The Libretto:

My Dearest Phantom:

I have not seen or heard from you in a few days, but I have been hearing the rumours of your presents around the opera house and fear that this has turned you away from me. The actors and workers are frightened again. The story of the phantom of the opera has resurfaced and is becoming more and more elaborate as the days go on. M. Fauxvoix has started to search through the lower levels of the theatre, he is now aware of the workings of the story and has started his search where the former managers have left off. Monsieur and Madame Belville, on the other hand, has sworn not to take any part in the affair. They do not wish to upset the phantom in anyways and continually warn Fauxvoix to do the same, though he doesn't heed their warnings in the least. They swear that he will make the phantom angry and should anything disastrous occur in this place they do not take any responsibility for it and have put all responsibility on Fauxvoix himself. The workers in the theatre have become very fearful of Fauxvoix as well, they do not stay long in the same places beneath the theatre, when he is around. They whisper of your lasso and how it shall soon enough find itself around his neck. You cannot move about the theatre without hearing someone's voice from somewhere saying 'keep you hands at the level of your eyes. But Fauxvoix doesn't pay any attention to the warnings. The ballet dancers never travel alone around the theatre anymore. My nurse seems to be the only soul in this place that does not fear the phantom and yet she is the most verbal to Monsieur to take heed when he wanders in the domain of the phantom of the opera. And yet he still searches for you. I fear that he will find you and yet I believe that you are too well hidden to let him. Your mind and your knowledge of the workings of this theatre are beyond anyone else's and I know that you are well guarded from the evil man that has vowed to hunt you out. I pray that you are still safe and that I might see you again soon.

I must be very careful as I write to you, should my letters be found I can only imagine the anger that will fill Monsieur and perhaps I will be swept away from this place at any opportunity he might find. He tries to follow me, now, where ever I venture in the theatre. He is sure that you have a hidden agenda for me and so I spend most of my days, if I am not in his presence, I am locked away in this small room. I am beginning to think that I will never be with you again and so I can only write to you.

My days and have been hard. My manager has again taken to handle me with force and is continually accusing me of what is going on in the theatre. I am the reason the phantom has resurfaced as the stage people have taken to calling me Christine. I do not mind the name but the anger that fills Monsieur is unbearable. I do not know how much longer my small frame can take his massive strikes against it. My fears grow greater as the days go by, to my departing France for Australia. That time is growing closer and the doomed marriage I am being forced into. My nights, however, are much calmer. I rest and sleep through the night. I feel safe in the darkness of the theatre and knowing that I am not near to Monsieur. At night, just before sleep comes to me, I can feel you near. I wish it were so and not only in my mind but it is a comforting thought and I fade into my dreams so happily, even with my bruises and the pain I feel. I hope, if you do come to me, that you would wake me from my sleep. To make them not dreams but realities.

My dreams of you seem so real sometimes. I dream that you are always near to me all the time. That you are always watching me but I never see you. I can only feel you. Then you sit silently in my room with me and protect me from all the dangers of the world, as a prince would protect his dear princess in her tower or like a knight to his fair maiden. Alas, when I wake you are not here but your voice fills my head and my heart. Dare I say that I have grown fond of you more that I ever dreamt I could. It is all in my dreams and yet it feels like my heart has held so many times with you. I feel as though I have known you all my life. That you have always been with me to help me and my voice and yet it can't be possible can it? Only in my dreams I suppose, but they do keep me going and though I don't want to wake from them they are my hope for the days to pass and the nights to come.

I cannot explain my gratefulness to you and the things that you have told me would happen. I am filled always with hope and desire to run, with you, away from this place and yet I fear what is to become of me. Should I myself become the phantom, to hide all my life in fear of this man who will, until his dying day, search for me. Who will be my companion once I have escaped this place, if that time every comes. What new darkness will I have to journey though and will it be on my own. Oh my dear Erik if you could only know the horrors of this man, for, should any woman compar your story to that of monsieur, they would see you not as you are but as the gentle beautiful creature of the night that I now see.

Please my dearest, do not stay away from me long. I wish to see you again soon and need to know that you are still with me and are still able to aid in my escape. I will continue to write you should I not see you again and I pray that my letters will not go unanswered.

