A/N: I think I must have to explain myself, the reason for the odd last chapter was, I thought I needed to retell how Erik and Rachelle met. I know you guys wanted to see more of the Phantomess and Erik…and well don't worry my readers, they shall happen soon. Okay, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for…read on faithful readers…read on!
Chapter 17
It took a while before Erik's eyes became accustomed to the soft flicker of the candles, after the complete darkness of his dressing room. The only thing that was reassuring him, was the soft grasp of the cool white glove that held his own. With his Angel here, there was nothing to be afraid of, she would take care of him. His trance was becoming more and more hard to stay out of, but he surrendered to it completely. He kept his eyes solely on his Angel, who was facing away from him, leading him down a corridor that was lined with human hands holding torches. They were beautifully carved out of some sort of stone, but Erik did not pay much attention to those or the stone floor and walls of the corridor. He only saw the white silhouette of his Angel who kept her head turned away from him. He had to see her face, now that he was so close, and now that he knew she would not leave him. He began to sing, it was the only interest that she had in him, and he had in her.
"In sleep she sang to me,
In dreams she came.
That voice, which calls to me,
And speaks my name…" As if on cue the Angel turned around smiling, but Erik gaped. Half of her face was covered by a gleaming, white porcelain mask but both her eyes were not covered and they gazed at him with dark intense eyes that looked nothing like Heaven. He was jolted out of the trance by the oddity of her face and he stopped where he was. Why did she cover her face, Angel's were beautiful, why should she hide her face? Her smiled faded a little as she saw his reaction, but she squeezed his hand gently and spoke one word.
"Erik." His eyes refocused once more on this mysterious creature and he succumbed blindly to the trance again. However, a thought occurred to him, the white mask meant something, as he racked his brains trying to figure out what, a piece of memory floated into his mind. She was the Opera Ghostess. She was the Phantomess of the Opera. The mask said it all. He sang again in a trance.
"…The Phantomess of the Opera is here,
Inside my mind." She smiled softly again and turned back away from him, leading him deeper and deeper into this strange place below the Opera House. The air was getting cooler, they were descending into the earth, not to heaven, to hell. Had he been tricked? Before he could chase anymore thoughts around his mind, The Phantomess' voice rang throughout the corridor and filled his ears, making him cower in terror and amazement. The passion coming forth from her small body was inconceivable.
"Sing once again with me,
Our strange duet.
My power over you,
Grows stronger yet…" Her voice was truly Angelic, she had to be his Angel, but he knew that she was the monster that Greg and Sampson had spoke about. The Angel in Hell. The trance he was in began to waver and he glanced behind him to see the mirror disappear around a corner. He was getting himself into something, which was much bigger then he. He felt a gloved hand surround his chin and pull his face back towards the front. The woman's strange eyes never left his, they held a depth to them and Erik could sense much pain in her past.
"…And though you turn from me,
To glance behind…" She sang to him and he followed her even deeper into the depths of the Opera House.
"The Phantomess of the Opera is there,
Inside your mind." His gaze after this never left her, even as she turned back to where they were going. Her power over him was indeed getting stronger, this time, he couldn't break his trance that settled over him, nor did he want to.
They travelled the Opera House underground for what felt like ages, however, Erik did not mind in the slightest, any time he could spend with his mysterious Angel was a wonderful thing. Nothing but their strange duet entered into his thoughts, and nothing but her gorgeous features, almost otherworldly, entered his eyes. He dared not blink, unless she disappear into the shadows, but with his hand grasped firmly in her own, Erik thought that it was quite unlikely. They had long since passed the corridors, which held the human iron hands holding the torches, but the Phantomess managed to grab one, and it was this torch that was lighting their path. The small patch of light did little to fight back the gloominess of the dark, so Erik could not see anything but the Phantomess. He wasn't entirely sure of weather or not he did want to see anything else, however, if he had the chance, he wouldn't know the way back.
"Those who have seen your face…" Erik risked a glance at her face just as she turned to look at him as he sung. The flickering of the torchlight gleamed off her white mask as she looked at him with an almost proud look on her features.
"…draw back in fear…" Her expression hardened quickly, and she scrutinised his face closely, trying to gage weather or not he shared everyone else's opinion of her face. Luckily, all his practice of maintaining a motionless face under Mme. Giry served him well, and he held an unreadable look. Her gaze was angry now and he thought he had better do something to redeem himself. He looked deep into those beautiful, dark, inquisitive, passionate eyes and continued.
