"Well Miss Daae," Monsieur Andre asked. "Would you like to be the Prima
Donna?" I nodded my head.
"Yes sir. I apologize for my absence this last week. After escaping from
the phantom I received a letter saying my uncle was very ill. He is the
only family I have left beside his son, so I felt it best to attend him.
He is now quite well."
"Well then consider yourself hired. We have desperately needed a Prima
Donna, as our current can sing, but her talent pales in comparison to yours
or Carlotta's."
"Whatever happened to her?" I asked curiously. I had forgotten all about
her.
"You hadn't heard? Well, I suppose not. She went insane," Andre looked
over at Firmin. "Is this deal to your satisfaction, Firmin?" he asked.
"Lord knows it's out of my hands," he grumbled. "Do what you think is
appropriate for I doubt I'd have a say in it if I tried." He went back to
sorting through his papers. Monsieur Andre smiled.
"Well Miss Daae, they are going to start rehearsal for Faust tomorrow at
ten o'clock. We've only had one other rehearsal, so it should be easy for
you to learn the part. Welcome back." He shook my hand, and then I took
my leave. I smiled to myself knowing Erik would be pleased. Faust was one
of his favorites.
* * * * *
I decided to stop by my flat before going back to the house beyond the lake. My scarf had gotten a sizable hole in it, so I would have to use my red one until I could purchase a new one. I only hope I wouldn't see Raoul, for he would most likely take it as a sign of forgiveness. I really didn't want that to happen. I took the small key out of my pocket. I could feel how cold it was, even through my gloves. I slid it into the small keyhole, and quickly turned it, as it could stick otherwise. The door swung open with a gratifying creak, and I stepped inside. I would have screamed out loud if he had not have been so quick. Raoul had been lying in wait, and he quickly covered my mouth with his handkerchief. Within ten seconds I was woozy, and by half a minute I had gone limp in his arms, unconscious.
* * * * *
I woke up in a very peculiar place. When I say peculiar I don't mean strange, more like unexpected. It was my room in the House Beyond the Lake, only I didn't believe I was beyond the lake. The room was dark except for a small light on the table next to my bed, and it was burning low. Shadows invaded every corner, just as fear invaded my body. I quickly slid back between the covers, and shut my eyes tight. I had not ever expected to be afraid of the dark ever again, not after being with Erik. But maybe that was the trick. The dark was always much less frightening when someone else was there to either share your fear, or to give you comfort and reassurance. After about three minutes, someone started shaking me. I wrapped the blankets around me tighter. I didn't want to know what was out there trying to get me. "Christine, come out." I slowly unwound myself from the sheets and gazed up into a face I had not expected to see. "Erik? What are you doing here? Where are we?" I asked, jumping out of bed. "The House Beyond the Lake. The Vicomte is downstairs." "What's going on? "No more questions Christine." "How am I here?" I asked anyway, as we walked down the stairs. "The last thing I remember was being drugged." I trailed off. Erik's back had gone rigid, if only for a moment. "Erik! What's wrong?" His answer was silence. The drawing room was unoccupied, and it had been awhile since I had navigated the other dark corridors of the house. Luckily, Erik was with me. We proceeded through several halls, and went down several flights of stairs before we reached our destination. The door looked as though it had not been opened in many years, but when Erik opened it, it did not creak a bit. In fact, it was so quiet Raoul didn't realize we were there until Erik cleared his throat. Raoul stood up, out of courtesy for me I assume, since I doubted he would tire himself standing up for Erik. He starting walking towards me, and I shied back, utterly disgusted. "Don't touch me Raoul." He abruptly stopped, and looked wounded. "Why darling, whatever can you mean?" "You know perfectly well what I mean Raoul. Obviously when