"Stay here, Meg. I'll be right back." Madame Giry whispered to her daughter. Before Meg could ask where she was going, Madame Giry was gone. Many people began to whisper to one another wondering what the bloody hell is going on. Meg was confused as to why her mother would leave her there alone, but Meg didn't care she wasn't a child anymore.
"Ladies and Gentlemen can we please have your attention." Monsieur Firmin shouted out to the masqueraders. "I am deeply sorry for theā¦interruption. Please let us continue our party and let us all be cheery about the new year, thank you." The music began to play and people began to dance again acting as if nothing even happened. Meg was curious of where her mother had run off to and began to search for her.
Meg walked swiftly to her mother's bedroom to find it empty. She was about to leave when she heard voices heading her way. Meg had to hide before getting herself into trouble. Her mother hated when Meg came into her room without her permission. Meg slipped swiftly under the bed to listen to a pair of light footsteps and a pair of heavy footsteps coming closer to the room:
"Accidents? Please Madame Giry, for all our sakes." Meg realized it was the Vicomte De Chagny.
"Very well," Madame Giry said opening the door. Madame Giry sat down on her bed making Meg hold her breath. She could see Raoul's feet walking over to a near by stool. Madame Giry began to tell her story of how she had rescued the one man everyone in this opera house feared.
Meg cried under her mother's bed silently. She listened to her mother's story of the night she had rescued the poor boy who only knew the cruel side of the world. Meg had no idea that one person alone could experience all of the things. She understood why Christine said he was cold and evil. His entire life he had known no kindness except from her mother. Meg cried for that man who had lived a life not knowing the light, not knowing happiness, not knowing kindness, and not knowing love. Meg now understood the tears that he cried that night on the roof.
After her mother and Raoul had left the room to return to the party, Meg returned to her room changing out of her beautiful costume. Christine hadn't return which wasn't a surprise. She was now always staying out late with Raoul or stayed for the entire night. Meg was now worrying about Erik. Was he on the floor crying like he had done that night she had sang for him and only him. She argued with herself whether or not she should go check on him. Finally after about an hour of arguing Meg tip-toed down the darken corridors that led to Christine's dressing room. Meg pressed her ear against the door. Nothing. Meg slowly crept into the room and dashed across the room to the mirror. She looked back only once to see if anyone was following her and stepped into an unknown world, leaving all thoughts of life she knew before.
Meg made her way in the labyrinth where all night was blind when she finally stumbled upon a vast, glassy, lake. She didn't know what to do; she couldn't cross the lake by swimming. It's the only way, she told herself. Meg took a deep breath before jumping into the chilled water making her use all her strength to continue on.
Once Meg reached the shore of Erik's artistic domain, she gasped. It was a place filled with riches and treasures so unreal it was as if Meg was in a dream. "Erik," she called out not seeing him. Meg walked up the stairs to an area filled with paintings and sketches. All of them were of Christine except for one. Meg walked to the painting realizing it was herself, dancing. Meg put her hand out to touch the artwork. "You know it is terribly rude to go through people's personal belongings." Meg gasped turning around to find Erik standing there looking at her.
"Erik I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," Meg said blushing. Erik walked closer to Meg, making the room hotter than before. "Your artwork is beautiful, Erik. I could never draw like this." He only bowed his head. Erik was now only inches from Meg's face, his eyes were red from crying and she could see the stains on his cheeks that the tears had left behind. Meg slowly brought her hand up to his right cheek feeling the softness and smoothness. He closed his eyes trying to hold back tears and blocking out the warmness of her soft, smooth, hand.
Erik opened his eyes to find tears streaming down Meg's cheeks. He slowly lifted his hand up to wipe away her tears; his hands trembling. She didn't flinch at the touch of his skin against hers. Meg went down on her knees still crying, Erik wasn't far behind to follow her to the cold floor. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried in his shoulders the same way he had done on the roof. He held her tight, thanking God for giving him this chance to hold a woman in his arms. She sobbed harder now not caring if she looked like a wreck.
"I'm sorry Erik⦠I didn't know." Meg said looking into his eyes that made her heart flutter. She began to cry even harder making her whole body tremble.
"Ssshh, Meg I can't understand you. What has made you so upset?" He asked softly. "Now can you tell me what is bothering so much?" She looked into his eyes once again making him shiver for an unknown reason. The light of the candles played across her face and hair making her look like an angel who had fallen from the heavens above. Erik gently wiped away the remaining tears letting his hand linger on her cheek for only an instant. She took a deep breath then let it out.
"There is something I have to tell you something I am not sure you would like to hear. If I had known what my mother said I would have asked for your permission." Meg spoke very softly. Erik didn't speak. "After you had left the ball through the trap door my mother went somewhere. I went to go look for her in her bedroom when I heard footsteps coming my way. I knew I would be in trouble if Mama found me in her room without permission so I slipped under the bed. Raoul and Mama came in and began talking. She told me how she helped you escape to the opera house." Erik was silent and looked pale. Meg didn't know if she should continue, but in the look in his eyes told her to. "I'm sorry Erik," she paused trying to find the words. "I'm sorry if I have made you angry. I'm sorry if I have made you sad. I'm sorry for the way Christine has treated you. You don't deserve it Erik, you don't. I'm sorry about the pain you have encountered in your past. Oh Erik I'm so sorry." Meg said burying her face into his shoulders crying again.
"Hush, my blonde angel, please do not cry. I know you didn't mean to learn my secrets. I'm sorry that you didn't hear it from me, but there are many reasons why I want to keep my secrets, secret. I don't want to remember my past. My past was a horrible past more than you can ever imagine and I would like to keep it in the past." He said softly rocking her back and forth and playing with her hair. Meg looked up at the man her heart now belonged to. She shivered as her mother's story began to replay in her head. Erik tenderly wiped her tears away once again like a husband would do to soothe away his wife's fears. He then delicately placed a kiss on her forehead letting it linger like he had done with her cheek. The more time he would spend with this woman the harder it was to ever let her go.
"Sing for me Erik," she breathed, closing her eyes. Erik sang only for Meg that night putting his heart and soul into the song. He sang about a life without worries, without heart-break, he sang about a life he knew he would never have. Meg fell asleep in his arms, tired from the day's events. Erik smiled at his blonde angel, picked her up and very sadly took his little ballerina back to her world of light.
