Nothing is mine. Hope you enjoy.
Meg decided that the Phantom was a more complex character than she initially thought. She still couldn't believe that he was letting her go. She had gone back to her room and changed into those black pants and black boots with that poofy shirt, the outfit that had been laid out for her the first time she woke up here many, many weeks ago. She found a black hair ribbon underneath the clothes and tied her hair back.
And then she waited. Waited for when he would come and get her. She didn't eat or drink, but not out of rebellion this time. She was just too anxious for tonight; her stomach was churning in her nervousness. But despite her nervousness, she was bored. She couldn't play the pipe organ again because the Phantom was playing it and she didn't dare go in his room again to read. In fact, she never wanted to see the inside of that room again. So she sat on her bed, playing with the monkey box.
After a while, something caught her eye. It was an empty sketch pad. Meg remembered seeing various sketches of Christine near his wax doll collection. She found a pencil, flipped the book open, and began to sketch. She didn't really know what she was sketching; her hand seemed to have a mind of its own. She eventually realized she was drawing the Phantom's face. Is it ironic, she wondered, that I'm drawing the Phantom with my injured hand? Her hand was healing nicely though, the swelling had gone down considerably and the bruises were small and brown now, so you could hardly notice them unless they caught your eye.
Meg continued drawing. It was a close-up of the Phantom's face. His wig was on and his black-gloved hand was in the process of removing his mask, so you could see some of his deformity. The one eye that you could see was drawn with a sad, longing look, as if desperate for acceptance. She shaded in some of the sketch and continued drawing, very focused. It seemed important to draw this, all of a sudden, like she was sending out a message.
When she was done, she was satisfied with her work. She seemed to have captured the Phantom's face and his mask just about how she had envisioned it in her head. She was surprised at herself. She never knew she could draw.
She decided to add the finishing touch to her drawing. Beneath the hand that held the mask, she wrote, In his loneliness, the corruption of the world has distorted Erik, forcing him to find solitude in melodious darkness and those who do not count.
"What have you got there?" demanded a voice she knew too well from the doorway. She jumped only a little bit; it was to be expected that he would find another way to sneak up on her. She looked up at him slowly, reluctantly, as if she had been caught in the act again.
"A drawing," Meg noticed that he was carrying a tray of food and water for her. Does he truly worry about me?
"I didn't know you could draw."
"Why would you?" she asked, a little confused.
He set the tray down and walked over to her slowly, examining the picture. Meg tried to move it away without him noticing, but Erik took it out of her hands, gently lest he rip it, before it could be put away. He studied it, his brow furrowed.
"Only a Giry would call me Erik,"
"Only a Destler would call me Little Meg," she countered.
He whipped his head towards her in shock.
Meg even looked shocked.
"M-mother told me a long time ago. I only just remembered," she said quietly.
He shook his head, sighed, and folded up the drawing and put it in his pocket.
"I'm not calling you the Phantom anymore," said Meg boldy. He raised an eyebrow at her statement.
"If I am a Giry, I will call you Erik just as my mother does and there's nothing you can do or say to stop me, Mr. Erik Destler!" she said it a little more forcefully than she had intended but she hoped she had made a point. She also wanted to challenge him. Would he hurt her again? The sudden reprieve from his outbursts unnerved her a little.
He glared at her for a moment, then shook his head in defeat.
"Do as you will, Little Meg. It's tiring fighting you all the time since nothing seems to get through that thick skull of yours." Meg was insulted but realized he was permitting her to use his name. She was victorious! Meg was wary though. He didn't yell? Or hurt me?
"Come. We must leave now," and with that, they both went into the boat and made their way towards the surface.
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Madame Giry was anxious. Where is she? Where's Meg? Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. Erik had his arm around Meg, bringing her to her. She hugged Meg fiercely and thanked Erik. Erik nodded solemnly and left with a swish of his cape.
Madame Giry looked at her, smiling, eyes watery. "I'm so happy you've returned!" But then her smile faded. "I don't if I should hope everything goes as planned tonight or not."
"What do you mean, Mother?"
"Never mind, Meg. Go. You must stay backstage as Erik says you should. Don't let anyone see you." And with that, her mother walked away towards the side of the stage where she could see the performance clearly. The chorus had already started singing the opening for Don Juan Triumphant. Meg did her best to keep herself hidden backstage. She sat in a corner of the room where she was concealed by bystanders. Meg sat still and listened to the opera. There was an exchange going on between Piangi and his accomplice, Passerino. Meg shuddered as she listened to the dialogue.
