Opera Ghost

Chapter Eighteen

A black leather glove protected his hands from leaving any fingerprints behind as he slipped his master key into the lock. There were only three master keys to the Paris Opera House that he knew existed. Two that were entrusted to the general managers and one that he must have made a duplicate of. No lock could stop him. He walked into the lavish dressing room, which had been converted into a living space for the young American, Jessalyn Greene. Pulling a small flashlight out of his pocket and switched it on to see his way in the blackness.

The young man who had almost drown in the lake earlier that day, rested soundly in bed. He showed no signs of stress nor fever as he rested in a peaceful deep sleep now. The shadowy figure had done his own investigation in the lake after he heard about the accident and discovered that the level of the water in the underground pool had indeed risen. Only the managers, safety inspector and head of service at the opera had the authority to control the water levels. And it took a massive team effort to drain and put water into the lake. He was amazed how fast the water had risen in certain places with no trace of man-made effort.

And he couldn't blame it on rain.

He saw by the bed a high-backed chair sat abandoned. A washcloth and a basin of water rested on the floor. The girl was gone. He had expected that. He turned his flashlight toward the full length mirror in one corner of the room. That mirror had remained in perfect condition for a very long time. When he had first come to the opera, he was informed that this particular mirror had always been in this room, ever since the place was built. The managers over the years had taken great pride in keeping the mirror restored. It was simply priceless and a time-honored piece in the opera's collection.But he knew what else made this mirror so special. Behind its lovely glass with a crystal sparkle and golden frame that glistened, lay its hidden value. The tiny beam of light showed him that the pane of glass was open, by just a crack. Careful not to make a noise, he pushed the glass in to give him enough room to sneak by. He found himself in a small damp corridor within the walls behind the mirror. He could see clearly through the other side, as it displayed a flawless view of the room stretched out before him. Monsieur le Fantome, you are becoming clumsy.

Seeing all the proof he needed, he closed the mirror behind him, securing it so that the only way it could be accessed was from the inside. He starred back at the bed, rubbing his gloved fingers together. He didn't want to admit it to any one other than himself, but he was becoming deeply concerned for the young students. They were walking on thin ice and wandering into secrets that were best kept unknown. And especially Jessalyn Greene, who he could see growing weaker under the strain.

And he didn't want to get involved either. But he couldn't ignore this looming problem and hope it would just go away. They were smart kids, all of them. They would stumble onto the truth soon or later. And then, well God help them all. For he could predict the disasters that would occur if the Opera Ghost took his revenge once more. In the bed, snugly wrapped in many covers Daniel Payne groaned in his sleep. The figure was about to turn off his light and tucked it away in his pocket, when he noticed something. On the corner of the dresser lay a long stem rose, the shade of dark blood. There were many candles, the wax melted and flowed down the side, sticking to the wood. He clicked off his light and stood for a moment stunned.

He had indeed been here in this room with her, more than once.

Tony walked through the halls in the early morning. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night being concerned for Dan and then for Jess staying up all night to look after him. But something else bothered him too. Last night, when he returned to his room, he decided to open his mail which was left out for him. There were plenty of Christmas cards from friends and family, and a care package of chocolates from his girlfriend back home. But he also discovered that the roll of film he had sent away to be developed had been mailed back to him. He was surprised that the photo lab had extended him that courtesy so he didn't have to pick them up. Tony had decided to take another set of snapshots to match his digital pictures. So earlier that week he went around the opera taking pictures with a regular disposable camera of places in the building. But these ones had come out . . . differently.

There were streaks of light in awkward places. Halos and spots of light scattered randomly and some prints appeared foggy and hazy. A few especially ones in the corridors where the sun was shining brightly, very dark shadows were cast on the walls behind statues and other objects. As if something else were behind them. Along with the prints, an employee of the lab had attached a post-it note to the envelope. It read in labored English . . .

Sir, Sorry that your prints turned out this way. But you can tell from the negatives that it was not our equipment. There must have been something wrong with your camera. Thanks.

