crumpling them slightly. He brought the pages to his chest and his head fell lower.

A flash of white shone in Marjorie's eyes. In his hands were also his delicate porcelain mask. She longed to see what had lain behind it, but her boots felt nailed to the floor. She couldn't fathom why the man would want to wear the mask. What did he have to hide? She examined the mask in his hands. It was simple, yet it almost seemed normal. The features were somewhat dramatic, but they weren't distracting. The brow was tweaked up high, as were the cheekbones. It was quite the sight by its self, but when on it seemed fitting.

Her eyes continued to examine it when it was suddenly thrown. It flew into the wall and shattered into a pile on the floor. A ragged sob escaped the man's throat and his shoulders shook .He seemed so utterly broken. And she felt so invasive. She knew she shouldn't be there, watching this like some spectacle. She longed to comfort the man, but the fear of him was still instilled in her. This wasn't a phantom at all, she realized, he wasn't some powerful being. He was simply a man. Just like her brothers. Just like her father.

The man drooped forward, his elbows landing on the organ's keys while his head was resting in his hands. A frighteningly loud sound growled from the organ's pipes. The glue that held her feet down seemed to disappear and she broke into a run. The sound had frightened her and she just wanted to be home. Her boots smacked against the stone path and seemed to get louder as the organ ran out of air. A soft voice bounced off of the cold walls and seemed to chase her as she raced towards the surface. It made her blood run cold, but she couldn't stop running. The sound was the most heartbreaking thing she had ever heard. It made her ache although she didn't know why. The words continued through her mind, even when she was out of the building, It felt seared into her brain. The same words just wouldn't stop repeating.

"Christine, I love you."