Roughly 6 years later
Erik's POV
I sat at my organ, playing a song that had haunted me for years. It was a song of love, of want, of need; one that had signaled her betrayal.
For years, I had not sung Music of the Night, for fear that she would return to haunt me. She had…. In the form of her 15 year old daughter. I might not have been able to discern between the two, if not for the fact that Christine Rene was a fireball. Hell on wheels. Extraordinarily amusing, and, she didn't hate me. I had come to….
CRUNCH! My little fireball collided with me shouting at the top of her lungs "I'M HOME FROM SCHOOL ERIK! DIDJA MISS ME?"
A good deal softer. "Sorry, didn't mean to knock you over…" Someone cleared their throat behind us, and Chris got off me… She had knocked me off the bench. "Erik, this is Rebecca. I've told you about her, right?" I stared for a few moments, regaining my composure.
"Bonjour Madamioselle." "Uhhhhh…." Was Rebecca's reply. "she is an exchange student from America, remember? She doesn't speak French." Memory spark.
"Good evening miss Rebecca. What, may I ask brings you down here?" I asked in english this time. She pointed at Chris. Apparently, I intimidated her. She looked to Chris for instructions. I was then surprised. Christine spoke Spanish. "Vayamos. Erik quiere jugar el órgano en este punto." (Let's go. Erik likes to play his organ at this point) She smirked. "Pienso que podríamos mantenernos ocupó en su cuarto"(I think we could keep ourselves occupied in his room) "Don't you dare you little imp." I mouthed. 'Oh I dare' was written all over her face.
I sighed and turned to my organ. "WOW! This is cool Chrissy!" I suddenly heard. Chrissy? CHRISSY! The two girls where now chatting loudly, moving their hands excitedly. I sighed, and turned, just in time to receive one of Chris's random kisses on the cheek. "We love you too, Erik" she joked. I looked at her face. "Why thank you my dear… My room is locked, you know that right?" I had built myself a room and put a lock on it as soon as little Chris had moved in… I could never prove that she got in, but I changed to locks every once in a while, just to be sure.
"No problem for me… I have a key! flashes key... ooops"
"OHHHHH, KEY KEY KEY KEY! WOW!" Rebecca shrieked… my opinion of her was rapidly changing. She wasn't at all as shy as I thought. She was actually more childish that Christine.
"… Not necessary to yell Becca, I need my ears." I heard Chris say, as I shook my head to clear the ringing that her yelling had caused. Rebecca nodded slightly. Then, she aurprised Christine by saying "Approuve, maintenant quels sont nous allant faire ? Je sais, jouons sur le piano !" (Okay, not what do we do? I know, let's play on the piano!)
"Ce n'est pas un piano, un coup manqué. C'est un organe. There is a difference." I said, my anger growing. Christine stepped in saying, "She didn't mean it Maestro, she doesn't know the difference. Now, when is our singing rehearsal?" I knew she called me maestro in order to calm me down, to flatter me, to turn my attention from her childish friend to me. It worked. "In two hours, Chris. You had better be ready and warmed up." She nodded and walked away, calmly singing her scales. Then she launched into Music of the Night, which surprised me greatly for two reasons. 1) It was a tenor song… she was a soprano, 2)I never sang it to her. I stared at her.
She sang softly, gaining confidence as she went.
Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the Music of the Night
I began to sing with her, adding my hypnotic tenor to her clear, haunting soprano.
Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Hearing is beliveing, music is decieving,
Hard as lightning, soft as candlelight,
Dare you trust the Music of the Night
Close you eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth,
And the truth isn't what you want to see,
In the dark it is easy to pretend..
That the truth is what it ought to be.
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
Close your eyes start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes and let music set you Free...
Only then can you belong to me.
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour 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
You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night…
We ended looking at each other. I leaned into her, my face inches from hers.
"gasp!" I jumped nearly a foot in the air. What had I been about to do? Was I going to give her a telling off? No. What then?