The sun rose at it's usual time the next day, of course, the laybrinth was unaware of it. Chrissy's mantle clock, however, chimed at 6:30. A few moments later, her door opened and Chrissy poked her head out. No life shown in the room except the low burning candle on the mantle piece. She opened the door wider to allow Marc out. He was dressed now in his own cloths and was finishing buttoning his shirt as he stepped out.
"Will you be able to get outside okay?" she asked.
"I'll be fine," he said, "Probably should have left a trail of bread crumbs, but I'll be alright."
Chrissy giggled a bit as she looked up at him. She started smooth some of the wrinkles out of his shirt. He took her hands in his after a few moments.
"Listen," she said, "thank you."
"For what?" he asked.
"I just...I just couldn't be alone last night. I needed to be with someone. Someone whom I could forget my problems with for a while. I hope you don't feel like I used you. I...I really love you. I guess I was only thinking of myself last night. But I thank you just the same."
Marc brushed her arms a bit, "I understand you needed someone with you last night. But to me, every second we spent together was...I can't even find the words to describe how wonderful you are."
"I love you!" she said, wrapping her arms around her neck.
"You mentioned that," he said, laughing, "I love you, too."
He kissed her yet again. When they had let go, Marc just held her in his arms. Finally, he back up a bit. He reached his hand up to her mask to remove it, but again, Chrissy took his hand to stop him.
"No," she said, "Not yet."
Marc didn't argue. He lowered his hand.
"Chrissy, I promise, someday I'll take you away from here." he said, "Some place full of fresh air and sunshine where you can be happy. A place where no one will judge you. Not even yourself."
"You promise?" she said, barely able to speak.
"Until the day that I die," he said.
They kissed again. Marc back away as they let go. Chrissy hated for him to leave, but she knew he had to. She watched him until his footsteps had vanished completely. After he had, Chrissy went back to bed for a few more hours until she awoke to her father's piano music.
"I'm going to have to face him sooner or later." she whispered, standing up and starting to change.
She opened the door a bit and peaked her head out. Her father's back was turned to her. She stepped out and closed the door behind her. Then she walked across the room until she was right behind him. Chrissy cleared her throat to make her presence known. Erik whipped around.
The two stood there in silence just staring at each other. Chrissy was waiting for Erik to explode with anger about her disappearing and not coming back until late at night. Erik was waiting to Chrissy to go into hysterics about him not telling her the truth for the past two decades.
"I came back," she finally said. He voiced sounded strange in the laybrinth, as if it had never before heard her words among it's walls before.
"So I noticed," Erik replied. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," she replied timidly, "And you?"
"Fine," he said.
Again, quiet. Neither one wanted to be the first to bring up what they had discussed.
"Chrissy, I'm sorry," Erik finally said, standing up from the piano bench. "I didn't mean to lie to you for so long. I just didn't think you'd want to know the truth."
"You're right," she said, "I didn't. I wish I still didn't."
The too stood there, avoiding each other's eyes.
"I'm sorry, too." she said, "I shouldn't have run off like that. You had every right to tell me."
Chrissy started to cry. Erik stepped forward and brushed her shoulder, as if afraid to hug her. Chrissy moved closer to him, allowing him to hold her. Marc was right. This was her father, and no one else.
"I love you, Daddy," she said through sobs.
"I love you, too, Chrissy." he replied. "You might want to just call me Erik, now."
"No, never," she answered, "You are my father, no one else."
After Chrissy had stopped crying, she pulled out of her father's arms. Even though she knew the truth now, he still seemed the same to her. Why shouldn't he? Was she expecting someone else?
Chrissy cooked breakfast for them both and as he set to work, Chrissy told him she had left a book of her's somewhere in a laybrinth and as soon as she found it, she would return.
Marc and his parents arrived at the opera house the next morning in silence. No one asked Marc about where he had been the previous night or anything of that nature. No one said a word until the carriage door was opened.
Marc walked through the corridors of the opera house. He knew Chrissy would be on the roof anywhere from afternoon to late night, but now she was probably still sleeping. He was worried about what she and her father would be dealing with this morning. How he wished he could be with her to support her.
