Chapter 8: The Phantom Lives

After the fight Erik and Lotte gained a stronger father/daughter relationship. As a special gift Erik taught her his famous disappearing act. She had still not comprehended his ability to sneak throughout the opera house so he felt that this was the next best thing. It didn't take long for her to master it after a few attempts where she would reappear over the lake and enjoying a refreshing swim back to shore.

With her new ability it was easier for her to go from place to place within the opera house. And she found it most exciting exploring the fly systems. She would climb from plank to plank every time pushing herself to go higher even though her father continued to warn her about being careful.

One afternoon as she began her climb into the rigging she heard voices below her, but they didn't belong to her father. She kneeled on the plank she was standing on and hoped to hear them speak.

"Did you hear the Opera Ghost still lives? His head is worth 500,000 francs seeing he has survived 17 years after the terrible fire. And he has been the cause of another murder. It's said that he was the one to kill Christine De Chagny's daughter, Lotte," a larger man with a heavy beard said with a laugh.

Lotte shifted and leaned a bit further. Why was there such a large sum on her father's head? Was there something else he hadn't told her?

"But the Phantom is not a real person. How can there be a sum on a ghost's head?" the younger man asked.

"Don't you know anything? People saw him and many have not slept full nights since that terrible event. He has the face that haunts your nightmares for years to follow."

They began to head upstage and Lotte knew she had to warn her father. She stood up and stepped two close to the edge of her plank carelessly throwing all her weight into the step. The two front support ropes snapped causing her to fall. At the last second she grabbed the plank and clung for dear life. The other plank was too far out of reach for her to grab it and climb back up.

Her cry startled the men and they looked around in fear. "Father please, help me," she whispered under her breath. Just then another rope snapped and she was now hanging on with just one support. "Help!" she screamed.

She was lucky that Erik was busy searching the costume shop just a floor below at the time. Immediately he hurried up the stairs towards her cries. "Lotte where are you?"

"I'm in the fly. Please hurry!" She looked down and saw the men looking up at her. One pulled out his revolver and had it ready.

Erik soon reached the fly system and began coming across the planks. "Hang on Lotte I'm coming."

"No, get back they have a gun."

"I won't let you fall. Wait, they?"

"There's no time to explain. Get back or they'll kill you."

Erik was not about to let his daughter fall to her death and he was not afraid of any gun. He continued advancing forward and soon stood on the plank before Lotte. He reached out his hand and encouraged her to grab a hold.

"Look it's the Phantom. He's trying to kill that poor girl. Get back Phantom or I'll shoot."

Erik snarled and strained to close the gap between him and Lotte. "Lotte you have to take my hand."

"I can't reach," she said straining.

"You have to try. It's now or never child. Grab hold now."

Lotte grasped the plank in her left hand and with the other hand reached out for he father the whole time fearing the gun. The man holding it aimed at the last rope and readied to pull the trigger.

"What the hell are you doing?" the bearded man shouted.

"He'll be worth more if there is another death in his presence whether he had done it or not." He gave a hearty laugh as he pulled the trigger. The final rope snapped and Lotte managed to grab onto her father's arm. He pulled her up and motioned for her to get back onto the floor. He hurried after her, but another shot rang out and Erik slumped forward onto the plank. "I've got him. I've got the Phantom," the man shrieked happily.

For the first time Erik saw his own blood drip down to the stage below. Lotte looked at him in utter fear. He had been shot in the back and was now in risk of being slaughtered in front of her. She rushed onto the planks and helped him to his feet. Allowing him to lean on her she brought him back to the dressing room that had belonged to her mother years ago and laid him across the bed.

She took an extra sheet and ripped it into long strips. As her father breathed in deeply she undid his shirt and began to bandage the wound. It almost seemed hopeless to do this at first, but she soon saw the blood start to lessen in its flow.

"Father, can you hear me?"

"Lotte is that you? What has happened?"

"You were shot. It's entirely my fault. I still lack your stealth and ability to hide in the shadows. I was careless Father and now you are wounded." She clutched his hand tightly and ran her fingers through his hair. "But I'll take good care of you."

"Have those strangers left?"

Loud banging came at the door. "Come out of there girl. We know you're hiding the phantom in there. Release him to us and we promise we won't harm you." A shot came blasting through the door.

Lotte had no idea what to do. Erik was growing weak from blood loss causing him to close his eyes. "No don't go to sleep. I need you to stay awake," she sobbed as she stroked his cheek.

"Come on girl give us the Phantom quietly and we'll let you go unharmed. Why do you care so much for such a monster?"

It felt like a rock had dropped into Lotte's stomach. How dare they say such things about her father? So what if he had killed in the past? He had had a clear conscious for the last 17 years. The only conflict was the faking of her death. Suddenly she felt a leathered glove touch her cheek. Her Father had used the last bit of his strength to touch Lotte's face a weak smile spread across his lips.

Another shot came hurling through the door knocking off the lock and the men kicked it open. Lotte began to cry and held her Father tightly. The man with the gun grabbed her by the hair and threw her aside.

"Leave him alone. You've already done enough torment to him."

The man with the beard lifted Erik off the bed and began to carry him away then turned back. "What do we do with the girl?"

"I think we'll bring her with. They may double the price if we bring along the victim. Come along girl."

Lotte was at least grateful that she was going with, but her father's face was becoming as pale as the mask he wore. She managed to grab his cape before the man dragged her out to the waiting wagon. Lotte got in first then laid her father's head across her lap. She covered him with the cape hoping to hide the wound from anyone hoping to see. The sun hung high in the sky so she shadowed his face after he groaned.

"Lotte where are we going?" he finally asked.

"To jail Father. There you'll be put to death for your crimes. But don't worry I will figure out something. Just rest your eyes, but don't leave me. You always told me to never give up and I won't let you give up."

Erik took another deep breath and gasped at the pain. He felt broken and willing to give up on life, but Lotte's words hit him hard and he pushed to stay alive. He wasn't going to leave her and if he had wanted to it wouldn't be like this."

Is it over for Erik or is there hope in what Lotte tells him? You'll just have to wait till the next chapter. It should be up tomorrow. Night all.