Part 9: The Unmasking, and Down Once More…
Of course, no amount of embarrassment of either of their parts could withstand the combined annoyance of Rafe and Carlotta. It seemed to them that the two had teamed up, to be a double annoyance.
"So… zis ti'em zat ve practice, I 'ope that 'ou don't drop zee zhair on meee for real!" she laughed merrily, and then started singing. Of course, one could only stand the 'effort' for so long, before it was called off. Willow and Erik both chuckled, as the 'diva' walked off of the 'performing area', which actually consisted of a space cleared of tables and desks.
"Okay!" James said. "Lets switch scenes…" And Sandra, the ever-present-hyper-queen, whom Willow had the idea she would like being friends with, happily commented under her breath, "What he means to say is, lets all put our ear drums BACK in after that 'orrible rendition…" Willow managed to smother her giggles to a minute cough. Though Carlotta did glare, she couldn't blame her for anything.
"Okay, let's to the scene where Christine takes off Erik's mask for the first time. Places please." Willow grinned. This was one of her more favorite scenes. She actually rubbed her hands together in anticipation, while Sandra nudged her. "Go get 'em tiger!" And Christine happily walked to place with a laugh…
"Okay guys, go!" And Willow closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was there… in his lair. She was Christine Daee…
"I remember there was mist… swirling mist upon a vast glassy lake. There were candles all around, and on the lake there was a boat. And in the boat there was a man." Erik, whom was sitting at a desk for props, was now the object of her attention. She turned towards him, and placed her hands on his face, smoothing them over the unmasked side, while she inched towards his mask. "Who was that shape in the shadows? Whose is the face in the mask."? And she continued her caressing of his face, until….
When he jumped up to do his part, her fingers slipped, and, his mask fell to the floor. All eyes widened and the gasps that came from all, including Erik, made everyone stop.
In the matter of a second, thoughts rushed through Willow's mind.
'I live close to the Opera House.'
'Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light.' So like Erik…
That look he had given her when she said that he sang like Erik…
'Erik, my name is Erik…' Of course it was…
His mysterious appearance at school. Not a problem for the Phantom…
"I am zee great grandson of Erik from the Opera house… I don't care eff oou donot belieeef me…" not the great-grand son.. The ERIK…
His despising of the Fop… it ALL fit…
He was Erik… The Phantom of the Opera!
And… she had just unmasked him… great job….
Yes, all of those thoughts flew through her mind in moments, and, she opened her mouth, a perfectly clean lie coming forth.
"Well guys…" she grinned happily, looping her arm around Erik's waist, and looking at the… 'little scratch', as she always put it, on the side of his face. "What do you think? I stayed up all night working on it. I thought that I could help with the makeup!" She reach up and touched the scarred side, feeling the odd texture, while Erik looked down at her in utter devastation and shock.
"Wow… Willow, that's… amazing. It looks so real." James exclaimed excitedly. "Could you do that for the actually production?" She nodded happily, her arm still looped through Erik's in a false sense of knowing that the distortion (Peh… SCRATCH PEOPLE! SEXAH SCRATCH!) was going to be there.
Carlotta leaned over to Rafe, and whispered in a rather LOUD tone, "Eet doesn't even look real. I bet zat I could do ah moouch more better zob of eet…" Rafe nodded in agreement…
Willow looked over at Sandra, who had actually had to lean over on the desk for support. When she glanced a question at her, she said, in a rather remorseful tone… "I thought that it was real… that he was really…" She said it as if they had just taken away Christmas… poor Sandra. If only she knew.
Finally, Willow turned to Erik, who had stiffened in her formal embrace.
"It was easy wasn't it Erik?" She asked him, pleading with her eyes for him to not mess it up now. He looked at her, and suddenly such rage filled his eyes, that she cowered away. She thought he would lash out, or tell her not to touch him or…
"DAMN YOU! YOU LITTLE PRYING PANDORA! You little demon, is this what you wanted to see?" She didn't expect that. Everyone fell back, as Erik turned his rage more fully on Willow, who stooped and picked up his mask, while Erik held half of his face.
