The Phantom sat at his piano writing down the notes that sounded good when tied together. Candlelight gave the right amount of light from him to see around perfectly. He heard sounds from above. He was sure it was Helen coming to pay him and she was singing to herself softly.
He moved swiftly to the boat and hurriedly moved towards the stairs that led to her mother's old dressing room. When he made it to the stairs, he rushed up them to meet her at the back of the stage stairs. He hid in one of the cut outs in the wall that was meant for statues, but he never saw it fit to put them there.
Her voice echoed down the halls to his ears,
"It shall be placed upon the stair…
Leading to your dark world!
Don't be afraid and meet me there!
I wish to see my phantom's face!"
He almost reached up to remove the mask, but thought better and left it on. If she wanted to see it, she could. He loved her so much and knew he could not take having a woman leave him again. He would wait for her…
" With the mask in its place!"
He replied warmly. He heard her footsteps stop and sang.
"You tell me not to be afraid…
And yet you are afraid?"
"I am not afraid!
I wish for you to meet me around the bend!" she replied sweetly.
He came out of his "dug out" in the wall and rounded the bend, seeing her standing there in a blue jumper, her black hair pulled up and gentle hands wrapped around a bag, which he guessed was his salary. She looked at him strangely for a minute but it changed to a warm and inviting smile. And she held out her bag to him.
He slowly walked up to her and looked into her eyes before taking the bag from her hands. He nodded. She sang,
"So you're who my mother talked of…
The face of a handsome man!
What do you hide from me?
The terror you wish me not to see?"
"I wish you not to see my true form…
Soon you will…
But soon…
The opera will be finished…
And I will rejoice in my heart…
For your kindness and help…"
He replied, as he ran his fingers through her loose hair. She closed her eyes,
"I hope to see you soon!
Come to the celebration!
A Masquerades ball I'll have!
For your help and spirit…
Your presence is so strong…"
She kissed his hand and turned to go back to the world, he hated so much, and she walked and left him. His hand tingled in the spot of a touch of love. He looked at the bag of franks in his hand and left to go to his world and finish his masterpiece for her.
"Helen! Where were you?" Gen asked as soon as she returned to the Fourier.
"Hmm? Oh. I was just looking…" Helen said. She wanted to sing once more before she left, "Can I sing one more song? You'll stay and watch me?"
"All right. But then we go to the inn…" Gen and Rich followed Helen into the opera room and sat in the front row as Helen climbed to the stage. She positioned herself as a good singer would and began to sing.
" In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name
And do I dream again
For now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there…
Inside my mind…
Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear…"
"It's me they hear…" a voice echoed along. She sang with it,
"My/your spirit and my/your voice
In one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there/here
Inside my/your mind…"
Helen stopped and the Phantom with her. She blinked.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Rich said, walking up to her and walking her off stage, "Now… do you want some sleep? You look tired…" he wrapped his arm around her waist for support.
"Hmm? Oh. No. I'm fine," Helen swayed.
"Well at least let's go back to the inn…" Rich said bending over to lift her up.
" I can walk, Rich." Helen stated, staggering away.
" Insolent Boy!
You slave of fashion!
Basking in her glory!
Ignorant fool!
You brave young suitor!
Shinning in my triumph!" The Phantom's voice boomed over the theater.
"I'm drawn to far in. You need to know that much!" Helen became possessed-like. She began to walk away from them.
Gen screamed and pulled with all her might on Helen's arm.
"No! Come with us!" Gen pulled her out of the Opera house, with the help of Rich, struggling behind.
Helen continued to struggle against them.
"What are you doing?" Rich hissed. Helen began to breath hurriedly and became pale.
"Helen!" Gen was shaking her violently, "Helen! Rich! A doctor!"
Rich left them in the Fourier and rushed to the doctor's house down the road.
"Helen! Breath! CONSINTRATE!" Gen fell to the floor, cradling her back in one arm, and held a firm grip on Helen's arm. Gen panicked and slapped her friend. Helen became still but still breathed uncontrollably and there was a secluded look in her eyes.
Rich soon returned with a doctor and they knelt beside her, laying her down on the shinny floor, and timing her breathing.
The Phantom watched from underneath the stairs and wept softly. It was partially his fault, making her like that. He had talked to her too much in an evening. He billowed his cape out behind him and took off down the hall to his dark world.
When they arrived to the inn, an hour later, they stayed in her room talking to her and trying to calm her down even more.
