He smiled at me with a broad devilish smile. In his eyes I sensed something terrible is about to happen. A great urge to run came over me but the only door I see as a way out is the one behind him. I am trapped! My eyes began to wander around the room feverishly, searching for an object that I can use to defend.
He cackled excited and walked slowly to me. "No one will disturb us here." As he wanted to touch my face I slapped away his hand. His devilish smile vanished rapidly. Suddenly a curtain from above the window fell upon the Directeur. "Allez!" I heard a stern man's voice from above. Without hesitation I ran for the door to get out of the Directeur's room. Desperately my hands clasped the handle. It's locked! "No!" I whispered in dread. As I turned around the Directeur was already free of the curtain, facing me with burning fury in his eyes.
"No!" I whispered. I wanted to scream for help but fear has taken my voice like an invisible hand clutching to it tightly.
The Directeur came pacing up to me with wild fury. Suddenly a cool hand pulled me rapidly from the side away from him. Is it Maestro? I followed my glance. But, there's no one there! I blinked. As suddenly I was pulled, I was let go.
"You little minx!" Snarled Directeur after me.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" Suddenly a familiar shape stood in front of me facing the Directeur.
I blinked amazed and relieved, it was Maestro. I breathed relieved.
"Well, well, well. The Phantom in person has come to save his little angel of music?" The Directeur laughed mockingly. "How heroic and noble of you?"
"You dare mocking me?" Maestro hissed.
"You don't frighten me. No matter who you are. You think a mask will make a difference?" Directeur scoffed ignorantly.
Suddenly Maestro sprinted directly at the Directeur and jumped up to pass a fist at his face. Directeur was quick enough to dodge the fist and hold Maestro up in the air by his wrist like a child. Maestro struggled to liberate himself from Directeur's strong grip.
"How dare you! You dare to talk this way to me, little ghost!" Quickly Directeur's eyes wandered to me with an evil smile. "Or should I say, Léon."
Before I could recall what I heard, Directeur removed the mask from Maestro. I blinked in disbelief and gasped speechless. My mind was clouded of surprise until after a long moment I collected my thoughts. It-it was him? All this time? Him, Léon as Maestro? The man behind the mask who loved me for my voice and who I am. And, I've given him my love. Léon and Maestro are the same and one man. Why? Why did he do this? I was petrified on the spot. My head began to twirl of the confusion, so simple and yet hard to accept. My legs felt like jelly and before I knew I collapsed to the ground, almost feeling faint but knowing too well this is a bad moment to faint. I need to stay conscious, I must defend.
The Directeur laugh maliciously to my reaction while holding Léon by his wrists. Léon noticed my reaction and looked in shame to the ground. "This is too sweet. You two are really in love!"
"Let her go, father. Do with me whatever you want but let her go." Léon spoke calmly, looking to me ashamed.
"Since you've asked so nicely, I'll invite you to enjoy the party just by looking from a far. Showing you how it is done, properly."
"Non! Don't you dare! You can't!" Léon struggled to liberate himself. Suddenly he gave a firm kick into the stomach.
Directeur dropped Léon and gasped in pain, hugging his stomach.
Léon sprinted to me. "Allez! Vite!" He took my hand, pulled me up to my feet and ran ahead with our hands locked.
I couldn't utter a word and did not know what to do. My mind went blank. I followed Léon blindly. We ran out of the room through a different door and soon I found myself with Léon on the stage as Directeur caught up with us by blocking our path from the other side. He still smiled devilishly as before and had his eyes fixed on me. Instinctively I hid behind Léon. "You two aren't going anywhere! She's mine!"
"She's no one's! Let her go!" Léon held his ground and gently squeezed my hand.
Directeur chuckled. "Or what? How about you give her to me or I'll tell the police and the press of the Phantom case you're in."
"And I'll dare let the world know that you never really ran the opera as it is running now. Showing everyone what a monster you are, even when you're my father. If you dare to go so far to your son, then I shall do the same."
"Ha! You have no idea what you're talking about, Léon." He laughed.
Léon blinked for a brief moment but then composed himself with an angered expression. "You think?"
Suddenly I hear a whisper from behind me, telling me in French to step back. I looked around but saw no one in sight. During the search my mind began to clear and found my courage and voice. Gently I pulled Léon back to bring him too into safety. So I've felt for an odd reason.
