Hello everyone! Okay, so here's some good news: The Phantom Countdown is officially over! Okay: here's some bad news. Due to some complications beyond my control, I will not be able to upload for a very, very long time. So here's what happened: The internet in my computer is broken, there's something wrong with it and I haven't been able to go onto the internet for the past three or four weeks from the computer. So I have been uploading from my laptop. So I just typed the story up on the computer and put it in a floppy and put it in the laptop to upload but something else happened. The floppy drive is broken. (Damn it!) So here's the last chapter that's on the laptop. I will be able to upload another chapter if I go to a friend's house and do it. So that's the bad news. I wanted to put this chapter in so that you girls don't try and kill me because I haven't put the Phantom in. Here's here in this chapter...for a while. I'm terribly sorry about this but feel free to leave a review or a flame (whichever floats your boat). Thank you all very much for your patience with me. Love you all for it )


Chapter Eight: The Mirror

Christine looked at herself in the mirror. The girl that had done the make up did a good job. She still had gold and brown eye-shadow on, not to mention the mascara and lipstick. Her hair was still as spiffy as that morning. The girl in make up only put in hairspray telling her that there wasn't enough time to do anything else. They had done her make up between scenes and that had been and hour ago.

She was still nervous.

I'm going to hurl. That was the only thought that made itself across her mind. But it was ridiculous, who would be this nervous after their performance?

She took yet another deep breath but wasn't comforted until-

"Bravi, Bravi, Bravissimi…"

Christine shut her eyes, instantly comforted by her Angel's praise. She heard his voice loud and clear, she knew he had watched her perform. Well, if he liked it, it couldn't have been that bad.

"Christine!"

Christine turned to the other small voice.

"Christine!"

At that moment, Meg appeared at the door with a smile that showed all her teeth. "Where have you been? We've been calling you. Everyone wants to talk to you."

Christine smiled as Meg made her way to her and hugged her. "Was I really that bad?"

"Are you nuts?" Meg asked outraged. "You were perfect, you did everything marvelously! Everyone wants to talk to you about your performance! I wish you could tell me your secret? Who's this tutor Mom was talking about? Maybe you can give him my number so he could teach me some things too."

Christine bit her bottom lip, she wanted to tell her best friend everything. "You want to know who my tutor is?"

"Well," Meg said still smiling. "Yeah."

"Meg," Christine said moving uneasily in her chair. "You remember the first day of school?"

Meg nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"I told you about the Angel of Music, right?" Christine began. "He came to me that day. He's the reason that I've been improving with my music and my acting. He teaches me and guides me just like father said he would. Sometimes when I'm alone in the auditorium, he calls me softly. He's in here hiding, calling me. He's the one that has been sending me those roses."

Meg looked confused. "Things like this can't come true. Christine, you must have been dreaming. I've never heard of anything like this. Are you sure that-"

"Yes," Christine said confident. "He's here. In a way, I can sense him. If I could just see him somehow. I don't know why he won't appear before me, I have done almost everything he's asked-"

Another voice came from outside the small room. "Megan! Did you find her?"

Both Christine and Meg looked at the door. Meg answered. "Yeah! In here!"

A group of people arrived at the room that Christine and Meg were talking in with huge smiles on their faces.

Christine looked at them suspiciously. "What's going on?"

Margaret took her hand and helped her up off her chair. "Come on, we have something to show you."

Someone came up behind her and placed their large hand over her eyes. "It's a surprise," she heard Raoul say behind her. "Trust me, you'll like it."

"Oh," Christine said surprised. "Okay."

As they walked, Christine could hear the voices and shuffling steps of her fellow classmates. Girls giggled while the boys whispered something to each other.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost," Raoul answered her.

Meg giggled and her voice came from in front of her. "Come follow the sultry sound of my voice."

"Watch your step," Raoul said as he led her.

"Are we there now?" Christine asked, hating that so many people had to lead her around things so she would not trip.

"Okay," Raoul said. "Now we're there." When he finished, he took his hand back and let Christine see.