Maybe it was his camera. But once Tony had compared the prints to the identical snapshots he had taken with his digital camera. He saw nothing wrong with them. But another look at the negatives gave him second thoughts. Why did these pictures capture these bizarre images while the other didn't? Tony clutched the envelope with the prints in his hand as he walked with anxious feet toward Jessalyn's room. But on his way there he heard a desperate cry. "Jessalyn? Jess where are you?" It was Dan's voice. Tony quickened his pace until he reached the room and flung the door wide open. He couldn't believe though that the door was unlocked. An unbelievable sight greeted him, as he dropped the envelope in shock.

On the floor lay a graveyard. A graveyard of broken CDs, VHS tapes with their "guts" ripped out and strung over the floor, cases and boxes with large cracks in them. Tony bent down to pick up a black and gold DVD seeing that it was from Daniel's collection of Phantom movies. The plastic disk had been literally snapped in half. Dan was still in bed, but he was wide-awake and sitting upright. His face was pale. "Where is Jess?" He asked Tony.

"I thought this door was locked last night." He asked angrily to on one in particular. But he had to focus on the matter at hand. Jessalyn was indeed no where in sight. "Did she step out?"

Dan shook his head. "I don't know. I just woke up a while ago and she wasn't here!"

"Well, let's please not panic. Jess is probably off somewhere. She could be in the bathroom for all I know." Tony looked down again at the mess on the floor. "Dan do you know . . . who did this?"

"Did what?" Apparently Dan was so much in shock over the disappearance of Jessalyn that he hadn't noticed what had happened. Tony pointed a finger to the floor allowing Dan enough time to focus. "Sweet Jesus!" he exclaimed. "My movies, all my CDs!" He shuffled out of bed, crawling on his knees. He examined one of the broken discs. A large frown crossed his lips. "Shit, this was a rare recording." He muttered.

"Do you have any other copies?" Tony asked, trying to calm him down. Dan scratched his head flicking the disc away.

"I had a couple of songs copied onto my computer, but that's it." Then he got up and rushed over to the desk. He frantically checked every drawer. "Well at least all my notes are okay. My books are still here and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the computer." He took another look around. "But why?"

Tony picked up his pictures and put them on the desk. Daniel dropped to the floor again in disbelief. Tony tried to get Dan back into bed. "Settle down. You are still not in top condition you know."

"Oh but I feel okay now . . . physically." He added sourly shaking his head. He flopped down on the comforter. "But, I…what kind of bastard would do this." Tony sat down next to him, rubbing his hands together, having no clue of what to do next. For some reason his gazed turned to the long mirror in the corner, which seemed untouched by the wreckage.

"Perhaps it's a warning?" he whispered.

Music danced about in her head as her slumber pulled away slowly into wakefulness. She couldn't identify the tune, or who had introduced it to her. But it felt so familiar and natural as her eyes finally decided to flutter open. The first thing her eyes saw was the brilliant red of the rose that stilled rested upon her cheek. Even though the color was starting to fade, the petals maintained their famous softness. But while running her fingers along the intricate structure of the flower, a stray thorn pricked the pad of her index finger. Jessalyn jumped a bit and stuck her finger in her mouth, as so not to drop any blood onto the spotless white comforter or sheets.

All the candles in the room had been blown out, except for one still burning on the night stand. In the farthest, deepest corner of the room, where the light did not touch, she could clearly see a figure slumped over in a chair. Jessalyn slid out bed, her feet coming in contact partly with the cold floor and partly with something warm. She looked down to see that her left foot was standing on a pair of white silk slippers. She accepted their warmth and put them on. She took the candle in her hand before walking cautiously to the figure in the chair. When she was closer, she saw that it was Erik. His shoes were off and kicked aside. His black trousers appeared to fold loosely over his leg and did not appear as tightly fitted as usual and his white dress shirt was open, exposing his chest. Jessalyn could now see how deathly pale he appeared. Not a living corpse per say, but defiantly close to resembling one. His head was turned away, his face buried into a corner of the plush seat. Her hand tensed up as he reached out to tap his shoulder. At the sudden contact of her fingertip. His whole body jerked upward meeting her face to face. Jess took a step back at his impulsive motion.

His blue mysterious eyes were now wide open in shock and almost fear. His face and neck where drenched in sweat showing how much he had perspired in his sleep. His mouth hung open confused as he tried to form some thought into words. "Christine?" He asked.

