A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! They are really encouraging, and help to motivate me. Sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed. Also, The Phantom of the Opera does not in any way belong to me, and is sole property of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Shumaker, etc. etc.
Time passed quickly as Noelle began to train her voice in all the mannerisms Erik desired, and the time soon approached for Hannibal. She became a champion singer under Erik's careful tutelage, learning more about the art of singing then she ever dreamed was possible. She learned to treasure and cherish her voice in the wake of Erik's instruction. It wasn't always easy; Erik was a strict perfectionist, who would tolerate nothing but the best singing.
They also held many discussions, although they avoided touching. Noelle began to see a side of Erik that she never had; the side of him that was almost human, and thought as one. Erik was surprised to find himself opening part of his soul for another human being. He had retreated far into the walls of his solitude, and was amazed that someone had dared to breach them, even as far enough as to have rational conversations without judgement or disgust.
They argued and discussed all manners of things, and although they often disagreed, they never held it against each other. Noelle found herself enjoying Erik's wry twist of cynicism and sarcasm. He enjoyed her wit as well, delighting in her unexpected cleverness. Noelle began to know Erik, and the more she knew, the more she was troubled by his bitterness and the grudge he seemed to hold against the world. He would often stare into the distance, lost to her, and his green eyes would take on a look, where she wanted to reach out to him, but did not know how.
There was desire, too. Occasionally, their hands or arms would touch, and there would be an awkward second where they both had to compose themselves and rise above the red-hot flames that threatened to ensnare them. But the arrangement was fine for Noelle, whose nightmares had not stopped. Michael was there, inside her mind, ready at a moment's notice to haunt her again. Erik also appreciated the time. He also had mental demons that he could not lay to rest, and he found it hard to be in her presence; she was an angel, and he was a demon.
But their time together was soon at an end, and the time for Hannibal drew near...
Noelle slept, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. Erik watched her through the mirror, daring hardly to breathe. His infatuation with Noelle had grown until it was like a beast inside of him. He could hardly control it, and yet he could barley touch her for fear of getting rejected. It was agony for him, and there was no cure except for her.
He knew the plans he had for her. The elder Giry was already informed to what she would do when the time came, and Noelle was ready to sing the part. Carlotta would not have it, for she did not deserve it. Only Noelle could sing the words correctly, with the right amount of feeling and passion, something that the overstuffed diva did not understand.
"Soon," Erik whispered to her softly. Soon, Noelle would emerge as he knew her to be, and then . . . Erik smiled softly to himself. He alone knew his plans for Noelle. He left, striding down the corridors. He was already too far gone to hear Noelle cry out in her nightmares by the fime she did.
Michael picked up the knife, a sneer on his face.
"You actually thought you could hurt me with this, didn't you, you little chit of a girl," he snarled. Noelle backed up against the wall in her dream, horrified. This wasn't how it had gone. She had held the knife to his throat and-
Michael's face multiplied itself until there were thousands of him, all leering at her. The main-Michael, the one with the body, stepped towards her. Noelle looked for somewhere to run, but there was another Michael there. He was everywhere. Noelle clutched her hands to her head, sobbing. Michael advanced towards her and grabbed the inside of her thigh viciously, reaching into her dress. She knew he would give her a bruise.
"You already ravaged me once," Noelle whispered, her defiance showing itself once more. "What do you want?" she gasped, hardly able to see through a haze of red. Michael and her were suddenly transported to a corner of the Opera-house. She was against the wall, and everything spun weirdly, twisting to make her feel nauseous.
Michael's face spun in and out of view, until suddenly it came into her vision with a eerie sharp clarity. Noelle gasped, knowing this was the worst of the hallucinations. It was Erik's face. She felt a noose slip over her head, and his green eyes never left hers. She couldn't breathe, and he was there. She gasped for breath, and vaguely remembered Leona telling her about the Lasso.
"Soon," he whispered. Noelle slipped into darkness.
Noelle woke, gasping for breath. The cream and green colored blankets were all around her. Her mind screamed that it was real for a few more seconds until she realized that it was a dream. She sighed, shaken. It had seemed so real to her. Noelle knew where she was then, and what would happen the next day. She hummed 'Think of Me' softly to herself. Hannibal tomorrow, she thought.
Noelle paced around her room. It was a sign of impatience that she had taken up. She smiled, her blue eyes clear of everything. Tomorrow, she would sing for Erik. Noelle shivered as she thought about what that meant. Tomorrow, Paris would discover her. Tomorrow, all eyes would be on her. Noelle shivered with fear as she thought of the collective gaze of the theater's patrons and audience members. Erik had promised her that it would be so It chilled her, and yet she was excited in some strange way. She thought of Michael, and her throat began to close with fear. But then, she remembered Erik. All thoughts within her head vanished to the tune of the music he had hummed in her ear, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
A/– This chapter was really short, and I haven't updated in a month, for which I apologize. ;) Things are really hectic right now, and updating will be slow up until the beginning of June. Thanks for the reviews I received. Anyone who hasn't checked out the new Narnia trailer has to!
movies. channel. aol. com /franchise / exclusives/ chroniclesofnarniamovie (without the spaces...)
