Disclaimer : I don't own any of the characters, they belong to Gaston
Leroux. Alain Choletti and Gerard Carriere belong to Misters Yeston and
Kopit. I am not making money out of this, it is purely for entertainment.
Erik's point of view
I stalked the corridors in a restless pace, still unnerved by what had happened in that
dressing room. She had more restraint than I did, but again, she was still young, and
she would never be forced to hold back her passions like I had been. It was unbearable
to think that I could have kissed her, and the only barrier between her lips an mine had been
that infernal mask. I should have been wearing another one under it, just in case some
other fool might try to rip it off. I was hardly knowing where I was going, and I finally
ended up on the stage. Still no not-so-sober couples looking for privacy, I noted. I took
out my watch and looked at the time, 11:00. It was show-time! I retraced my steps and
went in search of that fool Choletti and his cow of a wife, to find them kissing noisily in
the abandoned prop room. If my face was a shocking sight, that was a disgusting one. I
almost felt like forgetting about my prank and putting as much distance as I could
between myself and that horrible display, but thought better of it. It would be amusing to
see Carlotta's reaction to being interrupted by the evil Phantom.
She did not disappoint me, the moment I showed myself she started to scream her
indignation, then in fear as I approached the two of them, and finally squeaking rather
pitifully as I fixed their clothes and make-up. The word "rat" was enough to make her
exchange clothes with her husband's at lightning speed. A little sprinkle of my magic
dust and her hair turned a shocking shade of pink. Perhaps she would stop putting all
that grease in her hair after this, I sneered inwardly. The hard part was to drag them to
the stage, where they were bound, litteraly, to be found. I finished my little installation, rather
pleased with the result. I turned my back to them, ignoring the dark looks they were
giving me. The silence was shattered by some high-pitched giggling and raucous
laughter. I had not expected them to be found so quickly, they had not had enough time
to suffer yet. I risked a glance in the auditorium to see who the newly arrived were,
and felt burning anger mount like lava in my head. The vicomte!
Surrounded by his precious little conquests! A pack of silly girls, as short of brain as of
talent. Of all people, they had to find the manager. They would spoil the whole thing, of
course, that pest of a boy was a good friend of Choletti's, and would free him in an
instant. Oh no you don't ,boy, I thought as I watched him climb on the stage. You are
joining them! I was so lost in furious anger that it was only after I was done that I was
able to have a good look at the boy. He was wet through, his face covered in lipstick.
The lipstick was easy to trace to it's source, but the water, that was another point. I left
quickly, not keen on being caught on the scene of crime again. I returned to my home in
order to change. I did not feel inclined to dance or do anything more at the ball, and so
the Red Death outfit would go back in it's paper box. I changed into my usual evening
attire, and made my way to box five through the secret passages.
It would be the best vantage point to see how long it would take before Choletti and the
vicomte were discovered. For once I was not the first one on the scene, someone had
already found them when I returned and was calling the other party-goers to have a
look. I watched with wicked pleasure as Choletti and Carlotta were being humiliated
beyond belief. That would give them a lesson of humility, I mused. My gaze drifted to the
people drawing closer to the stage to have a better look, and in the crowd of curious I
spotted a white gown coupled with a black mask. Christine! She was watching the
pathetic spectacle before her, that I was certain of, but I was not sure whether she liked
it or not.
Her shoulders began to shake, she clamped a hand over her mouth and supported
herself against the wall. She couldn't be shocked to the point of being ill! I practically ran
down the ladder inside the hollow column and dashed backstage. Christine was making
her way towards me, so I hid behind a scenery and waited. She slid down on the floor,
her back to the wall for support, and I felt a pang of guilt at seeing her like this. Then
suddenly, she made choking sounds and I jumped out of my hiding place in alarm. I was
but a few meters away from her when she burst out laughing. The crushing guilt
evaporated to the sound of her laughter, and I sighed with relief. She had thought it
funny, thank God. Eventually, her laughter died away, and I seized the opportunity to
make my presence known to her. The sole of my shoe slapped the floor boards lightly,
making just enough noise to attract her attention, and hers only. Her eyes widened in
surprise, and her head turned slowly in my direction. It was rather amusing to see her
gaze travel slowly from my shoes to my face, like a guilty child caught doing mischief.