you tried to drug me, the drug didn't work to its full effect. What was the drug suppose to do, by the way? "Drugged you? Darling, I've never drugged you. You must be ill. You don't know what you're saying." "Christine," Erik said. "The Vicomte did not drug you. He saw you collapsed in the hallway in front of your flat, and immediately brought you here. You must have imagined everything else. It must have been sort of a dream while you were unconscious." I almost fainted again. Erik defending Raoul? Why, was the question that sounded in my mind. "Of course," I decided to give in to see what they were up to. "I'm sorry Raoul. Please forgive me." "Of course I forgive darling." Raoul escorted me to an armchair, and he turned to Erik. "Now, to continue with our discussion. Are you going to give Miss Daae to me willingly, or will I have to take her by force." Erik threw back his head and started to laugh. "If that is what you wanted you were free to take her. I really have no need for her anymore. Also I don't approve of your methods of taking people by force." I was shocked. I stood up and walked over to Erik. He looked straight into my eyes, and smiled. I slapped him, ran out of the room. I heard Raoul calling before the door slammed shut, but I kept on running. I lost a shoe on a flight of stairs and I tripped over a rug in one of the rooms. I quickly stood up, fearing pursuit, but I heard no one coming after me. I eventually found the way the Rue Scribe and got a cab. I threw myself into my bed back at my flat. I started crying, crying harder than I had since my father died. It felt like my world had begun to crumble, as though a foundation had fallen from beneath me. I was falling. I didn't know how long I would be falling, or where I was going to land. I glanced over at my little clock on my bedside table. It was near midnight. Next to the clock was a faded rose. It was the one Erik had given me when I was still Genevieve. I grabbed it, and threw it out window, hoping never to see it again, and never to have to remember who gave it to me and why.
* * * * *
The door to the room slammed shut, and Erik felt the force of the door slamming into place as though it was slamming into his heart. He started walking wildly around the room. Raoul watched him as a cat watches a mouse from the armchair next to the fireplace. "You really have nothing to be worried about Phantom.you played your part marvelously. I do think she actually believes you mean it! I wish you could have seen the look on your face when she slapped you." Erik stopped pacing, and walked over to the chair. "I still cannot believe this plan of yours. What kind of man would kill the woman he loves just so another man cannot have her? What horrible thing has happened to you to make you that.sick?" Raoul stood up and faced Erik. "A life of deprivation, you monster. Ever since I was a boy, it was big brother getting all the attention. None for me. No one cared about a little Vicomte," he remarked bitterly. "When Philippe died in a duel, people finally began to take notice. I was of course almost twenty by this time, and had already seen how fickle and shallow people really were. I resolved from then on that I would have whatever I wanted, no matter what the price, and no matter who stood in my way, whether it be the Queen or an Opera Ghost," he added with a snap.
* * * * *
I decided to stop by my flat before going back to the house beyond the lake. My scarf had gotten a sizable hole in it, so I would have to use my red one until I could purchase a new one. I only hope I wouldn't see Raoul, for he would most likely take it as a sign of forgiveness. I really didn't want that to happen. I took the small key out of my pocket. I could feel how cold it was, even through my gloves. I slid it into the small keyhole, and quickly turned it, as it could stick otherwise. The door swung open with a gratifying creak, and I stepped inside. I would have screamed out loud if he had not have been so quick. Raoul had been lying in wait, and he quickly covered my mouth with his handkerchief. Within ten seconds I was woozy, and by half a minute I had gone limp in his arms, unconscious.
