This is a break in between the party and the opera. Time for some much needed mother and daughter bonding time. But instead Lotte will experience her worst nightmare.
Chapter 31: An Outing with Mother
Lotte sat in her room staring at the ring on her finger and the crystal rose that she twirled in her hand. Both were signs of love from the most important men in her life; her father and her future husband. Then she realized something. Her mother hadn't given her anything for Christmas. "She loves me and still cares for me. That should be enough," she thought. She wasn't going to push for a gift after not seeing her mother in so many years.
She placed the rose on her bedside table and fell back onto the bed. Staring up at the ceiling she wondered if things would ever be the same again. The visions had stopped for now, but that didn't mean they were gone for good. She went over the story her father had told her and tried to pinpoint events that could show up soon. The death of the stagehand, the first time her Mother took off her Father's mask, what had happened in the lair after Don Juan Triumphant? There were so many possibilities.
"Lotte what are you up to?" Christine asked as she walked into the room.
"Just counting how many cracks are in the ceiling. Did you want me to do something more productive?"
"No, I was wondering seeing as your Father gave me the rest of the day off if you would like to go with me to your grandfather's grave? I thought the two of us could get out of the Opera House for awhile."
"You mean go outside, outside?"
"Yes, Lotte and maybe we could look at wedding dresses while we're at it."
Lotte blushed. "Father already offered the one he had made for you, but you never wore it."
"Oh, did he? He'll be hearing from me later."
Lotte giggled. She put on some shoes and grabbed her cloak from the chair near her vanity. She led her mother through the secret path around the lake and they came into Christine's dressing room. As Christine opened the door to let them out Erik had pushed on the door hoping to get in. Lotte had forgotten that today was auditions and Erik looked stressed.
"Are the singers that bad Father?" she asked with a smirk on her face.
Erik closed the door. He gave her a look that clearly showed he wasn't amused. "The dancers Mme. Giry found are good, but the singers are awful. I've never heard such horrid music. I had to get away from it for a little while." Just then he noticed how they were dressed. "Were you planning on taking Lotte outside?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I was. We're visiting my father's grave and going to look at wedding dresses."
"But Christine what if someone sees her? You do know the consequences for them finding her don't you?" Erik asked a look of terror in his eyes.
"No one will see her. I will make sure of it. I won't let you hang at the end of your own noose. There is no way in hell that I would risk losing you again Erik." She said putting her arms around his waist. "I won't let them take you away from me."
He reached down and rubbed her back. He placed a finger under her chin and had her look up, but she couldn't look into his eyes. "No one will take me away from you. If they did they'd have two very angry women to deal with." Christine laughed through her tears. "You're back with your Angel and I vow that I will never turn away from you or Lotte. I have the responsibility of father, provider, and husband," he said pulling out the ring Christine had given him before leaving with Raoul and got down on one knee. "I know it's been years Christine, but will you be at my side in marriage?"
She had him stand and took the ring from him putting it on her finger. "You know very well that I will say yes. I will become your wife, but…" she said her voice becoming shaky. "What about Raoul? I'm still married to him. I feel bad enough doing all this behind his back. He'll find out Erik. We can't hide it forever."
"Leave that to me. I'll take care of everything. You two better get going before it gets to dark out. If you two aren't back by sundown I will be forced to come and look for you."
"Yes dear. Stop treating me like a child already?" Christine said kissing him.
"Good bye Father," Lotte said hugging him.
"Take care Lotte. The streets of Paris aren't always that friendly. Refer to yourself as Jacqueline just to be safe. Do I make myself clear?"
"Clear as crystal."
"Have fun, my Little Lotte," he said quietly then kissing her forehead before she followed Christine out of the room. Erik stood there for a minute then made ready to leave the room. "I hate it when she acts like she's smarter then me," he chuckled under his breath.
xxxxx
Once outside Lotte pulled her hood over her head and followed her mother up to one of the carriages alongside the street. "To the graveyard please," Christine told the driver.
They climbed in and sat across from each other in the seats. Lotte stared out the window watching the other people go by. "It's so strange watching them from this level? Usually I'm watching them from the roof," she said quietly.
"You'll get used to it. I'm hoping that eventually I'll be able to take you out more often, because it's not wise to keep a girl your age inside all the time. I've told your father about this, but he's more worried about getting caught. I understand why he's so afraid, but it's not right."
"Mother may we stop at the make-up shop? I have to get some more base for father's face," Lotte asked ignoring the other comment.
"Sure, is there anything else you need?"
"No, nothing else I can think of."
"Well ladies here's our stop," the driver said stopping at the graveyard gate. Christine paid him and helped Lotte out of the carriage. They passed through the gate and began walking along the tombstones.