Was that a blush rising to her cheeks? "Enjoying the show ,my dear?" I asked lightly.
"Erik, what a perfectly terrible thing to do!" she said, her reprimanding tone severely
undermined by her chuckling. I don't know which part of me took over my actions then,
but before I could repress my impulse I reached down and took her in my arms, my eyes
staring deep into hers. "I had not planned to leave early, but you and I must talk". Where
had that come from?
Christine's point of view
Erik took me back to his house through a different set of passages this time, for I didn't
recognize my surroundings until we reached the lake. I'd have to ask him how many
different ways there were of reaching his house, assuming that he would tell me. He
liked to surprise me with novelties from time to time, I mused, not that that was my
foremost concern. I was rather unsettled by his silence, and that unfamiliar gleam had
not left his eyes yet. "Erik?" I called tentatively. He did not answer, but settled me gently
in the boat and roared furiously across. I failed to see what could have made him angry.
We reached the house on the lake in a matter of minutes, and Erik once again took me
in his arms, carrying me to the drawing room, where he put me down slowly. He was
slightly winded after our hurried journey, his eyes still aglow with fire. I took a step back
from him, wondering if he was angry, but that didn't seem to be it. His left hand shot out
like lightning, snatched my mask away and threw it to the floor while the right one slid
around my waist and pulled me to him. "Come here, you" he growled. Shock paralized my brain, and I was left
incapable of stringing two words of sense together. His free hand came to join the other
on my back, pulling me closer still. His chin found it's way to my hair, my face being
pressed to his throat by urgent hands. The sent of his cologne gave my befuddled mind
the "coup de grace" as it overcame my senses. "I don't know if you are aware of this my
dear, but you are the most heavenly creature ever to grace this earthly plane" he
whipered throatily. I was too lost in a haze of warm, sweet sensations to fully register
what he had said, but I sighed happily as my head came to rest on his shoulder for the
second time that evening. His hands roamed my back freely, from my shoulders to the
small of my back, which arched with delight under his gentle touch. My hands were
mirroring his of their own accord, caressing the vast surface of his torso. We held each
other a long time, relishing our closeness. His hand cupped the nape of my neck and
massaged it tenderly, effectively turning what was left of my conscious mind to a puddle
of pure delight. I slid my hands on his shoulders under his tail coat, pushing it down his
arms. It was down to his elbows when : Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong...* God forsaken
clock! * I thought angrily before my senses started coming back to me. With each chime
I became more aware of what I had been doing and of what could have happened if the
clock hadn't struck twelve. Color rose to my cheeks at an alarming speed, and I was
certain that I looked like someone who had spent too much time in the sun. I turned to
Erik uneasily, and saw that he too, was blushing and panting. He shrugged his tail coat
off and threw it on the armrest of a nearby armchair before slumping in said armchair a
moment later. He took several deep, slow breaths before speaking : " I think we should
leave it at that, don't you think my dear?" he said, using the same expression I had
earlier that evening. I nodded my agreement and headed back to my room, still shocked
at what had happened, and strangely disappointed it had not gone any further. Still lost
in thoughts of Erik, I changed into my nightgown and slipped under the comforter,
certain that sleep would be elusive. I was right. Slumber simply refused to take over me,
and I was left to turn the events of the evening in my head over and over again. Raoul
forcing me onto the dance floor, Erik appearing out of nowhere to rescue me, the
dances, the fight between Erik and Raoul, Monsieur Carriere's timely intervention, the
ridiculous display of Carlotta and Choletti on the stage along with Raoul, the return to
the house on the lake with Erik, and then... My face burned at the memory of the "talk"
Erik and I had had. All in all, it had been nothing more than an embrace, but it was still
more significant than any kiss I might have shared with Raoul. Strange really, how the
most casual of touches between Erik and I could make time stand still. A splashing
