Chapter 3
Mandi walked through the Labyrinth beneath the opera house slowly, afraid to meet the same fate as earlier, only this time Erik wouldn't be there to save her.
"This would be a hell of a lot easier if I had a flashlight." She said to herself, placing her hand against the damp stone wall, the edge of the lake only a foot from where she stood. Just as she did, a faint echo reached her ears, the sound resembling her name.
"Lotte?" She called out into the darkness, squinting for a better view.
"Jammes?" The sound hit her ears again, this time closer, coming from behind her. Turning around, she looked around for the source, finding nothing there. She jumped when she turned back around, seeing a pair of golden eyes just inches from her face. Loosing her footing, she fell towards the lake, stopped by a hand firmly grasping her shoulder.
"Where are you going, Jammes?" His voice surrounded her, trying to intoxicate her senses. Wrenching herself from his grasp she pressed her back into the wall, looking from where she heard the voice, to the direction he came form.
"What do you want?" She asked shyly, averting his gaze, but still felt it burn into her, as he towered over her, her face only reaching his neck.
"Where are you going?" He asked curiously, bringing his arms up to cross over his board chest.
"I'm trying to leave." She mumbled at an almost inaudible level, but Erik's impeccable hearing understood her perfectly.
"Why? Have I not been an exceptionable host, that you couldn't take my home any longer than absolutely necessary?" He asked, placing one of his hands over his heart to mock pain.
"You have been fine." She bit down on her lip, wishing him to just leave, to let her go to find her best friend.
"Please just let me go, I need to find her." She whimpered, pressing herself deeper into the stone wall.
"If you want to leave, all you have to do is ask, Mlle. Jammes, one should not run from my home without knowing the way." He turned around, gracefully stepping away from her, heading in the direction she had come from. Hesitating for a moment, she followed him through his world of shadow, keeping just close enough to see his outline in the darkness.
Talking a deep breath, Katie looked at the grand building before her, gathering her courage to venture back down into his world.
"Jammes is down there." She whispered to herself. Biting down on her lip, she entered his realm, in search of her best friend.
"Jammes, Love? Jammes?" She called out into the darkness, hearing her words echo back to her. Staring into the abyss before her, she swore she saw a faint outline of a person approaching her.
"Jammes!" She called to the person, praying for it to respond. After what seemed like ages to Katie, a familiar voice echoed back to her.
"Lotte?" Mandi called out, stepping way from Erik, squinting to see what was up ahead, seeing only a faint outline.
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold." Mandi sang out as loud as she could.
"The bridge is crossed so stand and watch in burn!" Katie sang back. hearing Katie's words, Mandi broke away from Erik, braking out into a full fledge run towards her best friend.
"Oh Lotte!" she exclaimed, throwing herself on Katie in a tight embrace.
"Where have you been? I was so worried about you, I tried to follow you, but..." She cut off, not wanting to worry Katie.
"I'm sorry, Jammes." She practically sobbed, holding Mandi's embrace.
"I shouldn't have just left you, but I couldn't be there Jammes, I couldn't handle him." As she spoke, she lifted her gaze, seeing the figure loom in the shadows. Jumping back, she broke away from Mandi, her eyes watching Erik with horror.
"Lotte, It's alright," Mandi cooed, looking between her best friend and the man who she has loved for so long.
"He saved me Lotte." Mandi whispered, reaching for Katie's hands.
"I went to follow you love, only apparently I'm not as good at finding my way. I needed a Hoggle to lead the way." Mandi motioned to Erik. Katie chuckled at the reference Mandi made to one of their favorite movies, next to Phantom of coarse.
"But Jammes," Katie pulled Mandi closer to whisper into her ear.
"He doesn't exist, he can't." Mandi smiled at her, turning back to the neglected, and partly amused Erik.
"But love, he does." She whispered back, locking arms with Katie. Each girls minds put to rest knowing that the one thing the cared about most was safe.
"Mlle." Erik interrupted their reunion with his velvet voice. Unsure what he wanted to say, only that he wanted Christine to come back with him to the home he longed to share with her. Silently he lead them back to his home. Kati's body filed with fear, she didn't want to go with him, her instincts told her to run, but she couldn't. Mandi walked beside Katie, holding her hand to comfort her, trying to dissipate her friend's fear.
Katie's fearful grip only increased as they crossed the threshold of his home, the warm, comforting aroma wrapping around them as Erik walked into the middle of the room, standing before a grand fireplace. He turned back to them, the light from the blaze catching in his eyes, making them practically twinkle.
His eyes fell upon the two girls, both with large black bags beneath their eyes, their eyelids slowly falling. Never has he seen the girl that stood beside his Christine. Unlike most woman He has seen in his many days as the Opera Ghost, he has never seen someone quite like her. It wasn't her facial features, for she strongly resembled one of the little ballet girls, but how she carried herself. Slouched shoulders, not a hint makeup upon her pale imperfect skin, hair hanging haphazardly over her shoulders, excessive amount of awkward looking necklaces littering her exposed neckline, from a simple black ribbon to a mythical creature that lay over her heart.
He could fathom how this girl could know his Christine, for they looks as opposite as night and day, but after all, she has always loved opposites, just look between him and her little chap. Even with obvious need for sleep he found her to be the definition of beauty. Dark brown curls gracefully faming her face, her brilliant blue eyes glistening with the flickering light, the golden light dancing across her skin. He loved her, truly loved the woman who stood in front of him, although she would never come to love him back. He knew she would never return his affection, but still he couldn't help but love the beautiful talented girl. He was like Apollo longing for Daphne, never to find happiness beside her.
"You should probably rest." He looked up at Katie, then Mandi. Without a word, the girls left him, retreating to the room Mandi had changed cloths in. Sitting down on the bed, Katie bit down on her lip, trying to comprehend all that has happened since they sat in her bedroom only a few hours ago. Knowing what was occupying her best friend's mind, Mandi sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Katie.
"Lotte, we really are here." She whispered.
"We have dreamed of this for so long." A shiver shot down Katie's spine as she looked into Mandi's deep brown eyes.
"Lets just go to bed Jammes." She said, pulling herself out of Mandi's grip to lay down on the bed, facing away from Mandi.
"Goodnight Lotte." Mandi said at last, but Katie was already lost in her own dreams. Mandi watched Lotte for the longest time, her mind racing of the previous events.
"How can you be afraid of the man you love?" She asked Lotte's sleeping form, before meeting her own slumber.
