"Madame Giry. Wait." Erik cried.

"Please Erik, I don't know more than anyone else." Madame Giry continued walking straight to her bedroom, hoping Erik wouldn't follow. Her and I both knew that Erik would never take no for answer.

"That's not true and you know it!" He yelled.

"Erik please do not ask, I promised her I wouldn't tell." Madame Giry stopped at her door, fumbling with the key.

"Madame I need to know, please." He pleaded with those eyes that I had never been able to resist. Madame Giry's face soften.

"Very well, but I will not tell you who she is for you must figure it out on your own." They both entered her room. I had to hurry to my next hiding place to hear what she had to say. "It was years ago. You knew her; in fact every one knew her. She was one to have many talents. Her heart had always screamed for center stage, yet she told herself she was unworthy of the stage. Her voice was and still is magnificent. Her heart, the kindest heart of all and her smile was unforgettable, but she had a horrible past that kept her quiet. She was too ashamed of what happen to her.

"Her past was a past somewhat like yours Erik. She had been shamed into solitude, shunned by her father. Though she had friends and was happy living in Opera Populaire, she was lonely and scared to trust anyone. Then one day her own "Angel of Music" came to her. He lit up her heart. He was her light. Even though this man lit up her heart and was crazy about him, he loved another; a chorus girl that he loved with all his heart. He could not see the girl's love for him; he was too busy trying to win the chorus girl's affections. Sadly the chorus girl broke his heart by loving another and left him in his own solitude. The Phantress had tried to show him, that he was better off with out her, but the man wouldn't give up. He tried to take her to his home to show her what she could have if she would be his, but she wouldn't take him for she did not love him.

"Finally he let her go, leaving him in his misery. The Phantress had tried to get to his home as fast as she could to save him, but it was too late. He was gone. I never saw either of them, until I saw the girl a couple of years before you arrived." Madame Giry was now done with her tale. Erik sighed deeply before standing up and giving her a bow. He put his hand on the door before turning around, looking Madame Giry straight in the eye.

"That man that she had loved, it was me wasn't it?" Erik asked.

"Yes Erik, yes it was." Madame Giry said not looking away.

"Thank you Madame Giry, for everything."

"Your welcome, goodnight Erik." She said.

"Goodnight." And with that Erik left and went back to the masquerade ball while I went back to my home.

When I had woken up the next morning I decided to take my morning stroll around the opera house to see what needed to be fixed or improved. I headed towards the stables to visit the horses, when I heard two men talking. I listen:

"Monsieur, where to?" I recognized the voice as the old stableman, Lenny.

"The cemetery please, I will be back in a moment." It was Erik.

"A carriage shall be waiting for you, Monsieur." Lenny said bowing. Erik quickly ran inside the opera house. As I watched him go inside I began to form an idea. I crept out of the shadows while Lenny was getting the carriage ready. There was a piece of wood that lay on the floor which I picked up and hit him with. He fell to the floor unconscious. I had to hide him so Erik wouldn't see, so I hid him in the shadows, while I begged to God for forgiveness. Just in time I jumped onto my seat and slipped my hood of my cloak over me.

"The cemetery." Erik said. He laid back into the seat while we rode towards the cemetery. As I was riding I could here him breathing heavily. He was in deep thought. I could have sworn I had heard him singing quietly:

Sing once again for me

Our strange duet

Yourpower over me

Grows stronger yet

I held my breath for a moment, his voice still made my heart leap. When we arrived he flipped me a coin, which I knew I didn't need for I had my monthly salary, but I smiledat the thought that it was one less coin he would spend on Helen. I rode to where the carriages were supposed to be parked and climbed offhoping I would be there in time to catch up to where Erik had gone.

As I followed Erik, I heard him begin to sing a song that brought me to tears. A song I would never have thought Erik would sing:

I don't know if You can hear me

Or if You're even there

I don't know if You would listen

To a phantom's prayer

Yes, I know I'm just an outcast

I shouldn't speak to you

Still I see Your face and wonder

Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts

Hungry from birth

Show them mercy

The don't find on earth

The lost and forgotten

They look to you still

God help the outcast

Or nobody will.

I ask of nothing

I have gotten by

But I know someone

Less lucky than I

The poor and downtrend

I thought we all were

The children of God

I don't know if there's a reason

Why some are blessed, some not

Why the few You seem to favor

They fear us Flee us

Try not to see us

God help the outcasts

The tattered, the torn

Seeking an answer

To why they were born

Winds of misfortune

Have blown them about

You made the outcasts

Don't cast them out

The poor and unlucky

The weak and the odd

I thought they all were

The children of God

I knew the song was about me. I knew he took pity on me, but I didn't want his pity, I wanted his love. He stood before Christine Daae's father's grave. Something gold caught my eye as he pulled it out of his pocket. It was an old pocket watch. He gently put it down on the grave. "This rightfully belongs to you. Christine had left it behind during the fire. I know how much it had meant to her. Even though I have come many times these past years to see if I would run into Christine, I have never told you how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt your daughter; I loved her with all my heart and soul. She was my Angel of Music. She was my light in my darkness." He began to cry. "I swear that if I could take it all back I would. I should have never lied to her like that. I should have tried to win her affections the right way, but I was a coward. Too scared to even try." He began to cry even more. I had to at least make an attempt to help. I sang:

Wandering Angel,

So lost, so helpless

Yearning for my guidance

Erik:

Angel or Christine?

Friend or Phantress?

Who is it there, staring?

He was so desperate to hear Christine he had forgotten my voice. I sang back:

Have you forgotten your Angel?

Erik:

Angel oh, speak

What endless longings

Echo in this whisper!

Me:

Too long you've wandered in winter

Far from my gaze…

Erik:

Wildly my mind beats against you…

Me:

You resist…

Me/Erik:

Yet your/my heart obeys…

(Erik began to climb up the steps towards the grave chamber)

Angel of Music,

You/ I denied me/you!

Turning from true beauty!

Angel of Music!

Do not shun me/ my protector!

Come to your/me strange Angel…

Me:

I am your Angel of Music

Come to the Angel of Music

He suddenly stopped at the top of the stairs. He was so close, yet so far away. "No! I know what you are doing." He yelled. "Stay away from me and Helen!" Erik began to run. I had no idea where he would be able to run to without a horse, but he just continued running. I followed in the shadows, but he ran straight into the woods. As I followed him I suddenly got lost in the sea of trees. I had lost him. I slowed down my pace and began to walk. It was hopeless, the gypsy woman was wrong, I could never win his heart. I continued to walk when I came across a fallen log. I stepped over it to find Erik lying on the floor.

"Oh my Lord Erik!" I screamed. I tried shaking him, but he wouldn't move. "Erik, please wake up." I rolled him over to look at his face. There on his forehead was a bloody gash. He was beginning to go pale I had to get him out of the cold before he froze.