Jess shook her head, boldly placing a hand on his shoulder. It was wet with sweat. "No, it's Jessalyn." She spoke to him as if she were talking to a child. Realization dawned on his face as he turned his eyes away sadly. He got up putting his hands over his face, which she could tell through the mask was flushed with embarrassment.

"Please don't jump to any conclusions about what you saw. I wasn't doing anything . . . I just wanted to stand guard while you slept." With one swift hand he picked up his two shoes, making his way to the door of her room. Jessalyn watched him in complete patience not accusing him of anything. "But I've only succeeded in making myself appear more like a monster," he intoned bitterly, leaving through the open door. Jess shook her head, before turning back to the night stand where her personal belongings were placed. She picked up her black watch reading the time. She couldn't believe it. She had slept in that late. In frustration she ran out of her room following Erik.

"Erik, please I have to go back!" She told him plainly. Erik was seated at the piano bench were a spare long black coat rested. He threw it over his shoulders and started to slip his dress shoes back on. He seemed to ignore her request.

"But it's still early in the morning, my love." He commented, as if mocking her. She did not like how Erik changed moods at the drop of a hat. It annoyed her.

"Please don't call me that." She said, a strict tone controlling her voice. Erik glanced up at her, surprised at her comeback, but he showed no signs of it in his face. Because of that mask. With it Erik could not only hide his face, but every thing his face said about him and his emotions. "I need to go back."

"Why?" he asked hollowly

"You know why!" Her voice rose in anger. "Dan needs me. I was suppose to watch over him while he was sick."

"Oh is that what you were doing. I could have sworn you wanted to spend the night by his side, just to protect him from me." He noted. Jessalyn felt her stomach lurch. "You know I would never hurt a hair on your head, so you took advantage of that. I admire you for it. You're the perfect bodyguard and I commend you." Jess gave a grunt in annoyance. She wanted to take off the night gown he had given her, rip it in half and throw it in his face. But she had nothing on underneath. She felt more like a puppet on his string more than ever.

"How dare you mock me? You think this a joke. I didn't come here for this." She turned to go back to her room. She would gather her things and leave this place. With or without Erik's help.

"Then why did you come here, mademoiselle?" His cold voice cut through her and stopped her in her tracks. An angry tear trickled from her left eye as she faced him once more.

"This is all your fault." She shot at him. "You almost killed my best friend, because you are bitter and jealous. And for that you put another life in jeopardy." He shifted slightly, now properly dressed as he rose to his feet. A lesser man would have struck or cursed at her. "You only think of yourself." She hissed her breathing becoming raspy out of rage.

"Myself? I assure you Jessalyn, I am the last person on earth whom I hold in high regard." He snapped back.

"Do you think what you have done will make me love you?" Now it was his turn to stop in his tracks. He knew she would never speak so passionately to him about Daniel if her feelings for him were more than ones of friendship. "If you love me, like you say you do, you would let me go Erik." She said simply, throwing up her hands in defeat. It was her last shot.

He kept walking toward her and before she knew it he had a hold of her hand. He picked it up, examining his golden ring that rested on her finger, an unspoken promise resting on her finger. Slowly he brought her hand to his lips, planting a firm kiss on it. His eyes stared at her, and Jessalyn felt once again under the pressure of his captive gaze. He lingered there for a few seconds before pulling away, yet still holding her. "Do you . . . love him?" he asked.

Jess knew the real question that lay in his heart was "Do you love me?"

"Erik, that is not the point here. The point is he needed me and I . . ." Jessalyn couldn't find any words to express her desperate need and felt like a gawking fool. "I promised to look over him, when he was sick. He would have done the same for me. He's like a brother. Please, don't make me break that promise."

Erik gave a small grin and Jess wasn't certain if she should be afraid or not. "I see." He said flatly dropping her hand. "Very well. You may go change back into your regular clothes if you wish." He said the word regular as if he were flinging a curse. "I shall wait until you are ready." It was the type of closure she had expected from him. But she took what she had at the moment and returned to her room quickly. She tore off the gown and flung it away. She wouldn't be part of his fantasy anymore, not like this. Pulling on the rest of her clothes she thought. What did she believe and was she actually buying into all this?

