As soon as I walked through the mirror and entered the stone passageway, the mirror slid shut behind me with a firm click. I turned around and tried to open it back up again, but it would not budge.
I was surprisingly not frightened by this, perhaps because I was still certain that this was a dream and nothing more.
Slow as a snail, I felt my way along in the darkness taking tiny and timid steps and wishing there was a light switch within reach.
The passage twisted this way and that and with each stumbling step I grew more panic-stricken and less positive that this was a dream.
Is there any human existence in this strange world at all? Or am I going to wander to my death here, in this cold and total darkness?
The moments spent in these passageways were strung together, futile and despairing, like the continued silence between my pounding heartbeats.
Finally, as I took another step, the hard stone that I expected to step on, was no longer there and my foot was completely submerged in frigid water.
I jumped back, startled, and my wet shoe slid on the stone and, feet flying in the air, I landed on my back.
Knowing full well what a total idiot I had looked like, I instinctively looked around to make sure no one had seen me. Then I laughed aloud.
Of course no one had seen me! My laughter echoed creepily, and I quickly stopped.
Wait a minute, I thought, I felt that coldness. I still feel it. If this was truly a dream, that would have woken me up. I panicked.
"Can anyone hear me?", I screamed, " Is there anyone out there?"
The echo of my screams was my only reply. I brightened at a sudden thought.
Maybe, these passageways will lead me back to the attic. Maybe I'm in some weird underground tunnel underneath my house! In retrospect, these really were foolish thoughts, but I was willing to believe anything.
Well, I thought, only one thing I can do to get out of here. Good thing I'm a good swimmer. And with that, I plunged into the freezing, murky waters of what looked like an underground lake.
I gasped at how unbelievably cold the water was, like thousands of knives stabbing you all over your body.
So much for finally getting my hair to look pretty, I thought, as I pushed the soaken,curly locks out of my face.
I began swimming, having no idea where these waters would take me.
My feet can't touch the bottom, I thought, what if something in this water eats me? I swam faster, still not being able to see anything.This is the weirdest day of my life, I thought, whilst swimming vigorously.
Suddenly I stopped, my feet still moving, to keep me above the water.
Did I just hear something? No, of course not, how could I hear--" The answer to my questions stopped me mid-thought.
In the distance, I can hear music! A strange and haunting melody, that awakened in me a response that I have never felt before, to any music.
Someone...Someone is down here making music?
It was unlike anything I have ever heard before. My usual logic and rational thinking abandoned me. I knew I was not delirious, and not hearing things. I followed the sound, swimming towards it with such determination, that I felt like my life depended on it.
I must find the maker of this music.
The closer I got, the louder the music became, til I could feel it all around me, sweeping me up in its mesmerizing beauty.
After what felt like years, I could finally see a faint light at the end of the passageway. I cautiously swam closer and gasped at the sight. I could just make out the source of the light.
Hundreds of candles lit, a haven in this undending darkness I had experienced.
Am I in heaven? Am I dead? Wild thoughts ran through my mind as I swam closer and closer. The room where the music was coming from was...amazing.
Candelabras were everywhere, an odd sort of mist now hung above the lake like a blanket, and there were huge velvety curtains that hung in front of a massive iron gate which was shut. And a pipe organ. A large, beautiful organ was the finishing touch on this odd kingdom of music.
But my attention was immediately diverted to the figure sitting at the organ, swaying slightly as he put his heart and soul into his music.
I was finally there. The water got more and more shallow and soon I could stand up. I put my hands around the gate which was barring me any further entrance into this lair. Only then, did I realize how tired and weak I was and my body sagged slightly but my hands clung tightly to the gate, holding me up.
Now that I was closer, I could tell that the man playing the piano was slender and dressed in black. Because his back was turned to me, that was all I could see.I didn't know what to do. I did not know what would happen if I interrupted this, by calling out.
Cold to the bone and soaked as I was, I almost would have been content to just stand here and listen to this seductive melody, as cool and haunting as the flicker of the candlelight, as smooth as the path of silver across the lake.
Almost. But I was beginning to shiver violently.
So, I opened my mouth and timidly called out,"hello, excuse me?"
He made not the slightest indication that he had heard me, so I tried again, this time louder, "Excuse me?", I shouted.
Immediately, the music stopped. It was dead silent.
I honestly thought my heart was going to hammer through my chest, it was pounding so hard.
The dark figure looked up, and slowly turned around. I could not see his face, it was hidden in the shadows and I was still a little too far away.
"Please sir", my voice trembled slightly,"i'm sorry to have interrupted, but I need your help."
He remained silent, this silence far more terrifying than the darkness. I saw the man in black stand up and purposefully walk over to a lever which he pulled.
The gate immediately began to rise and more water poured down from it, soaking my head yet again. I felt a little stupid, for he had most surely seen that.
"Come in", he uttered in a gruff and slightly threatening voice.
I reluctantly walked into the lair, still knee high in water and, following his beckoning, over to where he stood on the dry rock above me. For a moment, he just stood there, arms folded, staring down at me. I still could not see his face.
"Have a pleasant swim, ma cherie?" he finally asked in a cold leer.
I knew I looked like a drownd rat, but he didn't have to rub it in. I tried to think of something defiant yet clever to say, to take the dripping sarcasm out of his voice, so I said the best thing I could come up with,
"Yes."
I groaned inwardly.
He reached down with a strong looking arm, grabbed me by the wrists, and pulled me up out of the water to stand directly in front of him.
