Welcome me back to fanfic, everyone! Lol, I have had no inspiration lately,
but I am back and ready to finish this story, and hopefully some others...
Anyways this is like the best part of the story now, because, well... ah
you will see lol.
HEARING IS BELIEVING
Kat drove up the mountain, hands clenched about the steering wheel. Snow in October, she thought. Ridiculous, back in California it was still beach weather.
6 months had passed since Kat was let out of the hospital. She had a severe relapse after they discovered the maimed body of her stepmother. Kat still remembered her dream vividly, and many nights she woke up, cold and sweaty, and terrified.
But months came and went, and she did not heard from nor see her father. Slowly she became adjusted to her new way of life. She had finished school, was working full time, and had an appeal from the court to live alone. The state not only gave her permission but made her sole heir to her stepmother's account, and Kat used this to buy a small apartment and used car.
Kat's apartment was on the top of Parker Mountain, and the one road up and one road down was this thin, steep hill, full of curves. In the snow, it was positively frightening.
Finally Kat drove up to her apartment and pulled into the drive. Parking, she searched for her keys blindly as she walked up the stairs. Entering the room, she threw herself on the couch, yawning. Turning on her stereo with the remote, she put on Music of the Night. She picked up the small table calendar and checked her schedule. Tonight was the October 30th.
Kat went to bed early, exhausted from work.
The next morning, she drove down the mountain. It had stopped snowing, but now the road was an icy slab. Kat felt the tires slipping beneath her car, and she nearly closed her eyes. She managed to get down safely, and she continued to work. For some reason, something about this day felt strange. Kat felt like she was anticipating something, though she didn't know what, or if it was good or bad.
The day dragged on and it began to snow again. Kat looked dreamily out the window, and for the first time in 9 months, thought about the Phantom, Erik. Those horrible months in the hospital, it had seemed impossible to ever be happy again, to dream of anything. But now, memories came flooding back, and she realized how even his memory had helped her survive.
Tears filled the blue eyes as she remembered how she had loved him, though he had been just another figure in a book, come to life in a musical. He had been so real to her, that she had talked to him, written letters to him in her diary even. She bit her lip, unconsciously echoing the childish prayer for him to be real.
Coming back to reality, Kat brushed the tears away, silently scolding herself. He's not even real, stop imagining, she thought. Sighing, she turned back to work. Even so, Kat could not hold back the tiny thought, the small hope that she had always held. Erik could give her her voice back. The doctors couldn't, but Erik could. Kat had no doubt. Too bad he's not real, she reminded herself once more.
That night, Kat stepped onto the pavement. She slipped, nearly falling into a snow bank. Damn! She swore to herself as she gripped a fence and made her way carefully to her car. Inside of it at last, Kat realized it was Halloween. Looking at the forming blizzard outside, she doubted any child would be out trick-or-treating tonight. Poor kids.
The roads were plowed on the main road, but when she turned onto hers, she slipped and swerved. Kat held her breath. Suddenly she hit a patch of black ice and fishtailed across the road.
Kat's scream sounded like a muffled groan, and pain brought tears to her eyes as she slammed on the brakes. Clutching her throat, the hot tears trickled down her cheeks as throbbing raged through her small frame.
The doctors had told her harsh sounds, like screaming, could cause pain and even more damage to her still tender vocal cords. They had made her promise to be careful. Now Kat was nearly dizzy with pain as she cautiously turned around and headed back to her home.
Fighting back tears, she turned her windshield wipers up a notch higher. It was getting harder and harder to see as the wind blew the snow about crazily.
Kat began driving up the mountain. Clenching her jaw, she maneuvered through piles of snow and ice. Suddenly the car jerked, then lost its grip. The tires slid downward, then to the right, off the edge of the mountain. Kat fought the wheel and slammed down on the gas, but the tires revolved uselessly, throwing out snow everywhere.
The steep cliff loomed closer and Kat wished they had put a form of guardrail up. Instead, there was nothing but the steep decline and trees. Then her car began to roll and slide, and Kat closed her eyes, ready for the end to come. No one could survive a fall like this. The car flipped around and nose-dived down the mountain, slowly at first.
Then a tree appeared through the snow, directly in the path of the driver's seat. Kat struggled with the decision whether to move or stay with a seat belt on, but it was too late.
Suddenly what felt like a giant hand pushed against the car. Kat thought she had hit the tree, but it was pushing the car sideways. The force, whatever it was, also slowed the vehicle's momentum, so that by the time she hit the tree, it barely left a dent.
Kat sat, breathless. Then she climbed out of the car shakily, and moved around it to the tree. Nothing there. Suddenly the snow stopped, minus a few flakes here and there, drifting down from the trees.