"Why did you have the fit Helen?" Rich sat beside her.
"He's there….
The Phantom of the Opera!" she replied in song.
Rich and Gen exchanged glances.
"Helen I think you need to rest tonight and tomorrow! No rubbish about the Phantom giving you "fits"! We'll take care of the Opera House tomorrow! For now…you need to sleep. You staying with her, Gen?" Rich asked, firmly setting a hand on Helen's shoulder. Gen nodded and yawned, "Right. Good night all." He left and went down the hall to his room.
"Helen?" Gen sat on the foot of her bed, "I was just wondering… how did you come to know the Phantom?"
"Well…I honestly don't know…. He just…came." Helen remarked, mindlessly. Helen climbed under the covers, "Why does Rich treat me like a little girl? I'm old enough and I don't need a father!" Helen crossed her arms firmly over her chest. Gen replied in song,
"Where in the world has your mind gone to?
Where is it that you hide?
It seems to be so long since you last listened
Since you were inside!"
"Gen, my heart has turned weak!
I hide in a room of mirrors!
Every time I speak…
He appears!" Helen replied.
"Break down that mirror!
Come back to the light!
Don't let that specter possess you!
You're who you are inside!"
"But Gen!" Helen cried, "It's not exactly fair!"
"Helen! Calm down! For once can you be a normal friend of mine or is it in your nature to be… abnormal," Gen giggled.
"Ha ha ha…" Helen stated sleepily, "I think in a way, that it is. You on the other hand, laugh your way through life."
They stared at each other and then laughed.
"You know what?" Gen asked, hugging her knees and looking at her friend.
"What?" Helen looked like she was going slip into fantasy any time now.
"You look a lot like your mother. A lot more then the last time, we saw each other." Gen still at the end of her friend's bed. Helen had fallen into a deep sleep.
Gen stood and walked over to the window seat, propping herself up on a few pillows.
In a couple of hours, she'd switch with Rich so she could sleep.
A tap on the door broke Gen's train of thought.
"Come in!" she whispered. Rich popped his head in,
"You can go to bed. I'll watch her until the morn…" Rich sat beside Gen on the window seat. Gen yawned and slipped out of the room and across the hall into her room.
Rich settled himself in the seat and watched his sleeping friend.
"I'm here…" he assured her.
Helen woke suddenly.
"Rest. It's to early for you to wake." Rich went to the side of the bed and tucked her in, but she sat up.
She looked at him for a minute, with watery eyes, and then threw her arms around him, pleading a hug.
Rich hugged her back, totally confused, but did not let go until she pulled away slowly,
"What was that for?" Rich asked, still confused.
"I don't know…I thought…oh. Never mind…"Helen said abstractedly.
"Did you think I was him?" Rich asked.
"He was there! Just a minute ago!"
"Helen, you must have been dreaming…
I was the only one here…
What in God's name, have you been seeing?
No one else was here…"
"You're not the man I see in my dreams…
He has a hidden face…
You're not the man in my dreams…
He has touched my face…
Like a porcelain doll…"
Rich looked at her, and then embraced her in a hug, but quickly pulled away as a man stood in the corner, watching them. He stood and demanded,
"What are you doing here?"
"I told you he was here but a minute ago!" Helen stood on the other side of the bed. She walked towards Rich.
"Helen…you're grandfather spoke of the Angel of Music, and you do not trust him…?" The man asked walking forward.
He pulled back his hood, revealing a white mask, which clung so desperately to his face.
Helen pulled away from Rich and walked up to the Angel and hugged him, whispering in his ear,
"The Opera House is a better place…" she pulled away and slipped into bed, waiting for one or the other to leave.
The Angel nodded and billowed out his black cape, disappearing in a file of smoke.
"Helen…" Gen stood in the doorway, a look of shock on her face, along with a pale hand.
"Now you believe me…" Helen stated.
Gen looked at Rich and he nodded.
Gen walked in slowly, looking at her friend, but then smiled to herself,
"Let me open a window to clear out the smoke." She chuckled to herself as she walked over to the window and opened the window.
Helen laughed, followed by Rich.
A/N: Hey there. Thanks for the reviews! It's really motivated me! I'll start and post the next chapter hopefully by mid-March. I don't know… I'm writing two research papers right now… So, it might be a little later! Please don't get mad at me if it's posted at the end of the month! I'll try and do it as fast as I can! Please R&R! Disclaimer in the first chapter!