noise brought me back to the present, and I went to my window to see what was the
source of it. * At first I could see nothing, but movement to the left caught my attention. I
squinted through the darkness to get a glimpse of what was disturbing the water, and
was dumbstruck when I saw what it was. Erik was standing on the shore, throwing little
rocks in the water, making them ricochet across the surface. He threw another in, and I
had to muffle a laugh when I heard him exclaim in anger as the stone shot straight to the
bottom of the lake. Somehow, that didn't seem the kind of passtime that Erik would
favor, music was everything to him. Then again, he probably didn't want to risk waking
me up by playing the piano, let alone the organ. I crossed my arms and rested my chin
on them, watching him send more stones across the lake, smiling when he missed a
shot and muttered in frustration. He didn't seem likely to stop any time soon, and so I
decided to join him, since sleep wasn't an option. I made my way to the shore as silently
as possible, but it was not enough to escape his notice. He watched me as I
approached, playing with a handful of throwing rocks. "May I enquire as to why you are
walking around barefoot, my dear?" he asked, his tone that of reproach. "May I enquire
as to why you are still up?" I asked back. The disapproval in his eyes mellowed
somewhat, and he resumed his activity. "Did I wake you up?" he inquired politely. "No, I
couldn't sleep." I replied simply, taking a stone from him and throwing it in the lake,
where it sank without a single rebound. He chuckled and I pouted at him. "Give me a
chance, I 'm out of practice." I said irritably, reaching out to take another of his stones.
"Oh no you don't, dear. Good throwing rocks are rare down here and I don't want them
to be wasted." He teased. I side-stepped him and made a grab for the rocks, but he kept
them out of my reach again, amusement dancing in his eyes. As I made another
attempt, he raised his hand above his head, where I couldn't possibly reach. "What are
you going to do now?" he asked, the teasing tone more obvious than ever. I frowned
at him : "It's not fair, you're taller than I am!" I exclaimed. "You can't blame me for taking
advantage of my opponent's weakness" he replied casually, his eyes twinkling. An
impish voice suddenly brought me the solution to my problem. I made another futile grab
at his arm with one hand, while the other found the tender spot on the side, just below
the ribs, and gave it quick squeeze. The reaction was immediate, Erik bent over in two
with a yelp, dropping his stones to the ground. I hurriedly scooped up one and hel it up
in tirumph. Erik gave me a look full of resentment : "Tickling is not fair!" he growled.
" You can't blame me for taking advantage of my opponent's weakness" I chanted back,
laughing when he grumbled something about women fighting dirty. He straightened up,
tugging at his waistcoat and smoothing his shirt back in place. He pulled out his pocket
watch, glanced at it and gave me a disapproving look. "It is two int he morning, you
should go and get some rest now." He stated. "Yes sir!" I said, giving a mock salute
before turning my back to him. "Oh! Before I forget" I said, turning to him again. I threw
the rock I had been holding, and watched with satisfaction as it made five ricochets
across the water before sinking. I stuck my tongue out at Erik who was watching me
solemnly, then returned to my room, head held high in exagerated dignity. I allowed
myself a giggle when I heard Erik mutter behind me. I'd had the last word this time.
Erik's point of view
I stared at Christine's retreating form torn between of amusment and annoyance. The
sly little thing had once again resorted to that dirty little tactic of hers to get her way.
There was a definitive spring in her step after she managed to make that stone ricochet
on the water. It was just as well, had she failed I would probably have fallen victim to
another merciless bout of tickling at her hands. After a few minutes I returned to the
peace of my home, longing for the comfort of a stiff brandy and a good book. I sipped
my drink slowly while browsing through my extansive library, looking for something that
would keep my mind off Christine for a while.
Author's note :
Whew! Sorry for the delay, and sorry to give such a short chapter. My writer's block is
slowly going away, so I should be able to finish this during the summer, but I can't make
any promises. Thanks for all the great reviews!
