Chapter 27: Scenes From the Past

When everyone else had either gone home or went to go to bed Erik had remained in the house working by candlelight on the chandelier. Quickly he strung on the rest of the completed crystals, and then worked on reshaping the others so they would look decent amongst the complete ones.

He took great care in making it look right before he was satisfied. Taking up some of the wires from inside a light fixture he worked at connecting them. There was a flash of sparks and he ended up shocking himself. He cursed as he stuck his finger in his mouth.

"I had forgotten why I hated electricity so much," he said working at the circuits again. He was unaware that someone was watching him from the shadows; the being stepped closer and reached out a hand placing it gently on his shoulder. "Father, are you coming down soon?"

He gave a sigh of relief and turned to face her. "I will be in awhile. Why is something wrong?"

"I was hoping to have someone stay up and talk with me awhile, but Pierre fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow. I don't blame him, because he did a lot of work today. We all did."

"You're welcome to stay here with me. I just need to finish fixing these circuits and then we'll head back down together. What do you say?"

"I'd feel much better heading back in the dark with the Phantom," she said calmly sitting down on the floor.

He glanced at her, and then went back to work. The circuits sparked again and Lotte jumped. Erik muttered something under his breath and tried again. While he worked with the wires Lotte looked around the house. It felt so cold and empty at night and even though her father was nearby it didn't ease her fear.

Suddenly all the lights on the chandelier came on with a shower of sparks. Erik gave a hearty laugh as the sparks flew and the glow from the lights illuminated the house. Lotte gave a small yawn. He knew she was tired. He undid the wire for tonight and picked up his cape. "Come darling. Let's get you to bed before the sun comes up," he said reaching out his hand.

She took it and he led her up the stage stairs and through the dressing room mirror back down towards the lake. He helped her into the boat and rowed it back. Lotte's eyes had grown so heavy that she laid her head against the edge of the boat and fell asleep. When they had reached shore Erik tied the boat up to the post and picked his daughter up out of the boat.

Carrying her to her room he felt her snuggle closer to him. He went into her room, placed her on the bed, removed her slippers, and tucked the covers up around her. Kissing her cheek he blew out the candle and looked upon her one last time before closing the door.

He crossed his home back over to the boat and took out a bag holding some of the extra pieces of crystal. These would come in handy for something later, so he hid them in his room. When he stepped back out Le Noir was sitting there looking up at him with her yellow-green eyes.

She mewed softly and followed him over to the chair where she proceeded to jump into his lap and curl into a small ball. Erik scratched behind her ear causing her to purr. He enjoyed the cat's company from time to time. She had been a fellow companion of the night when Lotte would go to sleep. Stretching out his arms Erik sighed, satisfied with what he had accomplished that day, but tomorrow there would be plenty to finish.

Sleep finally consumed him and he leaned his head back against the chair and all his dreams were filled of Christine. Her brown bouncy curls, her emerald green eyes, her elegant voice, and her lips that was as soft as any rose. He didn't care how long he slept as long as Christine was always in his dream that was all that mattered.

xxxxx

Lotte awoke the next morning to find herself in her own bed. She pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed. Pulling on her pants, a shirt, and her boots she came into the music room to find her father asleep in the chair with Le Noir sleeping in his lap. She picked the cat up and it nuzzled up against her chin; then jumped out of her arms to care for her kittens, which were now two weeks old.

Lotte smiled and went to her father's side. She could swear she could hear the name Christine escape his lips. "He's dreaming of mother again. How sweet," she said kneeling next to the arm of the chair and taking Erik's hand. "I may not be Christine father, but your Lotte is the next best thing."

He shrugged in his sleep a bit and breathed deeply through his nose. Lotte rubbed his hand and saw it still had a small burn mark from when he was fixing the chandelier. Sitting up a bit she reached up and tenderly kissed his cheek. Slowly he opened one eye, then the other looking at her.

"Good morning, father. I see you got tired last night. I'll go make you something to eat; how about a croissant with jam alongwith some of your raspberry wine?"

"That sounds pretty good. Thank you Lotte."

"Besides I think the smell of food will be the only thing that will get Pierre out of bed. He's been so tired lately. I'm a bit worried about him."

"He'll come around. He just needs to adjust to the fine life of the Opera and in time he'll have become so used to it he'll probably stay up evenings with us."

Lotte stood and went into the kitchen. Erik took this time to go and get cleaned up. He still felt sweaty from the other day and wanted to look his best when Christine arrived. Lotte was right, because as she started heating up the croissants Pierre came into the kitchen as if summoned and put his arms around her and leaning his head on her shoulder. "That smells so good."

She kissed his cheek. "Well it isn't ready yet. You have some time to get cleaned up and be ready for another day of work."

He kissed her back and left the room. Using the washbowl and a rag he washed his face and washed his hair. He looked into the mirror. "Not a bad looking fellow I must say," he said with a chuckle.

He came out dressed in really basic clothes and found Lotte busily setting the table. He went up to her and took hold of her waist and kissed her hair. She had washed it this morning and it smelled so wonderful. She giggled and turned in his arms to face him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking in all of your lovely scent. You smell so beautiful Little Lotte."

She put her arms around his neck. "You're so kind to me Pierre. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Erik came out of his room and smiled at them. "Good morning, Pierre. I heard you slept well last night."

Pierre went pink with embarrassment. "I was pretty tired last night. Besides I'm sure today's work will be harder then yesterday's."

"Yes, for today we lift a chandelier."

Lotte heard Pierre groan. Lightly she kissed his cheek. Then together they sat at the table and ate breakfast. Erik poured some of the wine, and then realized the bottle was empty. "Well this is a misfortune. I thought I was being careful with this to make it last to," he said disapprovingly as he placed the bottle on the table.

