Chapter 28
"Roxy. Roxy wake up." A voice called off in the distance. I groaned. It was so nice and warm I didn't want to wake up right then.
"Roxanne." Erik's voice called.
"Erik?" I moaned. My mouth couldn't quite form the words so it came out as a hum.
"I think she's coming around." Laurens voice announced.
"Batten down the hatches and brace ye selves for a panic attack." Melanie said sarcastically.
I heard Abby shush the two of them. "Quiet."
"Roxy." They called."Roxy."
"Roxanne open your eyes." Erik told me gently.
My eye opened slowly. For a moment my vision was out of focus. It was like looking into a telescope. Then when it had finally cleared and I sat up on the couch. There was throbbing in my head that it was far too painful. I clutched my head. "Ouch."
"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty." Melanie greeted rubbing my back.
"How long have I been out?" I asked.
"Maybe an hour."
Abby said. "That's it, no more running down rabbit holes for a while."
"You gave us a fright!" Lauren exclaimed. "If you were unconscious a minute ago I would have knocked you out for my heart attack."
I looked around a found that I was in Christine's dressing room. Around me the room was slightly different but the rose pink walls were the same as before. The mirror had been where it was. The dresser had been taken out and the furniture was rearranged but it still looked the same. My three friends stood around me in a circle watching me like a wounded dove. There was one person's voice that was unaccountable however.
"Erik." I moaned. "Where is Erik?"
"Um, who are you talking about?"Lauren asked.
"He couldn't have been far behind me. He was the man that was probably carrying my unconscious body."
Abby shook her head. "You were all alone when we found you."
"But that can't be." I tried to assure myself. "He was behind me. I pulled him through the door and I fell backwards and hit my head on the floor."
Lauren put a hand over my fore head. She giggled. "I think you have a slight fever."
"I was wearing a wedding dress wasn't I?" I asked clinging on to the little proof that I had that meant I wasn't insane. "That would mean that he was real."
"You probably were playing dress up and tripped over your own skirt." Abby explained nonchalantly. "You are so clumsy sometimes. I wish that I got to try it on though."
"Me too." Lauren agreed. "It was gorgeous on you. It looked like it was made for you."
Because it was made for me. I thought. "But I wasn't dreaming. There was a man named Erik. He must have ran off when he heard you looking for me. That must be the reason."
"Why would he do a thing like that?" Melanie questioned.
"Yeah," Abby agreed placing a hand on my shoulder. "If he saved you wouldn't he have shown his face?"
"He is hideously deformed but he is still a good person." I tried to explain. I sat up fully on the sofa. My head spun as I did so.
"You mean like Quasimodo?"
I shook my head. "No, only half of his face is deformed. He wears a mask to hide it from the world."
"Don't tell me." Melanie gasped. We all looked at her waiting for her to continue. "When you hit your head you were knocked unconscious and had a dream about the Phantom. Am I right?"
Lauren groaned. "Please don't talk about your obsession. For once talk about something normal. Like clothes or boys."
"Technically he is a boy."
"Don't turn this into a Phantom Fanfic, Melanie." Abby begged. "That would make it into the lamest one in the whole world. It has been done far too many times already."
Melanie looked back at me and continued what she was going to say before she was rudely interrupted. "Because if you say that I'm not then I will try to snap it out of you with a fork. If you still say that you really saw him I will personally ship you off to a mental hospital and make you tell me the whole crazy story."
I stared at her blankly. Had it all been a dream? Was it all in my head? It felt so real though. It couldn't have all been a dream. Everything seemed genuine down to the dust that made me sneeze. The aching in my throat after I practiced had burned like normal. Erik's cries in anger as I pulled off his mask sounded real to me. The knife to my throat that drew my blood when I was trapped by Joseph hurt like it was supposed to. I know that I felt cold when I had gone outside to pay my respects to Madame Giry. The feeling of the rope rubbing against my skin burned. Tears that ran down my face when I heard Erik say that he loved me felt fresh. The kiss that we shared together… That couldn't have been in my head. I didn't dare to believe it.
A knock came from the door. My face brightened thinking that it was Erik here to see me. We turned our attention to a young gentleman in a business suit holding on to the handles of an older man sitting in a wheelchair. He must have been at least eighty years. When he coughed it was more like a wheeze as he tried to get the air into his lungs. He had little white patches of hair that dangled on his wrinkly head. The small round silver framed glasses barely covered his eyes. There was something in his eyes that reminded me of someone. Rolling him in the room the gentleman motioned to the girls to leave us for a minute. Reluctantly they walked out and I was let with the two men.
"My name is Gaston Bardot. I am the owner of the Palais Garnier." He greeted. As the other gentleman rolled him close enough so we could stay seated and still shake hands.
"My name is Roxanne Nilsson."
"Nilsson, what a curious name. Do you know if any of your family lived in France?"
"Two sir. My Father had a many great grandmothers perform here as a singer."
"And your mother?" He questioned.
I nodded. "A dancer I believe."
Monsieur Bardot smiled. "I think we might be related in some way on your mother's side."
"How is that?"
"I looked into your family. My sister moved to America many years back." He stated. Placing his hands over mine he declared. "So I will think you as my niece for now on."
"I am deeply sorry that this has happened." The old man said. "I assure you that I will personally help in any way that I can to express my condolences."
I nodded sitting up on the sofa correctly. "No, it is alright. Someone probably accidently pulled the lever that opens the trap door by the exit."
The man's eyebrow rose in curiosity. He smiled kindly "Of course. If that is the case then be free to ask help from me anytime. You remind me of someone my father told me about."
I stared at him.
"Well off to work." He said solemnly. "I hope to see you in the future."
"By chance was your father named Marco?"
Monsieur nodded. "My mother was named Meg."
Then they rolled out the door. I sat there for a minute and walked out as well. I looked into the room one last time and turned off the lights.