* In the movie, Christine's room has windows that give on the lake.
Erik's point of view
I stalked the corridors in a restless pace, still unnerved by what had happened in that
dressing room. She had more restraint than I did, but again, she was still young, and
she would never be forced to hold back her passions like I had been. It was unbearable
to think that I could have kissed her, and the only barrier between her lips an mine had been
that infernal mask. I should have been wearing another one under it, just in case some
other fool might try to rip it off. I was hardly knowing where I was going, and I finally
ended up on the stage. Still no not-so-sober couples looking for privacy, I noted. I took
out my watch and looked at the time, 11:00. It was show-time! I retraced my steps and
went in search of that fool Choletti and his cow of a wife, to find them kissing noisily in
the abandoned prop room. If my face was a shocking sight, that was a disgusting one. I
almost felt like forgetting about my prank and putting as much distance as I could
between myself and that horrible display, but thought better of it. It would be amusing to
see Carlotta's reaction to being interrupted by the evil Phantom.
She did not disappoint me, the moment I showed myself she started to scream her
indignation, then in fear as I approached the two of them, and finally squeaking rather
pitifully as I fixed their clothes and make-up. The word "rat" was enough to make her
exchange clothes with her husband's at lightning speed. A little sprinkle of my magic
dust and her hair turned a shocking shade of pink. Perhaps she would stop putting all
that grease in her hair after this, I sneered inwardly. The hard part was to drag them to
the stage, where they were bound, litteraly, to be found. I finished my little installation, rather
pleased with the result. I turned my back to them, ignoring the dark looks they were
giving me. The silence was shattered by some high-pitched giggling and raucous
laughter. I had not expected them to be found so quickly, they had not had enough time
to suffer yet. I risked a glance in the auditorium to see who the newly arrived were,
and felt burning anger mount like lava in my head. The vicomte!
Surrounded by his precious little conquests! A pack of silly girls, as short of brain as of
talent. Of all people, they had to find the manager. They would spoil the whole thing, of
course, that pest of a boy was a good friend of Choletti's, and would free him in an
instant. Oh no you don't ,boy, I thought as I watched him climb on the stage. You are
joining them! I was so lost in furious anger that it was only after I was done that I was
able to have a good look at the boy. He was wet through, his face covered in lipstick.
The lipstick was easy to trace to it's source, but the water, that was another point. I left
quickly, not keen on being caught on the scene of crime again. I returned to my home in
order to change. I did not feel inclined to dance or do anything more at the ball, and so
the Red Death outfit would go back in it's paper box. I changed into my usual evening
attire, and made my way to box five through the secret passages.
It would be the best vantage point to see how long it would take before Choletti and the
vicomte were discovered. For once I was not the first one on the scene, someone had
already found them when I returned and was calling the other party-goers to have a
look. I watched with wicked pleasure as Choletti and Carlotta were being humiliated
beyond belief. That would give them a lesson of humility, I mused. My gaze drifted to the
people drawing closer to the stage to have a better look, and in the crowd of curious I
spotted a white gown coupled with a black mask. Christine! She was watching the
pathetic spectacle before her, that I was certain of, but I was not sure whether she liked
it or not.
Her shoulders began to shake, she clamped a hand over her mouth and supported
herself against the wall. She couldn't be shocked to the point of being ill! I practically ran
down the ladder inside the hollow column and dashed backstage. Christine was making
her way towards me, so I hid behind a scenery and waited. She slid down on the floor,
her back to the wall for support, and I felt a pang of guilt at seeing her like this. Then
suddenly, she made choking sounds and I jumped out of my hiding place in alarm. I was
but a few meters away from her when she burst out laughing. The crushing guilt
evaporated to the sound of her laughter, and I sighed with relief. She had thought it
funny, thank God. Eventually, her laughter died away, and I seized the opportunity to
make my presence known to her. The sole of my shoe slapped the floor boards lightly,
making just enough noise to attract her attention, and hers only. Her eyes widened in
surprise, and her head turned slowly in my direction. It was rather amusing to see her
gaze travel slowly from my shoes to my face, like a guilty child caught doing mischief.
