Chapter Four : **Sculpted Angels**
Elissa had woken to find the shoes she'd thrown off in the chase lined up carefully next to her bed. Well, the bed she'd spent the night in. After graciously saying she could stay down here, he'd shown her to the extra bedroom. He'd also given her something to sleep and sent her, while she was thanking him profusely, to bed. On the chair next to the shoes now lay a simple light blue dress. She didn't know where or how'd he'd gotten it but was touched by the simple gesture.
She dressed before going out of the room. She folded the costume over her arms, chewing her bottom lip and feeling suddenly out of place. Her feet were tapping on the floor of the foyer nervously and she took a deep breath to center herself and calm down. She watched Erik draw his cloak around his shoulders and set the black fedora on top of his head. The mask hid in the shadows of the hat but when he turned to look at her, she saw the golden glow of his eyes through the shadow.
"Are you ready?" he asked, knocking her out of her daze. She nodded and they left the house and walked in silence back to the lake. She started to realize that, even though there'd been so much catastrophe before she'd even gotten down here, she'd just spent the night in some strange man's home. And this strange man was supposedly the Opera Ghost. She couldn't believe she'd done that. Under no other circumstances…why had he let her stay in his home? The Opera Ghost, the Phantom…she'd heard the ballet girls talking about him. But he hadn't hurt her; he was going to help her. But all the stories…she shook her head firmly. She should really just concentrate on what she really knew and what she felt. First to get rid of Charles, then it would be okay.
They approached the boat and he stepped in expertly, the boat barely rocking from his experience. He turned and looked at her and a look of what seemed to be hesitancy, a tad of frustration, flashed in his eyes before he extended a gloved hand towards her to assist her. Elissa wrapped her pale small hand around his large strong one and stepped gingerly into the boat, giving him a tiny smile and murmured," Thank you."
Once she was seated he let go abruptly and turned his back to her, and began to oar across the black lake. Elissa, caught up in her thoughts, was not bothered by the oppressive silence. She frowned to herself. Carlotta did not like her. While Carlotta did not really like anyone, she had taken a particular distaste to the new chorus member. She bit her lip, wishing rehearsal would come quickly today. She didn't like being in her dressing room, anxiously dreading Pierre's return.
"Are you coming, mademoiselle?" Erik's voice startled her out of her reverie. She looked up to see that they had not stopped at the other side and he stood on the ground next to the boat, looking down at her, curiously. Elissa blushed, embarrassed, and stood. "Yes, of course. Excuse me." As they weaved through the winding passages, Elissa started shivering from the cold in the damp cellars. Erik stopped so suddenly she nearly stumbled to avoid running into him. Looking up, her mouth slightly open to ask why they had stopped, he pulled off his heavy black velvet cloak, flipped it around and wrapped her shoulders swiftly.
"You don't need to-"she started to protest but he cut her off sternly.
"Do not argue with me. It is pointless. You need to stay warm so you don't get sick. If you are sick, you cannot sing. Understand?"
"Yes," she muttered, feeling like she'd been scolded. She pulled the edge of the cloak around her and immediately found comfort in its warmth. "Thank you," she added sincerely. A nod was the only response before he turned and they continued walking. The second time he stopped, she was more prepared and she watched as he raised his hand and touched a small section of the stone wall. After a second, a ceiling high section slid open to reveal a small props room which she stepped into. She unfastened his cloak and handed it back to him.
"I don't know how to get back down," she told him, wandering how she would ever be able to find her way through all the passages. Erik stared at her, still standing in the dark passage and she reminded him," My singing lesson…?" He didn't move but said after a tension filled minute," I will come for you directly after the performance in your dressing room." Elissa didn't ask how he knew what dressing room she had, just like she didn't ask how he knew what time her practice was. She gave a little curtsy, smiled and said," 'Til tonight."
----`--{@
He hadn't thought she would've taken his hand. He'd waited for the look of disgust to cross her face, for her to cringe back at even the thought of touching him. But she hadn't, hadn't even seemed uncomfortable or repulsed as anyone else would've been. He shook his head angrily at himself, turning down the next tunnel. What was he thinking? She'd probably just been eager to leave. That didn't explain her reminding him about the voice lessons. She most likely just felt likely. He really had little hope she would see him as anything but a monster living underneath the opera house. Goddammit, then why was he doing this?! With a sigh, he headed towards the passageway that led him to the catwalks to watch the rehearsals. Time to watch the child sing.
----`--{@
Elissa got to practice 15 minutes early and began to do ballet stretches. The part she had dances and sang. Nadine, another chorus member, hurried over to her, her long blond hair flying behind.
"Elissa!" she whispered urgently. Elissa stopped misstep and looked up. "Yes?"
Nadine looked around quickly," Carlotta's on a warpath."
