Chapter 20
Erik stayed motionless under the music stand while the Phanotmess re-adjusted her music sheets and candlesticks. It was not long before she turned back towards him and offered her hand. He stood up from the ground, his muscles cramping slightly, and reluctantly took her outstretched hand.
"You're taking me back?" Erik said, his fear showing clearly in his voice. She looked at him a long time before she turned away and began to walk back towards the boat.
"Yes, we shall return Erik." She sighed deeply, and led him into the boat and waited until he sat down before she pushed the boat away from the shore and took up the oar again.
The boat ride back to his dressing room was a long and quiet one, as neither of them spoke. Erik stared out across the water and the candles as they sank back into its murky depths, almost as if they were saying goodbye to him. The only sounds he could hear was the steady splash of the oar, which the Phantomess used to propel the boat forward and the soft hiss of steam, showing thatthe candleswere being extinguished. The journey home was different from the ride there. Before it was a journey of mystery, music and seduction. Now, it was a journey of death like silence and thoughts. In the silence now, there was nothing to do: but think.
Erik was scared, a severe understatement, but true none-the-less. He hated things he did not know, and places he felt uncomfortable. This woman, if you could call her that, had snatched him away from the only things he knew in life and taken him to a place where he had no bearings. In his mind also was the overwhelming love of music, but an odd attraction and admiration for her. Not only had she shown him things way out of his comfort level, but, she shared her music with him. That music, which had filled his soul and made it take flight, he had heard music in that one night that he had never heard before. Therefore, by the end of his thought process, Erik was thoroughly confused as to whether he admired, or feared the Phantomess. In the last of his mind was relief. Relief to be returning to what he knew, place and people who would welcome him back. He wondered vaguely what he would say to them to explain his absence, but he pushed it far from his mind, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
The darkness began to press around them as they reached the other shore, but the old torched flickered obediently as the Phantomess hopped out of the boat and tied it up to the dock. She lowered her hand towards Erik, and he took is to help him out of the boat. She seemed satisfied and reached for the torch on the wall, the flames leaping and twisting in greeting as she took it. She held it high above her head, which lit the way and pressed on down the corridor that became more and more familiar looking. Erik's hand, which was held almost painfully in hers winced as she began to move off. She didn't turn around at all, but sensed his cringe.
"A few moments, be patient." She announced softly and plunged deeper as the flames from the hand held iron torches came into view. Erik almost sighed in relief as they passed many dozens of flames and the air was getting warmer and warmer, telling Erik that they had almost reached the surface. He fought the strong urge to run towards the mirror, which he now saw, but was afraid of what the Phantomess would do if she knew that he did not want to be under her power any longer. She strode up to the mirror and Erik was about to push past her to get to the mirror when the Phantomess threw him against the wall with much more force then he imagined she could have. He tried to cry aloud but found that her hand was clamped tightly around his mouth. "Quiet." She hissed as she glared out the mirror into Erik's bedroom. Erik tried to see around her but her body blocked the way, and he had no intention of moving from where she had him pinned against the wall. All of a sudden he thought that he could hear shuffles coming from his room, but without seeing anything, he couldn't be sure. However, something had made the Phantomess seize up become wary. He forced his ears to listen and finally he could hear voices talking.
"Messieurs, I am afraid that I cannot take this any longer." Erik recognised this voice as Rachelle's "I demand to know where he is, it's been well over a day since he disappeared. Now tell me who he was with!" Erik heard her yell loudly. A day? Thought Erik, it had seemed like a lifetime down there.
"And as we've told you, Mademoiselle de Chagny, we have no idea where he is!" said, who Erik believed to be Firmin.
"I assume, he's just been out with someone…" said Andre
"That someone was supposed to be me!" interrupted Rachelle dangerously. At this comment the Phantomess laughed, and the sound rang eerily along the corridors and the dialogue in front of the mirror stopped abruptly.
"Did you hear that?" asked Andre in fear.
