(A/N Okay. Sorry this took so long. Yes, I'm a bad, lazy person. But I finally got myself to finish it, and am a little pleased with how it ended up. It's not supposed to be clear what she decided, but I'll say what it was in the next chapter... anyway, this is becoming a bit of an epic, so I'll have to skip a few months after this.

This particular chapter is about five months after the premiere, so, yeah, that much time has passed. This is supposed to be mainly a psychological thing in Boston's mind.)

"Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair… Down we plunge to the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as hell!"

Boston listened to Aaron's – or really, the Phantom's – ravings from her position backstage. She sat on a corner, making herself as unnoticeable as possible. This was the worst night of all: she had been hardly able to complete her part as Meg in the play. Now, as the final scene played out, she was curled up and crying, unable to gain control of herself.

"Why, you ask, was I bound and chained to this cold and dismal place?" Aaron snarled, while Boston could only hear her Phantom. "Not for any mortal sin, but the wickedness of my abhorrent face!"

Boston tried to pull herself together, as she had to play Meg one more time before the night was done. But this was impossible, not with the chorus pounding in her ears.

"Track down this murderer, he must be found… track down this murderer, he must be found…"

She defended him in her mind, despite herself. It's your own fault he had to kill. It's the world's fault. She still considered herself mad, but at times like these she forgot this and acted as though this was all real – that the Phantom existed, and was perhaps still alive.

"Hounded out by everyone, met with hatred everywhere! No kind words from anyone, no compassion anywhere!" Boston could no longer hear Aaron's voice through her Phantom's. "Christine, Christine, why? Why…?"

Brianne's voice intruded on her enclosed, defended mind. "Your hand at the level of your eyes…"

Eric's voice followed it, "… at the level of your eyes…"

The angry mob, which did not exist in Boston's mind, sang its part. "Your hand at the level of your eyes! Track down this murderer – he must be found!" She pressed the heels of her hands into her ears, stood, and stumbled further into the opera house. "Hunt out the animal, who runs to ground! Too long he's preyed on us – but now we know: The Phantom of the Opera is there… deep down below! He's here: the Phantom of the Opera!"

The cruel voice of Rio succeeded their murderous chorus. "Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood? Am I now to prey to your lust for flesh?"

Boston was now near the place where she and Rio had seen the footprints. She sank down again on the dusty floor. There was no sign of these prints now.

"That fate, which condemns me to wallow in blood… has also denied me the joys of the flesh…" The Phantom's voice could still be heard loud and clear. "This face – the infection which poisoned our love… this face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing… a mask, my first unfeeling scrap of clothing…"

Boston let out a choking sob as his voice became angry instead of pained. "Pity comes too late – turn around and face your fate – and eternity of this before your eyes!"

Too her horror and shock, Rio's voice could also still be heard loud and clear. "This haunted face holds no horror for me now… it's in your soul that the true distortion lies…"

"Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest! Sir, this is truly and unparalleled delight!" Boston automatically saw the scene playing out on stage in her mind. "I had rather hoped that you would come… and now my wish comes true! You have truly made my night!"

Eric's voice pled for Christine, but Boston had some trouble drumming up any sympathy for the pair. "Free her! Do what you like, only free her!"

"Your lover makes a passionate plea!"

"Please, Raoul, it's useless!"

"I love her! Does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion…" Boston found herself remembering Jess's words – 'What is it with him and repeating things for emphasis? Emphasis?'

"The world showed no compassion to me!" the Phantom retorted. This caused Boston to stand and again retreat further away from the stage, convinced she could stop the voices if she got far enough away from them.

"Christine… Christine… let me see her…" Eric's voice persisted.

"Be my guest, sir…Monsieur, I bid you welcome… did you think that I would harm her? Why would I make her pay for the sins which are yours?" Boston closed her eyes against the images of Aaron pinning Eric and wrapping his lasso around his neck, but they persisted. " 'Order your fine horses now!' 'Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!' Nothing can save you now, expect, perhaps, Christine!"

She leaned against the wall near a staircase, feeling like she was about to fall over.

"Start a new life with me – buy his freedom with your love! Refuse me and you send your lover to his death! This is the choice – this is the point of no return!"

Rio's voice continued, impossibly. "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of hate!"

"Christine, forgive me, please forgive me…" Eric begged. Boston never knew what Christine had to forgive Raoul for, but that wasn't the worst of the things that kept her up at night. "I did it all for you and all for nothing…"

The three sang together in a way that usually confused but impressed. Rio sang "Farewell, my fallen idol and false friend… We had such hopes, but now those hopes lie murdered," while the Phantom sang, "Too late for turning back, too late for prayers and useless pity…" and Eric sang, "Say you love him, and my life is over!"

Then, the Phantom and Eric sang together. "Past all cries for help, no point in fighting, for either way you choose you cannot win!" and Eric's, "Either way you choose, he has to win…"

The Phantom gave her his ultimatum again, "So do you end your days with me, or do you send him to his grave?"

"Why make her lie to you to save me?" Eric's voice sounded tight and slightly muffled.

"Angel of Music…" "Past the point of no return…" "For pity's sake, Christine, say no!" "…why this torment?" "… the final threshold…" "Don't throw your life away for my sake!" "Why do you curse mercy?" "His life is now the prize which you must earn!" "I fought so hard to free you!" "Angel of Music…" "You've passed the point of no return…" "…you deceived me… I gave my mind blindly."

Boston pressed her hands against her ears again, noticed the stairs, and started up them.

"You try my patience… make your choice!" the Phantom snapped in her mind.

During the pause that followed, Boston tripped on the top stair and fell. Letting out a horrified sob, she crawled to a corner near a doorway and curled herself up against the end of the song.

"Pitiful creature of darkness… what kind of life have you known? God, give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" The music that swelled in her mind calmed her down, rather than driving her further towards the edge. And when the music became agitated, Boston didn't get worried again. Instead, she dropped her hands at her sides and stood up, listening intently.

"Take her – forget me – forget all of this… Leave me alone – forget all you've seen… Go now – don't let them find you! Take the boat – swear to me never to tell the secret you know of the angel in hell!"

That's my favorite line… Boston thought absentmindedly. The angel in hell… She went through the door, with an expression of curiosity on her face. Where did that breakdown take me? She wondered.

"Go now – go now and leave me!"

Boston sighed to herself, a little surprised. She was standing the chapel.

"Masquerade… paper faces on parade… Masquerade… hide your face so the world will never find you…"

She sat down on the ledge by the old, beautiful stained-glass window. She was teetering on the edge of doing one or the other thing – committing herself to an insane asylum or calling out the Phantom's name.

"Christine, I love you…"

There was a pause, then Rio sang the part the usually made Boston cry. However, she'd heard this part so many times it no longer moved her as it did. Now, she knew she wouldn't cry, after all, What is left when you cry all your tears away?

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime… say the word and I will follow you…"

"Share each day with me… each night, each morning…"

Now the end was coming, and normally Boston would be bawling by now. But this time, she just sat and stared at the window.

"You alone can make my song take flight… it's over now, the music of the night!"

It only just occurred to Boston that she was supposed to be onstage, finding the Phantom's mask. She stood up, then realized she'd never make it in time, and sat down again.

So… I suppose it's time for me to give up?

(A/N- bolded from Susan Kay's Phantom)