It was a silent journey back up to the main level of the opera house. Well, not completely silent. No one spoke a word, but confused thoughts fluttered blindly throughout all of our minds. I held my hands over Raoul's ears firmly- he would not trust me any other way, with the unimaginable music that was thundering in his head. Madame Giry was a little more co-operative, assuming that perhaps the Phantom had been playing his trick on her for longer than Raoul. Meg gently guided her by way of holding her hand and turning her head every once in a while to reassure herself that her mother was still stable.
Every now and then, my fiancé would let out a small yelp and freeze, grasping at my arms. Pretending to be brave, and holding his ears with more firmness, I would turn to face him and "shhh" him until his breathing returned to normal. It was like walking with a terrified child who couldn't wake up from their nightmare. It was painful.
Cautiously, we re-entered the famous underground apartment of the Phantom. Our party paused for a moment as Meg and I scoured the cave with our eyes for the stealthy Phantom. We found nothing. It was a relief and, at the same time, an addition to our horror because he had to be somewhere; and now, we knew that he had to be planning some ill event. Our theory was almost confirmed as we realized that now the gondola rocked on the shore of the underground lake. It had not been there before.
I'm sure that you're familiar with the feeling that things are going so well that they can't be right. That feeling flooded over me, yet Meg and I agreed with a glance that we would do best to follow whatever plans the Phantom had for us. I don't know where Meg got her confidence from, perhaps just being bold as she is, but I had faced the Phantom three times now. I was almost certain I could do it again; key word being almost. It was terrifying to see how the Phantom had changed after I left him.
"I wonder what will happen to us," Meg said, finally breaking the silence as she helped her mother into the gondola. I dropped my hands from Raoul's ears and he winced a little, but then his face returned to a normal, healthy expression. The music was wearing off. Wrapping my arm around his back, I helped him into the seat closest to shore, across from Meg and Madame Giry. I sat next to him, leaning into his slouched figure and rubbing his back. Meg promptly picked up the oar and pushed the gondola offshore and then turned it around.
The silence was now unbearable, and required to be broken. Simple words would have only had a small effect, with our semi-conscious loved ones. Dangerous as it was, I began to sing a carefully chosen and peaceful song:
October winds lament
Around the Castle of
Dromore
Yet peace is in her lofty halls,
My loving treasure
store.
Though autumn leaves may droop and die,
A bud of spring
are you.
Meg's voice joined my own as she recognized the song. Together, our voices echoed along the tunnel walls with a defiant sound of peace. The final verse rang gently off our lips as we approached the shore:
Take
heed, young eaglet, till thy wings
Are
feathered fit to soar
A
little rest and then
The
world is full of work to do
A
little rest and then
The
world is full of work to do.
With this last verse, I hugged Raoul tight to me and carefully stood up to step out of the boat. Standing knee-deep in the sickly green of the lake, I lent a hand out to Raoul to help him out. I smiled greatly as I finally heard him speak.
"Thank you."
My uncontrollable joy at this breakthrough inspired me to throw myself at him and squeeze him tightly. As I pulled away, a glowing grin was shared between both his and my face. I left a short kiss on his lips as we continued to venture down the dimly illuminated halls.
Finally, the music seemed to have completely worn off as we reached the last stairwell that would lead to my old dressing room. We began to engage in conversation; intelligent conversation that wasn't related to Raoul being in pain or Madame Giry still being indifferent to… well, anything.
"Good heavens, Marguerite, your legs are a mess!"
I smiled as I held Raoul's hand tenderly in my hand. He smiled as well. Meg was right; her mother had been complaining about the bite marks on her legs in the little time that she had been capable of sustaining an intelligent conversation. We would have to give Meg her ten francs later.
"Sometimes I feel content with my choice not to be a dancer," Raoul joked as Madame Giry lightly swatted him. I was glad to have my future husband's humor back; it had been a touch depressing without it.
"They're just little fish bites, Maman, they'll be gone in a couple days," Meg encouraged. Madame Giry simply sighed and smiled.
That moment of joy and obliviousness was cut short as, once more, Meg proceeded to draw back the mirror-door when finally we reached it. As had become our habit, we cautiously entered the room. I still found it strange that there was no sign of the flames' wrath anywhere but the outer face of the door. Carefully but quickly, we made our way through the labyrinth that is the halls of the backstage. I can't even count how many times that my skirt caught onto the end of a blackened plank of wood.
Suddenly, Meg, who had been leading the group zealously, stopped. She ducked into a small hallway that I instantly recognized as the stage entrance.
"Meg!" I urgently whispered. I repeated myself as I peeked my head into the dark hallway to no prize of seeing her. Madame Giry brushed past me in a frightened rush. As usual, she attempted to keep her dignity by wearing a chastising expression, but I knew her better than that. I felt Raoul's hand on my shoulder as he gave me a knowing stare, which I returned gloomily. Together, we proceeded to follow the dim, grayish light that came from where the hall met the stage.
"I'm sorry, Maman, it's just that…" I heard Meg desperately explain to Madame Giry, who had obviously caught up to her.
"Marguerite, we can't linger here. You can't just veer away from us!" scolded the out-of-work ballet mistress. She was definitely fearful for her daughter's life. Raoul and I eventually made it to the stage floor, where we found Madame Giry clasping Meg's hands so tightly that her knuckles were becoming white.
"Meg, what were you doing?" I asked, attempting a more calm tone. Raoul came up beside me and rubbed my back with one arm while clasping my nearest arm with the other.
"What's going on?" he asked. Meg's gaze wandered aimlessly away from the chill of her mother's.