I hope that I myself have not done something to keep you from me, as I continue to see your signature on the parcels that continue to arrive. As I write this yet more have arrived from you and though I fear that my manager may catch me writing, I am quick enough to hide my letters and my thoughts. I do love all of the wonders that you continue to send to me, but I am curious as to why you do such things. If our plan is to be realised then I will have to leave all these wonderful treasures behind. Though I love them dearly. I know I will have to leave many things behind that are dear to me and yet they all live in my memories. As bright and shining as the daimons that you send, my memories of the good that life once held and the good that I may someday see again are what I hold closest to me. I thank you for the wonderful good that you provide to my memories and my thoughts. Please my angel of music do not stay away from me much longer.

Your's always Christine.

Gabriella folded her letter gently, the silky white paper made no sound as she folded it, and placed it in a simple pink envelope. She sealed it and walked slowly to her mirror, holding the letter close to her chest. She looked longingly into the mirror trying to see through her own reflection to the passage behind. The envelope fells gently from her hands and landed softly on her tiny, slippered foot.

Suddenly the door flew open, "Gabriella!" Fauxvoix yelled, "Who is this phantom!" he cried as she gently and slowly turned away from the mirror. As she turned she pushed the envelope under the mirror and out of sight. It slid silently under the frame and stoped at Matthew's feet.

"The phantom of the opera?" Gabriella asked, "I don't know who he is."

"You must, you have to!" Fauxvoix yelled coming at her fiercely, pinning her against the mirror.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Gabriella cried, "I have never seen such a man. I don't know who he is."

"Then why does he love you so, you terrible wretch?" Fauxvoix screamed as he slapped her across the face.

Matthew gasped behind the mirror as he watch small specks of Gabriella's blood hit the mirror surface. His hands shook with anger and yet he knew he could do nothing for her and risk the discovery of the plan. Or could he? He placed the pink envelope in a pocket inside his cloak and turned and ran back down the passage.

"I don't know!" Gabriella cried, "I don't know anything about anything!"

"You must, you have to!" Fauxvoix yelled, "what have you done to make him love you so! What have you done?"

"I have only done what you have told me to!" Gabriella sobbed, "I have done nothing but be obedient to you and your wishes!"

"You have not, you deceptive little beast," he yelled at the top of his lungs, "you have seduced him!" he became crazed, grabbing and tearing and throwing things all over the small dressing room and Gabriella sank to the floor, her hands covering her face as she sobbed, "you will pay for this with your life you little rat!" he screamed.

"Please take my life now!" Gabriella sobbed, "let this be over! Oh god in heaven please take me from here and let me no longer be handled by this man."

"What did you say!" Fauxvoix said angrily snatching her up from the ground and making her look him in the eyes, "what did you cry out, upon deaf ears?"

"Take my life! Take it way from me! Kill me now Fauxvoix or I will take my own life!" Gabriella screamed as she, with all her might, forced herself out of her captors hands and flung herself at there small vanity mirror. It shattered into hundreds of sharp small pieces, "damn me for all eternity if it means taking my own life and being way from you so be it!" she cried as she grabbed onto the biggest piece of the shattered mirror as she could. Her small hands bleed as the shard of glass cuts through her clutching hand.

Gabriella brought the sharp, blood stained, glass to her neck. Monsieur Fauxvoix stopped in his tracks, "NO!" he yelled as he eyes grew wide.

"My life means nothing to you," Gabriella said quietly as tears rolled down her face, "I have done nothing in this life but obey you and you lay your hands on me. I have had enough, I will take my life into my own hands now and you can't stop me!" she said crying harder.

"Gabriella no!" Maria yelled as she came into the small room, "oh god in heaven please no!"

"Listen to your nurse little girl!" Fauxvoix said slowly walking toward Gabriella and taking the glass. Gabriella collapsed in sobs as her nurse ran to her side, "clean her up Maria, then this room and tell no one about this!" he said throwing the glass on the ground, shattering it again.

"You need not tell anyone," Maria said, looking angrily at Fauxvoix, "he knows what you have done and soon so will they all!"

"Who knows?" he asked as he stopped at the door.

"The opera ghost," Maria said matter of factly, "he has left you a message."

"What?" he asked.

"You'll see," Maria said as she turned back to Gabriella.

Fauxvoix stormed out of the room slamming the door behind himself.