1The Return of the Phantom 14: Realizing the Truth

Chelle runs out of box five not knowing what to do. There was confusion everywhere; people where running around asking for answers. There were so many different stories being told on how the chandelier fell. But, only one person knew the truth; that person was Chelle. No matter what people said she knew that it was Erik who made it happen. Erik warned them that there would be a curse on the house if Ellisa sang tonight, but no one believed it. No one believed that the opera ghost has returned but this time he was a real ghost.

Chelle tried to get away from the madness, from the screams of terror, but it was everywhere. It came from every direction, surrounding her; she couldn't escape. She started to run down the hallways of the opera house but the screaming echoed in her head. Then suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "Chelle", she turned around to find Derrick.

Chelle throws herself into his arms crying, "It,s him, I know it; it is him!"

"Chelle, you must come with me to Monsieur Lerouxs office. Everyone has been told to go there so we can figure out the significant of these happenings."

"I've told you the significant! Its Erik; he made Ellisa croak just like he made Carlotta croak. He made the chandelier tonight fall just like he did the night Carlotta croak."

"Chelle, there is no Erik; no Phantom of the Opera." As Derrick is saying these words they hear the sound of laughing. It wasn't any ordinary laughing; it was the laughing of a mad man. "What is that; who's there?" Derrick asks turning around to see if there is anyone else there.

"It's Erik. He's here the Phantom of the Opera!"

"There is no..." suddenly Erik appears behind Derrick with the Punjab Lasso in his hands.

"Erik, NO!" Derrick turns around just in time to stop the Punjab Lasso from getting thrown around his neck.

"We meet at last", Erik says bowing at Derrick, "So you are the one trying to steal Chelle away from her angel of music."

Derrick stares at Erik with anger in his eyes, "Who do you think you are", he asks.

"I am Erik, the Angel of Music, the Opera Ghost, The Phantom of the Opera; surely you have heard of me."

"There is no Phantom...", but before he could finish the sentence, Erik had put the Punjab Lasso around his neck; ready to pull the rope tighter.

"Erik stop it! Leave me alone; leave us alone!" Chelle grabs the Punjab and quickly helps to get off Derricks neck. "I'm not Christine. I never will be."

"But my dear you may not be Christine, but you are her relative."

"No, that...that's impossible."

"Is it Chelle? You look just like her; you have her voice. You are just like her. You are her great-great-etc.-granddaughter."

Chelle stands there in shock and silence; then she finally pushes her way pass Erik and Derrick. She runs as fast as she can to her room. When she gets there she throws herself on to the bed sobbing her eyes out. "This cant be happening. I always dreamed about being Christine in The Phantom of the Opera..."

"But you never imagined that it could really happen", she turn around to see who has finished her sentence. There standing in her door way was the one person she did not want to see; there was Erik.

"What do you want with me?" She cannot hide her feelings anymore; she is sad, mad, and confused all at the same time, and everything she does shows it.

"Chelle you must love me."
"I did love you; I always have", yshe says with all so much pain in her voice, "but how can I love you now; after all that you done? You made Ellisa croak, you made the chandelier crash, and you tried to Punjab Derrick. How am I suppose to love that? How do you expect me to love a monster", these last few words slipped out of her mouth before she realized what she just said.

"A monster; is that what you think of me. I'll show you a monster", Erik throws off his mask and grabs Chelle's face and pulls it up to his so they are looking eye to eye, "Feast your eyes, sate your soul with my cursed ugliness! You must know that I'm made entirely of death, from head to foot, and that its a corpse that loves you, adores you, and will never leave you never!"

"I've seen your face before; it is not your face that scares me." Chelle began to sing, "This haunted face holds no horror for me now, its in your soul that the true distortion lies."

At these words Erik vanishes leaving Chelle alone in herr thoughts. All shecan feel now is terror and sadness. Terror of what just happened and sadness that she may have made Erik leave her for good. Even though she didn't want to admit to it, she loved Erik. She always has and she always will. She has finally realized the truth. She was his prisoner; a prisoner of love.