1The Return of the Phantom 11: The Underground Lair

Chelle awakes to find herself in on a chaise lounge in a simple little bedroom with an ordinary mahogany bed. It was lighted by a lamp standing on the marble top of an old Louis-Philippe chest of drawers (Leroux ch13). She recognized the room as the Louis-Philippe room in Gaston Leroux's book. On the chest she sees a note written in familiar red ink.

"My dear Christine,
There is no need for you to worry about your fate. You have no better or more respectful friend in the world than I. Your angel of music will take you under his wings. We shall make the music of the night once again.
Your angel,
OG"

Chelle hears music coming from the other room. She opens the door and walk into the drawing room. There was the man playing beautiful music on an old pipe organ. He hears her open the door and quickly turns around to face her, "Christine, welcome you must remember my underground home. Come let us sing; let us make sweet music of the night."

"I know who you are; I know everything about you. You are Erik the poor and tortured soul. You are the Opera Ghost; you are a famous legend that has been told and retold for many years."

"So you remember poor Erik; do you Christine?"

Chelle is so scared, confused, and angry by now that she does not know what she is about to say, "I am not Christine", the words came out of her mouth before she could even do anything.
She sees the sorrow build up in Eriks eyes, "I do not understand."

"My name is Chelle Taylor. I am 21 years old and I am an intern here at the opera house. I am not Christine."

"But you are just like her; your looks, your voice, your personality; everything about you is just like her." He turns back to the organ and starts to play the most depressing song. Chelle has heard this song before it came to in a dream before. She began to sing..

"I never felt this way before everyday I feel it more and more
Its hard to explain how I feel perhaps I dont really know
Anyway it doesnt really matter
Why do I even bother,
When you dont feel the way I do
My heart will cry for you, Ill die for youBut still you dont understand how I feel
I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world
And still that wont matterSo why do I even bother
When you dont feel the way I do

My heart bleeds inside its getting harder and harder to hide
Why cant you see the pain I have are you blinded by this world
Oh well, it doesnt really matter
So why do I even bother
When you dont feel the way I do

My heart will cry for you, Ill die for you
But still you dont understand how I feel
I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world
And still that wont matter
So why do I even bother
When you dont feel the way I do

Why cant you see the way I feel? Is it so hard to understand?
How can you be so blind? This world is corrupting your mind
Who cares it doesnt really matter
Why do I even bother
When you dont feel the way I do

My heart will cry for you, Ill die for you
But still you dont understand how I feel
I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world,
and still that wont matter
So why do I even bother
When you dont feel the way
Oh, that wouldnt matter so why do I bother
When you dont feel the way I do
Why dont you feel the way I do?"

Erik stops playing and looks at Chelle in bewilderment, "Where did you hear this?"

"I..It came to me in a dream before and I just made up the lyrics." Chelle looks at Erik and can tell that hearing this brought pain to his heart. "Why do you ask?"

"I wrote that song the day after", he said the next few words with extreme pain, "Christine left me for that insolent boy Raoul." He began to cry and turned to hide his tears from Chelle.

She walks up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Erik, you are not alone anymore. I'm here. Be my angel of music", Chelle starts to cry. She tries to hold back the tears but she can't. She hasalways dreamed of meeting Erik but she never believed that it would actually happen; in fact she never even thought it to be possible.

Erik then turns to her and wipes away her tears."Don't cry my child. I will teach you everything I know. You just have to promise me one thing."

"What is it I have to promise?"

"You have to devote yourself entirely to me and your work. You will be great. Everyone will worship you; you will be greater then Christine. You must promise me this."

"I devote myself to God. I am a Christian women and always been and always will be".

"And well you should be. You will firstly devote yourself to God, and secondly to me and my music. Is it a promise?"

"I promise", he touches her cheek with his hand. It is very cold just like she expected a ghosts touch to be.

"We will start your lessons tomorrow; I will meet you in your room. Now you must go back. That fool who runs my theatre will be missing you." He walks Chelle back through the passage way that leads to the mirror. "Here we are Miss. Chelle"

He turns to leave, "Erik, wait?", he turns to face her again; Chelle stands on her tip toes and lean in to kiss him on the cheek right below his full black mask that covers the upper part of his face. "Thank you Erik, My Angel of Music."

Chelle has an angel of music

Erik walks back to his underground house and begins to play the most lovely and music ever. "She agreed to let me give her lessons. She even thanked me for it." He then touches his cheek and smiles for the first time since Christine. "She kissed me; without fear she kissed me. She even knew the sad song I wrote the day Christine left. How could she know that song, and why is she so much like Christine only better?"