"I… heard something," she said quietly, almost ashamed. Oh God, Meg, you should know by now not to trust anything you hear in this godforsaken opera house! I wanted to chastise her for following it, but there was no time to. There was no time to because suddenly everyone's heads turned in horror as they heard the dull tapping of a cane along the aisles of the theater.
"Nice to see you again," boomed the seductive and
darkly familiar voice. Though he wore a different mask- a black
half-mask with golden embroidery- there was no mistaking that voice.
His tattered hair was, once more, covered by a dark, perfect wig; and
his clothing reflected his dark nature and authority. I was petrified
at him.
As though she suddenly realized what she had heard, Meg collapsed from her mother's arms and began to sob. Madame Giry dropped to her daughter's level and held her, stroking her shoulder, while staring coldly at the Phantom. I could hear Meg whisper, "I'm sorry…" repeatedly. At this, the Phantom simply smiled, and I hated him for it.
"So easily are moths drawn to the glow of a flame," he
stated, laughing slightly. "Too easily."
With this, he gave a
chilling stare, which would meet his eyes to mine. His smile faded to
a cold frown. Raoul pulled me into him with a protective arm, but my
eye contact remained on the Phantom. What was it about those eyes
that worked such powerful magic? Those eyes that deceived me,
threatened me, manipulated me… and yet warmed me. For a moment, I
was reminded of the days when he was simply the angel that my father
had sent, my teacher. That whole chapter of my life flooded past my
eyes as he continued to hold my gaze.
I hated him now, but there was once a time when I could have respected him, pitied him… even loved him. But not now; now, I hated him.
As if he had heard my thoughts, he flinched and held his eyes closed for a moment. I felt Raoul's hand pull my head into his shoulder as I sobbed weakly. I could have loved him, but who could love a murderer? Who could love a dark magician? Surely no one now, as it was quite clear that my leaving him had sent him to a bitter home of madness. I could have loved him…
"Why do you persist on following us?" Raoul shot at the Phantom, bitterly. All I wanted was for him to weaken and follow every one of the Phantom's demands. Then, perhaps, the Phantom would not be so cruel towards those I love and I.
I drew my shoulder back from Raoul's grip to look at the source of a sound that I heard- the sound of footsteps on stairs. The Phantom was descending into the orchestra pit that had been torn and ripped through by the fire; parts of various instruments were melded together, those that had been abandoned in fear by their original owners. Trumpets lay mangled in a mass of melted brass, string instruments lay blackened and broken; they were hardly recognizable. Except one thing lay out of place; an untouched grand piano that had obviously been moved into the pit after the fire.
Raoul's frustration was obviously building as he raised his voice to call out, "Answer me!" The Phantom made no gesture of reply. He simply pulled the piano chair out from under the piano and gracefully sat down. As a feather falls, he gently brushed his fingertips across the ivory keys. He did not yet play.
"Miss Daae, do you remember the song from Mozart's Requiem Mass that I taught you?" he said without looking up. Lacrimosa… yes, I knew it. Of course I would, when he had so violently reminded me of it on our path beyond that broken mirror.
"You ask her to sing for you when you have been so cruel?" Raoul called, his arm still around my shoulder protectively.
"Really, sir, have I been as cruel as she?" He looked up finally.
"She has never been cruel to you! All she has ever shown you was pity and compassion for God knows the least deserving creature on the earth!" Sharply, and wide-eyed, I mouthed a plea for Raoul to stop. He might provoke the rage and fury that this man was capable of mustering. But, thank the heavens, the Phantom simply breathed in deeply and continued on calmly.
"Let her go, kind sir, and let her sing for me."
I attempted to pull away from Raoul, but he gently pulled me back with a scared expression. Raoul was scared. I attempted to assure him that it would be all right with a weak smile.
"I love you," I whispered quietly, so that the Phantom would not hear. His gaze fell as his grip on my shoulder weakened and he dropped his arm. Solemnly, I walked to the center of the stage in between the now quietly huddled Meg and Madame Giry, and Raoul.
A foul grin broadened itself across the Phantom's face as he began to play.
His fingers elegantly stroked the keys with such grace and control as the introduction of the song escaped the piano. Weakly, I began to sing.
"Louder!" he shouted. I raised my voice, tears creating small rivers down my cheeks. I glanced over at Raoul, who was clearly entranced by this violating act of a song. I could not look at him for long before I felt something yank my view back to the Phantom at his piano. Attempting to close my eyes was another failed escape as they shot back open. I made yet another attempt at escaping by resting my thoughts elsewhere. Desperately, I thought of my father playing his violin for Raoul and I when we were so young…
"Focus! Do not think of other things!" his words stung me as I was forced to think on him.
Such a pitiful and yet evil man… surely he had reason to murder such innocent men as Buquet? No! I cannot let my reason escape me! But he was so ill treated as a child, lacking the love of both mother and father simply for his betraying face… but though I pity him, his soul bears the darkness of the devil himself! I cannot pity him! But that music… so beautiful and alluring, dark and seductive… and the devil's gift it must have been when he sold his soul to him! How he tried to kill my fiancé, the man I truly loved and not simply with pity… he must have been fiercely in love with me. Imagine! A man so in love with me that he would kill for my affection in return! No, no I won't be flattered. He is a murderer…a murderer… and I loved him for it.
Shame overwhelmed me as I released that final, biting note. My legs lost all strength they had and gave out under me. Raoul quickly shot to my side, holding me to him. The Phantom simply stood, folded the music book to take with him, and paused as he smiled.
"Thank you. I am done here," he said. He had achieved his purpose, to force me to have second thoughts, to overwhelm me with the shame that would linger for days. Silently, he strode out of the theater and into the halls. No, I thought to myself, he is not done here. There is still much more to his plan.