He walked outback beind in a few of the pastures where they allowed the opera house's horses to graze before they prepared them for the night's performances. There, he sat down on the steps.
"Hello," someone behind him said.
Marc turned around to find Annie standing there. She stood back a bit timidly, as if afraid that he would be angry that she was there.
"Oh hello, Annie," Marc replied, turning bac around.
Annie stood silent for a while, as if hoping that Marc would invite her to sit, but he never did. She decided to invite her self.
"How's your friend?" Annie asked.
"You mean Chrissy?" Marc replied.
"If that's what she's called, then yes." Annie replied.
"You know, Annie, if you would just take the time as I have to really get to know her, I think you'd-"
"No," Annie said, "No, I don't trust her. I know everything about the Phantom of the Opera! My grandfather's told me!"
"Forget it, Annie, I just can't make you understand!" Marc answered, standing up.
"Marc!" Annie called, running after him.
Marc didn't stop. He continued walking, trying to lose Annie along the way. But she wasn't about to be shaken off that eaisly.
"Marc!" she cried, grabbing his arm. "Please!"
"What?" he asked, turning around to face her.
"Please listen to me!" she said.
"Alright," he said, "You have a minute. I'm listening."
Annie cleared her throat. She wasn't exactly sure about what she wanted to say next. She took a deep breath. "You seem like you're really falling in love with Chrissy."
"I could have figured that out for myself." he said.
"I'm not finished." she exclaimed. "Look, you're right, I don't know her that well. I don't know her at all, come to think of it. But...Marc you don't want to be with a girl like that!"
"A girl like what?" he asked.
"Like...like...a dark girl who is...devoted to music and never comes out into the light. A girl who is so terrifying to the human eye, she must hide her hideousness behind a mask!"
"Chrissy is beautiful!" he said, "And she loves sunshine and other things besides darkness and music."
"But you shouldn't be with her!" Annie cried.
"And why shouldn't I?" Marc asked.
"Because you should be with me!"
And at that moment, Annie placed her hand behind Marc's head and pulled him close to her. She placed her lips against his and kissed him rather fiercely.
As they let go, Marc backed away from Annie and wiped off his lips.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Because I want you to be with me." she said. "I love you."
"No you don't," he said, "You love my money."
"No, I love you!" she cried, "I love you more than anything!"
"Annie," he said, stepping forward, "I admire you're courage to tell me this and I appreciate you-"
"But you don't love me," she said, starting to cry.
"No," he said, "Annie, I'm sorry. I don't return your feelings. I love Chrissy."
"But I can make you happier than Chrissy ever could!" Annie cried, grabbing his arm. Marc wrenched it out of her grasp.
"No," he said, "You could do everything I asked for a thousand years, yet it wouldn't make me as happy as seeing Chrissy's face."
Marc leaned down and kissed Annie on the forehead before walking off. Annie stood there for a moment in her misery before running off through the opera house, her face streaming with tears.
Marc continued walking through the opera house when suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He felt as if he were being watched. He turned around, but no one was there. Perhaps Annie had taken up on stalking him? He turned back around suspiciously and continued to walk. And yet the feeling was still there. He doubled-back to see, but no one was there. He started walking again.
On the third time he felt it, he stopped and listened. No sound.
"Is there somebody there?" he asked loudly, trying to sound intimidating.
But instead of someone answering, or the sound of footsteps running away, he heard a slightly muffled giggling. He recognized that giggle.
"Chrissy?" he asked, "Where are you?"
A vent popped open on the ceiling and Marc saw her peeking through it. She was smiling.
"Did I scare you?" she asked.
"Not as much as now!" he said, staring up at her. "Get out of there, that's dangerous!"
"Oh, please!" she said, "I know how to travel through these passage ways, I've been doing it since I could crawl!"
"Why are you following me?" he asked.
"Come up here," she said.
"How?" Marc asked.
Chrissy reached out her arm.
"Jump," she said, "I'll pull you up as much as I can, once you reach the ceiling, grab hold and pull yourself in."
