Christine.
Christine Daae.
That was the name that kept repeating itself within my head like a song that gets stuck. I had first seen her with Mme. Giry walking along in the rain. She didn't mean much to me, just another brat and an orphan to boot.
However, that all changed when I heard her sing. I had followed Ann into the dormatories with the little child, and as she left Christine and walked back down the halls she whispered so that I alone could hear her, "Christine Daae needs a gaurdian Erik, care for her as you care for my Megan."
That one small act of trust made my heart ache, and I followed the little seven year old girl down to the chapel. I watched as she lit a candle and began to pray for her father. I felt saddened to learn that both her parents were now gone and she felt utterly alone. I watched from within the walls as she began to sing a requiem, and that was when my heart burst. This child had the voice of an angel, a beautiful, soft, lilting voice that made my mind soar and my heart cry out in pain.
Megan didn't have that voice, yet she had the legs of a great dancer. Together, I thought, Megan and Christine could storm Paris with their dancing and singing. I watched as Christine blew out the memorial candle and walked back to her desolate dorm. I followed her but was unable to slip into the dorm myself.
That was one thing I had done, I had not hollowed out the walls or added two-way mirrors to the girls and boys dormatories. They deserved privacy. There was, however, a two-way mirror located in the Prima Donna's personal room. It had been fun watching the last Prima Donna, after all I am a man, but then Carlotta invaded and I had stopped visiting.
The next day I awoke early and requested that Christine be sent an extra fruit bowl and some choctlates for her breakfast. I checked on Meg and Ann, then proceeded to the Managers Office for a few hours to do business. Afterwords, during lunch, I went to visit my little Angel.
She was talking to Megan and I smiled. The two would be good friends for each other. I followed them down to the Prima Donna's room, and took the alternate path within the walls that led to the path of the two-way mirror. I smiled as Meg gossiped about how terrible Carlotta was, and then she proceeded to play with the makeup.
Christine came up the mirror and I bent down to her face. Of course she couldn't see me but I smiled at her anyway. She really was cute, with brunette hair and a little button nose. "Thats a large mirror." She commented. Meg replied, "Carlotta has a big head, she needs that." I laughed quietly, but not quiet enough. Christine pressed her little nose against the wall. "Is someone..."
At that moment Ann had to interupt the girls play and yell at them for intruding in Carlotta's room. As she ushered them back to practice I slipped out into the room, pocketing some expensive jewlery that I would later sell. Carlotta always had Piangi buy her more stuff when she lost what she had, and I always went back to get that too.
I walked along the walls silenty, contemplating Christine's voice. She needed work, and training. I wanted so badly to train her, to teach her what I knew and help her become a true star.
Later that evening she returned to the chapel, and of course I followed. The only times I never followed Christine were when I was following curious little Meg. I watched her light her candle and begin to pray. I had given up on God long ago, but the existance of this girl proved to me that perhaps there was a higher being. She began to sing a different requiem, and I took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly.
Then I said to her, "Try it in C Minor." She stopped, startled, and I clenched my fists. "You idiot!" I cursed myself. Yet instead of leaving, or yelling, or calling out for someone, she simply sat there bewildered a few moments, until she began to sing, in C Minor. Tears streamed down my face as I heard her sweet voice. When she finished I told her, "Good, you have a great talent, I am impressed."
She beamed, she actually smiled at my voice, and the tears rained down. However, I was shocked and confused when she asked. "Are you the Angel of Music?" I thought to myself, no, you are my dear, but before I could reply she said, "Has my father sent you here like he promised?" I had no idea who her father was; nor what she was talking about; but I played along anyway. She was a child, lost and hurt, and she wanted a father figure.
I said simply, "Yes."
I had no idea how much trouble that Yes was to bring me.
I bade her to continue singing, but it worried me how gullible and manipulated she could be. I was afraid of the future, when cruel men with dishonorable intentions might try to harm this innocent child. After we said goodnight I did not follow her to her dorm, but set out to Antoinette's apartment and slipped inside.
When she entered I hugged her tight, something I had never done and would never do again, but at that moment it felt like the right thing to do. I told her Thanks and left without a trace.
Later I went to Meg's dorm and wished her a good night, but before I could slip away she opened her eyes. I looked at her for a second and she smiled. I knew that all she could see in the dark was the glow of my white half-mask, so I wasn't afraid of her knowing what I actually looked like. All she knew was that her old friend had never left her, and never would.