Once the driver was out of sight Lotte put down her hood. No one would care who she was here. This place was just like the Opera House; a place of death and misery, so why should she be afraid? She had stared death in the face many times and always managed to grip onto life at the last moment. The only reason she would fear death would be if her father was to die.
Christine was beginning to be a bit fearful of the cemetery setting. She had continued to come after the fire, but never felt quite safe, because she always felt as if someone had been watching her from the shadows. Even though Erik had stayed behind to watch auditions she wondered if he had indeed followed them. But she soon began to feel better when she remembered Erik's promise to come and get them if they didn't return by sundown. He would risk everything to make sure they were okay.
They continued walking in silence both lost in their own train of thought. Christine clutched a bouquet of roses in her hand and Lotte noticed how beautiful they were. "But they're nothing like Father's roses. His are always special. They make you feel as if you're the only oneworthy of the love he has and make all the hurt go away. There is magic in those roses and I hope to carry that magic with me," she thought as she reached up and touched the black ribbon she had used to tie back her hair. She felt it gave her protection whenever he wasn't around. It was a very comforting thought.
Finally they reached a large tomb with "DAAE" written across the top of the door. Christine went up the stairs leading up to the door and placed the roses in front of it. She touched the iron bars of the door with her fingers. Lotte looked around grateful to finally be outside, not the outside that the roof provided.
But as she stood there she noticed the weather get much colder and the sky begin to cloud over. "Oh, no not again," she thought before she was engulfed into the vision. The image of her Mother had changed to her younger form and Lotte was surprised at just how identical they looked. They could have been twins. Suddenly the gas lamp inside the tomb began to glow and the door began to open. Her mother was moving towards it as Erik's voice seemed to be drawing her in.
Lotte wanted to call out to her to stop, but remembered that it wouldn't matter. The visions couldn't see her. From behind her she heard a horse whinny and she turned around to see Raoul ride up bareback on a white stallion. He ran through her up to Christine. "Christine don't, this man this thing is not your father!" he yelled.
Now that Raoul had ruined the whole thing Erik leapt off of the tomb sword drawn as he gave a whirl of his cape. Lotte gasped and ran up hoping to stop him, but ran right through him. The fight raged on as the two jumped off the tomb and went circling around the graves. Now Lotte was desperate to have them hear her as she raced down the stairs. "Father, stop this won't solve anything. Violence isn't the answer. Please stop!" Her cries went unanswered as the two men continued to duke it out sparks flying from their blades.
Christine noticed Lotte's run at the tomb and her sudden outburst. "Oh, dear god, it's happening again."
Lotte had been trying desperately to stop the fight, but nothing she did worked. She tried to grab Erik's arm, but she fell right throughhim and hit the ground. She got back up and beganshouting at him instead until she started going horse. When she looked she realized she was standing right in the middle of the whole thing and screamed as Erik plunged his sword at her. She closed her eyes, but the yell that emitted wasn't hers. She opened her eyes to see the sword had gone through her and cut into Raoul's arm.
"So that's where he got that cut. He said he had cut it when he scraped against a gate while riding. So once again he lied to me." Now she was upset at Raoul. She turned to face him and began shouting at him. "You lied to me. You didn't get that cut while riding. The Phantom gave it to you."
Christine grabbed onto Lotte, who tried to fight back. "Lotte come back to me darling. Lotte please leave this nightmare. Please," she begged hoping the words would reach her daughter's ears. They had and Lotte fell forward in a faint. Christine held her tight against her pleading with Lotte to wake up. Continuing to hold Lotte close she collapsed to her knees choking on tears. "Erik," she whispered to nothing in particular. "Where are you? I need your help."
Lotte had started dreaming. She was back at the lair waking up from her own bed. A sweet music reached her ears and she was drawn towards it. She opened the door and saw Erik sitting at the organ his back turned to her. Walking up to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her and she let out a terrified scream. It wasn't Erik, but Raoul wearing the mask. "Lotte, what's a matter? You act as if you've never seen your father before," he said as she backed away from him.
"You're not my father! Get away from me. You imposter," she shouted picking up a vase and got ready to hurl it at him.
"What is wrong with you child? I am the Phantom, your father," the man said. It seemed to have his voice, but she continued to hold back raising the vase higher.
"Stop coming closer or I will kill you," she threatened.
He didn't stop coming and in a desperate attempt she smashed the vase into his head. The man fell to the floor and Lotte sighed. He wasn't moving, so she decided to see just who this man was. She went over and pulled off the mask. As she did the face changed to Erik's and there was no movements in his features. She dropped the mask in realization of what she had done. She had killed her father. Her own stupid fears had driven her to kill off the one man that had brought her into the world, raised her, and above all loved her.
Collapsing besides his body she slumped across his shoulder sobbing uncontrollably into the fabric of his shirt. "Father I'm so sorry. I know you can't hear me, but I swear on the all mighty father that I'm sorry. Please come back, you can't leave me alone in the world. Not after all that's happened," she screamed.
