Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying my little fic. Here is the next chapter only a few more to go before it for the support and reviews. I really appreciate it.
Disclaimer: The Phantom of the Opera is not mine.
Chapter 21
"What a weird dream, Christa said to herself as she woke up. "I dreamt that the Angel was a ghoul. I am such a goon." She stood up and stretched, and then she stopped and looked around. "This isn't my room." She looked around the room, then at the ben. It was an old fashioned canopy bed with sheer white curtains hanging from it. Beyond the room was decorated all in white. "Where am I?" She thought in panic. Then she realized that her dream was not a dream. She rushed to the door and opened it. She walked into a hallway; the light was dim so she had to feel around until she found another door. She opened the door and stepped into a very large room with a huge organ against one wall dominating the room. She ran to the other side of the room and opened a door there. She gasped as she saw what was inside. It was a room covered in black and there was a black coffin sitting on a raised dais in the middle of the room. She walked backward back into the organ room when she bumped into someone. She screamed and turned around.
"Awake I see. Do you like my bedroom?" The man had the voice of her angel and the face of the ghoul from her dream, though she could see now that his face was actually covered in a mask of white silk. His eyes were the same though. Black pits with fire that glared out from the depths of the pits.
"Who are you? She asked fearfully.
"Don't you recognize me, I am your angel." The man said.
"You're not an angel." She accused.
"Sadly not quite, but close enough." He walked back into the room and sat down at the organ. He began to play while Christa looked around the room. She did not know what to do this man had kidnapped her and brought her somewhere. She looked around and saw a cloth covered case in the corner of the room. She looked at the Angel who wasn't paying any attention to her. She walked over and pulled the cloth off. She gasped and fainted. The case contained a model of her in a wedding dress.
Erik looked up when he heard a noise behind him. He sighed when he saw what she had done. She was not supposed to have seen that yet. He had wanted to get her used to the idea that she was going to be staying with him. He picked her up and took her to her room. He gently laid her on the bed and tucked her in. He stood there for a minute watching her sleep and then left. He had to go see what people were saying about her disappearance.
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Meg walked into the opera, she was worried about Christa. She had been sitting at home worried and decided that she would go and see her. She walked to Christa's room and knocked on the door. Meg was worried about how Christa was dealing with the fiasco that happened on stage the night before. She was also concerned about why Christa had been acting so odd lately. She knew that Christa liked Raoul, but lately she had been avoiding him. Raoul refused to talk about it, but she knew that something had happened.
She arrived at Christa's door, and knocked. She waited a minute and knocked again.
"Christa are you there?" She asked to make sure that it was ok to come into the room. There was no answer and so Meg walked in wondering where Christa was. The door was not locked so she must be nearby. She looked around the room; it looked like no one had been there all night. She also noticed that some of Christa's things were missing off of her dressing table. She ran downstairs hoping that Christa was in one of the practice rooms. She ran into her mother in one of the hallways.
"Mom have you seen Christa?" She asked worry heavy in her voice.
"No, I have not seen her since yesterday when she ran by me on the way to her room." Meg saw the concern on her mother's face.
I was just in her room. The bed was made and some of her things are missing. You don't think she left because of last night do you?" Mrs. Grey looked worried as she hurried to the manager's office. She knocked and heard someone call to come in, she walked into the office and saw Fernan sitting behind his desk with papers strewn in front of him. She frowns when she saw the papers were notes about the Ghost.
"Do you know where Christa is?" She asked her voice full of worry for the young girl.
"No, I do not keep track of everyone in the opera." He said a little curtly.
"Well, she is not in her room and Meg had not been able to find her anywhere. Where else could she be?" Fernan shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe she went for a walk. I am not worried. She will show up sooner or later." He said calmly. Mrs. Grey nodded and walked out of the office.
"Meg, we will keep asking around and if no one has seen her we will call the police." Meg nodded and left to go look. "She would not have left without telling someone."
"Ok." Mrs. Grey watched her daughter walk away. She thought she knew where Christa was. She often heard the Opera Ghost muttering in box five when she came in to give him the program. He often said Christa's name. If he had her there was no way of getting her back. She walked the opposite way her daughter went and started to search.