"Poor thing hasn't got a chance!" cried Passerino.
"Here's my hat, my cloak and sword!" cried Piangi, "Conquest is assured! If I do not forget myself and laugh!" He let out and evil laugh and Meg saw him open the curtain and turn around, fiddling with something. Suddenly, a giant shadow leapt on him as Piangi turned around and gasped. His gasp was cut off by a lasso around his neck. Meg gasped and moved from her corner towards Piangi, when the shadow looked at her. It was Erik! But his mask was black and smaller. Piangi was still choking.
As Christine sang the words that Meg had once sung at Erik's pipe organ, Erik released Piangi, leaving the lasso on him. He brought a finger to his lips, a smile curling on his lips. Meg was frozen. He then brought the cape over his face and quickly went through the curtain.
Meg stared at the spot Erik had just left, too afraid to move or speak. As she listened to Erik singing, she began to feel more frightened. He was in the opera, in place of Piangi! He can get away with anything as long as the audience doesn't find him out!
Meg turned. She saw her mother watching from the side of the stage and saw her put a hand to her stomach, like she was suddenly nauseous. This can't be good, Meg thought, panicking, this is so not good.
Meg stood still as the opera went on. Surely Christine must have realized by now that the character Piangi had played was no longer Piangi! But if Christine noticed, she kept performing anyway.
"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn!" they sang together passionately. Meg couldn't take it anymore. She was too curious. She went over to where her mother was standing. Her mother didn't seem to notice her as she watched in horror.
As Christine and Erik sang the next line, Meg followed her mother's gaze to where the pair had embraced on the bridge. All was quiet. Meg watched the pair with rapt attention.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime," Erik sang to Christine lovingly, "Lead me, save me from my solitude. Say you'll want me with you here beside you," Christine had opened her eyes and turned to look at him in shock. It was a little shocking that Erik was expressing his love to her so openly, and possibly blowing his cover, but she didn't understand why Christine looked like she saw a ghost, no pun intended. Surely she must have known that he loved her.
"Anywhere you go let me go too! Christine," Erik sang desperately as Christine put a hand on his cheek. Does she have feelings for him?
"That's all I ask of—" Erik was abruptly cut off as Christine took his mask and wig off. That answers my question, she thought wrly. Everyone screamed. Meg decided to scream too, lest it be too suspicious to stand there unaffected. Her mother did the same. They both ran backstage. Everyone was screaming and running around. Some police officers that Meg hadn't noticed before were trying to run onstage.
Suddenly there was a snapping and breaking sound and people screamed more. Meg ran back to where she was before and truly screamed this time. The chandelier was falling! Meg watched in frozen horror as people screamed and ran as the chandelier crashed with the sound of shattering glass, bursting into flames.
She felt a hand in her hand pulling her in the opposite direction. It was her mother.
"C'mon, Meg!" her mother screamed. Meg quickly ran with her. A crowd of people was running behind her. Her mother let go of her hand. Out of nowhere, it seemed, the Vicomte de Changy appeared.
"Where did he take her?!" he yelled at her mother. What?! Meg thought, getting even more panicky, Christine is GONE?!
"Come with me, monsieur, I will take you to him! But remember! Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" her mother instructed him frantically.
"I'll come with you!" Meg told her mother. She knew how awful it had been for Christine the last time she was there. She knew Erik's anger. She also knew that, no matter how horrible he treated her, Christine would truly get the heat of it, for nothing was worse than unmasking him in front of a crowd of people and policemen while he was expressing his love for her and having the chandelier crash, as a result.
"No, Meg, no! You must stay here!" Madame Giry now addressed the patron, "Come with me, monsieur! Do as I say!"
Meg had stopped running and stared after them as they ran through more screaming people. Then as people tried to run past her, she turned around and blocked them.
"No!" she yelled at them. It must be only my mother and the Vicomte who go down there! No one else should be put in danger!
"But, why?!" one of them shouted at her. "We must track down this murderer and rescue Miss Daae! If not, we might all be in danger! And do you expect us to stay here while the opera burns down, stupid girl!" And it was like mob psychology from there, because everyone yelled in agreement and pushed past her, almost trampling her. Meg jumped out of the way, knowing they couldn't be stopped now.
Mother, hurry! Meg silently pleaded as she ran back towards the chandelier to try to find the police.