"Lotte stop all that yelling. I hear you just fine," a familiar voice said to her. She looked up wiping her eyes. In a misty haze she saw her father standing there just like always smiling at her. She ran up in an attempt to hug him, but she went right through him again. Hitting the floor she gave out a small cry and slowly pushed herself up.
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way! You're not supposed to die, not yet. Father I'm so scared. I feel as if the world has stopped turning and that I've been left alone in the cold having to fend for myself until I die a horrible and miserable death."
"Lotte in a way you did me a favor. You ended all my suffering."
"Don't say that! I don't want to hear it!" she cried putting her hands over her ears.
"I am an Angel of Music and death is where I belong. I never fitted in with the human race anyway, so what was my real purpose in life?"
"Your purpose was to take care of me father. Teach me how to sing and tell me the truth about the lives you and Mother lived before I came. And the most important thing was to love me. That was your main purpose," Lotte said her head facing the floor as she sat huddled on her hands and knees.
"But as I am I can now be the true Phantom or the Opera Ghost as everyone likes to call me. Instead of running and hiding I can just easily disappear or walk through walls instead of those mirrors."
"How could you be so selfish?" Lotte hissed. "You're leaving your only daughter alone in the world and all you can think about is haunting the Opera House. I can't believe you would be this way; never in all my life."
The misty apparition of Erik finally saw the girls suffering and looked back at his body lying lifeless on the floor. Why should he go back to her? She had been the one that killed him, yet she was right on so many levels. As a father it was up to him to protect her. Instead of taking her apologies seriously he had pushed them aside in an attempt to enjoy what he had become. Now he was leaving her all alone in the cold and cruel world with just her mother and her husband-to-be.
He approached her with silent footsteps. He breathed onto his hand making it flesh again and touched it to her head. "Lotte I believe I owe you the biggest apology. I should have taken the situation more seriously. Stop crying Little Lotte."
She looked up her eyes red from crying and she took his hand pressing it to her cheek. She wanted to feel his warmth again. Feel it fill her with the warmth to go on and live her life alongside Pierre. "Father will I see you again or are you going to leave me forever?" she asked rubbing the hand with her own.
"I will see you again Lotte. All you have to do is wake up. Wake up and you will see me again. This isn't the end yet and it won't be for awhile."
"What do you mean? What do you mean this isn't the end?" she asked.
"Just wake up," he repeated as the image began to disappear.
"NOOOOOOOO! Father come back please!" she cried reaching for his hand in the darkness. "Don't leave me alone. I'm so scared. I need your guidance to go on. Please," she said as she put her head in her hands and sobbed. The lair began to disappear around her and she was engulfed into darkness.
xxxxx
The auditions finally finished much to Erik's relief and he looked down at his watch. It was past seven and Christine and Lotte still hadn't come back. He was beginning to worry and so was Pierre, who was sitting beside him. The whole time Pierre had been looking at his pocket watch, and then eagerly turning hoping to see Lotte come through the door. After looking for the last time Pierre looked up at Erik a look of fear on his face.
They did their best to show no fear when Raoul bid them goodnight. "Tell Christine I said good-night. I'm sure she'll be sleeping here again tonight seeing as you have final casting calls tomorrow."
"We will do that for you Monsieur. You have my word."
Raoul went out into the lobby and to his waiting carriage. As soon as he was gone Pierre began going into a frantic panic attack. "Where could they be? It's way past seven and they still haven't returned. Erik I'm worried out of my mind."
"Pierre calm down. We'll go look for them," he said pulling out his cape from behind a seat. "Go to the stable and get ready two horses. I'll be there in just a moment."
"Right," Pierre said taking off up the stage and towards the back doors.
Erik was now more worried than ever. Something must have gone wrong or they would have been back by now. But what would have caused them to be so late in their return? Erik finally realized what might have happened and he raced off towards the stables. Pierre already had two horses saddled and ready to goand as he saw Erik approach he climbed into the saddle of one of them.
"Where are we checking first?" he asked fear etched out across his face.
"We won't be checking," Erik said as he climbed into the other saddle. "I know exactly where they are. Quickly to the cemetery." He gave the horse a kick and sent it galloping down the Paris streets.
Pierre followed now afraid that they were going to get caught for racing the horses down the street, but no one said anything, which allowed him to relax a bit. The fear for Lotte grew and he was preparing himself for the worst.
xxxxx
Christine had taken Lotte inside the tomb hoping it would get her out of the cold. She had thought about carrying Lotte back to the Opera House, but it would be a long walk and she wasn't strong enough to carry her. As she waited for Lotte to wake up she could hear the clock tower chime out the hoursand the sun begin to sink in the sky. She knew quite well that Erik would be upset, but had promised to come for them if they didn't return by sundown.