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Christa woke and kept her eyes closed afraid of what she would see. She remembered all of what had happened, but it seemed like such a dream that she hoped it was. Finally she opened her eyes slowly and gasped. Above her was a white canopy. It was not a dream. She was really in this horrible place with the masked man who was her angel. She heard an organ and shivered. The music was horrible. It made her feel angry and very sad and depressed. She got up and walked to the door and slowly opened it, the hall was brighter than before and she could see no one was in it.
She walked to the door to the room with the organ. She carefully opened the door. The man was sitting at the organ oblivious to everything around him. His eyes were closed as he played and he swayed to the rhythm of the music. She wondered what he looked like under the mask.
She crept up behind him and reached up. He still had not noticed her. She quickly grabbed the mask and pulled it off. He turned around faster than she had thought possible. She screamed when she saw his face and turned away. He looked horrible, like a monster with eyes blazing and a face that was ugly and terrifying. He screamed with rage. She covered her ears to block out the horrifying sound as it washed over her. As she was overcome with the anger and hate in the scream she wondered how such a beautiful voice could sound so awful. He reached down and lifted her face to look at him. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Look at me. Is this what you wanted to see?" He hissed and unable to control herself she found that she was staring at his horrible face. She tried to look away but her eyes were locked on his as they burned into hers. "Everything would have been perfect if you had been able to control yourself! Curse you!" He shouted at her. "So you have seen under the mask. Satisfied, you prying Pandora? Am I what you expected?" She sagged in his grip. "Did you think your angel would look like a demon? One who looks dead but isn't" His voice was more horrible than anything she had ever heard. She cowered before that face and voice. Then she could take it no more and fainted.
"Oh Christa," Erik sighted in pain and picked up his mask from where she had dropped it his heart heavy. She hated him. He could see it in her eyes. It was worse than any look his mother had given him. He could deal with those looks. The look Christa gave him caused him more pain than his whole life with his mother. At least his mother loved him a little. He picked her up and started walking toward her room.
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Meg was worried; Christa had not been seen all day. She was walking by Christa's room when she heard sounds inside. She ran to the door and heard something slide shut. She walked in and saw Christa lying on her bed. She quickly ran out the door to get her mother. They came back and Mrs. Grey looked at Christa thankful that she was back. She wondered where she had been all day. All of a sudden Christa sat up with a scream, and looked around.
"Mrs. Grey, Meg?" She was a little confused. She had just been with the angel who was not and angel, and now she was back in her room.
"Christa, where have you been all day? We have been so worried about you." Meg asked worried.
"Had it only been a day?" She asked. The time she had spent with him had seemed longer.
"Yes, where were you?" It was Mrs. Grey who asked the question this time. Christa looked at her and shook her head refusing to tell. "Why don't you tell us Christa?" Mrs. Grey asked worry plain on her face as she looked into Christa's eyes. Christa just shook her head again. She was worried about her angel that was not an angel. She knew she had angered him terribly. She hoped that she would never have to see him again but she hoped that he would still come to her to sing. She didn't know if she could live without hearing his voice again. She had to hope that he would return to her.
"I want to be alone and rest if you don't mind." Christa told them both. The two women nodded still worried, and left. Christa lay back down on her bed and curled up and cried. She cried for what she might have lost and for the ordeal she went through. She cried until she fell asleep.
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As soon as Erik had laid Christa on her bed he rushed back through the secret door in the mirror and ran back to his home. There he sat at his organ and thought about what had happened. He was angry with himself for letting his guard down enough for her to sneak up and take off his mask. He was furious with her for not being able to control her curiosity. His fury grew as he realized that she would probably rush to be comforted in the perfect arms of Raoul. He knew how she really felt about Raoul. He would have to figure out some way for her to stay with him. He sat all through the night thinking. Then he had it. He would get her at the masque ball the owners were throwing for Fernan. It was in a couple months and no one knew about it but the owners, Fernan and Erik. He would have to work hard to get his plan to work. It would mean staying in his home to finish his opera. It is time for everyone to know about The Angel of Music.
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"Christa, are you all right?" meg looked at her friend in concern. Christa had not been the same since the day she disappeared four days ago. Christa nodded weakly. Every night since that day the angel returned her to her room she had cried out for her angel and for his forgiveness for what she had done. Every time she called he did not answer. She wanted him back but she was also afraid of his anger and she did not want to anger him again.