"Curse you! YOU LITTLE LYING DELILAH! You little viper! Now you cannot ever be free…" was there an extra glint, a spark of something else in those last words…
"Damn you! Curse you…" he looked up at her, and then started pacing…
"Stranger than you dreamt it, can you even bare to look, or dare to think of me, this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell be secretly, yearns for heaven, secretly, secretly… W-… Christine…" She heard as he had nearly slipped her name into that… he paced towards her and continued.
"Fear can turn to love, you'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster, this… repulsive carcass who seems a beast but secretly, dreams of beauty secretly… secretly… oh Willow…" he whispered her name so that it was only audible to her ears. The room hung in complete silence… she handed him back his mask, and he donned it. Everything erupted into cheers.
"My GOD that was amazing, opening night is going to knock them dead…"
"Eet ztill doe'snt look reeel…"
"Don't worry about it Carlotta…"
"I WANTED HIM TO BE THE REAL PHANTOM!"
Willow laughed softly at Sandra's comment, and then swept herself, and Erik, into a bow. He bent stiffly; giving her a sidelong look… she got the message. They were going to have to talk.
"Okay guys… listen, I'd love to practice more, but I have an appointment. I'll see you all here tonight. Dismissed." And suddenly, their conversation and slapped her in the face before she could come up with a real reason to avoid it. She didn't want him to hate her. She hadn't meant to remove his mask, but she had made it okay. Everyone thought it was makeup… but she knew… what if he Punjabed her?
He took her hand, and led her out of the room.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow… EVEN THOUGH YOU ARENT REAL!" Sandra shouted, as he drug her on. He didn't stop. It was almost relentless, the way that he dragged her, twisting down hallways, oblivious to everyone else… she was suddenly, and eerily reminded of a scene from the movie…
'Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair! Down we plunge towards the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as HELLLLLLL!'
Had she, unintentionally evoked such anger and pain into him once more? She knew that the anger of his song earlier had not been pretend, but his only way to lash out at her without alerting everyone of his dilemma. And so, as he pulled her along, she followed in half wonderment, and half fear. She was with THE Phantom of the Opera. She was so sure…
Finally, they came to an entrance to an unused room, where he pulled her, not bothering to turn on the lights. Everything plunged into shadows, and she heard the door lock behind them…. She was in for it now…
"Why?" He said, and she heard the pain in his voice. All of her fear dissolved into something beyond pity… she didn't want him to hurt so. Not ever, and especially not by her hand.
"I didn't mean… you stood, and my hand caught… I wouldn't have really…" She stammered out, while his face, half plunged into shadows, reminded her so much of Erik… which was because he was. She was going to have to come to terms with that… had she somehow already known? Is that why she had been comfortable around him, because he was indeed the very character that she had fallen in love with as a child?
"Willow, that's not what I mean." He said, his voice deep, so that it was more a growl than anything.
"Then what DO you mean…" she said, taking a few steps back, and feeling the wall looming behind her. He had herded her away from the door. She had no escape… 'Now you cannot ever be free…' what was he going to do?
"I mean, why did you lie… you know now Willow…" he advanced a step on her, and she took another one back involuntarily. "You know who I am. Who am I Willow?" She couldn't answer… in a moment, he repeated himself. "Who am I?" And she shuddered, but answered.
"Erik…" And then added, with a daring glance to his face. "The Phantom of the Opera." He nodded in grim satisfaction.
"That's right. You've guessed. You're the only one who knows. And I see you draw away in repulsion now. You slept in my arms last night Willow. Now that you know what lies beneath the mask, am I such a monster that you cannot even bare to look at me? Does my distortion repulse you so much?" He was slipping into the way he talked before… with Christine, and suddenly, Willow's courage returned, and she advanced upon him.
"Erik, why do you think it's so bad? My GOD! You're the most amazing person that I've ever known. Don't you realize, haven't you realized, that if you would have told me sooner, I'd have probably killed over," and before he could add a snide remark about how it would have been from horror, she added viciously. "from amazement." She shook her head at him, advancing, and this time, he was the one who drew back.