"You're both going mad! Listen to me, Erik's been kidnapped, when will you take action?" said Rachelle very angrily.
"Mademoiselle, do you have any evidence that he has been captured." Erik heard enraged footsteps and a table being knocked over.
"Here. This is your evidence!" said Rachelle. Erik, however, had no idea what 'this' was until one of the managers spoke up.
"A rose? Surely you can't be serious."
"Oh Monsieur Firmin, I am quite serious. You see, after the performance, and before the gala, there was someone in this room with Erik. A woman left this rose, I saw Erik with it, he treated it like the most precious thing in the world. They talked for a bit and when I knocked on the door to take Erik to dinner they disappeared from the room, how, I do not know." Two hearty laughs were heard after this statement.
"There you see, I was right. He went out with another woman and has not returned." Exclaimed Andre, but quickly cut off the rest of this exclamation, and Erik assumed that Rachelle was fuming at the pair of them.
"You dare to laugh at me? Your Patron? I am the one who is keeping this Opera House running must I remind you. I can't believe that you accused me of jealousy. Mark my words," she said with a low voice, "Erik was kidnapped, and if you don't intend to help me or give up information, I shall find him alone."
"Listen Mademoiselle de Chagny." Said Andre in a sugary sweet voice he often reserved for when La Carlotta was in a terrible fit of rage, "As I've told you before, we know nothing about Erik's whereabouts. Now if we did, we would see to it that-" a quick knock on the door made one of the managers stop talking and swing it open.
"Ah Mme. Giry!" exclaimed Andre.
"No time Messieues." She said abruptly and very business-like as always. "It's…" but a shrill scream and much banging interrupted whatever Mme. Giry said next.
"Oh no…not again." Said Firmin sadly.
"I'm afraid so Messieurs. Please come quickly, I hate leaving Monsieur Reyer with them alone."
"Very well." Snapped Andre. And Erik heard more shuffling and footsteps along with the door creaking.
"What about Erik? Surely you can't just do nothing!" protested Rachelle.
"Mademoiselle, please this is important. Erik will return to the Opera House before you know it."
"How can you be so sure?" said Rachelle in a suspicious tone, and Erik felt the vice like grip of the Phantomess' hand over his mouth tighten considerably and he winced again. Mme. Giry paused.
"Where else would he go?" she said with a haughty air and the grip of the Phantomess' hand slackened somewhat. Erik heard more footsteps and the door slammed shut.
It was a few more minutes before the hand released Erik's mouth and the Phantomess moved ahead and her body shifted out of the way. As he was released from the wall he looked through the glass and saw that the room was completely empty. She clicked something on the wall and the mirror slid open and the afternoon sun spilled into Erik's room. She was no longer touching him and he moved forwards slowly into the light of the room and turned back to see the Phantomess in the shadows. They locked eyes and silence fell heavily between the two. Erik finally broke the silence with an intake of breath.
"Will I get to see you again?" he asked awkwardly, but he spoke in truth. The Phantomess searched his eyes and frowned.
"You have seen why I hide in shadows…" she paused and lifted her hands to her face and fear and curiosity sparked into a new life in Erik. Was she going to remove it? She however, felt it and then let her hands drop back to her sides. "…and yet you still wish to see me?" Erik swallowed hard and gazed at the mysterious woman who had come into his life and turned it upside down.
"I do." He said simply. She stepped out of the mirror and approached him silently, the daylight looking very out of place on her features. Erik began to be unsure of himself again as she came closer and closer, but she stopped and smiled at him. Her hand came out and she placed it on his forehead, leaning in close towards him.
"I will be there in your dreams Erik." She removed her hand and turned away to walk back into the mirror. She threw a look over her shoulder at Erik, her mask shinning in the daylight and torchlight alike. As the mirror began to close she bowed to him and stood back up, on her face was written hope and joy. "We'll sing together there."
And then she was gone from sight, and Erik was left alone in his room.
A/N: Hey, really liked this chapter, tell me what you think! Review please!