"…I am the mask you wear…." She turned back and looked out into the darkness that she seemed to know so well. Erik breathed a silent sigh of relief as her attention was diverted from him. If he had a choice, he would choose Mme. Giry over the Ghostess. She was far more dangerous then Mme. Giry could ever be. Mme. Giry knew your thoughts, but the Phantomess knew your soul. Suddenly out of nowhere her voice rang out quite clearly, but with overwhelming emotion.
"It's me they hear…" Erik was taken aback at the soul pouring out from this woman, who barely knew him, through her song. A great artist. He thought with new admiration for this mysterious and misunderstood Phantomess. Together they plunged down, the air getting colder and colder with every step they took. Together they also sang; their strange duet, she had called it.
"Your spirit and my voice…
"My spirit and your voice…"
"…in one combined…"
"…in one combined…" Their voices blended together like Erik had never heard before. It was true he had never been able to sing a duet before, but the ones he heard would have paled in comparison to this one he was singing now. His mind and soul flew free here, he felt safe with her, even though his dream and the stories he had heard should have told him otherwise. He knew the reason he felt safe, secure, able to sing the best he had ever done before.
"The Phantomess of the Opera is here…." Erik sang it softly this time, realising for the first time what it meant, and almost wishing it now, was untrue. The Phantomess' harmony overlapped him as she sang along with him.
"…inside your mind." She finished for him, turning back to glance at him. Erik stared in wonder at her as he could hear the distant lapping off water against shore. He struggled to look deeper into the impenetrable blackness, but could see nothing. She turned back, almost satisfied with him and continued on, all the while the water sounds were getting louder, but this time as they drew nearer, Erik could hear wood creaking. He glanced up in horror, thinking that the roof –that is to say the floor of the Opera House- was going to collapse and trap him here in this place. His fears were put to rest, when he felt no rocks or timber crashing around him and he was startled and turned as the Ghostess began to sing.
"In all your fantasies,
You always knew.
That woman and mystery…" She paused in her singing and without even waiting for a nod, Erik filled the gap of music with his own surreal voice.
"Were both in you." By this point, Erik had completely lost track of time and direction, it all seemed to be one blur of music, darkness and this mysterious Phantomess.
They reached the edge of a lake, and Erik found out the source of the creaking was in fact a small boat that was tied to a make shift dock. It looked very unsteady to him, but the Phantomess continued on, and so he had to follow. The both reached the boat and as she caught his eyes they began to sing together once more.
"And in this labyrinth…
"And in this labyrinth…"
"…where night is blind…"
"…where night is blind…" The Phantomess led Erik into the boat and made sure that he was sitting as comfortable as one could in a boat this size. Erik left her gaze and looked out across the lake and saw soft flickering in the water. He puzzled over it for a moment and looked back behind him to see where the Phantomess was. She was over by the wall, attacking the torch to the wall and make her way steadily back towards the baot. He watched her move with an angelic like grace and was captivated by her al over again, nothing it seemed, ceased to amaze him. She climbed into the boat behind him and cast off from the dock, the boat swaying slightly, but she held her balance. Erik eyed the blackness that was blind and grabbed hold of the side of the boat so as to not lose his own balance and looked up and the white form of the Ghostess. She looked down at him and pulled an oar seemingly out of nowhere and began to paddle, her eyes never leaving his. Together for the last time, they opened their mouths and let loose the final crescendo of their duet.
"The Phantomess of the Opera is here…"
"The Phantomess of the Opera is there…"
"…inside my mind."
"…inside your mind." Erik sang this last sentence with more conviction and forgot about his fears and doubts. She rowed the boat through the black waters, and Erik leaned over, curious, as they came closer to the orange and yellow lights in the water. He was careful not to touch the water, afraid that somehow they would drag him into their depths and he would never return. He leaned back in surprise as the water began to churn and boil and his eyes widened in complete amazement as a candelabra rose silently out of the water, as if it had been waiting for him. He looked around and saw more and more of these candelabras rising like orange and yellow spectres out of the dark waters and as the room began to grow lighter and lighter, he was able to see farther and farther.
"Sing my Angel of Music…sing for me." The Phantomess commanded, and he obeyed with his whole heart and soul. Erik sang like he never sang before, his voice vocalising in a trance as the mysterious magic surrounded him, and he gave in willingly. His song grew more and more intense and Erik forgot where he was, only music coursed through him, relieving him of any other feeling, thought or speech.
This was the reason why Erik didn't notice that they had arrived at the Phantomess' lair.
A/N: Not so sure about this chapter. I had a bit trouble writing it. In the end though, I did like it. Just took me while to get over my writers block, I hope you liked it, stay tuned for more! Thanks to all my reviewers, I am happy to see you are also telling me what is wrong with my writing. I will take all your suggestions into consideration. R&R!
