Chapter 5: The Mirror
"Flattering child you shall know me, see why in shadow I hide…Look at you face in the mirror, I am there inside!"
His words still haunted her mind; never to be forgotten. She longed once more to hear him repeat those words in his dark, but sweet voice. Oh, longing for one last touch, one last lullaby; one last visit. She found herself pressing her fingers against the glass of her long-forgotten mirror, almost expecting his hand to grasp hers and take her away from her misery.
"Close your eyes and surrender to you darkest dreams, purge all thoughts of the life you knew before!"
That was all she wanted to do right now…No, she mustn't think in such ways. It would only cause her more heartbreak, should she never see her Angel again. Why must he always sing songs in her head, long after her final depart?
"Christine? Christine? Can you hear me?" Madame Giry's was full of worry; and as dazed as she was, Christine could hear it. She had obviously been calling her for some time now.
"I'm fine Madame, thank you for your assistance" Christine spoke in an odd monotone, as though her body was speaking, but her soul was somewhere else. Madame Giry took this as her cue to leave.
As soon as she was sure of the ballet mistress to be well out of hearing, Christine broke down on the floor, her face cascading with tears. "Angel!" she sobbed, "I was wrong to leave you! Come back to me; my teacher, my angel, my…" Christine stopped, almost unsure of what had crossed through her mind, but it spat out of her lips before that little voice in her head could say otherwise. "My love!"
He heard every word, not knowing what to think. Since when had she cared for him, the monster? Surely she had not just called him...'her love'? Was she not happily engaged-perhaps married- to her beloved Viscount? It had been so hard for him to free her, in fact it had taken all of his mental capability to give up the one thing he would die for; her.
Now she was back. He wanted nothing more than to walk-run-right up to her. He longed to hold her, to whisper her name softy into her ear once more. He did not dare. The shadow was sure he would only get his heart broken once more. He felt a gentle tear fall from his right eye. It seemed he often only cried from his right eye, his deformed eye. His mask not only hid his disfigurement, but his emotions. Christine could see through the mask though. She could dig deeper into his soul than even he himself could. She always seemed to know his true feelings with a single glance.
He couldn't let himself give in to her, yet he could not bare to watch her cry. Knowing he must do something, he returned to his lair and pulled a black ribbon from a box... Those two words ringing in his head all the way to the flower stand; "My Love..."