Chapter Six

DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple

Erik tried to sleep that night. But it didn't matter how still he lie; or how hard he tried to get his mind to fall into a state of unconsciousness until morning; he couldn't. He lie in his bed; stairing up at the tip of the canopy which wasn't draping over the bed. Why couldn't he sleep? Karen's voice echoed in his head; it was almost like she was still singing. She had raw talent; un tampered by a teacher; and hidden behind a mask of humblism. She didn't want people to taunt her if her voice wasn't good; so she just remained a silent ballet girl. He got out of bed and started to dress. As strange as it sounded to him; he wanted to see her again.


There was a party that night for the stage hands. Meg and Karen had decided to go; while Iris was too young. The place was the hallway which everyone met up after every performance; and the party was to go on all night. Karen and Meg had planned to leave early. But as the night went on Meg and Karen had gotten their hands on alchahol; and ended up staying out later than planned. Apparently; they were real light-weights and couldn't take high doses of Alchahol. Madam Giry found Meg and took her back to the dormitories before anything could happen to her; but Madam Giry didn't know Karen was with her. So Karen stayed even though Meg had left. A stage hand seemed interested in Karen's looks; and the fact that she was totally wasted only enhanced it. He took Karen's hand and lead her out of the party; and towards a diffrent; empty hallway.

"Where's the party?" Karen asked; looking around drunkenly; and beginning to laugh. "Who turned the lights out?" The stage hand pressed her body against the wall and started to feel her up. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothing dearie." Karen laughed and shoved him off. As many times as he tried to get her; she seemed to be able to hit him and make him stop. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall. "Stop squirming you little-"

"Good sir!" He turned his head to the side to see the shadow of the Phantom standing there. "Is that any way to treat a lady?" But before he could reply; the Phantom stabbed his sword through the stage-hand's body and left him bleeding on the floor. Karen's eyes widened as she saw who stood before her. But in her drunken state; she just laughed and said:

"Hey! It's that guy! Oh what was your name? Rob? Joe? Kirk? I know I've seen you- did we go to school together or something?" Erik tilted his head and looked at her.

"Your drunk." He told her; she just laughed as he picked her up and swung her legs over his arm. "This is no place for a girl as yourself to be drunk and alone."

"wee!" She held onto his neck and kicked her legs. "I'm flying!" Erik just shook his head and took her back to his lair.

He rested her on the swan bed. She had passed out on the way and now was just sleeping. He pulled the blankets over her shoulders; and pulled the string to lower the canopy. Karen lie on the bed; turned on her side and holding the pillow. Erik smiled softly and left her be; hearing her toss and turn as he rid himself of his cape and began to paint. He'd have practiced the organ; but he feared it would wake her.

An hour or two after wards; Karen rose and of course; had the usual illness that people get when their drunk. Erik held her hair back while she vomited; and when she was still drunk; but couldn't sleep; he played his music box for her. The mesmerizing music box played it's sound through the room; and Karen watched as the monkey hit the cymbals together. Soon; her eyes closed; and did not open again until the next morning.


Her head throbbed. Erik gave her some pills to make her sleep the hang over off. When she woke again; he was practicing his fingering on the organ; but not making any actual sound. She woke to the strange feeling of

silk; and found it even stranger that she wasn't in the dormitories. As soon as she touched the canopy; it rose; and allowed her to get out. Karen's hair wasn't combed; and she still felt like she was hit by a carriage. Erik looked up from his organ and towards her. She hesitated and moved back against the wall. He remained silent and went back to his organ; now able to press the keys to produce noise. Karen got her nerve up and approached him.

"What happened?" She asked him. Holding her head. "I remember Meg and I went to a party- but after that is a blurr."

"Your lucky I came along." Erik told her; stopping his practicing, but still not facing her. "You were drunk and a stage hand tried to rape you. I killed him and brought you down here to rest."

"Oh, thank you." She told him; moving closer; but still keeping her distance. "Do you know of what happened to Meg?"

"I do not." He replied.

"Do you mind If I ask why you came to my rescue?" Erik glanced at her and replied.

"I do not know myself." He told her bluntly. She found herself walking closer to him; as if being drawn in by an invisible force.

"I thank you." She told him softly. "I must have bourdon you with my drunkenness. For that I am sorry." There was silence as she looked at his desk; covered in paintings; opera score books; and a book was open to a page which had a picture of a red Canary. Next to the book; sat a painting of that Canary. Karen smiled. "I had always wanted a Canary; but I wouldn't have the heart to cage him." Erik smiled to himself for a minute and then rose.

"In that case; I have something for you." She watched as he walked over to another table and showed her a around piece of cardboard with holes on the left and right side of it; one side had a Canary; the other side had an empty cage. "A Canary on one side; an empty cage on the other. Watch." He took the string which was tied in the two holes on the side and spun it. It spun and it appeared to Karen that the Canary on that one side; was in the cage on the other. She smiled as she watched.

"You can do magic! Teach me." Erik shook his head and kept spinning it.

"It is not magic. It's called: "Optics" two pictures become one in the spinning." He explained as she continued to watch in awe.

"I don't know why the others are afraid of you. You don't seem as horrid as they told me." He had given her the spinning toy and she played with it. "Many other people would call this magic."

"Those people are idiots." He spoke coldly. "They do not accept what they do not understand. Instead they ignore it; hoping it will die out and leave them be. While it waits for someone who understands-" He caught himself; Karen had stopped spinning the optics toy and was now lisoning to him. He stopped and there was silence.

"Go on." She broke the silence. "Someone who understands-?"

"Nothing, I got ahead of myself." He told her; turning his coldness towards her. "You wouldn't understand."

"Are you so sure of everything?" Erik kept his body turned from her; and kept his eyes on the lone vase with only one flower wilting in it.


I got the OPTICS thing from Tim Burton's version of Sleepy Hallow. Which is totally awsome. I can just see Erik with that Optics toy:D also; I don't know if Canary is like...red on it's own or if it is a type. Anyway it's a red bird. there.