Enjoy!
She sat breathless in the long, thin gondola as I watched her with amazement. She was so beautiful, her eyes glittering in the dim candlelight surrounding us. I shook a little, nervous yet anxious to share with her something I've never shared with anyone before, my music of the night. I paced back and forth a bit, with a smile on my face as I sang my song with my heart to her.
Night time sharpens
Heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination
Silently the senses, abandon their defenses
I was drawn to her delicate form, and approached her in the boat holding my hand out to her. Slowly, she grasped it, and stood up to face me. My grin widened more, and I began to feel even more nervous. " Don't fall apart", I thought to myself, as I sang more to her.
Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night!
I turned around for a moment to suddenly become mortified! Barely invisible behind a candleholder was my chewed up conductor's baton! I can still remember the story to this day….
Being a dog part time has its pros and cons. The pros, nobody will ever realize that I am nonetheless than the Phantom of the Opera. Although, even by man I am never seen through my clever ways. However, the cons sometimes can be quite a nuisance. Sadly, all canines (including myself) get at times very suddenly urges to gnaw at… a bone. This my friend, is very embarrassing.
At the time, I had the most terrible desire for one… but could not find anyone around. Frantically I searched my lair for one, but not one was to be found. I scurried back up to the stage, and found nobody to my astonishment. The crew and performer were on a meal break.
Finally, I eyed the stage to land on Monsieur Lefvere's conducting baton and score on a music stage. Guilty as I was, I quickly snatched the baton away and dashed down below to chew at my substitute. To this moment I could have sworn I heard Monsieur's voice echoing "Where' s my baton"
I could have sworn I hide that baton away!
Quickly and inconspicuously, I moved myself over and kicked it under my organ. Thankfully, she remained in awe and did not notice the strangest of my last action.
I wanted her to listen to my music with more than her ears. I wanted her heart and soul combined to feel the music, consume her inside. Combined, we would create the perfect music, enough to make heaven's bells ring and angels weep. Gently, yet forcefully I continued my song…
Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge all thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
After my purest note, she opened her eyes in her trance and gazed into my eyes with deepest feeling. Her live would never be the same after this...
And you'll live as you've never lived before
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it
Secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night
Our music was being shared! I wanted to give her an unearthly feeling, beyond this lifetime….. I wanted her mind to think of nothing but melodies and the power of music, all her thoughts to take flight, into this night…
Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me.
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night!
I showed her my life, my music, my world. All what else lie upon this labyrinth so dark into the soil of Paris. I guided her to the model I made of her as the bride I yearned for her to be with me. Suddenly, the power was too much for her, and in shock she fainted into my arms. I carried her to the swan bed I made especially for her and lay her upon it to slumber peacefully. I closed the crimson curtain and watched the beautiful sight of her sleeping.
You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night
I was thoroughly inspired by her more than ever at this moment, and decided to compose more of my Don Juan Triumph. I thought of the notes precisely in my head, started writing down a passionate duet between Don Juan and Aminta. A title emerged into my mind, and with my ink I carefully inscribed at the top of the paper, The Point of No Return. Before long, I couldn't stop composed and my writing took over me.…
The night was alluring yet still in many ways. Tonight, I remained sleepless, as in many of my nights these days, sitting on a wooden chair in my dimly lit room. It was so strange how I couldn't stop thinking about him lately. I turned around to my bureau and placed my first Pointe shoes in my hands, recalling more of the story….
The boy had a name.. Erik. I really didn't know what to do. Should I leave him now and let him rest after such a traumatic experience? I carefully unwrapped my arms from around him and stood up. " I must go back" I whispered to him, " I shall return tomorrow". Slowly, I stepped away when suddenly a voice stilled my footsteps. "Wait! Don't go… I- I'm scared!"
I didn't have the heart to leave this poor boy. I guessed it would be alright if I stayed with him for a few more hours, as long as I returned unnoticed. Gently, I turned around and approached him. "Don't be scared, I'll stay with you" I said to him.
He didn't seem to want to sleep, so I talked with him a bit.
"So, Erik…"
The name was so natural to say…
"Did you have anything you enjoyed doing?"
Erik thought for a moment, and suddenly his eyes brightened up for a moment.
