Chapter IV

The Phantom's Rehearsal

The Phantom led me down the flight of stairs and then took a sharp right, heading towards what looked to be just a plain wall. But the Phantom gently pushed the wall, and it moved sideways, revealing a secret passage. He led me through it, and the door slowly closed behind us. I could hear the ochestra below us practicing for the rehearsal.

The Phantom took me down flight after flight of stone stairs. It seemed as if the opera house had hundreds of floors below it. Hardly speaking to me, the Phantom kept a brisk, yet steady pace. Then, alas, as we continued to travel downward, the Phantom spoke. "Your friend Madison does not believe I exist." He sounded angry, yet mild-tempered.

"I didn't mean to-"

"I don't mind whether or not people know of me. They will sooner than never..." the Phantom looked back at me and gave that hint of a smile. "I admire you for putting up a fight. Madison will soon learn that it is not wise to cast away the truth only because she doesn't want to hear it."

"She's angry with me. I didn't mean to create problems. I think Madame is suspicious of me, also," I spoke quietly, keeping my head low.

"It will come to pass, Rose. They will soon learn where you have wandered off to, and they will learn that it was not you, but me." The Phantom gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. My mind was going crazy. Does he plan to show himself to the world? I highly doubted it. If he was anything like Erik, he would remain in his shadows because if he is shown to the world, disaster will be unleashed. But maybe...that was what he wanted...

After what seemed to be an hour of walking down stairs, we came upon a lake. A boat sat at the edge, as if it was waiting for us. The Phantom helped me in, and then after I sat down, he stepped in after me with a long rod in his hands. I knew right away that it was used for maneuvering the boat.

In a short amount of time, we reached the cave. There was a ramp of stone that the Phantom pulled the boat up next to. The Phantom carefully stepped out of the boat, and then reached out his hand to help me onto the ramp. I took hold of his hand and he pulled me up. He then took me by the hand and led me to the empty room lit up by candles. "Now," the Phantom breathed, "we rehearse." I let go of his hand and walked out to the middle of the room.

I looked at him, and he nodded, indicating for me to begin. I was only wearing ballet slippers, so I knew that I couldn't completely perform the whole ballet. But I managed to do most of it without having to rise completely on my toes at the parts that would require me to have my pointe shoes. I must not have been doing anything wrong, because the Phantom simply watched me, occasionally nodding his head from time to time. Then, as I looked over at him, he shouted, "STOP!" Startled, I stumbled to a hault. I stood, half frightened from the way he shouted at me. "You look at me as if looking for approval. Look at me as if this is how it should be done. Look confident as if you know exactly what you're doing. Show energy. Push energy out towards me. I can't feel anything but tenseness coming from you. Relax, and try again."

It took me a moment to gain back my composure, and then I began once again. I kept my arms and my mind loose, and for the first time, I felt truly relaxed. I could almost feel myself giving off energy. When I turned on my toe, I gazed at the Phantom, and the look in his eyes was that of delight and interest. And for the first time, I saw him looking at me not as a student, but as something else. Compassion gleamed from his eyes, and when I ended, he neither clapped nor said a word. Instead, he stood there, as if thinking to himself. The same look of intensity shown in his eyes. My breathing was heavy, and at the moment I wasn't quite sure it was from the dancing.

The Phantom moved towards me as I simply stood with my arms at my side. "That is how it is to be done," the Phantom said in an undertone. The Phantom's hands were not gloved this time, and he reached out to me and took up my hand and laid a gentle kiss on my fingertips. Without looking at me, released my hand, and turned away from me. At first, I wasn't sure whether he was angry with me or not. Perhaps he just wanted me to leave. Moments passed like vapor, but before I had the chance to ask what was wrong, the Phantom turned towards me as if he had been thinking all that time and muttered, "You will come here again in the morning. You have much more to learn." I was almost dismayed. My dancing was to be improved? I didn't dare question the Phantom. In a sense, he frightened me, but at the same time, he soothed my soul. Being around him made me feel like a completely different person, and I hadn't the slightest clue as to why.

The Phantom took me back to the boat at the stone slope, and after he helped me in, I decided that I had to ask (though I was almost afraid of what he might say), "Angel, what is your name?" I noticed that I had said it so quietly that it was barely audible.

The Phantom had heard me clearly though, and at first he didn't give me an answer. Instead, he stepped inside the boat with the long, steel rod and began to maneuver the boat away from the his lair and out into the lake. I waited in awkward silence, listening to nothing but my own and the Phantom's breathing, and the occasional stirring of the water as the rod pushed through it.

I had just given up on hoping for an answer when came the Phantom's vague answer, "Aeron. That is what I was named when light flourished in my eyes and hope seemed like a fresh spring day." It was saddening to hear the Phantom speak of what must have been his past. I knew at that moment, though, that the Phantom once had a family, and that he didn't always reside in this darkness of his. I could feel myself pressing to ask more questions, but I knew that would only irritate the Phantom, who I now knew as Aeron.