Meg was not convinced. Something had happened that day that really changed Christa. She was worried for the health and safety of her friend. She decided that she needed to talk to Raoul about Christa. After practice she walked to his house. It was a large house. Raoul's family was very wealthy and they had built their house not far from the opera. She walked up the long drive and knocked on the door. A butler opened the door.
"Hello," He said looking at her in disapproval.
"Hello, my name is Meg. I am a friend of Raoul's and I need to talk with him it is an emergency." The butler frowned at her again but motioned her in the house. She stood by the door waiting while he walked away to get Raoul. After a couple minutes Raoul came down the hall looking worried.
"What's the matter Meg?"
"Raoul it is Christa. Something happened to her." He looked alarmed. "She is ok but something is wrong. Let me tell you what happened." He led her to a well-furnished den and they sat down. Meg told him everything that had happened in the last week. "So I walked in and she was there sleeping on her bed. I ran and got my mother. When we came back Christa woke up screaming. It was as if she woke up from a nightmare. When she calmed down we asked her where she had been and she refused to tell us. That was four days ago. Now she looks depressed and is acting very strange. As if she doesn't want to live anymore. I don't know what is going on." Raoul looked disturbed.
"Have you tried asking her again" He asked.
"Yes, but she still won't tell. I think she would tell you though. She really likes you Raoul. I know she misses you." She begged. He looked away.
"No she doesn't, she loves another man. I heard them talking in her room." He said hopelessly.
"There is no other man. She has never been out with anyone else but you. I know she really likes you Raoul. Come with me to see her and try to find out what happened. Something happened and it was not good." He nodded and got up.
"Let me get my coat." He walked into another room and came back with his jacket. He put it on and led the way to his car. The drove to the opera in silence, when they arrived they got out and walked to Christa's room. Raoul knocked on the door and walked in when he got no answer. Christa was sitting on the bed with a desolate look on her face. Raoul kneeled in front of her.
"Christa, what happened to you? Please tell me? You have everyone worried about you. You don't look well. Please talk to me." Tears grew in his eyes seeing her in such a pitiful state. She looked at him for a minute and nodded. She needed to tell someone. The need for the music was eating her up. They found seats around the room and she told them everything. When she came to the part when she had pulled off his mask Meg gasped in recognition. The face Christa described was the opera ghost. Christa turned white when Meg told her.
"So you are saying that the Opera Ghost and my Angel are the same person?" She asked slowly. Meg nodded.
"And it seems like they are both a man and not anything otherworldly. We must tell Mr. Kalashnikov right away." Raoul said. Meg nodded and they all filed out to the manager's office. Mrs. Grey saw them in the hall and followed sensing something was wrong.
"Come in," Fernan called as he hear a knock on his door. "Well what have we here?" He said as he saw who came in. "What can I do for you?" Meg and Raoul looked at Christa. Mrs. Grey looked at her too wondering what they were doing. Christa sat weakly in a chair in front of the desk. Fernan looked at her expectantly and she took a deep breath and started to talk. Fernan sat listening without interrupting. When she finished he finally spoke.
"So you are saying that the opera ghost and this man masquerading as your angel are the same person?" Everyone but Mrs. Grey nodded. Mrs. Grey did not like where this was going. She knew that he had made some bad decisions but the ghost was not bad. He had always taken care of her. "Does anyone else know about this?" They all shook their heads. "Good. Tell no one about what has been told. He has not spoken to you since that day?" Christa shook her head and looked at her hands folded in her lap. She felt like she was betraying her angel.
"Well, when he does talk to you let me know. We must figure out a way to capture this man. He is becoming very dangerous. We don't know if he will hurt someone if he is allowed to continue doing what his is doing, especially if he has gone far enough to take you from your room. Go now and remember tell no one about what we know." The other agreed and left, though no one noticed that Mrs. Grey was not as eager to agree as the others.
Fernan sat at his desk thinking. At last something he can work with. He was curious about his man who lived in an opera house and pretended to be ghosts and angels.
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Erik sat furiously working at his organ. He only had a few days before the masque. He needed to complete his opera before then. It was almost complete. He would show them whose opera this really was. He had been working feverishly for the past few weeks to finish his masterpiece. It would be his greatest triumph. He stopped and leaned back stretching. He looked at the music piled on the stand in front of him. He smiled thinking that finally they would give him the respect he deserved. He went back to work while unbeknownst to him his freedom and privacy were in peril by those he had tried to control.