"Music… I play the piano…"
I happened to glance around for a moment when suddenly I realized there was an organ at the end of the under labyrinth. " Could you play something for me?", I asked, gesturing to the organ. He nodded in agreement, and I followed him over to the grand, majestic organ.
The organ possessed a certain something I couldn't describe. Yes, it was covered in a somewhat thick coat of dust, but yet somehow it was alluring. The thin young boy placed his hands above the keys and played a striking note. That one note filled the air and suddenly I desperately hoped he continued to play more. " I wrote this piece when I was younger…" he murmured, as he began to play.
The music was something I had never heard before in my whole life. The boy was clearly a musical genius, one who could rival the greatest pianists and composers of all time. Every note was crystal clear, entwining in a perfect song…
Madame hummed the distinct melody to her herself, as she decided to take a midnight journey through the sleeping opera house. Softly, she got up off her chair and closed the door to her room, taking the candlestick with her.
She traveled past the stage, viewing some of the roses still left behind from thrilled admirers of Christine Daae. Her non biological daughter had an unbelievable triumph tonight, one that many would never forget. Next, she traveled backstage to where the dressing rooms were, where strangely she noticed Christine's door was cracked open. "Christine?" she called out softly. Curious to this, Madame entered the darkened room to gasp when she realized the secret passage was opened!
She stepped inside the dark, damp tunnel. She traveled this passage before many times, and was very concerned about why it was opened. Turning a corner in the wet, gray stone place, she saw a most familiar figure in the distance. The thin, blond haired ballerina was shaking nervously, taking unsteady steps. Madame reached her daughter, Meg, and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She grasped her daughter's hand, and lead her out of the passage.
Finally, the two women reached the dormitory of none other than the Opera House ballerinas. Meg scurried off to her bed and began to undress from her performance costume. Madame Giry stood unseen for a few minutes, watching the scene that laid before her. That Joseph Buquet not only had broken the rules again (for men were not allowed to be in the dormitories so late at night) but he was also telling obnoxious stories once again of "The Opera Ghost". "He got a hole for a nose... And you can't see is' face…" he continued, scaring the ballerinas even more.
Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. "Hold your tongue Joseph Buquet!" she screamed at him, taking his mock Punjab lasso and tightening it in a deadly grip.
Erik finally wrote the last note of his duet. Sighing, he put down his pen for a moment and glanced at his pocket watch. It was almost sunrise! He nervously started to pace around. What would he do? He really didn't want to disturb her, but he had to wake her up and take her back up to the opera. Not only could she never see him in his other form, but the others above who be worried about her whereabouts. This would definitely not be good for her, especially with that boy in the way.
Regretfully, he pulled back the crimson curtain, glancing at her sleeping form, and wound up the music box of the music box monkey. Swiftly, he raced to his organ, pretending to compose more music.
Christine woke up to the sound of the music monkey's melody. In time, the music stopped, and she lifted the velvety curtain around her and walked away from this. Fuzzy memories whirled around her as she recalled each and every one of them, mist, a lake, a boat, candles, and of course a man. She looked to her right to see the man, composing gracefully and attentively at his organ.
Who was this face in the shadows? She wanted to know… she needed to know… Who was this face in the mask? Enchanted by her and her gorgeous voice, the Phantom exhaled heavily and closed his eyes dramatically in her presence. Although, suddenly he felt her prying fingers loosening the mask on his face. In a mental frenzy and shocked reaction, he violently pushed her to the floor and covered his hand to his revealed face.
She didn't now he would get so mad at her! Angrily he jerked around and hissed curses at her, causing drastically rising fear to swell up inside of her. Crying she looked at him, as he continued to speak sudden words of love to her. "Fear can turn to love" he sang. Could it? Not having the time to think about exactly what she saw, she turned around, obtained the mask, and handed it to him.
The Phantom turned around and finally stood up above her. "Come, we must return, those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you". He held out his hand to her, and he swiftly took her back upstairs.
On his way, he saw and heard that disgusting stagehand Buquet talking about "The Opera Ghost" once again. At this moment, he was too concentrated on getting Christine back safely. However under his breath he whispered, "Curse you Joseph Buquet, for one day you will need to keep your hands at the level of your eyes".
And the Phantom hurried off into the distance.