Chapter TwentyOne

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

The cold december air danced with the new snowflakes. The security guards kept Karen from ever seeing Raphael again; but allowed her to see Erik whenever she wanted. Erik and Karen enjoyed their new alone time together; mostly in the swan-shaped bed. Karen's ring never again left her finger. Iris's leg healed and she was back to dancing. Karen and Erik sat at the organ; and she asked him if he would play for her. He began to press the keys; causing the sound to bellow out from the pipes; and Karen listened and watched his fingers dance amoung the keys; each key making a diffrent sound; and each combination of keys producing sound.

Karen had gotten up from the bench and started dancing; Erik watched as she lost herself in her movements; showing she was not fit to sing; but fit to dance, and only dance.She had the voice for opera; just not the corset tolerance for it. So she settled for singing Erik to sleep when he was restless; and singing to herself. But she loved that; she loved singing to Erik; he loved listening to her.


When it was time for her to return to the opera populaire; He gave her a kiss goodbye; goodbye until the next day. She stepped through the mirror and appeared outside Chrstine's room. The officers marched back and forth; not questioning what she could possibly had been doing in there since the day before when she went in. She walked into the theater for practice; she saw Meg, and the other ballet girls; but not Iris.

As they danced; Karen asked Meg where Iris was.

"She isn't with you?" Meg sounded surprised. "She said last night that she was going to see you. I haven't seen her since."

"Really? She never came."


After practice; Meg and Karen split up to find her. Karen slid down a hall where there were no security guards; the ballet girls were not allowed down there; but she went anyway. She lit a candle and used it to see if she had come down there.As she glanced around for Iris; she felt something drop onto the bridge of her nose.She wiped it off with her finger; to see it was dark; red; liquid that was at the same time runny as it was thick. She looked up from where the blood came from; and her eyes widend. It took her a few minutes to let out a scream that sent everyone to her side. Erik even heard it; but he didn't know it was Karen. Meg ran to her side and asked what the problem was.She saw Karen's face was white as a ghost and when she looked up twords where Karen was looking; she screamed too. The police arrived; Madam Giry; Andre' and Firmin; Carlotta; all the ballet girls. Above them; hanging by the rafters; dripping blood all over the floor; hung Iris. Her body sliced up; her arms missing. Her eyes were wide as if she had been caught by surprise. Karen couldn't watch them cut her down; Meg ran after her. She knew where she was going.

Erik heard her screaming his name; so he got in the boat and met her at the mirror. She fell into him crying hystarically. So much that he couldn't understand a word she was saying; he tried to get her to calm down enough for her to explain to him what happened. But the more he tried to calm her down; the more she seemed to cry.

"Karen, Karen calm down and tell me what happened."

"Karen!" Erik looked up from Karen to see Meg; trying to catch her breath.

"Meg what happened?" Erik asked; still holding onto Karen.

"She was looking for Iris." Meg explained as she tried to catch her breath and speak over Karen's cries. "But when she found Iris her arms were cut off and she was hung from the rafters."

"Oh god." Erik held onto her tighter. "Meg; you go back. I'm taking Karen." Meg nodded. "Tell them whatever you like." She nodded again and they two parted ways. Erik put Karen in his boat; and took her back to his home. She wept in her lap; her cries didn't seem to be dying down soon. Erik got her to calm down enough so that he could understand her; but the tears never stopped. "Karen, I'm so sorry about Iris." She couldn't even reply without her voice cracking or breaking out into hysterics. He offered to get her something to drink; which she nodded. She waited for him in the den; where she lie on the couch; stairing blankly up at the celine. She didn't speak; and the only time she moved was when Erik came in with the tea. She sat up and took a cup and drank it. But said not a word. Erik tried to strike a conversation with her; but she refused to speak. "Would you like to stay here until you feel better?" Karen nodded. "OK. You can stay as long as you like." She nodded again; and kept drinking silently. She set the tea cup down on the tray and broke down.Tears pouring from her eyes; and dripping onto the sofa. Erik set his cup down and wrapped his arms around her. Letting her know he would never leave her. Not while she is so fragile.

They sat like that for a long time. Erik with his arms holding her;and his hands holding her's. "I love you. I'll do anything to help you."

"Thank you.." He heard her whisper. Her voice choked because of her tears; but he understood perfectly. She could feel his breath on her neck; and the warmth of his body made her think for only a minute that things would be OK. But as quickly as the thought came; it went. She prayed that it was all a dream; it was to horrible to be reality.

When she closed her eyes; she could see it. She could see her one and only sister hung by the rafters; her arms cut off; blood dripping from the wounds all over her body. and her face! Her face showed a horrible sight that Karen never wanted to see on her sister's face. She was so young too! She had promising talent for art; but her life was cut short. No matter how much Karen believed in fate; she knew she could have prevented it. Iris had gone to see her; but the door had been locked. Iris went looking for the other way in; the way Karen knew. But had gotten murdered.

Karen's whole body was shaking. She couldn't and wouldn't accept Iris was gone. Now; everyone from her old life was dead. Her mother; sister; and soon enough Raphael would be gone. She would be able to have a life in Paris without someone who knew of her past. But she wanted her sister with her. She wanted her little sister to be with her.


They went to bed early. But they did not sleep. Erik held Karen in the bed; brushing her hair with his hand. Telling her over and over again that he loved her. Silent tears fell from her eyes; dripped off the bridge of her nose and onto the pillows. All she had to really hold onto now was Erik. Soon enough he would be her husband; and her only family. Until then; she held onto him with all her strength. She turned to him and kissed him. Tears falling down her face. He wiped them away before they fell too far; he held her and swore to her that he would never leave her.