Chapter 4 Timid Introduction

Christine awoke to sunshine setting her peach curtains aglow. Ugh, is it morning already? She rolled over and snuggled into her comforter. My comforter! She sat up with a start which left her reeling and forced her to lie back down until the dizziness subsided. The last thing she could remember was getting lost after the party and some guy approaching her. She vaguely remembered a white mask. Had her mystery man brought her back to her room? How did he know where she lived? What else did he do to her? She sat up in alarm, slowly this time, and surveyed the room. Everything was as is should be and her purse was hanging on her bedpost as usual. She glanced at her desk and did a double take. Sitting there was a plastic tray with a warm bagel with cream cheese, a steaming mug of herbal tea, and single red rose with a black ribbon tied around it. She pushed herself out of bed, walked over to the desk, and picked up the rose. Pushing her hair out of her face, she inhaled the flower's sweet fragrance. Roses were her favorite flower. Every birthday, her father had given her a present with a fresh red rose on the top. She was ravished, yet the thought of food nauseated her. She instead picked up the mug and took an experimental sip. The steam helped clear the fog out of her head and she could feel warmth radiating through her body. She noticed a cream colored envelope with black-lined edges sitting under the plate. She set the mug down and picked up the envelope. It was heavy weight paper, possibly homemade, and sealed with a red wax skull. She slid he finger under the flap to break the seal and pulled out a matching sheet of stationary. Her eyes grew wider as she read the fountain pen writing.

Dear Christine,

I pray you slept well after last night's events. It is a common mistake at one's first party to over indulge. Please refrain from letting that happen again as I would hate to find you in trouble due to the idiocy of others. I have left you a special breakfast which I have found to be a certain hangover remedy. The tea will help clear your mind and relieve the sickness. The bagel is just enough to satisfy your hunger without making you ill.

Before I left, you said you wanted to know my name. If you still feel that way this morning, meet me alone tonight at midnight at the clock in the middle of the quad. Also, please keep our encounter a secret. I have my reasons for this request that you need not concern yourself with.

I Remain Yours Truly,

The Phantom

Christine read and reread the note over and over again. Raoul's warning still played like a constant beat in the back of her mind, but like the day she first saw The Phantom in front of Sullivan Hall, she felt drawn to him. Suddenly, this day seemed like it was going to last forever. She took a bite out of the bagel and began counting the hours until midnight.

At about 11:30 that night, Christine looked around her room on more time. Everything was organized and clean. She was a very neat person by nature, but had decided to straighten her room up to help time go by faster. She had checked her email numerous times, and even chatted online with Meg and Raoul who seemed to have woken up in much worse shape than she had been in. Satisfied that everything was in its place, Christine grabbed her coat and walked out of the room.

It was a nice early autumn night. The moon was shining high above the campus and helped to light her way as Christine made her way up the brick pathway to the quad. There with its four faces shining brightly stood the campus clock. It was not especially tall or ornate, but it somehow seemed to fit right into the surrounding buildings. It was dark blue in color and stood on a decorative matching blue post which was then mounted on a large slab of carved marble. Most of the flowers in the round flowerbed that surrounded the base had died, so Christine walked over and sat on the base. The evening air started to penetrate her coat and the marble made a frigid surface to sit upon by the time the clock struck twelve. As the clock started to chime the hour, Christine started looking around. Just as she thought that she may have been stood up and the clock chimed a twelfth time, she turned and found herself face to face with the black-clad man. She startled slightly at his sudden arrival.

"I-I thought you might have stood me up," she stammered.

"Now what would put such thoughts into your head?" he said. "I said to meet me at midnight. It is now midnight and we both are here." Christine could barely make out his face due to the fedora's shadow, but she thought she saw a faint smile on his face. As usual, the mask stood out in stark contrast to the darkness of his face.

"That we are," she returned his smile and held out her hand. "I'm Christine Daaé."

"Erik," he said while taking her hand in his leather gloved one and holding it up to his lips. He then lowered it and looked up at her. "Please to make your acquaintance, Miss Daaé." She giggled in spite of herself at Erik's simple act of chivalry. Even though she had been slightly apprehensive about meeting him because of the information Raoul had given her, she found that most of her anxieties were gone. She shuddered as a cool breeze swept by. Almost faster than she could think, Erik had taken off his black cloak and draped it over her shoulders. "Here, come with me." He offered his arm. Christine hesitated for a second and then draped her arm through his. There was a calm, quiet authority on his voice that left her unable to resist whatever he commanded. They walked silently in the moonlight for a while when Christine heard Erik start to hum an unfamiliar tune. She looked up at him for a few steps. He stopped the melody and looked down at her.