Was that a blush rising to her cheeks? "Enjoying the show ,my dear?" I asked lightly.
"Erik, what a perfectly terrible thing to do!" she said, her reprimanding tone severely
undermined by her chuckling. I don't know which part of me took over my actions then,
but before I could repress my impulse I reached down and took her in my arms, my eyes
staring deep into hers. "I had not planned to leave early, but you and I must talk". Where
had that come from?
Christine's point of view
Erik took me back to his house through a different set of passages this time, for I didn't
recognize my surroundings until we reached the lake. I'd have to ask him how many
different ways there were of reaching his house, assuming that he would tell me. He
liked to surprise me with novelties from time to time, I mused, not that that was my
foremost concern. I was rather unsettled by his silence, and that unfamiliar gleam had
not left his eyes yet. "Erik?" I called tentatively. He did not answer, but settled me gently
in the boat and roared furiously across. I failed to see what could have made him angry.
We reached the house on the lake in a matter of minutes, and Erik once again took me
in his arms, carrying me to the drawing room, where he put me down slowly. He was
slightly winded after our hurried journey, his eyes still aglow with fire. I took a step back
from him, wondering if he was angry, but that didn't seem to be it. His left hand shot out
like lightning, snatched my mask away and threw it to the floor while the right one slid
around my waist and pulled me to him. "Come here, you" he growled. Shock paralized my brain, and I was left
incapable of stringing two words of sense together. His free hand came to join the other
on my back, pulling me closer still. His chin found it's way to my hair, my face being
pressed to his throat by urgent hands. The sent of his cologne gave my befuddled mind
the "coup de grace" as it overcame my senses. "I don't know if you are aware of this my
dear, but you are the most heavenly creature ever to grace this earthly plane" he
whipered throatily. I was too lost in a haze of warm, sweet sensations to fully register
what he had said, but I sighed happily as my head came to rest on his shoulder for the
second time that evening. His hands roamed my back freely, from my shoulders to the
small of my back, which arched with delight under his gentle touch. My hands were
mirroring his of their own accord, caressing the vast surface of his torso. We held each
other a long time, relishing our closeness. His hand cupped the nape of my neck and
massaged it tenderly, effectively turning what was left of my conscious mind to a puddle
of pure delight. I slid my hands on his shoulders under his tail coat, pushing it down his
arms. It was down to his elbows when : Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong...* God forsaken
clock! * I thought angrily before my senses started coming back to me. With each chime
I became more aware of what I had been doing and of what could have happened if the
clock hadn't struck twelve. Color rose to my cheeks at an alarming speed, and I was
certain that I looked like someone who had spent too much time in the sun. I turned to
Erik uneasily, and saw that he too, was blushing and panting. He shrugged his tail coat
off and threw it on the armrest of a nearby armchair before slumping in said armchair a
moment later. He took several deep, slow breaths before speaking : " I think we should
leave it at that, don't you think my dear?" he said, using the same expression I had
earlier that evening. I nodded my agreement and headed back to my room, still shocked
at what had happened, and strangely disappointed it had not gone any further. Still lost
in thoughts of Erik, I changed into my nightgown and slipped under the comforter,
certain that sleep would be elusive. I was right. Slumber simply refused to take over me,
and I was left to turn the events of the evening in my head over and over again. Raoul
forcing me onto the dance floor, Erik appearing out of nowhere to rescue me, the
dances, the fight between Erik and Raoul, Monsieur Carriere's timely intervention, the
ridiculous display of Carlotta and Choletti on the stage along with Raoul, the return to
the house on the lake with Erik, and then... My face burned at the memory of the "talk"
Erik and I had had. All in all, it had been nothing more than an embrace, but it was still
more significant than any kiss I might have shared with Raoul. Strange really, how the
most casual of touches between Erik and I could make time stand still. A splashing
