Thanks for all the reviews so far. Here you go again, a bit short chapter though. I'll update soon...

Please R&R - Atrice

Part 7 - Letters

"Dear Lucille. Day and night I have been thinking, and there is no other way than this.

I beg you to come and meet me again, just once. I want you to know, that I adore you.

I pray you feel the same. If you will answer, have the letter placed upon the stage – I will find it there.

Your Phantom."

Lucille hated the fact, that she couldn't read it herself – that she had to have Coretta read it for her. A week had gone by, and it was Friday again. Lucille had stayed in her bed most of the time, thinking. At least she was happy to hear, that he had been thinking all week about it too. Her mind was split in two halfs; one wanted to marry Artus and be happy with him; the other half didn't want the Phantom to be lonely anymore.

"Miss? He seems very much in love with you – why won't you tell me, what happened last Friday?" Coretta pleaded, after having read the letter to Lucille.

"Because it's private, Coretta. If you met a man, who did something to you, that you never thought possible – would you share all the details too?" her mistress answered, and reached for the letter. She wanted to feel it, hold it in her hands. The paper was hard, but she felt it softer where he had written with ink. She also felt the seal – the skull.

"But what did he do? It doesn't sound as he hurt you…" Coretta said with a smile in her voice. She had been so curious all week. But how was Lucille to explain, what he did to her? That he touched her heart with his song, that he filled her spirit with a strange and beautiful sound?

"He didn't… Coretta, I want to send him an answer now." Lucille then said, and she heard Coretta move around to find things for it.

"But miss… what about Artus? You know he's been here every day, and you only let him see you yesterday. He's worried – and… so am I." Coretta said. Lucille sighed.

"There is nothing to be worried about! I just need to think a bit. Now write…" and Lucille said what she wanted Coretta to write. They called for a boy who had to be paid quite a lot to bring the letter to the stage, in the damaged - and believed to be haunted - Operahouse.

"Phantom.

I have been thinking too, and I loathe the fact that you are lonely.

In a week from now, I'll be back behind the Operahouse, same time and place as last time.

I do care – even if you are just a Phantom. You say I am your light. I would like you to teach me what it is.

Yours, Lucille."

He sat down by his table, after reading the letter. She did want to meet him again! She had said she was engaged, to a man she liked. He just hoped, that she could learn to love a lonely Phantom and not only like him. She said she cared… she didn't want him to be lonely. But she also asked him to do something, it was usually the other way around. Erik used to tell people what to do, they never asked him to do anything. But she wanted him to teach her, what light was. A challenge, he thought… how could he teach a blind person what light was? While he thought about it, he began to prepare his lair for the guest. So that a blind person could move around, without tripping over things, or walking into all his candles. Lucille had to feel safe there. And she had to feel light - he had to find a way to show her light, although she couldn't see it with her eyes.