Thank you all for reading, and here you go, my third post ofthe day, Hope you enjoy all of what I have postedtoday, but I am done for the weekend and it may be monday or tuesday before I post again.
Chapter 7- The Mirror
"Christian!" Rene screamed.
Christian looked at Rene, a worried expression on his face. He stepped back a bit to give her a little room. "I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to talk to you. And you weren't answering my knock, but I had just seen you come in, I thought something might be wrong, and then you were standing there, like in a trance or something…"
Rene felt a shudder go through her body. "I'm sorry, Christian." she said, a knob beginning to swell in her throat. "I just…" she couldn't finish. The tears streamed down her cheeks, freely. She dropped her head in shame. "Why are you crying?" She asked herself silently. "There is no Phantom of the Opera!"
Suddenly Christian was right in front of her. Not even an inch away, Rene could feel his breath on her hair. He soothingly placed his arms around her shoulders and drew her close to him. "It's okay." he said and he repeated the comforting thought several times.
Rene looked up at him and wiped the tears from her face. "Thank you. It's just that I got this note from the Opera ghost." She said and she pulled herself away from him. "I was a little scared, I know I shouldn't have been, but…" Rene looked down. He couldn't stay, she knew that. There was a curfew in the Opera house. He would have to leave, and then there was the Angel. He might already know that Christian was in her room right now. "What if…" she thought, "What if the Angel is watching?" She looked Christian deeply in the eye. "You can't stay."
"I know…I just.." He was hurt, Rene could tell. He turned to leave.
"Christian!" She said. He stopped. "I don't… want you to go." she stumbled a little. "I want you to stay."
He twisted back to face her. "You do?" he asked. She nodded. She moved forward to him. She stood very close to him. She clutched his hands in hers and slowly wrapped them around her waist. He bent down slowly. Their faces were less than a half an inch away when a clock somewhere chimed.
Rene was abruptly ripped from her new world of fantasy. She turned her head down from Christian and almost yelled. "Damn!" He stared at her. "I'm sorry Christian, but you have to leave. The Angel will be angry with me."
"Rene..?" He started, but she shook her head.
"I'm sorry."
Christian turned to leave. Rene tried to keep his hand in hers for as long as she could, but it eventually slipped away. Christian went out the door, and closed it behind him, pausing only to say, "Good night, Rene."
"Good night." She said and he closed the door. Rene ran to it and locked it. She began toward her bed when out of nowhere, and yet everywhere, a voice sang loud and angry from her walls.
"Insolate boy this rash young entrant, snatching you from your angel. Ignorant fool this meddling new lover, stealing you from my splendor."
She knew at once who it must be and decided to flatter him, rather than challenge him. Softly she sang, "Angel of music shield, my keeper, let me at last see you. Angel my soul is yearning for you. Enter at last, master"
Rene could hear someone trying the doorknob. She turned to the door. The handle was twisting, but the person on the other side could not open it.
"A thorn in my side is this new beau. A blemish, a tarnish, a stain. Your angel commands you to sing now."
Rene joined in with him, "And You / I must obey. Angel or dreamer, real or whimsy. Reveal to you / me my / your story. Angel of music, guide you / me, guard you / me, grant to you / me my / your glory!"
"Rene!" Christian yelled from the hallway. "Rene! Who is in there! Rene are you alright?"
Rene heard him, and somewhere in the back of her mind she thought. "Leave! Go to Christian. Leave, and don't return." But a stronger voice was singing to her from somewhere above her.
"I am your angel of music. Come to me angel of music."
"Rene!" Christian was shouting from behind her door. "Angel! Angel of Music!"
"I am your angel of music. Come to me angel of music."
Rene turned toward the mirror, and standing before it was a man dressed all in black, with the exception of a white mask which covered half of his face, and the white gloves that graced his hands. Rene stared in amazement.
He held out a gloved hand to her. She came toward him, and lifted her hand into his. He lead her back toward the mirror. Unexpectedly Rene and the Phantom had walked through what had been the mirror, but was now a long corridor lined with torches and leading down into a dark cave.
The Phantom led Rene down the passage way toward a long and deep lake, where a boat was docked at the shore. He took her to the boat and lifted her in. Then he stepped into the boat.
"Angel?" Rene whispered. As he untied the boat and picked up the great oar from inside the vessel.
"Yes, Rene?" This was the first time Rene had heard him speak. His words were as clear and deep as they had been when he sang.
"What is your name." Rene asked and he paused for a moment in thoughtful silence.
The Angel stared at her one eye through is mask and the other exposed. "Angel will do just fine, but you may call me Erik if you wish." He said and he began to row down the canal.
"Erik." she repeated. She smiled, at the Angel who she had been so sure was a myth.
