Chapter 23: The Truth

"Dreama, do you know how and why the Paris Opera House went into flames?"

She nodded.

"Because of The Phantom of the Opera," she said like it was nothing. I nodded.

"How much do you know?" I looked away for I couldn't look at her.

"Well, I know that The Phantom kidnapped a chorus girl Ms. Christine Daae. He also sent the chandelier to tumble on innocent men, women and children."

"Do you know why he did all that?" I asked feeling nauseating that I would have to tell her the whole story.

"No" she said simply.

"It was because of love," Dreama frowned. I sighed and tuned away from her.

"He was known as The Opera Ghost, a ghoul who haunted the Opera's corridors. Yet to one he was known as The Angel of Music, that one was Christine…" I staggered for a bit from saying her name. "When Christine was seven she came to the Opera to live since her father had passed away leaving her alone. But before he went, he promised her that he would send her The Angel of Music to give her the gift of song when he was in heaven. The Phantom heard all of this, and felt so much pity for her he took the place of her Angel and taught her how to sing. Ten years passed and when her Angel knew she was ready, he demanded that she sing instead of their present performer La Carlotta. Christine sang and the Opera found a new soprano, yet The Phantom had also found his bride. He took Christine that very night and led her to his world beneath the Opera where she found that her Angel was The Phantom, yet also The Phantom was just a man. But that is not all she found out, she found out that he was a hideous monster beneath his mask."

Dreama looked away confused by this story of mine. I turned to her and continued.

"He let her go back to her world only to see her love she held for The Vicomte De Chagney…Raoul. Rage and jealousy flooded his mind and soul; he performed his opera with Christine only to kidnap her and also to send the chandelier to crash on top of others. He took Christine to become his bride, yet her lover Raoul came. But The Phantom had his planes; he captured Raoul and threatened to kill him if she did not choose to end her days by The Phantom's side. Christine loved Raoul too much and accepted to be with him, yet he saw her love for the boy, he saw how she would have killed herself just to make sure Raoul was alright. He knew Raoul could bring her happiness, and The Phantom knew that he could not…so he let her go…he let her run away with The Vicomte…" I shut my eyes as I spoke my next words. "I let her go."

At this Dreama's head snapped up to look at my eyes.

"What?" she whispered breathless. "How do you know all this?"

I faced her, "because I am The Phantom of the Opera,"

Dreama froze. "I kidnapped Christine Daae, I forced her to choose me, I made the chandelier fall on dozens of innocent men, women, and children. I murdered all that's good Dreama…"

"Stop it Erik you don't know what you're saying…" Dreama bellowed trying to calm herself.

"I don't know? Dreama of course I know…if you don't believe me ask Jonnie," Dreama's look became puzzled.

"What?" she asked. I nodded

"He was there that night of Don Juan…"

"Don Juan?"

"Yes, Dreama after I let Christine go I left the Opera…never to return. But it was soon after when I was caught by the people who once called me The Devil's Child. There I met Jonnie, and there I met Thelma…she helped us escape…you know the rest." I tired to sound calm but it wasn't working, fear was in my voice and it was easy to tell.

Dreama was silent, she looked away from me and I began to hear her cries.

"Dreama please say something…" she didn't, I grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward me, "say something"

"Why?" was all she said.

Why what? What did she want to know? Why I took Christine?

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she asked feeling betrayed. Tears rushed to my eyes but I stopped them.

"I didn't know you…"

"No! Why didn't you tell me before?"

I finally understood, why I didn't say anything before I took her innocence.

"I told you my darkest memory that I haven't mentioned in almost eight years, and you couldn't tell me that one secret!"

"I couldn't have told you or you would have shunned me!" I shouted my temper beginning to rise.

"Shun you? Erik how could I shun you after you showed me that I was not alone?"

"Please understand Dreama, I wanted to tell you, I wanted to tell all of you…"

"Who else knew?" she asked turning away from me again. I sighed as I answered.

"Jonnie, Jennie, and Thelma…"

There was silence.

"Why do you tell me this now?" Dreama asked with grief.

"I need you to understand Dreama…I took Christine because nothing was in me except jealousy…I made the biggest mistake of my life simply because I was jealous. Dreama, Thelma was jealous of us; therefore she made a mistake and nearly got herself killed!"

"What are you saying Erik!" she demanded turning to me with anger in her eyes.

"I'm saying…" I slowed my words, I was about to tell her something I know she didn't want to hear. I looked away from her and whispered. "We can't be together…"

She gasped. "What? Simply because my sister was jealous?"

"Dreama I care for your sister, not as much as I care about you but enough to care that if we want her to live then we can't be together…"

"You jest Erik…you can't be serious!" I looked at her and she saw my serious eyes. The tears poured down her cheeks.

"No Erik please…"

"It has to be done Dreama…"

"No! This isn't what it's about is it?" I frowned at her suddenly angry words.

"You're still in love with your precious Christine" she spat the name in my face. Sorrow filled me, but then something happened. I no longer saw Dreama in front of me…I saw Christine…anger filled me now.

"Why Erik? Why can't you say those three words that I'm just begging for you to say? Why?"

"Because I hate you! You've ruined my life! Why did I ever fall in love with you!"

Dreama stood there brokenhearted. Christine disappeared from my view and I saw Dreama. What I said struck me like lightning. Oh god…what have I done?

More tears came from Dreama's eyes as she looked away.

"I see," was all she said to me before she turned and ran to her room.

"Dreama wait…!" Her door slammed in my face. I didn't hate her…never could I hate her. I saw Christine when I shouted those horrible words, I didn't see Dreama I saw Christine.

Dreama will never speak to me again; she won't even look at me. I'll be nothing but air when I walk by her, I'll be nothing but silence when I speak to her, I'll be nothing to her period.

Little did I know, that every word I have said to Dreama, every word about my past was heard by all the Tamber's downstairs and heard by Thelma who was half awake in her room.

Hey! Yea I know...this probably screws everything up doesn't it? Well I'm very sorry but I just had to do it...ok well...yea...please raview if you wish to know what happens next to our dear beloved Erik and Dreama...

"Life is a mask, its our job to take it off and discover the journey behind it for there is nothing there but a mask"

Crystal A.