She needed his help. She wouldn't have been able to lift Lotte even if she wanted to. It had been hard enough getting Lotte inside. When the sun had finally set behind the trees she stood and lit the gas lamp inside the tomb as a signal that they were inside. Lotte was mumbling things, but her eyes were moving rapidly in her sleep. "What is she dreaming about?" she thought to herself.
It didn't take long till she heard hoof beats approaching the tomb. "Christine! Lotte!" she heard Erik call out.
"Erik we're inside the tomb. I can't get Lotte to wake up."
Erik dismounted and ran up the stairs to the tomb pulling the iron doors open and looking down inside. There sat Christine with Lotte lying across her. Christine's eyes were full of tears. "She won't wake up. Erik she won't wake up!" she sobbed.
Gently Erik stepped into the tomb and touched Christine's cheek. "It's all right we'll take her back home. Was she acting different at all?"
"I think she saw the swordfight you and Raoul had. She was running in all the same directions shouting at you to stop. Then she turned and began yelling at Raoul. I ran to her trying to calm her, but she tried to fight back. As soon as she realized, who I was she fainted into my arms. I would have brought her back right away, but I was afraid it would look suspicious and decided it safer to wait for the sun to go down. I wouldn't be strong enough to carry her back."
"Then why did you climb in here?"
"She began to shiver violently, so I brought her out of the cold. Plus I felt it safer than waiting out in the open. I didn't want anyone else to find us."
Erik kissed her. Then he touched Lotte's cheek. It was as cold as ice. In an instant he had taken off his cape and wrapped it around Lotte's body. Pierre, who had been keeping watch outside of the tomb, came peering over the edge. Erik noticed him and had him assist in lifting Lotte out of the tomb. Pierre reached in getting Lotte around the waist and drew her close. "Lotte, my love wake up. It's Pierre. Please wake up."
Lotte didn't respond. Erik climbed out then reached back in and helped Christine out after she turned off the gas lamp. He pulled her close to him and let her cry. She felt cold and began to shiver a bit. He lifted her into the saddle and then helped Pierre get Lotte into the saddle. Climbing into the saddle behind Christine he held onto her as he sent the horse into a walk followed by Pierre, who held Lotte close to him. The whole way back the ride was silent except for Christine's sniffs and gasps for air. She made it seem like she never wanted Erik to let go by holding his hand close to her waist. He kissed her hair tenderly as they came into the stables. Pierre held onto Lotte while Erik put the horses away and Christine stood off to the side trying to calm herself down.
"Pierre take care of Christine while we go down. I'll carry Lotte," Erik said taking Lotte into his arms. Pierre walked over to Christine and took her hand. She looked at him and frowned. Erik went past them in a hurried run and they had to run to keep up with him.
Taking the alternate route Erik soon reached the lair and laid Lotte on her bed. Pierre and Christine came by the boat and soon accompanied him. Erik sent Pierre to get a wet rag and for Christine to get more blankets. As they disappeared he turned to Lotte, fear clearly seen within his eyes. He noticed her whispering something. He leaned down to listen when all of a sudden she sat up screaming in fear and terror.
Erik was taken back by her sudden outburst, but quickly recovered. Sweat dripped down her face and she was panting, her chest rising harshly with each breath. "Where am I?" she said looking around. Her gaze fell on her father and without hesitation she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh, Father I was so frightened," she said sobbing into his shoulder. "I dreamed that I had killed you. It was because I had mistaken you with Raoul and when you did not take my threat seriously I hit you in the head with a vase. You lay there and when I took off the mask you were there dead and motionless. Then you came to me as a true Angel of Music and you were more worried about being a true ghost that you didn't realize I was in pain. Somehow you finally understood and you made your hand flesh again placing it on my head. I wanted to feel that warmth once again, so I pressed it to my cheek begging you not to leave me alone. You had told me we would see each other again I just had to wake up."
Erik absorbed every word she managed to get out between her tears. He tightened his grip on her vowing to never let go of her. Pierre and Christine watched from the doorway tears in their eyes. "It's all over now Lotte. I'm still alive and here for you. Never forget that I will always be here for you even in death I will be there. Don't you ever forget that."
She nodded rubbing herself up against his neck. "I'm sorry Father. I didn't mean to scare you," she said slowly regaining herself.
"You don't need to apologize. These visionsare something you can't control and until we find the source of these nightmares it may just happen again. We need to be ready for the next time that might happen. It may be tomorrow, the next day, or even tonight. We have no way of knowing. But I will not give up on you. None of us will," he said turning to look at Pierre and Christine. "We will never give up on you."
Oh, my god this one was almost 8 pages long and this all came off the top of my head. I almost wanted to cry myself as I wrote this, but I would have gotten distracted and wanted desperately to finish. Hope you liked it.