"You forget I can get more. I'll go down to the tavern and get more. My father sends his wine to taverns all over Paris."

They finished and headed up to the house. Right away Erik passed to the chandelier and began to work on the circuits to reconnect them. The lights flashed once again with some more sparks flying towards the ceiling. He hid the wires under the frame and went up into the dome.

"Pierre I'm going to throw down the end of a rope. When it comes down take it and tie it to the top of the chandelier."

The rope dropped out of a small hole and Pierre grabbed it and did as Erik had instructed. Then giving it a sharp tug to make sure it was tight he whistled up to the dome. Working backwards from what he did to bring down the chandelier the first time Erik now worked to reattach the supports to the pulleys and make sure they stayed taunt. He didn't want it to fall by accident while they raised it. Soon everything was connected, but Christine, Meg, and Mme. Giry still hadn't arrived.

"Where are they?" Erik asked as he finished with the ropes and the chain, but just as he had asked it seemed like a miracle had occurred, because he heard Christine's angelic voice rise through the house.

"Erik, are you up there?"

"I'm glad you're all here. It's going to take all of us to lift this up. I'll send down the rope so everyone stand back." They all took a step back and Erik let the rope fall and hit the floor with a loud thump. "All right now everyone take hold and on the count ofthree pull as hard as you can. Pierre you'll guide it so it doesn't hit any chairs till it's clear then help the ladies. I'll guide the ropes up here, so that they don't tangle or snap."

Lotte, Meg, Christine, and Mme. Giry all grabbed the rope and Pierre grabbed a side of the chandelier and they waited for Erik's count. He looked down through the hole. "All right get ready, on the count of three. 1…2…3!"

With all their might they pulled on the rope watching in amazement as the chandelier began to rise. Pierre pushed it a bit so it missed hitting a nearby chair. Once it was clear he got into line and began pulling. Inch by inch the glowing mass rose and it seemed to making the room feel so much bigger than it really did. When it finally reached its place in the dome Erik instructed for Lotte to tie the rope off on the side of the wall where there was an eye screw. She tied the rope making sure it was taut. He finished off a few last details and then came out onto the dome balcony and admired his work.

"Lotte, Pierre come up and take a look."

They hurried up the stairs and came to stand next to him. The sight was breathtaking. This was truly the best spot in the house. Lotte could see all of the stage and more. Pierre was blown away by this once in a lifetime opportunity. Not everyone got the chance to see something like this.

"Father it's so beautiful. You did it."

"Not without your help."

Lotte was proud with her father. With the same hands that destroyed the chandelier all those years ago had now restored it in attempts to restore the now dust filled house. She wanted to stand up there all day and take in the splendor, but Erik rested a hand on her shoulder. "Come we have other things to take care of. I promise we'll come back up here once again soon."

Pierre went through the door and down the stairs. Erik followed and Lotte started too, but she turned back to take one last look at the stage. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, because she was looking at her parents walking towards each other on a balcony like set and singing a haunting, yet loving song.

Her father sang proud and strong for his love of Christine, but before he could finish she had ripped off the mask revealing the deformed skin underneath. Lotte let out a small shriek and fell back startled. In anger Erik had cut a rope opening a trap door andalong with Christine disappeared within the stage. Ropes pulled through their pulleys and their came a loud rattling sound. Lotte looked up at the chandelier. It was swinging fiercely on the one support and then it began to fall.

"Look Out!" Lotte screamed. The people in the audience looked up and there was screaming as people ran in all directions. Fire soon filled the house and smoke billowed in front of Lotte's face. She tried to reach the door, but she couldn't see where she was going.

Down below Christine had heard Lotte scream out and looked up to see her daughter acting as if she couldn't see and coming close to the edge. Meg and Mme. Giry looked up also and made desperate shouts at Lotte to turn around, but it seemed she couldn't hear them. Christine ran for the stairs.

Erik had beaten her to the top and had taken hold of Lotte, so she didn't go tumbling over the side. She struggled with him trying to get to the door. "Lotte! What are you doing? Stop struggling." He was confused. She was looking right at him, but it seemed like she couldn't see him.

"Let me go! I have to get away from the fire," she screamed.

"There is no fire Lotte can't you see that?" he called to her shaking her shoulders.

As if waking up from a dream Lotte blinked repeatedly, put a hand to her forehead, and sunk to her knees. "What happened? I heard screaming, the room was filled with smoke, and I saw the chandelier fall. It was like I had been taken back to that night of the fire. It was frightening."

"Well in a way you were there, but you weren't born yet. How could all of that be so visual if all you heard was what I had told you and the newspaper articles? They couldn't have given such a clear image."

Christine ran up besides them and kneeled down stroked Lotte's cheek. "Honey what were you thinking? You nearly fell off the balcony!"

"That's the problem Christine. She wasn't thinking especially in this day and time. She told me she saw the end of Don Juan and was trying to escape the fire as if she was really there."

"But I was only 4 months pregnant with her. I'm sure you told her and those newspaper articles, but I remember those having such vague details on the whole ordeal. Erik what does this mean?"

"I don't know. This is one thing I don't have an answer to." He felt there was nothing more to say and gathered her close leaning his head against hers. Christine leaned on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around Lotte's back.

"Father is something wrong with me?" Lotte asked.

"No, Lotte, but I feel you have a very vivid imagination."

I'm sure I scared all of you with such frequent updates, but I love my story so much. It's just so good. I love sitting at my computer, the Phantom of the Opera playing in my windows media player while I type. It's so much fun.