Chapter 6: A Phantom's Gift
It had been weeks since the masquerade ball and not a single incident had occurred leading most of the opera's company to believe that the resident phantom had 'Moved on' but of course that didn't stop their or the manager's caution... Antoinette hadn't been down to Erik's home since the night of the masquerade when she had warned him to stay away from Clara.
Clara was supposed to be practicing for her upcoming audition for the next opera season but she found herself sitting within the opera house practice room in which she had taught Erik to dance... But instead of facing the direction of the piano as she normally would... She instead found herself sitting on the piano stool, gazing towards the row of mirrors that lined the wall as the fact of a masked man filled her mind... Her thoughts were interrupted when a timid Christine knocked on the door to the practice room,
"... Hi..." she greeted shyly when Clara looked at her,
"... I haven't seen you for a few weeks" Clara noted tiredly,
"Yes, I... I found lodgings elsewhere... A place to clear my head and think..." Christine explained as she entered the room properly as Clara finally moved to face the piano,
"I... I wanted to apologize for... For manipulating you into trading dresses with me for the masquerade" she continued with a guilty expression,
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Clara asked in confusion,
"I... I didn't... I didn't want to take the chance that you might say no" Christine finally admitted with a defeated sigh and Clara turned back to face her,
"... From what I heard your masked admirer say... You really hurt his feelings... I don't think it's me you should be apologizing too" she stated,
"He's not my friend..." Christine murmured before moving and sat beside Clara with a sad expression,
"I.. He lied to me... He made me believe that he was an angel of music sent by my father in heaven to teach me to sing" she explained,
"Christine, you're not a child. If you believed such a tale then it was because you wanted to believe it" Clara insisted,
"No, I..." she tried,
"... I... I suppose there were times that I questioned if his story was true... I... I didn't think that my maestro... my angel of music would turn out to be the phantom of the opera" Christine said,
"I think deep down... In all your dreams and fantasies about your angel... You always knew" Clara replied,
"And why can he not be a phantom, your angel and your maestro?" she demanded,
"Clara... He is no angel... I... I've seen his face..." Christine whispered as fear filled her eyes and horror filled her expression,
"... I came to apologize but to also to warn you. Never go near him again... That face... It was barely a face at all... Only a demon could have..." Christine tried after placing a hand over Clara's but before she could even finish Clara ripped her hand away from her,
"I advice you not to finish that sentence" she warned,
"Clara.." Christine tried but Clara stood from the piano stool and walked away a few steps before turning back to look at her,
"Based on what you have said and what I heard him say the night of the masquerade when he talked of how he had the dress you gave me... That he had had it made for you... then it sounds to me as if the man who helped you, admired you and flat out adored you is not only disfigured and most likely broken because of that very fact but... You decided to break him further by breaking his heart..." Clara concluded in a horrified whisper that matched the expression on her face,
"He's a demon, Clara. A devil in disguise! You saw his anger! You felt his monstrous touch! Just look at what he did to you!" Christine argued, gesturing to the bruise on Clara's arm from where Erik had grabbed her arm,
"... His anger was monstrous and yes he should not have grabbed me the way he did but I know for a fact that he regretted his actions the moment he realized that I was innocent" Clara stated firmly before moving to leave the room,
"I know you're planning on auditioning to be a singer for the next season" Christine called after her causing Clara to stop walking,
"... I fear that if you do then you will face his full wrath... He is determined to make me the opera's next diva... He knew it was my and my father's dream to perform on this stage..." Christine explained and looked down in shame when Clara looked at her with a humorless, knowing smile,
"... So that's why you actually came to see me... Not to apologize or warn me... But to scare me" she concluded, seeing how Christine avoided her gaze,
"No..." she tried,
"You don't have to worry. I have no intentions of auditioning" Clara interrupted her,
"You don't?" Christine pressed in surprise,
"No... Because I have noticed an unfortunate pattern when it comes to the women that get a taste of fame from performing on this opera house's stage... Sorelli, Carlotta... You" Clara stated firmly,
"... It seems a pattern that all whom sample that taste are cursed with selfishness, vanity, ignorance and... a heart full of nothing but cruelty so no... I won't be auditioning because I will be happy in the fact knowing that I won't wake up one morning and look in the mirror finding that I can no longer bare the sight of what reflects back at me... Someone once told me that mirrors never lie so I truly hope the reflection that awaits you gives you a big wake up call" Clara told her before storming away and Christine couldn't help but slowly look at her reflection in the mirror, only to jump in fright when it suddenly cracked... A split that ran right across her face in a upwards diagonal direction to the right... Christine prayed this was not some omen that predicted bad luck in her future.
