A/N: Ok everyone, please do not hate me and not read the rest of my story
just because of what happens in part of this chapter! PLEASE!!!! The evil
will be dealt with! I had to do it. (I also had to pay my friend $10 just
so she would read it because of what happens but oh well!) Anyway, do not
think I enjoyed any of the evilness. I didn't. It had to be done so that I
could do something else later. So confusing!!! Anyway, thanks to those of
you who have reviewed so far and please keep it up! I'll stop rambling now.
Here's the story!!!
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We emerged from the labyrinth and walked into the main lobby of the Opera House. People had begun to gather there waiting for the performance to start. They had all been chatting noisily, but when we walked in they quieted. Christian got a dark look on his face.
"Just keep following me," he muttered. We started towards the doors. I could see people staring at me. I could hear their whispers. I did what Christian said and just kept following him. The whispers grew to murmurs and Christian walked faster. I had to grab his hand to keep from being separated from him in the crowd.
"Who's the freak Destler?! Your girlfriend?!" A man yelled from behind us. Christian stopped dead in his tracks and tightened his grip on my hand ever so slightly. He shook his head quickly and started walking again. Suddenly I felt someone grab my other arm.
"I asked you a question Destler. Who's the freak?" The man yanked me away from Christian who then turned to look at the man.
"Shut up bastard," Christian said icily and took my hand again. "Let's go Danielle."
"Answer me Destler! Is she your freak girlfriend? Trying to find someone like your father?" the man taunted.
Christian rounded on him furiously. "Hold your tongue Chagny or I swear I will not rest until your whole family is in Hell where they belong!" he roared. His eyes blazed red and his voice made me shiver in fear. A hushed silence had fallen over the other occupants of the lobby.
"They don't need anyone else in Hell Destler, your father is enough. Him and all the other freaks. I guess she'll be there someday too," the man spat back. My eyes filled with tears of anger and hurt.
"Please Christian, let's go home," I said softly through my tears. He looked down at me and his eyes immediately returned to their usual gold.
"This isn't over Chagny. This will be finished one day," he warned and took my hand. The crowd parted for us as we nearly ran to the front doors. Once outside, Christian hailed a cab and we climbed in. He gave the driver our address and told him to hurry.
During the ride, I leaned into Christian and wept. He kept a comforting arm around my shoulder. I tried to stop crying, but I couldn't. The man's words had hit me like he had shoved a knife in my heart.
"I'll kill him. I'll kill him for doing this to you Danielle," Christian vowed. We pulled up in front of our chateau and I ran into the house. Halfway down the hall, I ran into mother.
"Danielle!" she cried. "What's wrong?" She held my face in her hands. I struggled to get away, but she wouldn't let go.
"Let me go!" I screamed as more tears poured down my face.
"Danielle, calm down! Tell me what's wrong!" mother yelled. I collapsed to the floor and sobbed. Suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around me. I looked up and saw Christian. I hugged him tightly and buried my head in his chest.
"Shhh, it's okay Danielle. No one's going to hurt you now. I'll take care of you," he whispered. My sobs quieted some and Christian stroked my hair.
"Christian what happened?" mother asked.
"We had a run-in with Michael de Chagny at the Opera House," he replied quietly.
"Isn't that Raoul's nephew?"
"Yes, I almost killed the bastard but decided to get Danielle home."
I stood up and wiped my face. I sighed and without a word walked off to my room. I threw off my trench coat, and, when I did, something flew out of my pocket. It landed on the other side of my bed. I looked and realized it was the mask. I picked it up and put it on. It was too big for me, but it gave me a feeling of comfort. I laid down and a few minutes later I fell asleep.
I woke up a few hours later to the sound of my door opening. I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest. I watched as my mother walked in. she gasped when she saw the mask on my face. She came and sat on the bed.
