The Mirror
"Christine? Christine!" came Meg's distorted voice through her mind. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead and sighed. Upon opening her eyes, Christine found herself surrounded by a number of people, all of whom were in costumes. The ball was not over yet and she probably only fainted for a few minutes.
"Have a glass of water." Mme Giry said, thrusting one into her hand. Christine willingly took it and drank it down. The coolness of it calmed her down and she relaxed.
"What happened?" Christine asked when her breather slowed and her head regained complete control of the situation.
"You just fainted!" Meg said. "I saw you dance, and then you just fainted!"
"Just fainted?" Christine asked, slightly confused. Wasn't she spinning too fast, wasn't the man whirling her around the room?
"But the man…?"
"Oh, He's gone. When you fainted in His arms, He immediately brought you over to a chair, called for some assistance, and then disappeared."
Christine stared at Meg. Disappeared? But how was that possible?
There was some pushing of the crowd, some protests, and then Raoul came into view. His face was ridden with worry and concern. He kneeled before her, took her hand, and asked her continuously if she was well.
"Yes, Raoul, I am well." Christine replied to each question. Raoul looked up into her face and smiled.
"You remembered." he said. Christine nodded. Still feeling slightly faint, she decided to excuse herself and return to her room. Meg and Raoul protested in unison, but Mme Giry consented and said she would escort her.
In the hallway, Christine asked if Mme Giry saw her faint.
"Yes, I did." replied she.
"How… how did it happen?"
"Well, I must say, it must have been the heat of the room."
"But, how did I… faint? Because I remember being spun very fast. I felt sick."
"It was the heat, dear." Mme Giry concluded. Christine decided not to pursue the subject. When they reached her room, she thanked the lady and entered it.
The room was dark except for a single candle which illuminated and reflected in the mirror. It looked so strange, set there, reflecting the small flame. Almost hypnotizing. The flame moved at the slightest disturbance in the air, throwing shadows on the walls. It was fascinating, and yet, Christine did not remember leaving it there, let alone lighting it. She walked up to the mirror and looked at her own reflection. For some odd reason, it looked faint and transparent-like. Her hand stretched out and met with the reflection. The glass was cool to the touch, perhaps a tad bit too cool. When Christine applied a small pressure on it, it moved ever so slightly, to the side. This was curious. It was a doorway! But then… No, she was just being foolish, imagining things again. Like Mme Giry said, it must have been the heat. Still, her interest was piqued and was not easily put down.
She heard some voices coming down the hallway and quickly moved away from the mirror, and only returned when all was quiet once again. The candle was almost burnt out and was flickering more often. Christine ignored it, and pushed the mirror harder. It budged a little, revealing a small crack on the side. Sliding her slender fingers between the wall and the glass, Christine pushed. The mirror slid easily to the side. Christine staggered back slightly as a blast of cold air hit her from behind it and extinguished the flame, plunging everything into complete darkness.
A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME! AAAGH! Well, I hope you like it anyway.
N.B: Its spring break for me, so I won't be publishing for a week. But I'll be back with more chapters! Puts her hand on the Phantom's mask I promise!
