Chapter 31- Meg and the Phantom.
The light was dim and as her eyes forced themselves open she could barely make out the two figures in front of her. Meg groaned and held her hand to her head, rubbing it softly before focusing her eyes on the Phantom. He was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking over her as if he were tending to her like a doctor.
Half of his face was covered with that dreadful mask, hiding his hideousness underneath and the other side was exposed from what little light the dark curtains allowed it. She was frightened, she had obviously past out but she could not remember a thing now. And she didn't know where she was.
The bed under her body was soft and comfortable, she realised that, aside from a slightly aching brain, she was not hurt and as she glanced around the room she noticed that neither was Christine. Her friend was standing chewing on her finger, a habit she had had since she was a dancer at the ballet, looking over at Meg nervously.
Meg was terrified, it was true, she had always been afraid of this man and now he was sitting next to her, less than a foot away, watching her as she was watching him. She had never been this close to him before, never close enough to touch him or even to see him properly. She looked him over, her eyes finally adjusted to the dullness of the room.
He had wide shoulders that blocked her view of the door and a sharp jaw. The part of his face that she could see, that wasn't hidden, was intense and striking, so angular and structured that she was almost taken aback by it. His hair was dark, no, not dark, it was black, jet black but as her eyes became more accustomed to the lighting she noticed small flecks of grey and despite herself she thought that it suited him. However, what she noticed most of all was his eyes. They were the most powerful blue, so stunning and bright that she wondered if she had ever seen anything so beautiful before in her life. Her mind drifted to the Opera house and not even its beauty compared to what she saw, that second, in his eyes.
He looked at her, knowing that she was studying him, knowing that she was deciding her next move and he smiled.
'How are you feeling?' he asked, voice like silk.
'I'm… I'm ok.' She said.
'Good,' he said with a sharp nod. 'It was necessary.'
'Are you going to hurt me?' she asked and suddenly realised that her hands were trembling so vigorously that she had to find the little energy left in her to make them stop. It was a truly impossible task and instead of stopping the shaking she simply hid her hands under the covers.
'Your mother would never forgive me,' he said and stood up. As yet, Christine had not moved, her finger was still by her mouth, one arm was hugging her body. She stood still, watching.
'What's going on?' Meg asked looking from Christine back to the Phantom. 'Opera Ghost?'
'Meg, my name is Erik.' He said simply and glanced at her from the end of the bed. 'I'm helping Christine.'
'Helping her?' she asked.
'Helping me find Raoul.' Christine piped in, stepping forward and collapsing onto the bed hugging her friend. Meg responded by placing her arms around Christine and rubbing her back gently.
'You mean neither of you know where he is?' Meg said turning her eyes over to Erik.
'Erik knows now.' Said Christine with a small smile, pulling back and holding Meg at arms length. 'We're going tonight to get him back.'
'Where is he? Who has him!'
Nobody answered her and Christine responded by standing from the bed and heading to the chest of drawers to retrieve her glass of water. Meg watched as she took a large mouthful, savour it and then take another. She then glanced at Erik whose eyes were following Christine around the room, and suddenly Meg understood.
She wanted to let her friend know that, when she had looked at Erik earlier, she had seen his beauty. It was in his eyes. And when he had spoken, so softly, so gently she had heard his heard his appeal. And now, as she watched him gaze at Christine without even attempting to hide his adoration, she understood.
Still regardless of the deaths and the devastation and all of the chaos this one man caused he was helping Christine rescue the man that had taken her from him. Meg nodded to herself slowly as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Erik's eyes never leaving Christine as she sipped her water and walked graciously around the room. Christine, not looking at him but knowing that his eyes were on her.
He loved her then and he loved her now and there was no one person on this earth that would ever love her more. She had never seen anyone look at another person that way, with that much love, that much affection and rapidly Meg began to understand.
Suddenly, Meg felt safe.