"Oh Danielle," she said quietly and reached for the mask. I pulled quickly away and held it to my face. "Christian told me what happened today." I was startled when my vision turned red at the memory of the man's words. Mother looked at me in shock. "Calm down Danielle," she instructed. I took several deep breaths and my vision slowly returned to normal. A few moments of silence passed before mother spoke again.
"Why don't you take that off now Danielle?"
"I need it," I stated.
"No you don't," mother replied.
"Yes I do mother! You've seen my face!" I yelled.
"Yes, I have seen your face. I don't think you need to hide it with a mask," she said softly. "Christian agrees with me."
"Well you and Christian must be blind then," I snapped. "Can you get me one just like this but smaller?"
Mother sighed. "If that's what you really want Danielle," she answered.
"It is," I said.
"I'll see what I can do," she told me. She kissed the top of my head, stood up, and left the room. Still tired, I laid back down and fell asleep again. I welcomed the rest, but I hadn't counted on the dream.
I was in a cage. A small, steel cage. My mask was dangling just above me. I reached for it but when I did it moved away. I looked ahead of me and realized there was a man holding my mask just out of reach.
"Give it back!" I cried. The man grinned sinisterly.
"Come and get it if you want it," he said sneeringly. I reached for it again then felt a stinging pain in my back. I fell forward in agony and when I looked up I was no longer in a cage.
"Perhaps now you will think twice before you disobey the Shah," a voice said from somewhere above me. I lifted my head a little higher and saw a man in royal robes sitting on a throne. I stood up then bowed.
"Forgive me...your majesty," I said with a sarcastic edge to my voice.
"Get out of my sight!" he yelled. I turned to leave and suddenly I felt another immense pain in my back. It was hard to breathe and my vision was hazy. I looked around and saw a man lying dead on the floor. I also saw Christian and mother. Suddenly, my subconscious mind realized I was dreaming; I was remembering. I was seeing things through my father's eyes.
I fell and my mother came and cradled my head in her lap. Christian knelt next to me. I wanted to wake up. I didn't want to be part of this memory. I wanted to wake up, but I couldn't. I had no control over my words or actions. It was as though somehow my father was showing this to me. It was like he wanted to tell me something but I didn't know what.
"I'll always love you Erik," my mother sobbed.
"And I you Christine," was my response. My eyelids felt so heavy. I wanted to be free of the pain. I closed my eyes and I died.
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We emerged from the labyrinth and walked into the main lobby of the Opera House. People had begun to gather there waiting for the performance to start. They had all been chatting noisily, but when we walked in they quieted. Christian got a dark look on his face.
"Just keep following me," he muttered. We started towards the doors. I could see people staring at me. I could hear their whispers. I did what Christian said and just kept following him. The whispers grew to murmurs and Christian walked faster. I had to grab his hand to keep from being separated from him in the crowd.
"Who's the freak Destler?! Your girlfriend?!" A man yelled from behind us. Christian stopped dead in his tracks and tightened his grip on my hand ever so slightly. He shook his head quickly and started walking again. Suddenly I felt someone grab my other arm.
"I asked you a question Destler. Who's the freak?" The man yanked me away from Christian who then turned to look at the man.
"Shut up bastard," Christian said icily and took my hand again. "Let's go Danielle."
"Answer me Destler! Is she your freak girlfriend? Trying to find someone like your father?" the man taunted.
Christian rounded on him furiously. "Hold your tongue Chagny or I swear I will not rest until your whole family is in Hell where they belong!" he roared. His eyes blazed red and his voice made me shiver in fear. A hushed silence had fallen over the other occupants of the lobby.
"They don't need anyone else in Hell Destler, your father is enough. Him and all the other freaks. I guess she'll be there someday too," the man spat back. My eyes filled with tears of anger and hurt.
"Please Christian, let's go home," I said softly through my tears. He looked down at me and his eyes immediately returned to their usual gold.
"This isn't over Chagny. This will be finished one day," he warned and took my hand. The crowd parted for us as we nearly ran to the front doors. Once outside, Christian hailed a cab and we climbed in. He gave the driver our address and told him to hurry.
