Christine had seen Raoul, and desperatly wanted to call to him, to talk and walk with him. But she was too afraid of losing the voice. She had heard him this morning, and had her lesson as usual. She was greatly relieved. After all where would she be without the Angel of Music to guide her? She was a lonely little girl, and the voice was her greatest friend and ally. Christine loved the voice which sang her to sleep at night. It was always there to comfort her when she had had a bad dream. Christine would die if the voice left her. So for now she must ignore Raoul, no matter how much it hurt. But Christine felt a great shadow of guilt. She went to her dressing room to talk with the voice.
"Hello Christine." Said a voice that seemed to come from above.
"Hello." Christine replied.
"Is something troubling you, child?"
"No, I'm just feeling lonely, thats all. Its always helped to talk to you."
"And it is my pleasure to be your friend. Tell me, when are you singing next?"
"I don't know. I have heard that Carlotta is getting well. She may be back for the next performance."
"You never know what might happen. She may not be there. And if it means hearing you sing again, I hope she is not there."
"Thank you. But I get so nervous on stage."
"Why should you be nervous? You have a great talent, don't be afraid to show it."
"Thank you. But now I must get back to rehearsal. I will be back later."
"Yes. I will talk to you later." Then Christine went quietly out of the room, careful to close the door behind her.
At the next performance Carlotta had gotten better, and was to sing the lead. Christine went back to her usual role. It was in the last seen when disaster struck. Carlotta had all of a sudden, gotten a frog in her throat. She was singing and let out a loud co-ack. Looking nervous and slightly embaressed, Carlotta tried again, but the same thing happened. In one of the boxes Raoul de Chagney jumed up. They had heard a loud crash. And the chaneleir came crashing down. Everyone scattered. Raoul saw Christine run behind the stage, most likely heading to her dressing room where it was safe. raoul ran to meet her there.
Christine ran straight to her dressing room, where it would be safe. She was on the verge of crying out, for the voice had said it would be there. Christine feared it had been crushed by the chandeleir. She called out to it, then heard singing. It seemed to be coming from her mirror wall. Christine walked slowly toward it. Christine looked and saw her reflection. But also the outline of a man dressed all in black. Then all of a sudden Christine was in total darkness. She cried out in fright. She was in a passage of some sort. Then a cold, boney hand grabbed her wrist adn pulled her close. Then, an arm wrapped it self around her thin waist and supported her. There was a lattern casting off a sort of red glow. The man behind her dragged Christine toward it. She put up a fight but soon gave up. When she was in the lights glow, Christine saw behind her, a man clothed in black holding her wrist and his arm around her waist. Christine stiffened and was about to scream, when the hand let go of her wrist and put itself over her mouth. Then hand smelled of death and Christine fainted.
The man who had Christine didn't let her fall. He put one arm under her knees and the other under her neck. The young girl's head rested against his shoulder. He carried her to the white horse waiting for them. He knelt down beside the horse and laid Christine on the floor with her head on his knee. There was a spring next to him and the man used water from it to sprinkel on Christine's forehead. Then, from behind him came a persain man. Before the man could utter a word he fell unconcouis on the floor. The strange man turned back to the girl laying on his knee. He took his middle and index fingers and began massging both of Chrisine's temples. Soon Christine came to herself. She pushed his hands away.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Christine asked. The man just sighed. He lifted Chrisine onto the horse.
"Cesar." Christine said softly, as the horse gave a happy neigh. Chrisine slumped back in the sattle and the man in black supported Christine as the horse began to walk. The journey didn't take too long. They were soon at an underground lake deep beneath the Opera house. Christine soon became aware of her surroundings and seemed afraid. So the man quickly put her in the boat and sent Cesar up the stairs, then jumped in the boat himself. He untied the rope, and rowed away from the shore. Once again they were in darkness. Christine kept looking around trying to see where the strange man was taking her. Then they touched shore and were surrounded by light. The man helped Christine out of the boat.
"Welcome Christine. Don't be afraid, you are in no danger." Christine gasped, she recognized the man's voice as the one that sang to her at night. Christine ran up and tried to rip off his mask. The ghost just stepped back and said, "You are in no danger as long as you do not touch my mask." Then he grabbed Christine's wrists gently, and forced her into a chair. Then he knelt in front of her and was silent. Then for no reason at all Christine burst into tears. But the man knew why she cried.
"No Christine, I am no angel, or a ghost, nor am I a genius. I am Erik!" Erik said. Christine rose out of the chair.
"I wish to be set free. Please take me back." Christine said.
"Yes, I will show you to the underground road, and you may leave." Erik replied as he got up too. But then he started to sing softly and Christine stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned around to face Erik. She remembered that no matter who he was, he would always be the voice. And Chrisitne slowly sank back into the chair. Erik sang Christine to sleep.
Chrisitne slumped foward in the chair, and Erik stopped singing. Before Christine could fall Erik lifted her out of the chair and carried her to the room he prepared for her. He laid her on the bed and softly closed the door behind him. But he did not lock it. Then he went to bed himself.
Erik rose early and got ready to go out. He wrote Christine a note. The girl was still asleep. Erik tiptoed in and laid the note on a chest of drawers by the bed. Before walking out he turned and watched Christine sleep. Then he left quietly. He went to go shopping for Christine. But when he touched shore on the Communist's road, he found the persain man waiting for him.
"You've been here twenty-four hours. You are begining to annoy me. I warn you, if this keeps up it will all end badly. And you will have brought it on yourself. I have been extremely patient with you. I spared you yesterday, but I warn you; don't let me catch you there again, or the coseqeunses will be dire." Erik said angrily.
The man just stood there not saying a word. "You must learn to take a hint! You have been taken to the managers twice already. If this keeps up, they will discover that you are after me, and then they will come after me themselves. Eventually they will discover the house on the lake. If they do, it will mean a bad lookout for you, for I will not answer for anything. If Erik's secrets, cease to be Erik's secrets, it will not be good for you, or a goodly number of the human race. That's all I have to say to you." Erik finished.
"Its not you I am after here!" Cried the Persian.
"Who then?"
"You know very well! Christine Daae'!"
"I have every right to see her in my own house! I am loved for myself!"
"That's a lie! You have carried her off, and are keeping her locked up."
"Listen, if you promise not to meddle in my business again, I will prove to you I am loved for my own sake."
"I promise you."
"Alright then. Christine Daae' shall leave all this as she pleases, but she will come back again. Yes she wll come back again, because she herself wishes to. This will happen because she loves me for who I am."
"Oh, I highly doubt she will come back. But it is your duty to set her free."
"My duty? It is my wish! My wish to set her free, and she will come back agian, because she loves me. In the end, I will adopt her. I shall be her father, for I love her as if she were my own."
"Look here, I shall believe it when I see it. If I see Christine Daae' come out of the house on the lake and go back to it of her own free will."
"Now I must go out shopping." And Erik left. So the Persian left the way he had come.
Christine sat up suddenly and looked about her. She saw she was on a bed. She got up and looked for a door. The only one she found led to a bathroom. When Chrisinte came out she saw a note on the chest of drawers. She picked it up and read it. "My dear Christine, I have gone out shopping for all the things you could possibly need."
Christine laid the note down, and searched once more for a way out. This is the state in which Erik found her when he returned.