What Kat heard next made her heart skip a beat. A small bit of music, then a laugh. A quiet, short, but definitely very Phantom laugh.
HEARING IS BELIEVING
Kat drove up the mountain, hands clenched about the steering wheel. Snow in October, she thought. Ridiculous, back in California it was still beach weather.
6 months had passed since Kat was let out of the hospital. She had a severe relapse after they discovered the maimed body of her stepmother. Kat still remembered her dream vividly, and many nights she woke up, cold and sweaty, and terrified.
But months came and went, and she did not heard from nor see her father. Slowly she became adjusted to her new way of life. She had finished school, was working full time, and had an appeal from the court to live alone. The state not only gave her permission but made her sole heir to her stepmother's account, and Kat used this to buy a small apartment and used car.
Kat's apartment was on the top of Parker Mountain, and the one road up and one road down was this thin, steep hill, full of curves. In the snow, it was positively frightening.
Finally Kat drove up to her apartment and pulled into the drive. Parking, she searched for her keys blindly as she walked up the stairs. Entering the room, she threw herself on the couch, yawning. Turning on her stereo with the remote, she put on Music of the Night. She picked up the small table calendar and checked her schedule. Tonight was the October 30th.
Kat went to bed early, exhausted from work.
The next morning, she drove down the mountain. It had stopped snowing, but now the road was an icy slab. Kat felt the tires slipping beneath her car, and she nearly closed her eyes. She managed to get down safely, and she continued to work. For some reason, something about this day felt strange. Kat felt like she was anticipating something, though she didn't know what, or if it was good or bad.
The day dragged on and it began to snow again. Kat looked dreamily out the window, and for the first time in 9 months, thought about the Phantom, Erik. Those horrible months in the hospital, it had seemed impossible to ever be happy again, to dream of anything. But now, memories came flooding back, and she realized how even his memory had helped her survive.
Tears filled the blue eyes as she remembered how she had loved him, though he had been just another figure in a book, come to life in a musical. He had been so real to her, that she had talked to him, written letters to him in her diary even. She bit her lip, unconsciously echoing the childish prayer for him to be real.
Coming back to reality, Kat brushed the tears away, silently scolding herself. He's not even real, stop imagining, she thought. Sighing, she turned back to work. Even so, Kat could not hold back the tiny thought, the small hope that she had always held. Erik could give her her voice back. The doctors couldn't, but Erik could. Kat had no doubt. Too bad he's not real, she reminded herself once more.
That night, Kat stepped onto the pavement. She slipped, nearly falling into a snow bank. Damn! She swore to herself as she gripped a fence and made her way carefully to her car. Inside of it at last, Kat realized it was Halloween. Looking at the forming blizzard outside, she doubted any child would be out trick-or-treating tonight. Poor kids.
The roads were plowed on the main road, but when she turned onto hers, she slipped and swerved. Kat held her breath. Suddenly she hit a patch of black ice and fishtailed across the road.
Kat's scream sounded like a muffled groan, and pain brought tears to her eyes as she slammed on the brakes. Clutching her throat, the hot tears trickled down her cheeks as throbbing raged through her small frame.
The doctors had told her harsh sounds, like screaming, could cause pain and even more damage to her still tender vocal cords. They had made her promise to be careful. Now Kat was nearly dizzy with pain as she cautiously turned around and headed back to her home.
Fighting back tears, she turned her windshield wipers up a notch higher. It was getting harder and harder to see as the wind blew the snow about crazily.
Kat began driving up the mountain. Clenching her jaw, she maneuvered through piles of snow and ice. Suddenly the car jerked, then lost its grip. The tires slid downward, then to the right, off the edge of the mountain. Kat fought the wheel and slammed down on the gas, but the tires revolved uselessly, throwing out snow everywhere.
The steep cliff loomed closer and Kat wished they had put a form of guardrail up. Instead, there was nothing but the steep decline and trees. Then her car began to roll and slide, and Kat closed her eyes, ready for the end to come. No one could survive a fall like this. The car flipped around and nose-dived down the mountain, slowly at first.
Then a tree appeared through the snow, directly in the path of the driver's seat. Kat struggled with the decision whether to move or stay with a seat belt on, but it was too late.
Suddenly what felt like a giant hand pushed against the car. Kat thought she had hit the tree, but it was pushing the car sideways. The force, whatever it was, also slowed the vehicle's momentum, so that by the time she hit the tree, it barely left a dent.
Kat sat, breathless. Then she climbed out of the car shakily, and moved around it to the tree. Nothing there. Suddenly the snow stopped, minus a few flakes here and there, drifting down from the trees.
What Kat heard next made her heart skip a beat. A small bit of music, then a laugh. A quiet, short, but definitely very Phantom laugh.