Marc did as he was told and before he knew what he was doing, Chrissy had helped him climb through the thin, but strong ceiling vent. Chrissy closed it behind him as he stood up.
"Wow!" he said, "You'd never know that there was this much room up here!"
Indeed, the passage way was so large, Marc and Chrissy could both almost stand completely.
"The opera house isn't what you'd expect it to be." Chrissy said, "Most of the size is thanks to passage ways like this."
Chrissy took his hand and lead him through the dark. Before long, they had reached a large opening and jumped through. Marc could hear the sound of the river flowing out of sight. It was pitch black except for the sunlight shinning through a small window.
"We're in the laybrinth, aren't we?" Marc asked.
"Yes," she replied, "One of the quicker passages. This room is hidden from most of it. I don't think my father even knows of this little room."
They sat down on the cold floor. Marc put his arm around her. Chrissy rested her head on his chest.
"I feel so safe when I'm with you." she said, almost in a whisper.
"Somehow I do, too." he said.
"You do?" she asked.
"I don't what it is, but...my world makes since when I'm with you." he said, "It's like I don't know how I survived without you in my life."
Through most of the day, Chrissy and Marc sat together. Chrissy wanted to know everything about the outside world. Marc was more than happy to tell her.
By the time the sun had just about set, both Chrissy and Marc had fallen asleep on the stone floor. Chrissy awoke after a while, startled. She sat up, staring around.
"What is it?" Marc asked groggily.
"Listen," she whispered.
They both stayed silent, listening for a sound. They heard the rushing of the river and-
"Footsteps," Marc said.
"I think we'd better go," Chrissy said, standing up and helping Marc to his feet.
"Yes, I guess you're right," he said. He kissed Chrissy, who wrapped her arms around his neck. As they let go, Marc reached up to remove her mask.
"Not yet," she said, pushing his hand away.
"You can't blame me for trying!" he said with a smile.
Chrissy smiled back. She opened the vent back up to let Marc out.
After Marc was safely on his way back through the regular corridors of the opera house, Chrissy rushed back home.
She opened the door and stepped inside. Her father was at his piano, working on a new piece. She tiptoed down the stairs, heading into her room. He paused to write a few more notes down.
"Who is this boy you've been seeing?" Erik asked.
Chrissy paused, her hand on the door knob. Her insides froze at her father's words. She didn't dare answer.
"You're not to see that boy again." he said, "Ever,"
Chrissy suddenly snapped back to life. She turned to her father.
"What?" she said.
"You heard me, young lady," he said. "Ever."
"How do you know about him?" she asked.
"Oh I don't know," he said, "It could be a number of reasons. A father's intuition, maybe, or it could be caused by the curiosity that is created after wondering why my daughter has been leaving this laybrinth every single day during daylight hours."
"You followed me?" she asked. "How long has this been going on."
"Ever since you lied to me, twice, about where you were three nights ago!" Erik cried.
"You had no right to invade my privacy like that!" Chrissy yelled.
"And you had no right to disobey me like that!" Erik yelled, throwing Chrissy down in frustration. Now, Chrissy was scared. Her father had never treated her abusively before.
"You don't understand the real world, Christine!" he continued, turning his back to her, "I know people like him. You think now that he's everything and you'll always be together, but life doesn't work out that way." He turned back around, "Leave him! Before he has the chance to break your heart, leave him! You are just like me, cursed with such a wretched face that no one will ever accept! Do you think he will be beside you when you die? After I am gone, do you think he will be there to protect you? No! After I am gone, you will be doomed to a life of darkness and loneliness!"
"No, you're wrong!" Chrissy cried, remainning on the floor, but not looking at her father. She took a few deep breaths for a moment, calming her voice into almost a whisper. "He loves me. He promised me he'd stay with me forever. I know he would never hurt me."
Chrissy stood up and turned to face her father, "I use to think you'd never hurt me...Erik...but now I know that I'm wrong."
And with that, Chrissy ran up the steps and out of the door. Erik made now attempt to chase after her. All he could do was watch her leave in shock.