The Directeur took few steps closer. "You see Léon, your mother was a talented actress and singer, like her." He pointed a finger to me and his voice was suddenly softer. "She saw things that others just pass by or never noticed it at all. She loved acting, dancing and singing like she does, behind the joy and talent shines through passion."
"Why are you telling me this? Why should I believe you? You never loved my mother!"
"I never said that! I loved her and still do. Cherished the very ground she walked on. She saw things I didn't even see but I was afraid. Afraid!"
"Afraid of what?" Léon squinted his eyes.
Before he could utter another word I heard a loud and fast jingle of chains and tingling glass from above us. A large crystal chandelier came rushing down at us. I was fast enough to pull Léon away with all my strength. The rapid crash shook the stage that Léon and I fell to the floor. Quickly I sat up and saw before me few meters away the huge chandelier and million pieces of shattered glass spread across the stage, I turned to Léon. He blinked to recollect what just happened.
Suddenly I heard a weak painful groan from the chandelier. Rapidly Léon and I paced towards the chandelier. "Léon." A weak voice groaned. Léon soon found his father crawling out from under der chandelier. Drops of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Father." Léon spoke softly.
Before the Directeur could say another word he was already gone and barely stretched out the other arm towards me.
Léon stood still with his gaze fixed to the ground at his father.
I followed along Léon's gaze and spotted in the out stretched arm, in his hand was something white. I crouched down and opened the hand. It was a piece of paper folded into the smallest fold it can hold and a key. Gently I unfolded the paper. Léon noticed my discovery and stepped close beside me to see what the paper contains. It was a letter written by hand.
My dearest Henri
Since the birth of our son nothing more can provide me with greater joy than him and being with you, our family.
I know the hard times you've gone through and still do now. Let me and let our son ease that, you don't need to carry that burden on your own. The more perspectives you get the easier it will be to find a solution. Running away or hiding them is not one of them, my love. I'll always be there for you. We will face together those blackmailers in a just manner.
Just like our first date. Do you remember? Where everything turned into a disaster but you never gave up trying to improve the night for me. Gave me your coat was I got wet from the rain, you were always there for me. Now I shall give you my coat to keep you warm and happy. Let me help you. We can talk about it.
Je t'aime.
Louise
The letter was short but beautiful. What puzzles me is how can a woman love the Directeur? Was Henri a different man until she died? Or something else that changed him? I looked to Léon, his glance was fixed to the letter and in his eyes it was hard to tell if he happy to the knowledge or not. I gently took hold his hand to let him know that he is not alone. He gasped as if awaken from a dream and blinked at me. As our eyes met, his eyes began to well with tears. Quickly he turned away from me. Slowly I stepped up closer and embraced him gently. Quickly as he turned away, he faced me with streaming tears and embraced me, digging his face into my shoulder. I wanted to say something but I have the feeling this is a moment things should remain unsaid until he starts to speak. I hope he understands from my embrace I that I am here for him and will still love him as I did before. Just like the letter, I'll always be there for him as he did to me.
"Why? Why did my father keep this letter from me? Why?" Léon sobbed from my shoulder.
I don't know what to say to his answer. I gently shushed him and stroked his head.
The first few people came, wondering where and what was the loud crashing sound. As their eyes fell upon the Directeur's dead body I quickly bid them to call the ambulance and tell that the chandelier fell. As I wanted to lead Léon away he quickly let go of me and held the Directeur's hand. "Father, you did carry it on your own all those years. So long and heavy it was that it drove you crazy and bitter. As you said many years ago, you wanted the best for me. I was such a fool to have doubted your words. I even started to hate you and yet had hopes that you would become the father I always wished. Now I know why and yet I don't understand why you kept it all those years. Why father?" Tears streamed from his eyes. "Father!"
I remained on the spot and felt along his sorrow. Let those tears flow that he suppressed all those years, let him cry out. After a while crying I decided to step up and placed a hand upon his shoulder. He placed a hand over mine and slowly looked up to me. Our eyes met. I said nothing but hoped my glance would tell everything what I would like to say to him. In his jade green eyes I noticed the familiar warm and friendly aura as before.
He slowly stood up and embraced me. "Thank you." I blinked. I thought I was one who has no idea about being in love, apparently so does he. I embraced him. "That's the way it should be when in love, to be there for one another, no matter good or hard times." I spoke softly.
"You-you're surely puzzled of a few things here. The letter is from my mother and why father was so as you've met him."
I placed my hands to his cheeks. "You don't need to explain. If you don't want to then I'll respect that, my love."