During the ride, I leaned into Christian and wept. He kept a comforting arm around my shoulder. I tried to stop crying, but I couldn't. The man's words had hit me like he had shoved a knife in my heart.
"I'll kill him. I'll kill him for doing this to you Danielle," Christian vowed. We pulled up in front of our chateau and I ran into the house. Halfway down the hall, I ran into mother.
"Danielle!" she cried. "What's wrong?" She held my face in her hands. I struggled to get away, but she wouldn't let go.
"Let me go!" I screamed as more tears poured down my face.
"Danielle, calm down! Tell me what's wrong!" mother yelled. I collapsed to the floor and sobbed. Suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around me. I looked up and saw Christian. I hugged him tightly and buried my head in his chest.
"Shhh, it's okay Danielle. No one's going to hurt you now. I'll take care of you," he whispered. My sobs quieted some and Christian stroked my hair.
"Christian what happened?" mother asked.
"We had a run-in with Michael de Chagny at the Opera House," he replied quietly.
"Isn't that Raoul's nephew?"
"Yes, I almost killed the bastard but decided to get Danielle home."
I stood up and wiped my face. I sighed and without a word walked off to my room. I threw off my trench coat, and, when I did, something flew out of my pocket. It landed on the other side of my bed. I looked and realized it was the mask. I picked it up and put it on. It was too big for me, but it gave me a feeling of comfort. I laid down and a few minutes later I fell asleep.
I woke up a few hours later to the sound of my door opening. I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest. I watched as my mother walked in. she gasped when she saw the mask on my face. She came and sat on the bed.
"Oh Danielle," she said quietly and reached for the mask. I pulled quickly away and held it to my face. "Christian told me what happened today." I was startled when my vision turned red at the memory of the man's words. Mother looked at me in shock. "Calm down Danielle," she instructed. I took several deep breaths and my vision slowly returned to normal. A few moments of silence passed before mother spoke again.
"Why don't you take that off now Danielle?"
"I need it," I stated.
"No you don't," mother replied.
"Yes I do mother! You've seen my face!" I yelled.
"Yes, I have seen your face. I don't think you need to hide it with a mask," she said softly. "Christian agrees with me."
"Well you and Christian must be blind then," I snapped. "Can you get me one just like this but smaller?"
Mother sighed. "If that's what you really want Danielle," she answered.
"It is," I said.
"I'll see what I can do," she told me. She kissed the top of my head, stood up, and left the room. Still tired, I laid back down and fell asleep again. I welcomed the rest, but I hadn't counted on the dream.
I was in a cage. A small, steel cage. My mask was dangling just above me. I reached for it but when I did it moved away. I looked ahead of me and realized there was a man holding my mask just out of reach.
"Give it back!" I cried. The man grinned sinisterly.
"Come and get it if you want it," he said sneeringly. I reached for it again then felt a stinging pain in my back. I fell forward in agony and when I looked up I was no longer in a cage.
"Perhaps now you will think twice before you disobey the Shah," a voice said from somewhere above me. I lifted my head a little higher and saw a man in royal robes sitting on a throne. I stood up then bowed.
"Forgive me...your majesty," I said with a sarcastic edge to my voice.
"Get out of my sight!" he yelled. I turned to leave and suddenly I felt another immense pain in my back. It was hard to breathe and my vision was hazy. I looked around and saw a man lying dead on the floor. I also saw Christian and mother. Suddenly, my subconscious mind realized I was dreaming; I was remembering. I was seeing things through my father's eyes.
I fell and my mother came and cradled my head in her lap. Christian knelt next to me. I wanted to wake up. I didn't want to be part of this memory. I wanted to wake up, but I couldn't. I had no control over my words or actions. It was as though somehow my father was showing this to me. It was like he wanted to tell me something but I didn't know what.
"I'll always love you Erik," my mother sobbed.
"And I you Christine," was my response. My eyelids felt so heavy. I wanted to be free of the pain. I closed my eyes and I died.