Christine gasped. "You guys, this is-"

She was in front of a door with a star. There was a piece of tape with her name written on it with permanent marker. When she opened the door she gasped yet again. The room was lavishly decorated and reminded Christine of what a star's room was supposed to look like.

There was a wooden dresser with make up all over, there was a sofa and it had a dozen roses on it. There was also a curtain that she imagined was used for changing and a floor length mirror with a gold frame.

"But this is for the star," Christine said. "I'm no star."

"You saved our ass," Raoul said, handing her a rose. "We are forever grateful. You sang and acted beautifully, Christine. I couldn't have been more proud."

"Thank you," Christine said.

Christine looked back and noticed that everyone was leaving.

"We're going out for pizza," Raoul said. "You want to go?"

She had to talk to her Angel. She needed to tell him what happened. " I kind of can't."

"Nonsense!" Raoul said with a smile. "Get changed, and I'll bring the car around front."

"No," Christine insisted. "I really can't. I have to-"

"Ten minutes," Raoul said then he began to shut the door. "I'll see you in ten."

"No," Christine said to him. "You don't under-"

Slam.

"-stand," she said weakly. "Great," she added sarcastically.

Then she heard something that made the hair on the back of her neck rise. Her Angel of Music was angry. The sweet dark voice that once praised her was now deep and threatening.

"What would he know about music! He only follows what suits him! He is sharing your glory, the one that is meant for me!"

Christine turned from the door and looked around the room. "Angel! You are here for me! You knew I needed you and you came!"

"I am always here for you when you need me, Christine."

Christine took a deep breath. "Forgive me. I'm sorry I let him use me. I know you are my guardian and will guide me when I need you, but will you at last show yourself to me, Master?"

She could hear him chuckle and it was as if it echoed throughout the whole room. "You flatter me, Christine. But soon you shall see why it is that I hide in darkness."

"Show me," Christine said softly.

"Turn and look at yourself in the mirror," he instructed, his voice as soft as it always was when she was alone with him.

She turned and looked at the mirror just as he said. "What am I looking for-?" Her voice died in her throat.

She could see her reflection. She was still in her Juliet costume, her hair although long and sometimes in her face was now in a headband. It hung loosely below her shoulders.

The make up that matched the dull colored costume she was wearing was all over her eyes and (gratefully she reminded herself) not running.

But the mirror changed, she was no longer looking at her reflection, but at something else. Somebody was in the mirror. She stared mystified as his features came into view.

He was so much taller than her. She knew that she was five foot three, but he must have been six. His hair was as dark as the shadows that surrounded him and his clothes were the same. He wore a black cloak over black clothes. The only thing that stood out from the darkness was his face.

His eyes were an electrifying blue that she had only seen once before and that was when she woke up precisely at dawn. His features put him to be no more than thirty-five years. But there was something else that made him stand out from the gloom around him. He wore half of a white mask over the right side of his face.

It covered almost everything on the right save for his eyes, lips and jaw. But it didn't matter to her at that moment.

At last, she had seen her Angel of Music.

She was so mesmerized by the figure that she didn't even notice the mirror open. Now she was face to face with the man that she had dreamt of for so long.

His icy fingers wrapped around her warm wrist and she gave a slight gasp.

"Christine!"

She heard Raoul call her and bang on her door, demanding entrance saying, "Christine, who is that? Whose voice is that?"

Her Angel helped her with the step in front of the open mirror and led her through a hallway of the catacombs. She didn't even look back.


I don't know if I told you guys this but the only Phantom storyI know is the one from the 2004 movie. I know jack about the novel (I've been trying to go to Borders to buy it, but I can't find a ride) Anyways, if this seems so like the song or the movie THAT'S THE POINT. I wrote this story to make the Phantom come into our era and our time. (I know real original, scold me all you want) Anyways, my friend and I are thinking about making a new Phantom story. Now that one won't be as serious as this one. Anyways i want to sorry again for the inconvenience and crap that is my internet. Tootles, leave lots of reviews and don't forget to tell me what you think of the Phantom!