One night the infamous storm that had soaked Jordan knocked out the electricity. Mr. Robere assured everyone that they'd have light. The gas fixtures were still operable. When the lights were lit and laterns as well the cast was sent to bed. The flickering flames made each shadow appear to live and jump. Christene watched the show, until she noticed a shadow was doing more than jumping. It was following her! She felt a cold clammy hand come down upon her shoulder and screamed. She spun around and there he was. "Jordan! You ass! What the hell is wrong with you?" Jordan only laughed. "Daae you'd better get to bed before the monsters get you." He disappeared into Veronica's room.
Christene was finally tired of being terrified of her room. She changed into her nightgown and brushed her hair until it gleamed then resolutely stood before the mirror. She ran her hands over the frame, looking for something, anything that didn't fit. She found nothing. She leaned against the mirror. Her hand pushed against a crack near the top. She heard a click. Terrified she had broken a piece of the mirror she jumped back, just in time to see the mirror swing inward. She almost screamed. The stories were true! This room really was an entrance to a labyrinth. She grabbed the lantern and taking a look back at the room, comfy in its innocent simplicity, she took a deep breath and closed the mirror behind her
She turned trying to see what there was to see. All she could make out was her bed and the door and her chair. At least she had privacy. She turned back around and continued down the stairs or at least the things that felt like stairs. She heard a sound she couldn't identify. Finally as she went deeper she figured it out. It was an organ. A real pipe organ. What would a pipe organ…the phantom! Her throat clenched with, what she couldn't tell. She continued down.
The water was cold. What? Water? Christene looked down. Sure enough inky water swirled over her feet. She held her light high. A boat was tethered about a hundred feet down from her. She untied it determined to pole across to the island she was sure lay at the middle.
The alarm sounded in the house. He ignored it. No one came down here except the rats. He could forgive a rat for tripping an alarm. He heard the bump of the boat on shore. Damn boat always coming untied. He stood to go get it and came face to mask with an angel.
She stared. "Who are you?" He swallowed, "No one" She smiled. "Hello No One my name is Christene, Christene Daae." "I know who you are." She looked him in the eye. "Have you been watching me through my mirror?" He looked away. "No." "No one you are a terrible liar." "You're taking this very calmly." She smirked. "That's cause I already suspected" "you what?" "I. Always. Knew." " What were you playing?" He bristled "none of your concern!" She backed away "ok ok No one just asking." "Erik!" "What?" He growled through clenched teeth, "My name is Erik, Erik Bordeau."
She smiled an angel in white, "Erik how nice." She smiled. "What's so funny?" "Nothing's funny Erik it's just kind of amazing" He studied her, "what's amazing?" 'That you're the phantom, my grandmother fell in love with an Erik and now I'm starting to suspect that Erik was the phantom" He gulped. She was so close.
"Erik?" she looked down. "Yes mon ange" "She mumbled something. He lifted her face surprised to see tears. "What is it beautiful one." "Can you, can you teach me to sing?" "No I can't." Her tears threatened to fall. He gently brushed her hair back. "You already can sing, I can only teach you control, you have everything else" She cried openly now. "What? What did I do my angel please what did I do?" She saw worry in his eyes and rushed into his arms, almost knocking him over. "You are the sweetest man I ever met... Thank you Erik! You are an angel!"
He bit his lip to keep from crying. The truth would have to come later. Right now she trusted him. He couldn't throw that away, not yet. He held her close for a minute. Relishing in the fact that another human could hug him so freely. Her hair smelt of honey and her skin was down soft. He gently untangled her from himself. "My angel, you need your rest. Come on I'll take you back." Erik?" "Yes?" "Come visit my mirror again sometime, ok?" He almost wept. "I'll always be there for you, always." He not only said this to the woman he found friendship in but the woman buried for eighty years, a promise he was trying to live up to.