Ghosts Can't Hurt You
Chapter 8 – The Man Behind The Mask
The days passed uneventfully, we practised ballet together, Raoul would spend more and more time at the theatre with Christine and I took to wandering the halls alone when they were together. I no longer needed to fear the shadows of the opera house and started to revel in them, though my longing to hear his voice and see his face again pained me with every breath I took.
It was in the evening, a couple of weeks after the night I spent with the Phantom that my wish was granted. I had been wandering around hoping to hear his voice, he could be anywhere in the shadows and I'd walk further and further into the darkness just in case.
After a while, I felt bored and walked back to the stage area, I decided to go and stand in the riggings and look out over the hall, it was a beautiful view up there and one I enjoyed whole heartedly when I was feeling alone. I flew up the stairs, light as a cat and out onto the unstable supports that ran the length of the stage. I stood fast as they wobbled beneath me, my balance perfected by my dancing and I twirled and bowed across the planks, enjoying the feeling of being so high up.
When I reached the middle of the stage I jumped up onto the rope handrail, feeling it sway beneath my weight as I held onto one of the long rope supports. Some of the lights were still lit in the hall and by the stage and I could see everything from up here, even in the gloom. Every chair, every aisle, every box.
Out in front of me the ceiling opened up to reveal the 20ft crystal chandelier that hung like the sun in the painted circular dome. It was extinguished now but still reflected the lights from below, twinkling like stars in the now dark hall. I sighed as I rocked myself gently on the rope. I loved the feeling of weightlessness you got up here, the static of the air as I hung between the floor and the ceiling on a small piece of rope.
"It is beautiful up here, isn't it?" A velvet voice spun out into the darkness and I barely was able to maintain my balance on the rope. I put my other hand on the support and held on tighter as I looked around me.
"Where are you Phantom?"
(Sung to the second tune of Music of the Night)
"Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation,
Darkened longing, frantic desperation,
Silently the senses, abandon their defences."
I looked around me again but all I could see was the blackened riggings around me.
"Day-time threatens, takes away salvation." I called out to him, my voice ringing around me.
"Help me, trust me, feed my fascination,
Please take me away, in the darkness we can play,
Until our spirits melt into the blackened light,
Taken over by the music of the night." I leant against the rope as I sang to him, all the longing surging to be freed.
He appeared on the riggings to the right of me, the darkness melting into him so only his mask was visible, he made his way along the supports, accentuating each step with song.
"Let your soul be stolen by a black desire,
Purge your heart of all the want you knew before,
Close your eyes, let my music help you soar,
As you feel things you've never felt before."
I leapt down from the rope, landing neatly, I slid across the planks, lithe and gentle as I stepped towards his dark figure.
"Weakened, longing, sweet intoxication,
Touch me, hold me, strengthen my elation,
Give your heart to mine; let this ecstasy run wild,
As we fall into the darkness of the night."
As we came upon each other our voices rose into one and our hands entwined as the black around us seemed to shy away from our song.
"Empowered by the music of the night."
He looked down on me, a slight smile curling one side of his mouth as our voices drifted away into the night. I pulled him closer to me and he bent down to kiss me, he slid my hands up and around his neck before letting them go. He then took my waist in his arms and pulled his mouth away from mine.
"You taste sweet dear child, why were you up here alone?"
"I was hoping I'd hear your voice my angel of darkness."
"I have been watching, up until now I had managed to control myself, but no longer."
He let go of me and ran across the rigging without waiting for me, I danced across it as if it were a ballet and followed him into the darkness. He hurried down the stairs and into a dark corridor where he reached up to a candle holder in the wall, pulling on it a door revealed itself in the wall and he pushed it aside. We dashed down a flight of hidden stairs and into a winding walkway, at the end of it we came out near the stone stable. As we passed it the horse inside put his head over the door and whickered softly.
The Phantom chuckled and looked at me. "Ghost seems quite taken by you."
He took my wrist in his hand and pulled me towards the waiting boat, all the waterway was lit up now and I marvelled in how the candle's flames danced on the water's surface. He stepped into the boat and I joined him, still feeling slightly unsteady on my feet as it rocked underneath me. He grabbed the pole he used to push the boat through the water as I clung to him, my heart pounding and my pulse racing as I breathed quickly, sheer excitement coursing through my veins.
The air seemed to crackle and pulse around us as we made our way towards the open water gate; he pushed us through it and into his lair until I felt the gentle bump that meant we had reached the protruding stone that made his hollowed home.
I pushed myself off him and jumped out, dancing around in the candle light, my ballet skirt lifting up to create a flower like look. He smiled and joined me on the dock, grabbing my hand and twirling me under his arm before pulling me to him, dropping me down and leaning over me as if we were dancing to some unknown tune.
"Softly, deftly, my voice shall caress you,
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you,
Open up your mind, as our fantasies unwind,
In this darkness you're my one unfurling light.
In the darkness of the music of the night."
I looked into his eyes as we straightened up and I pranced away from him, singing the piece he had earlier sung to me, he sang it too, our voices twisting together to make one sound. He pulled his cape off and dropped it to the floor and sang out to me.
"Let your soul be stolen by a black desire,
Purge your heart of all the want you knew before,
Close your eyes, let my music help you soar,
As you feel things you've never felt before."
He smiled as he followed me; I bounced up the stairs and past the organ, its pipes gleaming in the firelight. I turned to face him, holding out my hand as I stepped backwards, he extended his hand and I took it gently, pulling him towards the black drapes that shrouded his bed. I looked behind me and pulled the silver tasselled rope and stepped back under them.
His smile grew wider and he sang again, drawing close to me, his hands gliding across my body as his voice grew louder.
"Weakened, longing, sweet intoxication,
Touch me, hold me, strengthen my elation,
Give your heart to mine; let this ecstasy run wild,
As we fall into the darkness of the night."
I stepped backwards again and lowered myself onto his bed, the carved frame cold on my legs, the soft silk rippling underneath me. I pushed myself up to the pillows and leant back, pulling him towards me. He let go of my hand and placed his hands onto the bed, climbing onto it and holding himself over me.
He held himself there, looking into my eyes and I lifted my hand up to stroke his cheek.
"I have never been this close to a woman before."
"I have never been this close to a man before."
He looked away as I called him a man and I turned his face back to me with my fingers.
"Just let the music take you away." I whispered and pulled him onto me.
Incase it is unclear, the next chapter will be 18+, if you do not wish to read it, please skip ahead to chapter 10 :)
