Chapter 8- In the Phantom's lair
Christine waited for Marie Claire outside for at least an hour. Everyone else had come out quite a while ago. She was beginning to be worried. Could Erik have found found her? Raoul had taken Felix to the office with him, but they would be home soon, and they would wonder where Christine and Marie were. Christine decided to find out for herself where Marie Claire was. She wouldn't let what happened to her happen to her daughter. She refused.
Marie Claire opened her eyes to find herself in a completely unfamiliar place. There were candles everywhere, and there was eerie organ music being played. Then, as if by some strange intuition, she suddenly realized where she was. Her stomach sank as she remembered the face she had seen before she had fainted. She shakily stood up, trying to steady herself. She looked around to find the source of the organ music, and her eyes fell upon a man dressed all in black sitting at a rather large pipe organ. As her heard the soft footsteps coming near him, he stopped playing and turned around to see Marie Claire coming toward him. He gave her a sly smile. She looked back at him with a mixture of fear, confusion, and anger in her blue eyes.
"Well hello there Miss Marie Claire de Chagny. It is nice to finally meet you face to face." he said, bowing to her.
" You're Erik. You're the Phantom of the opera." she said shakily. She didn't know what to expect.
He laughed eerily.
"So I see your parents have told you about me. Splendid." he said, as he slowly walked down from the organ.
"Yes they have. They told me everything." she said, backing away slightly.
"There is no need to be afraid of me." he said, as he came towards her. " I do not wish to harm you. I only wish to tutor you. You have a lovely voice, as your mother does." he said, a strange, sad look coming over his features.
"I know that you are a great musician, but I cannot trust you ,so therefore I cannot accept." said Marie Claire, trying to remain to calm.
" Of course you can trust me," said the Phantom slowly, "Sing for me!"
Marie felt herself falling into a trancelike state. She tried to fight to it, but it just got worse as he began to sing.
"Come to me angel of music, sing for me angel of music, sing for me!"
Then as though she had no control over her own actions, Marie Claire began to sing Think of me. Her voice soared through the air, crystal clear as the sky on a cloudless day. There was total silence in the room as Marie finished singing. Her voice echoed throughout the room until it slowly faded away.
Marie was stunned. She had never sung like that before. How she wished he could tutor her! But she knew this could never be, not after what had happened with her parents.
"That was beautiful madmoiselle" said Erik, coming over and putting his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Now sing again."
Once again Marie felt the trancelike state come over her. But this time she began to sing a song she didn't even know.
"Nightime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
But something in the back of Marie Claire's mind told her she needed to stop singing. She stopped and shook her head, slowly coming out of her trance. Erik look rather surprised at this.
"It would be an honor to be tutored by you, but until you learn that you cannot control and manipulate people by fear and violence, this will never happen. You expect me to trust you after what happened all those years ago. I know you can change Erik. You learned compassion after you let my parents go. But you seemed to have gone back to your old ways." And with that, she turned around and walked out of the lair.
Erik stood and strared for a monment, as though shocked that someone would dare run from him. Then he went after her. Marie Claire ran up the pathway, having no idea where she was going. But she was running so fast that she slipped and fell. She could hear his footfalls coming nearer. Then she heard a very familiar voice, the voice of her mother.
"Marie Claire sweetie, are you alright? I was so worried."
Marie Claire's heart raced as she got up and fell into her mother's arms as tears streamed down her face.
"Oh mama, I was so afraid, I'm so glad you're here." said Marie breathlessly.
Christine hugged her daughter tightly, shaking lightly from worry.
"It's alright, love, its okay." said Christine looking down at her daughter's face.
Then suddenly a heavy weight ran into them. It was the Phantom. He was looking down, and thinking that he was talking to Marie Claire, he began to speak.
"My dear Marie Claire you cannot run from me. Now why don't you.." he said, his voice trailing offas he looked up to find not only Marie Claire, but Christine standing in front of him.
"Hello Erik." said Christine kindly.
"Hello Mrs. Countess de Chagny." he said, rather bitterly.
"Erik, I see that you have not changed your ways. But I beg of you, please do not involve mydaughter in this. She has nothing to do with this." said Christine, frowning.
"Of course she had something to do with this, she yours and the dear vicomte's daughter. And she has a beautiful voice, a voice that is perfect for my music." he said coolly as he gazed at Chrisitine. She had lost none of her beauty over the years.
Christine shook her head.
"I thought you had changed Erik. I thought that you had learned something of human compassion after you let Raoul and I go. I know you can change Erik, you shouldn't let your past control your life! I know you can be a good person Erik, use your musical gifts to help people rather than to hurt! Let go of your hate, and stop taking it out on other people!" said Christine looking directly into his eyes.
Erik stared at her.
"You're wrong. You have no idea what its like to be me." he said spitefully.
"I didn't say I did. But if you'd let me help you, then maybe you could let go."
"I don't think so. Why don't you just go home to your dear vicomte." he said turning from her.
"Erik please don't hurt Raoul, I beg of you. I love him. And this is between you and me." she said, a tear glistening in her eyes.
Erik had a dirty look on his face. She clearly still loved the vicomte as much as ever.
"I don't think so my dear Christine , this is between all of us." he said as he lifted her face to his so that she would look into his eyes. " I will tutor your daughter. Her voice will be mine." he said looking over at Marie Claire who looked back at him, she seemed as if she was in shock.
And with that, he dissapeared in a flash of fire. Christine stared into the empty darkness. Then she put her arms around Marie and walked back to the opera house and into the outside world.
