Chapter 28- Fear and Loathing.

Catherine was sitting at the top of the Grand Staircase in the entrance hall. A week had passed since she had encountered 'The Phantom of the Opera', and since then, she had been able to think of nothing but what Monsieur André had said. '... and one thing that we are almost certain of, is that he wears a white mask on one side of his face.'

But surely he must be dead by now. Catherine thought to herself. It was true that so many years had passed since she had sold him to the circus, and the chances of him surviving that long were tiny. Ah, but there was still is a chance...

There was no real way for her to tell unless she saw this 'Phantom' face to face but how could she do that? She checked the clock on the far wall to see what the time was. It read quarter to twelve.

"Mother...?" Catherine jumped. Looking round she saw Zurie walking towards her. "...are you alright?"

"I'm..." She wanted to say 'fine', but thought that that would be a bit of a fools answer. "...great, just thinking that's all, you know me..."

Zurie gave a weak smile. "Well, if you are sure you're OK. It's just... you've been acting very..." She paused to search for the right word. "...strangely."

Zurie expected her mother to be angry at her for saying this but was surprised as she looked over at Zurie and gave her a questioning look.

"What do you mean, 'strangely'?" Of course she knew what Zurie meant by this but did not want her to know that.

"Well, maybe 'strangely' wasn't the right word. You're acting more... paranoid." Catherine opened her mouth to say something back to this but Zurie cut her off before she had the chance. "...look at it from my point of view. Every time you turn a corner you always peak your head round it first. You are constantly looking behind you, and whenever someone talks to you that you can't see immediately you jump!"

Catherine could not see any way of getting out of this one. Maybe she was being a bit paranoid. This 'Ghost' had done what they wanted, why would they feel the need to do anything else.

If it is him, then that's obvious.

Zurie could tell that she wasn't going to get anywhere. "I'll see you at lunch." She got up and left, leaving Catherine sitting there on her own.

Zurie thought that her father might know why Catherine was acting so strangely. There was no point going to look for him however, as he would be at lunch along with everyone else.

What could be so bad that she would want to keep it from me...?

-

"Erik I've just thought..." Began Christine, taking a sip of the tea that Erik had made for the two of them. "...If only three people knew that Catherine used that song to sing you to sleep, and one of them is dead, then doesn't that mean that she could know that the 'Phantom' is you?"

"That's right." He replied, taking a sip out of his tea as well. "But does that really matter?"

Christine thought that this was a bit of a stupid question. "Well, yes..."

Erik smiled at Christine's certainty. "Why?"

Christine thought for a moment. Come to think of it. Why did it matter if she knew it was him? "Well because, the managers and everyone will know that you are not really a ghost and may not listen to you."

Erik chuckled. "I think that my managers will be wise enough to know that I am just as dangerous even if I am not a ghost, and besides..." He placed his cup down on the table in front of him. "...I can't imagine that my dear old mother would actually tell anyone. Think about it. It would lead to a lot of awkward questions about how she knows who I am."

Christine understood what Erik was saying, and gave him a small nod to let him know this. Finishing their tea, they got up, and Erik went to the music room.

"So... what is 'Don Juan' about?" She said, as Erik opened up the folder, took out a half finished score and examined it.

"As I said, I'll tell you when it's finished. By then I might have some idea myself..." He gave Christine a small wink.

Christine could tell he was joking about not knowing what it was about, but decided not to press the matter. If he wanted to finish his masterpiece first then she would let him. A sudden thought then came over Christine.

"What production is going to be put on next?" She had discussed this topic with Meg, though neither of them could think of what could possibly follow Faust.

Erik pondered his answer a moment, before answering. "...I think that everyone has earned a bit of a break after the last performance of 'Faust', and therefore the next production won't be decided for a while."

This disappointed Christine, she was hoping that they were going to start practising for the next production soon. This didn't matter too much, she could wait and in any case she had all of the other performances of 'Faust' to worry about. Maybe the break after that would do her some good.

Christine took to her normal hobby of reading while Erik was composing his 'Don Juan Triumphant', with Porsche as her company. Christine could hear that the notes on the piano sounded a bit muffled, but then he had cracked it just before he left to try and kill Catherine.

Porsche hopped onto Christine's lap and curled up. Christine had got tired of reading, and checked the clock on the far wall.

"Off you get Porsche. I do not want to be late for lunch." Porsche jumped off of her and walked out into the music room, returning with Erik.

"Leaving?" He asked, looking solemn.

"Yes, I don't want people to get suspicious or worry about where I am." She walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss, then whispered. "I love you." Before leaving.

-

For lunch, Christine sat with Meg and Byron as usual, Christine was very glad to see that Catherine was still in a very jumpy state. Something about her mood must have shown on her face, as Meg asked.