"No, please don't stop," she whispered. "What song was that?"

"A piece I wrote a while ago," he replied.

"Can I hear it?" Erik looked at her curious eyes for a moment and then gently pulled her in a new direction. Before she knew it, they were standing in front of Farber Auditorium. Erik tried the door and found it to be locked.

"That's ok. I can hear it another time..." Christine was interrupted by a slight click and Erik opened the door. In his hand he held his dorm room key. "How did you do that?" she asked, eyes wide in amazement. Erik gazed down at her and gave a sly grin.

"I found out that if I put my room key halfway into the lock and work it slightly, it unlocks the auditorium doors." They stepped inside the pitch dark building. Erik let his eyes adjust to the darkness until he could see details of his surroundings before taking Christine's hand and led her into the main part of the auditorium. Even with the red exit lights shining, Christine was practically blind in the dark room. Erik led her surely down the aisle to the stage and told her to stay there while he turned on some lights.

A soft glow illuminated the stage and revealed a black concert piano sitting off to one side. Erik helped her onto the stage and removed the dust cover off the shiny instrument. Taking his fedora and gloves off and setting them neatly on the bench beside him, he gracefully sat down and caressed the keys for a moment. For the first time, Christine was able to study his face in dim light. His dark brown-black hair was slicked back neatly with gel. His dark blue-green eyes sparkled of wisdom beyond his years. Erik was probably about twenty three years old, but the visible part of his face was aged a few years older than that. He was handsome, Christine was sure of that, but she was curious about what he was hiding behind that white mask. It added a mysterious charm to Erik, The Phantom.

She pulled up a chair next to him and watched as he played several chords to warm up. He looked over to her without missing a chord and started on the tune she had heard earlier, letting his eyes close. His voice was smooth and almost hypnotic. Christine marveled at how it blended with the piano. Erik's was a voice like none she had ever known, so beautiful, so heavenly, and yet so filled with pain and sorrow. She could tell that he wasn't just singing the music. Erik was the music.

I walk a lonely road
The only one I that have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But its home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line of the edge
And where I walk alone
Read between the lines of what's
Fucked up and every things all right
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive
And I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone
(A.N. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"- Green Day)

Erik was still after the last notes quieted down and then opened his eyes. He looked over to see tears running down Christine's face. He slid off of the bench and kneeled in front of her and started wiping her tears.

"Why are you crying, dear girl?" Christine flushed with embarrassment and looked away from Erik's concerned gaze.

"That was just so beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time," she choked on a sob. It reminds me of how lonely I once was. How lonely I still am." She stopped right there. She wasn't ready to tell Erik about her parents and the hell her life was after that tragic day long ago. To her relief, Erik only nodded and said, "Me too."

After sitting through several more instrumental selections, Erik declared it was time for Christine to go back to her room and sleep. She could have stayed right there in the empty auditorium and listened to the music forever. She made a comment stating as such.

"Forever is a long time," was Erik's reply. They walked back to Majestic Hall and Erik stopped at the entrance. He was not ready for Christine to know that he lived right next to her.

"Oh, I forgot to thank you for watching over me last night and the wonderful breakfast this morning. I loved the rose. It's my favorite flower," Christine said before she got so caught up in Erik's gaze that she would forget everything she meant to say. By now she was blushing horribly and was glad to be standing in the dark twilight.

"You're welcome, Christine. I just want to keep you safe." Before he could react, Christine held him in a firm embrace. She inhaled the sweet smell of his woodsy cologne. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion set in that made her feel like she could fall asleep right there in his arms. He pulled back and held her at arm's length.

"Good night, Erik."

"Sleep well, my dear." She turned and walked up to the door and glance back over her shoulder as she walked inside. This had certainly been a magical night and not one she would ever forget. She had just met Erik and didn't know anything about him, yet she felt so safe and secure in his presence. It was a strange feeling, pleasant, but strange. Christine had very little time to think about it because she fell into a deep sleep as soon as she lay down on the bed.