Antoinette was reviewing a delivery of new ballet shoes in her room when Clara entered the room and closed the door behind her,
"You're certainly in a hurry..." The ballet mistress began,
"I need you to take me to see Erik" Clara interrupted causing her aunt to look at her surprised for a moment but her expression became firm,
"Absolutely not. Not after what.." she began,
"It's either you take me down there or I find my way there myself which will most likely result in my getting lost in the labyrinthine tunnels forever" Clara interrupted firmly and Antoinette looked at her sharply but saw her niece's pleading expression and she soon sighed,
"... Very well" she grumbled before standing and collected a box of matched before lighting a candelabra and proceeded to open a secret tunnel behind the ceiling to floor mirror and she soon lead her niece inside before closing the secret window behind them.
Erik was sat at his desk, grumbling as he tinkered with a mechanism built up from various cogs and, wires and springs... He soon smiled brightly when he was able to click a cog into the right place and he proceeded to place the mechanism within a silver box that he then covered in blackish blue velvet and he closed the silver lid before brushing his finger tips over the elegant design of the lid that featured a carving of his own half mask and two red stemmed roses beside it to the right... The outer sides of the box were detailed with images of of the opera house itself, Apollo's lire and the chandelier... All things he knew that Clara adored about the opera house itself... He placed the creation within a gift box and placed a lid on top before securing it with a blue ribbon... His actions were interrupted when Antoinette entered his home with a grumpy expression,
"I was completely against this but she insisted that she would only find a way herself and most likely get herself lost" she announced just as Clara emerged from behind her,
"... Clara..." Erik murmured in surprise,
"... Mr Destler..." Clara greeted in return with just as gentle a tone as his... A great silence fell between them before Clara finally looked at her aunt,
"... I would like to speak with him alone" she explained,
"But he..." Antoinette tried firmly,
"Please" Clara interrupted and the ballet mistress sighed before leaving and Erik could only wait for what seemed like hours until Clara turned to him... He saw her approach him and he braced himself for a slap or anger filled screams that would most likely fill the air any moment but he saw her look up at him and take a deep breath,
"... I have been so angry with you for weeks" Clara stated,
"You accused me of being a thief, you hurt me, humiliated me and ruined a perfectly good evening that I had actually begun to look forward too" she continued,
"... But... Despite all that... During these last few weeks I have had time to think... For most of the time I vowed that I never wanted to see you again... But then I finally managed to calm down and it was only a few moments ago that I realized why you had reacted so angrily when you thought I had stolen from Christine... She's not just your student... You care for her a great deal..." She concluded,
"That doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't have..." Erik tried but Clara held up a gentle hand making him stop talking,
"I am more than aware that your reaction was uncalled for and your actions, unforgivable... but..." Clara stated and took a deep breath once again and sighed gently,
"... I know that you regret it and I can see just how sorry you are when I look at your eyes... So... It is my choice... To forgive you" Clara told him with a gentle smile and Erik looked at her stunned,
"... Really?" he pressed, watching as she nodded,
"Yes, Mr Destler" she assured,
"Erik" he corrected,
"... It would please me very much if you would call me Erik... Seeing as I seem to have taken to calling you by your first name without actually having asked if you were ok with my doing such a thing... My apologies" Erik told her but Clara smiled brightly with a slight giggle but nodded,
"Very well... Erik" she said and the masked man smiled in relief,
"I was actually about to bring a gift of apology to your room..." he explained before gesturing to the gift box on his desk and Clara looked at him surprised,
"... For me?... You didn't have to get me anything" she insisted as he lead her towards his desk so she stood before the gift box,
"I actually made it" he corrected gently before watching her with hopeful eyes as she opened the gift and he smiled at her expression of awe as she retrieved the box from within and admired his carved, engraved images before opening the box so that a delicate tune filled the air,
"... Oh, Erik... I love it" Clara whispered with a bright smile before moving and hugged him tightly despite his initial shock... He slowly hugged her in return before eventually pulling away and cleared his throat awkwardly,
"I... I'm glad you like it... I always found joy when making such things like that when i was a boy... Although Sasha always stole my tools" Erik stated randomly in hopes of changing the subject to hide his bashfullness,
"... Sasha?" Clara pressed gently,
"Oh... My childhood pet. A Cocker Spaniel named Sasha... Although I think she thought of me more of a puppy than an owner which is something considering that my own mother didn't see me as anything other than a monster... Never mind her own son" he tried jokingly but saw how Clara looked at him sadly and Erik sighed,
"... My apologies... I... I don't normally speak of my past... Especially my childhood but it seems that you create this... Sense of ease in me that allows me to share but I will try not..." he attempted but Clara gently took his hand in her own,
"I would love to learn more about you, Erik... As long as you're willing to share" Clara told him and there was a practically endless moment of silence before Erik gently closed his fingers around Clara's that held his own and he smiled down at her gently,
"Well... There was this one time that I and Sasha crept into the kitchen whilst my mother slept and I stole an entire jar of biscuits that I proceeded to share with Sasha..." Erik began as he lead Clara over to a couch that sat before a warm fireplace that had been carved into the stone wall and Clara smiled as Erik began to share various tales of his childhood.
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QueenOfDisney96