The Truth

January 31st, 1871

"Damn." The man cursed as he ran back to the vault. Inside were important files and belongings. If he were to make it outside the opera house, he would need those files. He looked over to where he left his mask only to find a young Marguerite Giry looking over to him. The Phantom held out his hand, almost demanding that she give the mask back. Without a second thought she walked over to him and handed it to him.

"Is he over there?" A man from the mob yelled.

She looked at the Opera Ghost almost thinking of what to do. She saw his pain, how his eyes were filled with tears and sorrow. "No." Meg replied back to the mob. He gave a quiet thank you to her.

"I need to speak with your mother."

"My mother? Why?" She questioned.

He ignored her questioning, "Do you know where she is at?"

"No." The young girl replied truthfully, "I don't know where she went."

The Phantom walked over to secret passage and motioned her to go in. "The building is on fire and you shouldn't even be here. Take this exit, go straight ahead of you. Here…" He handed her a lit torch. "You will reach the end of the tunnel and it will lead you to the main lobby. Get out as soon as you can and find your mother. Tell her," He paused for a moment. "…Tell her Erik needs to talk to her."

Meg listened to everything he said and went ahead into the tunnel. Though she didn't know why she would trust him, but he seemed to really know her Maman. So she did as he said and he was right. The tunnel lead to the lobby and it was clear for her to get out of the building with no harm done to her. She ran out the main door and saw people that were running around like lunatics, mainly people who worked at the opera house and some who were there to watch the performance of Don Juan Triumphant. In the midst of the crowd she found her mother.

"Maman!" Meg yelled

"Mon Dieu!" Madame Giry exclaimed at the sight of her daughter. "Mon chéri! Where did you go?"

"I was with the mob…" Meg confessed silently.

"Meg! I told you to not go down there!" Madame Giry shouted furiously.

"Erik said he needed to talk to you." Madame Giry froze when she heard that.

"You saw him?"

"Yes, Maman."

"Ok. Come Mon chéri. I have an apartment we can stay at." Madame Giry stated leading her daughter away from the fire. Madame Giry looked back on the place she called home for so long. Tears formed in her eyes, "My God, Erik. What have you done?"