Chapter1-escapade

Meg Giry looked up as she saw the immense chandelier falling. She ran as fast as she could, not knowing where her feet were taking her. She stopped as she came to a familiar doorway, opening it; she entered Christine's dressing room. Running to the mirror, she slid it aside and continued as before, through the mazes to the Phantoms lair. Hearing voices behind her, and realizing it was an angry pack of men and women from the Opera House, she stopped. Seeing her mother rushing past, offering to help but her mother only brushed her aside and ordered her to stop the crowd. She was unsuccessful, and just pushed and pulled along, feeling a few hands groping, probably stage hands, she found her feet and tried to get ahead.

When the throng of people entered the cavernous rooms that may have become Christine's home, they became silent in awe. Meg, seizing the opportunity, ran through the rooms, and came back out holding the Phantom's mask.

"Monsieur Phantom is dead, the Viscount and Christine must have overpowered him and fled. We should get out before we are blamed for his murder and the House above us falls and traps us down here." Pleading quietly to God, hoping he might forgive her for lying to save the Phantom. The crowd slowly began to disperse, and when she had made sure they were all gone, Meg silently went back to the room where she had found he mask. Picking up the broken pieces of mirror, she searched the room with her eyes for any sign of the Phantom's return. Brushing aside a heavy velvet red curtain, she saw a long black hallway. 'So this is how he got out.'

She stopped short when she heard a large groaning above her. She realized her own words were true, the Opera House was collapsing, and, indeed, she would be trapped.

Making a quick decision, Meg drew the red curtain aside and stepped into the dark hallway. Rethinking her decision, she stepped out again, retrieved one of the beautiful candelabras from the top of the organ, and continued down the hallway.

About an hour later, she was getting tired. Squinting through the darkness ahead, she saw a flickering light. Hoping that God was not in a vengeful mood, and hoping that the path would stop in an adequate place, she braced herself for what may be coming up.

Erik had stopped to rest halfway through his escape route. Normally he would not have needed to stop so soon, after a life finding his way around the large opera house, pulling himself up various ropes and through trapdoors. After his meeting with Christine and Raoul, and smashing his mirrors, he was on the verge of exhaustion. He had walked almost a kilometre by now, and he needed water desperately. However, he pushed himself onwards, knowing he had a much longer, more arduous journey ahead. He glanced up at the roof briefly when he heard the Opera house collapsing in the distance. He sighed, as the realization of his deeds came upon him in waves of pain. Christine…His Opera House…his life was all gone. What life? He thought to himself. You had no life except murder and you labyrinth below. That is probably gone as well. He sank to the ground and put his head in his hands.

Meg's breathe caught in her throat as she saw a figure in the distance accompanied by the light. She stepped back, dropping the candelabra, hoping that she would not be seen. The figure looked up, and Meg saw that it was the Phantom. Stepping back even more, hoping that he had not seen her. Her attempts were in vain, as he called out:

"Who is there? Is it little Giry? What do you want? If you are here to kill me, do it quickly." Meg was horrified to think that he wanted to die.

"No monsieur, I mean you no harm. The pack left me behind, I heard the house collapsing and I found that this was my only escape route. "

"Were you alone? Did anyone follow you? Does anyone else know of this tunnel?"

"Oui monsieur, I was alone, it was deserted long before I came in."

"Good. When we are out you speak of this to no one, or you will face a similar fate to those who have crossed me in the past. Is this understood?"

"Oui monsieur."

Erik let out a sigh of relief. He knew that everyone thought he was dead, and he would have liked to keep it that way. Setting off on his journey once again, he heard Madame Giry's daughter come up behind him. Sighing again, he slowed down and allowed her to catch up. Too exhausted to be his real, less compassionate self, he allowed her to stay by his side as they continued down the path to their destination

Meg, finally working up the courage to speak to him, but stopped short as the tunnel opened letting in a dim glow from torches on the walls.