Chapter 12: The Lake
Phineas skidded down the hallway and managed to avoid everyone's questions by claiming he had to use the toilettes. He halted near the properties room where the Phantom had grabbed Jeffrey. He marched up to the wall and pushed all the edges and molding with no success. Aggravation seized him and he slammed the wall with both fists. The panel sprung and the wall slid open. Phineas lurched inside. He got up and grabbed his makeshift torch not a moment too soon. The wall panel slammed shut seconds later. The noise reverberated throughout the passage and he winced.
"Bat's breath! I'm already botching the rescue."
He pulled a small matchbox from his pocket and struck one to ignite the greasy cloth wrapped on the edge of the torch. The cloth caught fire fast and he ducked his head.
"Woah, now that's what I call light!"
Phineas ignored the queasiness in his stomach and moved forward. He took extra care keeping the torch low. The wooden base beams and walls presented a fire hazard. As he walked he heard murmurs and music from the rooms behind the walls. He stopped and crouched low. He noticed two small beams of light from the opposite wall. They were eyeholes. He peeked inside and saw Christina's dressing room.
"That rotten stalker!" Curses ran through his head.
Phineas stood and dusted off wood chips and sawdust from his shoulders. This was the main passage where Erik watched his prey, calculating opportunities to strike. He noticed the mirror propped against the adjacent wall and realized it was the connecting passage. He came to a fork. He turned right, in the direction of the mirror. It came to a dead end after fifty feet; he faced another wooden door with a giant, round handle. He laid the torch on the ground and pulled it open easily.
"We wouldn't want the Phantom straining his bony behind now would we?" He said bitterly.
Phineas took a step forward and toppled down a winding stone stairwell. He curled his body in a way that protected his head and forced him to practically roll like a ball. He finally struck the bottom and sprawled his arms and legs out. The flaming torch landed inches from his face.
"Any closer and the Phantom would have a roommate." He joked in a little pain.
He was too stunned to move and lay on his back trying to decide if he'd broken any limbs. His muscles ached and bleeding scratches nipped him. He shook off the stars floating around his eyes. He wondered if he were the only other soul who'd entered this part of the Opera House.
"Right! Poor Jeffrey was down here too."
He imagined the boy's terror and struggle. Jeffrey fought hard when called upon to act. Phineas still reeled from his emotional breakdown. He hoped to never act that pathetic in front of the kid again. However, the situation forced him to reveal how much he loved Jeffrey like his own son. He remembered the last time he told him. He'd said it at his trial with Drake. After being harshly accused of endangering his welfare, Phineas blurted out, "I love Jeffrey and I would never let anything happen to him!" He didn't see Jeffrey's reaction to his words and no one mentioned it later.
Phineas finally rose and shook out his stiff limbs before going further. He glimpsed an lighted pathway. He approached the entrance – an extended corridor illuminated with candelabras. Bronzed arms and other receptacles held them in place. His arm hurt from holding the torch so he tossed it. He followed the path, absorbing the mysterious surroundings. The corridors twisted and turned, supported by huge beige stone buttresses and archways. Hideous gargoyle carvings gazed at him. He'd never imagined the catacombs would look as exquisite as the Opera House itself. He finally came to a stand still; A lake surrounded the rest of the grandiose channel. He rolled his sleeves higher and loosened his collar.
"Some host the Phantom is, he doesn't even provide a boat. If the water's toxic, I'll find out in ten years."
Phineas dove into the water and it chilled him. The lake was amazingly clean, unsoiled by the rats and sewage that made Paris infamous. His feet didn't touch the bottom and he estimated the depth at twenty feet. He followed the corridors. The water felt good on his scrapes. He waded to a great archway and huge pillars supported the cavern on each side. He found a small opening and swam for it. From the distance he heard a haunting and melodious song playing on an organ, accompanied by a rich tenor.
So this is what Christina meant by the Angel of Music." Phineas thought in wonder. "It's beautiful."
The Phantom struck the final chords; his last words lingered.
"Help me make the music of the night!…"
Phineas was nearly lulled into a false sense of security, until a deep foreboding struck him. "I got in here too easily."
On cue with his thoughts, half the candles flickered out. He swam ahead past an entrance to another stone partition. He splashed the water aggravated and rolled his eyes.
"This was a big waste of time."
A loud, metallic sound pierced his ears. He dove for the entrance and a rusted door with giant bolts clamped down, blocking his only escape. He looked up dismayed. A metal grate descended and forced him underwater. He came up for air, and nearly knocked himself out on the steel bars. He tried to shove them up but his efforts failed. He stuck his arms through the open grooves and yanked at the bars but couldn't find a weak spot. The grate dropped faster and he went under again. He flailed around and rammed the walls in a futile attempt to find a passage or loose stones. Panicking spent his air quicker. He surfaced for a small gulp of air and the grate submerged him.
