Thank you so much to all the reviewers! It really inspires me to keep writing!
The room was as sparsely lit as the rest of the lair, but Meg could see that the table in front of her was covered in food. The Phantom walked over to two chairs placed next to each other, motioning for Meg to follow. She did, and sat down beside him.
The Phantom began to dig into the food set out, stuffing his face. Meg hesitated, looking at the man cautiously. When he had swallowed enough to talk, he said, "People think I'm anorexic, but it's really just my darned metabolism." And he began to eat again. Shrugging, Meg dug in as well.
The food was delicious. Soon, all of it had disappeared from the table, leaving crumbs and dirty dishes in its place. Meg leaned back in her chair and sighed. She could really begin to like this guy if he kept this kind of stuff coming!
The Phantom stood up and began clearing the dishes. Suddenly feeling very rude, Meg jumped up and began helping. The Phantom gave her a look that slightly resembled a smile. Meg beamed at him. She didn't know why, but this strange man made her feel very good to be around.
As soon as they had gathered all of the platters, the Phantom led Meg into another room she had not seen before – the kitchen. It looked normal enough to Meg, and she saw that the Phantom's earlier statement had been true, as the cupboards were spilling with food. The Phantom walked over to a sink and began thoroughly rinsing the plates and bowls he carried. Meg walked over, feeling slightly guilty at not being more helpful. "I… I could do that for you," she offered.
The Phantom shook his head. "No, my dear. You are my guest. Relax; I will join you shortly." Meg did as instructed, and walked out of the room and over to the large piano. She sat down on the bench. Looking at the keys, a strange longing came over her. Meg had never been allowed to play a piano before, but she had always wanted to. Leaning over, she pressed one key very gently. A small ping resounded around the entire cavern. Delighted, she played another note. And another. She could not stop herself. Creating this music was wonderful!
Suddenly, a lower part joined her higher one. It started quietly, then grew louder and louder. Meg hesitated a moment, then continued playing. She knew the Phantom was playing on the other side of the keyboard, but he did not seem angry, and Meg did not want to stop playing.
Both of them continued playing, and a beautiful melody filled the air. Both were conscious of the other, but one part would not intrude with the other. He would leave her to play her part, and she his, but both would come together into a beautiful harmony. It was wonderful.
Sighing, Meg took her fingers off the keys. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I should not have begun playing."
The Phantom took her hands in his. "No, my dear. You played wonderfully. That is a surprising talent you have." With these words, Meg smiled. The Phantom looked at her thoughtfully a moment, then said, "Now… can you sing, perhaps?"
Meg bit her lip. She couldn't sing! What could she tell the Phantom? She didn't want to sound rude, but…. "I'm… I'm not sure."
"Well," he said. "We'll just have to find out, then, won't we?"
For those of you with sick minds, I intended no innuendos whatsoever. Stop looking at me like that!