"By what right are you here?", he snarled,"do you know what happens to those who dare interrupt my solitude?"
His voice was very powerful and very beautiful and it echoed off the walls, making it positively booming.
I swallowed hard, and began talking very fast, "I'm sorry, but your music was so inspiring that I couldn't help but want to hear more of it. Also, I'm--" I didn't quite know how to explain my current situation.
"Your...what? Your curious, are you? Wanted to have a look at my face, did you?", his voice grew louder and louder. He still had my puny wrist in his iron grip. Pain shot up my arm, but I didn't let on.
"Well, why don't you let me see your face? Who are you?"
He let out a humorless laugh, "You know who I am, young miss. Why else would you venture down to these dark depths of my tortured soul?", he sounded like he bordered on insanity, "Well, you have found me. You have found the opera ghost!"
My mouth fell open. Just what did this guy think he was playing at? Did he really think he was the phantom of the opera?
"I don't know where I am! What is going on? Is this a dream?", I kept spouting out questions, knowing that I had gone slightly crazy myself.
The tall, dark figure in front of me suddenly threw me onto the stone floor. I cried out in pain.
"Silence!", he roared.
I took some shaky breathes, willing myself not to cry in front of this maniac.
"I don't think much of your manners, sir" I said quietly, holding my knee, which was probably bruised.
"Is that so? Well, I am sorry you feel this way", he said sarcastically, "but I don't think much of young girls who do not use their full brain capacity. Refrain yourself from asking your silly questions. Its rather annoying."
I took a deep breath, and opened my mouth to speak, hoping to make more sense this time. If any sense could be made of all this.
"I'm sorry that I intruded on your domain, but I didn't come down here just to get a look at you. I,too, have a love for music, and I couldn't help but be drawn in here." And then I asked my dreaded question,
"Is this the year 1818?"
The silence that followed my question gave away his surprise, and he seemed to have some indecision on whether to mock me for, what seemed to him, a dumb question. Guess he decided not to.
"No."
I sighed in relief.
"It is 1819"
I gasped. 1819! I felt dizzy and kind of sick.(A/N I am horrible with dates so I dont know if this is the right one, but basically I want this to take place 2 years after Christine left him with Raoul)
"Oh my God", I whispered. I looked up at the dark, mysterious man in front of me, whose face was still hidden in shadows.
"Erik", I said quietly.
"You spoke my name. How do you know my name?", he asked in a surprisingly calm voice.
I had the weirdest sensation. Like I was dreaming, but now I knew I was not. I would not feel dizzy or sick if I was dreaming. I would not feel the cold seeping into my bones.
"I...uh..you...er..", I mumbled something incoherent.
"Wait", he said suddenly,"before we say anything else, I would prefer to see the person with who I am speaking."
Yea, same here, I thought, but did not dare to say aloud for fear of what he would do to me. He is a murderer after all, I thought grimly.
And with that, he reached down, grabbed my upper arm, and pulled me abruptly to my feet. We walked the short trek to the lit portion of his lair, he half dragging me.
My clumsy feet tripped all over the place in the darkness, but I noticed that he walked gracefully, trusting the darkness. He did not even watch his step.
We stopped next to the organ, and he roughly thrusted me into the dim candlelight to get a look at me. For some reason, I suddenly felt shy, and I stared at the ground. Then, ever so slowly, I started to look up.
My eyes took in his slender body, completely dressed in black. Only then, did I realize how tall he is. I only came up to a little past his shoulders.
Finally, I lifted my gaze to his face.
For a few seconds, we just stared at each other. It seemed like it lasted an eternity. I have never before been so intrigued by someone's looks. He had jet black hair that was slicked back and it added sharp contrast to his pale skin.
And his eyes. His piercing, emerald green eyes, truly were the window to his soul. There was much sadness in his eyes, and my heart ached for him.
Right now though, it looked like he was in somewhat of a trance.
His eyes bored into mine and his mouth was slightly open. I certainly can't look very beautiful right now, I thought logically, so why's he staring at me like I'm the most exquisite of flowers?
"You look...so much like...", his voice had taken on a soft,gentle tone, which I had not thought possible from him.
Then it hit me. I look like Christine. Thats why he is staring at me like that.
"Leave!", he said so forcefully and so suddenly that I jumped.
"What?", I whispered, bewildered.
"You heard me! Go now and leave my rotting soul in its lonely misery! Consider it that you have fate on your side that I did not kill you. Now go!"
He turned to look at me dead on so now I could finally see the right side of his face, and the white mask that covered it. He advanced on me and I slowly backed up, frightened.
"You demon! Why do you look like her and why do you know my name? You were sent here to torture me! Haven't I suffered enough?" His elegant features were contorted with anger and despair.
His eyes hold all the sadness of the world, I thought.
Standing there not but an inch in front of me, I thought how tall and strong he is and how tired and weak I am. He could easily kill me right now, I thought, as I was backed into a corner against the piano.
Yet somehow, I do not think that Erik could bring himself to kill me, since I so much resemble his lost love. That thought gave me a little surge of boldness.
"Erik", I said softly, "I am not Christine, nor am I a demon sent here to torture you. I was sent here however, But for a different reason, I believe to help both of us."
Erik's stark, green eyes narrowed, "And what reason might that be?"
I took a deep breath and stared hard into his eyes, "For you to teach me to sing."
Sorry, kind of a weird place to end but i didnt want the chapter to be too long. and that "fateful accident in the night" will be happening very soon.PLZ R&R guys. Tata for now!