"What are you so cheery about?"

Christine answered her while looking at Zurie. "Oh, the food is just very tasty." Christine was expecting Meg to make a snide remark about her and Erik, but she didn't. It seemed that since she got together with Byron Meg had been less interested about Christine and Erik.

Christine couldn't help but think that Zurie looked a little worried about something. Hadn't her mother told her about what had happened to her on the roof? Christine supposed that Catherine wanted to try and avoid a lot of fuss about it for the moment.

Christine was just about to get up and leave, when she heard Zurie speak to Ivan. "What is wrong with mother?"

Christine busied herself with her cutlery so that she did not look like she was eavesdropping. " I can't tell you here. I'll speak to you after dinner." His voice sounded panicky. That could only mean that he did know about what had happened.

Thinking that the conversation was over, Christine got up and left. She was closely followed by Catherine however, who caught up with her just outside the dining room.

"Miss Daae, could I have a word with you?" Christine would have liked to say, 'No, go away', but could not immediately think of any other more polite excuse.

"Of course." She replied, in the most polite voice she could muster.

"Can we walk and talk?" Christine nodded, and followed Catherine.

Just before they left, Christine saw Zurie and Ivan leave the dining room. She could not quite hear them, but she could just about pick out one or two words like 'rose' and 'roof-top'.

They walked around for about 5 minutes to various different places. Catherine occasionally looked over her shoulder to see if there was anybody behind her. At last, she spoke to Christine.

"My daughter tells me that you have been giving her singing lessons..." Her voice was very quiet, as though she was afraid of anybody listening. Christine was certain that there probably was a certain someone listening.

"Yes... that's not a problem is it?" Christine tried as hard as possible to sound politely concerned.

"No, no, not at all, in fact I wanted to thank you." This wasn't at all what Christine was expecting and she did not really want to get that friendly with Catherine.

"It's nothing really." She said, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Catherine wouldn't allow that.

"She is lucky to be being taught by the amazing Prima Donna." Christine could see that Catherine was trying as hard as possible to get Christine on her good side. Christine was not going to have any of this however.

Losing all patience, she finally said in a very annoyed tone. "What is this really about?"

Catherine smiled, though it wasn't a nice friendly smile like she had used when being introduced. It was a smile of pure evil.

"I hear there was a murder here, a Joseph Bouquet, no?" Christine stared at her, wondering what this had to do with anything.

"Yes." Catherine's smile grew bigger.

"I also heard that he was very fond of you when he was alive." She sounded like she was mocking her with false concern.

"Just get to the point." Christine spat at her.

Catherine's smile grew even bigger. "OK..." She began. "... I find it rather funny, that the day after he tried to seduce you, he ends up dead..."

Christine stared at her.

How can you know about that you witch!?

If Christine was correct, only two people knew, and that was herself and Erik. "How...who...?"

Catherine gave a high, cold laugh. "Hahaha! My useless step-daughter it seems is not all that useless, stupid girl!"

So, you love Zurie about as much as you loved Erik...? Christine clenched her fists in her pockets, staring very angrily into the eyes of this evil woman.

"Now... let's put the pieces together, shall we play detective?" Her face changed to an expression of mock-thought. "...Joseph Bouquet makes a drunken move on you...Joseph Bouquet ends up dead the next day... Joseph Bouquet appeared to be killed by 'The Phantom Of The Opera'."

Since she knew about Bouquet making a move on her, it would only take an idiot not to put the pieces together. Christine waited with baited breath for her to finish, but she simply smiled.

"So...?" Catherine chuckled at the sound of Christine's questioning tone.

"So...?" She imitated in a high, cold voice. "So Christine..."

"It's Miss Daae!" She spat at her before she could finish.

"Whatever... So Christine, you can tell Erik from me that this is my Opera house now, and if he wants to keep his miserable life for a little while longer..."

SLAP!

Christine's eyes were burning, she was breathing in short, sharp breaths. "Don't..." She began, looking like she was about to breathe fire. "...you...dare... say his life is miserable..."

Catherine looked back at Christine, her eyes wide with shock at what she had done. She recovered herself quickly though, rubbing the left side of her face.

"Hehehe..." She chuckled quietly. "... I think the managers may wonder why you did not tell them what you know about the 'Phantom'..."

"But then again..." Came a voice that echoed around the hall that they were standing in. "... they may be interested to know why you did not tell them that you are my mother..."

"Erik..." Whispered Christine, her heart lifting at the sound of his voice.

Catherine looked round to see where his voice was coming from. Her eyes were now full of fear, yet her voice sounded as strong and menacing as it did when she was talking to Christine.

"Why not come out where I can see you, son!?" Erik gave a cold laugh at these words.

