16

A Shelter And A Light

(The version of All I Ask of You found here is from the original lyrics to the song, found in piano books and on some recorded versions)

To the amazement of everyone Erik regained his health for another 12 years before it declined again, only slightly. Though he tried to hide it, this was going to be his end, God was calling for him, it was time to let go, and to say the final farewell to his seventeen year old daughter, a spitting image of her mother.

Raoul had loosened from the idea of raising Elodie, she would turn 18 next year, and Erik had been so strong until now, he was in his mid seventies, and no one, not even Erik saw hope for his survival before the end of the month. Perhaps her would have to keep her in his care for a year . . . Until she had to marry. He was 37 now, a year above the age of taking a bride of 18, but he had been so wrapped up in raising the girl, keeping all the gentlemen away that he hadn't even thought to petition form a bride.

Poor Elodie was taking her father's illness worst of anyone, she often spent her afternoon's in his room, holding his hand, stroking it gently as he slept, a rustle from his chest whenever he breathed caused by his bronchitis always stirred something in her heart. She had already lost her mother, and now her father was going too. Neither of her parents would be present for her wedding next year. At least not physically.

One particular morning Erik woke with her at his side and smiled at her, whispered to her. "Christine . . ."

Elodie smiled. "No, Papa. It's me, Elodie. Don't you know me?"

"My daughter, my beautiful daughter . . ." He whispered, wheezing slightly. "Elodie, when I, when I die . . . You will spend the rest of the year with Raoul and I want you to promise your poor old Papa . . ."

She suppressed tears as she spoke. "Of course, what is it?"

"I want you to promise me that you . . . Will give your husband a chance when you marry, even if you do not love him at first. You may learn to love him, no matter what a beast he is." He coughed and worried she felt his visible forehead.

"Oh Papa, you're burning up, here." She gently lifted away his mask and as his flesh was revealed caught her breath. Never before had he revealed his face to her, and though she had known he was deformed the face beneath caused her heart to beat wildly. He looked at her, with her hand to her mouth and her wide eyes, her other hand still above him with the mask on and he panicked.

"Elodie! What have you done? What!? You foolish girl! Foolish girl is this what you wanted to see?"

Terrified of this side of him she dropped the mask and fled the room, tears pouring down her face, she heard the porcelain facade hit the floor and shatter as she made her way down the hall. "Raoul, Raoul!"

He appeared from his study, concerned and upon seeing her he grabbed her arms. "Elodie! Has your father? . . ."

"No, go inside the room, please!"

"But I have com . . ."

She grabbed his hand and hauled him to the roof of his home, accessible through a door and ladder. She sat down and clutched her knees, he soon followed.

"Why have you brought us here?"

"Don't take me back there."

"We must return."

"He'll kill me!" She rocked back and forth.

"Be still now!" He clutched her to him, hugged her weeping form. "Elodie . . . What is wrong? Who will kill you?"

Gasping she managed. "His eyes will find me there, those eyes that burn."

"Elodie don't say that! Don't even think it!"

She looked at him, then turned away. "My God who is this man? This mask of death! I can't escape from him, I never will."

"Whose is this voice you hear, with every breath?"

Combined they both whispered. "And in this labyrinth where night is blind . . ."

He gazed at her, remembering this exact confrontation with her mother on the roof of the opera. "Elodie, what happened?"

"Darkness . . . The . . ." The words came from her, a memory from a fable the other children at school knew, a memory of her father's words. "The Phantom of the Opera."

Raoul nearly laughed. "There is no Phantom of the Opera."

She tried to dry her tears which continued to come and her voice changed to song, the clear soprano almost exactly like her mother's, chilling his blood. "Raoul, I've been there, to his world of unending night, to a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness, darkness. Raoul I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face so distorted deformed, it was hardly a face and the darkness . . . Darkness."

"Elodie, love, you knew about his face."

"Yes but it was just so, and he became angry with me and he looked . . . Sad, and angry and so many . . . Things and . . ." She shook her head. "How could his voice be that way when he looks that way? But his voice filled my spirit, with a strange sweet sound, in that night there was music in my mind. And through music my soul it starts to soar." Raoul eased at the beauty of this note. "And I heard, as I've never heard before."

"What you heard, is so real, by why the horror?"

Tearfully she gazed at him. "And in his eyes, all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore."

"Elodie, Elodie."

"Elodie."

She gazed at Raoul quickly. "What was that?"

He gazed at her and looked around. "No one." She shyly averted his gaze and softly he reached to brush a curl from her cheek, and the moment his fingers made contact with her flesh her froze, closed his eyes and sighed. "Elodie, you musn't be afraid of Erik, especially not now that he's so ill."

"I can't, I won't live like he did, not in the dark." She was shivering as his entire hand cupped her creamy cheek and he opened his eyes, began to sing what he had sung to her mother. "No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyed fears I'm here; nothing will harm you, my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears I'm here; with you beside you, to guard you and to guide you."

"All I ask is ev'ry waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always, promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you."

"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light; you're safe, no one will 'find' you, your fears are far behind you."

"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night and you always beside me, to gold me and to hide me."

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too, Elodie, that's all I ask of you."

They gazed into each others eyes and Raoul leaned in and kissed her. From his hiding place, a nearly deathly ill Erik crawled away to his bed to weep, Raoul de Changy had done it again.

One more chapter, Review please!