"Don't you think that somewhere deep inside, I knew? Knew from the first time you sang. No one BUT the REAL Erik could have had such a voice… no… it's me who should be asking why. Why did you follow me? Why are you still followed me. What are you going to do to me now that you know that I know?" Her chest heaved, as she stalked towards him. Where they were within a foot of each other, she stopped, staring at him in an almost defiant way. She wanted him to say that she was repulsed, so she could slap him… or kiss him one.
"I followed you because your voice drew me, because your mask drew me. I'm still following you, because my curiosity hasn't been sated, and now you know my secret. And what am I going to do with you? I think the question is, what are you going to do now that you know, since you seem to have the leverage here." He looked the question at her, and she stared thoughtfully at him.
"You know, I hadn't really thought of it. I do, don't I? I mean, if I DID rat you out, everyone would be on you…" She stopped for a moment. "How did this happen. I mean, yeah, you were alive, in the 1800's… how are you still here?" He looked thoughtfully, and then answered truthfully.
"I guess because I couldn't let go. Because I never really allowed anything to change from the moment Christine left me…" he shrugged, but she saw the pain shoot through his eyes. He was trapped in an eternity deprived of love that was long since dead… it made her want to cry for him.
"Well…" She couldn't think of what to say… instead, he filled in for her.
"You aren't repulsed by my face. I don't understand that," he held up his hand, before she could launch once again into her speech of how much she didn't care, "I don't understand that," he repeated, "But, now that I know that you know, and that you're the only one who knows, you've got to swear that you'll keep it that way." She looked at him. Why would she tell anyone? Why would she risk him getting hurt? It's not like she wanted ANYTHING to happen to him. She thought to herself, how many girls in the world prayed every night to meet the Angel of Music. Well she had, and she wasn't about to throw him to the pit of evil little demons that the world was.
"Why would I?" She said, and then, with a sly grin added. "What would you do that would make me want to?" he didn't exactly understand the meaning of her grin, but instantly knew that there was a catch coming…
"Nothing…"
She gave a half grin. "Are you still going to perform in the play?" He thought for a moment. He still wanted to know what was under her mask. And… here was a girl who wasn't repulsed by his face, and how already knew who and what he was, and no doubt knew his past transgressions better than he himself… and she didn't turn away. Not to mention the fact that she was very Anti-Raoul… which meant that she wasn't going to go running off with that Rafe boy if he DID decide to get attached… all of the implications, and no complication… he would have to be a fool to leave, and Erik was no fool.
"Of course. There is no reason for me to leave as long as I remain secretive about my true identity." She gave a little laugh.
"You sound like a superhero." She gave him a look. "You wont have to worry about me giving away your identity superman. I wont tell a soul." Though Sandra would probably have a heart attack if she knew… then she wouldn't have to worry about her telling anyone… she'd be dead… dead and happy.
"Well then… the only thing that remains to be discussed…" He gave a rather sly smirk that she didn't think she'd ever see on the Phantom's face. Of course, he was a man, and therefore, got those smiles, regardless of whom he was.
"What?" She said, almost fearing what he would say…
"My kiss." He stated matter of factly.
She looked stupidly at him. "What are you talking about?"
He gave a rather masculine laugh, (Amanda and Sandra melt) and then looked at her, leaning against the wall. "Well, you once told me that if I were the real Phantom, then you'd kiss me… and you've seemed to discover the truth, I am." He was, of course, only teasing… he was going to have to get close to her to see what laid beneath the mask anyway, so… if the only way were some… modern… flirting… he thought he would be able to stand it… just to sate his curiosity, of course.
Willow actually huffed at him. "You're serious, aren't you?" He gave her a malicious smile that she knew would be more likely to be on the Phantom's face, and nodded.
"Well, you…" And she did something that Erik DIDN'T expect… she strode forward, snatched his face between her hands, and brought her lips to his. Her lips were almost upon his, and he had a split second to decide whether to let her do it, or move…
XXX