noise brought me back to the present, and I went to my window to see what was the
source of it. * At first I could see nothing, but movement to the left caught my attention. I
squinted through the darkness to get a glimpse of what was disturbing the water, and
was dumbstruck when I saw what it was. Erik was standing on the shore, throwing little
rocks in the water, making them ricochet across the surface. He threw another in, and I
had to muffle a laugh when I heard him exclaim in anger as the stone shot straight to the
bottom of the lake. Somehow, that didn't seem the kind of passtime that Erik would
favor, music was everything to him. Then again, he probably didn't want to risk waking
me up by playing the piano, let alone the organ. I crossed my arms and rested my chin
on them, watching him send more stones across the lake, smiling when he missed a
shot and muttered in frustration. He didn't seem likely to stop any time soon, and so I
decided to join him, since sleep wasn't an option. I made my way to the shore as silently
as possible, but it was not enough to escape his notice. He watched me as I
approached, playing with a handful of throwing rocks. "May I enquire as to why you are
walking around barefoot, my dear?" he asked, his tone that of reproach. "May I enquire
as to why you are still up?" I asked back. The disapproval in his eyes mellowed
somewhat, and he resumed his activity. "Did I wake you up?" he inquired politely. "No, I
couldn't sleep." I replied simply, taking a stone from him and throwing it in the lake,
where it sank without a single rebound. He chuckled and I pouted at him. "Give me a
chance, I 'm out of practice." I said irritably, reaching out to take another of his stones.
"Oh no you don't, dear. Good throwing rocks are rare down here and I don't want them
to be wasted." He teased. I side-stepped him and made a grab for the rocks, but he kept
them out of my reach again, amusement dancing in his eyes. As I made another
attempt, he raised his hand above his head, where I couldn't possibly reach. "What are
you going to do now?" he asked, the teasing tone more obvious than ever. I frowned
at him : "It's not fair, you're taller than I am!" I exclaimed. "You can't blame me for taking
advantage of my opponent's weakness" he replied casually, his eyes twinkling. An
impish voice suddenly brought me the solution to my problem. I made another futile grab
at his arm with one hand, while the other found the tender spot on the side, just below
the ribs, and gave it quick squeeze. The reaction was immediate, Erik bent over in two
with a yelp, dropping his stones to the ground. I hurriedly scooped up one and hel it up
in tirumph. Erik gave me a look full of resentment : "Tickling is not fair!" he growled.
" You can't blame me for taking advantage of my opponent's weakness" I chanted back,
laughing when he grumbled something about women fighting dirty. He straightened up,
tugging at his waistcoat and smoothing his shirt back in place. He pulled out his pocket
watch, glanced at it and gave me a disapproving look. "It is two int he morning, you
should go and get some rest now." He stated. "Yes sir!" I said, giving a mock salute
before turning my back to him. "Oh! Before I forget" I said, turning to him again. I threw
the rock I had been holding, and watched with satisfaction as it made five ricochets
across the water before sinking. I stuck my tongue out at Erik who was watching me
solemnly, then returned to my room, head held high in exagerated dignity. I allowed
myself a giggle when I heard Erik mutter behind me. I'd had the last word this time.
Erik's point of view
I stared at Christine's retreating form torn between of amusment and annoyance. The
sly little thing had once again resorted to that dirty little tactic of hers to get her way.
There was a definitive spring in her step after she managed to make that stone ricochet
on the water. It was just as well, had she failed I would probably have fallen victim to
another merciless bout of tickling at her hands. After a few minutes I returned to the
peace of my home, longing for the comfort of a stiff brandy and a good book. I sipped
my drink slowly while browsing through my extansive library, looking for something that
would keep my mind off Christine for a while.
Author's note :
Whew! Sorry for the delay, and sorry to give such a short chapter. My writer's block is
slowly going away, so I should be able to finish this during the summer, but I can't make
any promises. Thanks for all the great reviews!
* In the movie, Christine's room has windows that give on the lake.