"Oh, is that all?" Elissa asked, relieved. "She always is."
"No, not like this. She thinks you showed her up last night. She's furious."
"Great," she muttered, standing up straight as she saw Carlotta parade into the room, the sputtering managers right on her heels.
"You!" the diva shouted, pointing one finger at Elissa. "Yes?" Elissa asked calmly, smoothing her skirt with her hands.
"How dare you try to upstage me, you impetuous twit!" Carlotta insulted, standing on the stage now, her hands on her generous hips. Elissa's eyes flashed, her back suddenly rigid. "No one upstages Carlotta," she continued ranting," and especially not some NOBODY-"rage was forming in Elissa's head-"with an EMPTY head-"he body started to tingle-" and NO TALENT!"
"STOP NOW!!!!" Elissa screamed out at the last part and brought her right arm up to the ceiling and then down towards the floor in one sharp motion. A split second later, a large scenery board fell from the rafters, broken from the ropes and landed on the stage directly behind Carlotta. It tipped over and fell right on the Prima Donna. Pandemonium broke out. Everyone rushed over to try and lift the board off the unconscious diva; someone shouted for someone to get a doctor. The ballet dancers huddled together, whispering hurriedly amongst eachother about the Opera Ghost. Nadine had stopped and was staring at Elissa with a strange look in her eyes.
----`--{@
Erik had seen the girl with the blonde hair, Nadine, rush over to Elissa and whisper urgently to her. It wasn't but a few seconds later that that painted cow, Carlotta, came storming in with those buffoons of managers hurrying after her. Carlotta started screaming at Elissa about upstaging her. Erik had seen what had happened at the last night's performance; Carlotta had missed her cue, Elissa had covered for her- it was merely for a few seconds, but Carlotta was steaming.
His eyes narrowed angrily at the insults the diva spewed at the innocent Elissa and he was running silently down the catwalk, his eyes still staring at the pair, when he heard Elissa's scream and saw her raise and arm and bring it down in a swift cutting motion. And then the large scenery board directly to Erik's left ripped free from it's restraints and went hurtling down to fall on Carlotta. He stopped and took a step back in surprise, looking around quickly to make sure no one else was up there.
Everyone on the stage was shouting and panicing and running all about, trying to help. But Elissa stood stock still, pale faced and with her eyes impossibly wide, covering her mouth with a hand. He took a closer look at the restraints. There was nothing wrong with the pulley or any of the chains. The metal 'bites' that bit into the edge of the rope to keep it above ground were not old or damaged. It literally looked like the board had been pulled with superhuman strength right out of them. But that was impossible, nobody could…he touched one of the bites and was surprised to find it hot.
When he looked down again, Elissa was gone.
----`--{@
She sank to the ground, staring out at the city. The roof was deserted and she huddled against the base of a massive angel statue and wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself from shaking so much. She could still feel the immense heat that ripped through her body when she threw her hand up. In her mind's eye, she'd seen the rope yank out of the restraints and then the board had come impossibly careening down to the stage. The look on Carlotta's face…the look on NADINE"S face! Elissa could only being to guess what she was thinking. This was not good.
She stared up at the face of the stone angel, compassionate and honor clad. "I'm sorry. It was an accident."
----`--{@
The performance went off without a hitch and, save the moments of worry about that afternoon, Elissa performed wonderfully. Carlotta's understudy played her part and the audience seemed to accept her, though they whispered amongst themselves as to where the Prima Donna was. Anticipation went through her at the thought of her singing lesson with Erik tonight. She hoped she did well. He was the Opera Ghost? But he wasn't an actual ghost; he was real. And she couldn't understand why she trusted him much, she'd never trusted a man as much as she trusted him.
Confused, she just shook her head as she headed towards her room hurriedly, past the performers and suiters flooding the hallways. Safe in her room, she turned to shut the door and stopped, puzzled. Three- THREE- sturdy locks were now on her door. Had the managers finally had them put on? Wait, she'd told Erik about the locks. She had a weird feeling that he was responsible for this. And she smiled as she locked them all, changed quickly behind the screen and grabbed her cloak.
A singing voice slowly wound its way into her room and to her ear and she look around amazed. It was truly more beautiful than anything she'd ever heard. The wordless song calmed her nerves and she looked on as the mirror seemed to suddenly dissipate and Erik stood in its place, looking truly elegant and regal as he stood in the half dark.
He extended one arm to her," Shall we?"
A slight blush rushed to her cheeks, unbeknownst to her, and she shyly walked up to him. Looking up at him trustingly, she placed one palm over his and let him lead her into the passage, the mirror silently swinging shut behind them as he led her down to this home underneath the opera.
Back in the room, a knock broke the empty silence of the room. The knob turned but the locks prevented the door from opening. "Elissa, are you there?" Pierre asked.