* * * * *
I woke up in a very peculiar place. When I say peculiar I don't mean strange, more like unexpected. It was my room in the House Beyond the Lake, only I didn't believe I was beyond the lake. The room was dark except for a small light on the table next to my bed, and it was burning low. Shadows invaded every corner, just as fear invaded my body. I quickly slid back between the covers, and shut my eyes tight. I had not ever expected to be afraid of the dark ever again, not after being with Erik. But maybe that was the trick. The dark was always much less frightening when someone else was there to either share your fear, or to give you comfort and reassurance. After about three minutes, someone started shaking me. I wrapped the blankets around me tighter. I didn't want to know what was out there trying to get me. "Christine, come out." I slowly unwound myself from the sheets and gazed up into a face I had not expected to see. "Erik? What are you doing here? Where are we?" I asked, jumping out of bed. "The House Beyond the Lake. The Vicomte is downstairs." "What's going on? "No more questions Christine." "How am I here?" I asked anyway, as we walked down the stairs. "The last thing I remember was being drugged." I trailed off. Erik's back had gone rigid, if only for a moment. "Erik! What's wrong?" His answer was silence. The drawing room was unoccupied, and it had been awhile since I had navigated the other dark corridors of the house. Luckily, Erik was with me. We proceeded through several halls, and went down several flights of stairs before we reached our destination. The door looked as though it had not been opened in many years, but when Erik opened it, it did not creak a bit. In fact, it was so quiet Raoul didn't realize we were there until Erik cleared his throat. Raoul stood up, out of courtesy for me I assume, since I doubted he would tire himself standing up for Erik. He starting walking towards me, and I shied back, utterly disgusted. "Don't touch me Raoul." He abruptly stopped, and looked wounded. "Why darling, whatever can you mean?" "You know perfectly well what I mean Raoul. Obviously when you tried to drug me, the drug didn't work to its full effect. What was the drug suppose to do, by the way? "Drugged you? Darling, I've never drugged you. You must be ill. You don't know what you're saying." "Christine," Erik said. "The Vicomte did not drug you. He saw you collapsed in the hallway in front of your flat, and immediately brought you here. You must have imagined everything else. It must have been sort of a dream while you were unconscious." I almost fainted again. Erik defending Raoul? Why, was the question that sounded in my mind. "Of course," I decided to give in to see what they were up to. "I'm sorry Raoul. Please forgive me." "Of course I forgive darling." Raoul escorted me to an armchair, and he turned to Erik. "Now, to continue with our discussion. Are you going to give Miss Daae to me willingly, or will I have to take her by force." Erik threw back his head and started to laugh. "If that is what you wanted you were free to take her. I really have no need for her anymore. Also I don't approve of your methods of taking people by force." I was shocked. I stood up and walked over to Erik. He looked straight into my eyes, and smiled. I slapped him, ran out of the room. I heard Raoul calling before the door slammed shut, but I kept on running. I lost a shoe on a flight of stairs and I tripped over a rug in one of the rooms. I quickly stood up, fearing pursuit, but I heard no one coming after me. I eventually found the way the Rue Scribe and got a cab. I threw myself into my bed back at my flat. I started crying, crying harder than I had since my father died. It felt like my world had begun to crumble, as though a foundation had fallen from beneath me. I was falling. I didn't know how long I would be falling, or where I was going to land. I glanced over at my little clock on my bedside table. It was near midnight. Next to the clock was a faded rose. It was the one Erik had given me when I was still Genevieve. I grabbed it, and threw it out window, hoping never to see it again, and never to have to remember who gave it to me and why.
* * * * *
The door to the room slammed shut, and Erik felt the force of the door slamming into place as though it was slamming into his heart. He started walking wildly around the room. Raoul watched him as a cat watches a mouse from the armchair next to the fireplace. "You really have nothing to be worried about Phantom.you played your part marvelously. I do think she actually believes you mean it! I wish you could have seen the look on your face when she slapped you." Erik stopped pacing, and walked over to the chair. "I still cannot believe this plan of yours. What kind of man would kill the woman he loves just so another man cannot have her? What horrible thing has happened to you to make you that.sick?" Raoul stood up and faced Erik. "A life of deprivation, you monster. Ever since I was a boy, it was big brother getting all the attention. None for me. No one cared about a little Vicomte," he remarked bitterly. "When Philippe died in a duel, people finally began to take notice. I was of course almost twenty by this time, and had already seen how fickle and shallow people really were. I resolved from then on that I would have whatever I wanted, no matter what the price, and no matter who stood in my way, whether it be the Queen or an Opera Ghost," he added with a snap.