First, did she believe Erik was real. Yes, he had to be. There was no logically explanation to suggest otherwise. The Opera Ghost had been alive all these years, watching and waiting. And what about her? Was she, Jessalyn Greene, a normal girl actually reincarnated as Christine Daaé? Could that be possible or was it coincidence? Or was Erik's desperate obsession spilling over into her mind, wanting her to believe. Did she?

No. She wouldn't give in anymore. She meant it this time. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, pulling her long blond hair back into a ponytail. "No more games." She said out loud. "I will find out exactly what is going on, alone." She turned away from the sanctuary that Erik had carefully prepared for her. Jessalyn turned to glance back the roses in the vases. There were glorious flowers. But no.

Erik was waiting for her in the lounge. He had dressed himself in a long black cloak and fedora. He turned slowly to her, extending an ominous black gloved hand. It seemed to frighten her. It seemed cold in comparison to his long pale graceful fingers. Yet she slipped her hand into his. Erik showed no emotion on his face and he moved to slip Jessalyn's arm under his own, escorting her toward the dark passage leading into the cellars. He spoke not a word until they finally reached the hidden entrance to Christine's old dressing room, for she was sure that was the place she was residing in. Jessalyn tried not to look shocked as she saw Dan, helpless in bed once again. He twitched in his sleep and she wanted nothing more than to run to him, hold him in her arms tight, and make all his aliments go away. Erik tightened his grip on her hand, beyond the point of comfort. As if he could sense what she wanted. Then he turned her about in his arms sharply so she was face to face with him.

"Yes, I'm allowing you to return, though I shouldn't. But you have made a valid point. Even the bride of Hades was allowed to return to the surface. The living needed her." He spat his last statement harshly. After that, Jessalyn wasn't even inclined to say thank you to him. Erik slid the door back and Jess stepped back into her room without hesitation. But she waited at the side of his bed. She shook her head in shame. How could she leave him again while he was helpless? She hadn't gone with Erik to protect Dan. She had done it for herself.

"Dan? Daniel?" She called softly. Almost immediately he turned in his sleep. His eyes flashed open.

"Jess, is that you?" He sat up, looking much healthier. He rubbed his eyes before staring at her wide eyed. "Jesus, where have you been? Tony has been looking for you all morning." He gave a small laugh letting her know he was just happy to see her once more. "You do have a certain habit of disappearing lately." Jess couldn't take it anymore and she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry." she said, trying not to cry. "I'll never run off like that again. Are you feeling alright?" She pressed her palm against his forehead, which for once was neither burning hot or ice cold.

"About a thousand times better." He exclaimed. Then he bit his lower lip in a concerned pout. "Well except . . ."

"Except what?" She asked. Then the door slammed open. Jess jumped in surprise and turned to see Tony in the doorway.

"Finally, there you are." He said, not sounding as happy as Daniel had been. "You wouldn't believe what happened since you've been gone!"

"Some got into the room while we were asleep. They broke all my CDs and smashed the hell out of my tapes." Dan answered before she could ask what. Disappointment and sorrow made his voice sound depressed. Then it turned to concerned. "You didn't see anything last night? Whoever it was . . . they didn't hurt you or anything? Did they Jess?" She shook her head no.

"Where exactly were you last night?" Tony asked simply. "I can't imagine you spent the whole night asleep in that chair."

"Well I didn't." She said, trying once again to think of a new cover. "I got up and went down to the green room and curled up on a couch."

"Jess you know that's not safe." Dan said reaching out to hold his hand. It felt so good to her to come in contact with a warm human hand once more. "You should have woken me up and I would have moved for you." Jess laughed warmly.

"Safe. This place is safe. What could get me . . . a ghost?" She joked, hating herself for it. Dan finally cracked a smile until he noticed something different. He suddenly held up her hand the plain gold ring on her finger that reflected in the light.

"Where did you get that?" He asked.

A/N: Well I have some people to thank. First off, many thanks to Daughter of Lasgalen for being my beta-reader, which mean the world to me. Thanks so much. And to all the readers. I could have never imagined I would have over a hundred reviews but here I am. But just that fact that people are reading and enjoying what I've written so far, is enough for me.