"Why..." He began and then his voice changed as though he was talking to a baby. "...is mummy afraid of poor defenceless Erik...?" Christine laughed at this.

Catherine imitated his baby voice and said. "...is little Erik afraid that mummy is going to hurt him?" This stopped Christine's laughing, and caused her to glare at her in anger.

"Not at all..." Replied Erik, Catherine was still looking round desperately for his location. "...Erik is just going to tell you to keep your mouth shut...or else."

"Or else what!?" She shouted back.

All of a sudden, Erik's infamous punjab lasso dropped from the ceiling. Not around Catherine's neck, but just in front of her eyes so that she could see it.

"Or else I break you pretty little neck..." He said in a low, menacing voice.

Christine knew that Erik was bluffing and so she played along as best she could Erik's threat against Catherine.

"And then you'll just be another Joseph Bouquet..." She said, in the most menacing voice she could muster.

"So, for your safety, I suggest you leave my opera house..." Erik was in his element now. She could not possibly disobey him...

"Oh I don't think so..." Whispered Catherine. "...just because you, the circus freak, are still alive, doesn't mean that I am going to leave..."

This stunned Erik. It seemed that Catherine had not lost the stubbornness that she possessed when Erik was a child.

"The Circus freak, am I?" He said quietly. "Well mother, the circus freak does have his tricks. Does he not?"

The fear returned to Catherine's eyes. She did not know what was going to happen next, and did not particularly want to find out. All of a sudden there was a flash of white light, which momentarily blinded her. When she could see again, Christine was gone.

"Leave, and never return..." This sent a shiver up Catherine's spine.

-

Erik and Christine made their way back down to Erik's home. They had just got off the lift, when Christine had to ask Erik something.

"You were bluffing when you said about breaking her neck. Weren't you?" Erik did not answer immediately, then finally said...

"Only if she does not do anything too extreme, then I won't kill her... but if she goes to far..." He paused and looked into Christine's eyes. "...then I may have to. I hope you understand..."

"Let's just hope it does not come to that." She said quietly.

"You are going to have to have a word with Zurie about what she said..."

Christine nodded in agreement, but then said. "No, wait... you should have a word with her..."

Erik looked startled at this proposition. "What! Are you mad!?"

"No, I'm not! Think about it..." She was positively bouncing with delight. "...you are her brother...well...step-brother. Don't you think it is only fair that she knows that?"

Erik considered this for a moment. Yes, Zurie was his step-sister, but what would she do when she found out that she was related to the 'Opera Ghost'?

They got into the boat, Christine waiting expectantly for an answer. "But what if she..."

"I'll speak with her before she meets you." Cut in Christine, reassuringly.

Erik could see that he was not going to win this argument and so he nodded to say that he would talk to her. As soon as they got off the boat, Christine flung her arms round him.

"Thank you..." She whispered in his ear. They kissed passionately and then heard a 'meow'. They broke apart smiling. Porsche was at their heels looking for some attention.

"When should I talk to her?" Erik asked, picking up the cat.

"Whenever you feel you are ready." Answered Christine, giving him a reassuring pat on the arm, and stroking Porsche fondly. Christine yawned. "God I'm tired."

"Why are you telling him?" Said Erik slyly, this earned him a playful swat on the back of the head. "You should get some rest. You must need it after talking with my dear mother..."

Christine smiled and then made her way to Erik's room along with Porsche. Erik however, went to compose some of his 'Don Juan'.

She sighed. "Is there ever a time when he does not want to compose any of his 'Don Juan'?" She whispered to the cat, who curled up on the bed next to Christine, and gave a small 'meow'. "I didn't think so."

Christine felt her eyes begin to droop, the last thing she could remember hearing was the opening bars of 'Point of no Return', before drifting off into a peaceful sleep, Porsche at her side.

-

"God damn it." Catherine muttered to herself, sitting in the study of Ivan's house. She was scribbling on some parchment, ever so often crossing out different lines, and adding annotations to others.

Her encounter with Erik earlier that day had had the opposite effect of scaring her away from the Opera House. On the contrary, she now wanted to stay there more than ever.

It would be stupid to tell on Christine though... She thought to herself, scribbling down more notes. But I am not going to let that Devil's Child drive me away...

"Curse you Erik!" She spat, still scribbling on the parchment.

When she had finally finished she picked up the parchment and looked at all that she had written. She muttered to herself incomprehensibly and then slammed it down on the table, shaking. She was not going to live in fear of that Circus freak, not as long as she lived.

"It is to be war between us Erik... And I am pretty sure that you are on the losing side..." With that, she opened the desk drawer, put the piece of Parchment inside, and locked it, stowing the key in her pocket. She then went to bed, no thoughts in her head except thoughts of how to stay in the Opera house, and get rid of her horrible son, Erik.