THE LABYRINTH
It's getting dark in the theme park. The building with Phantom's aerie was complete. Outside the building, a big sign was illuminated, "Phantom's Labyrinth".
Inside the building was a circle of waterway. Phantom and several associates were right there making final tests of the boating system. Boats were circling in the "river". In the center section, the "river" expanded into a "lake". A lot of gadgets and figures were decorated along the waterway. All these were powered by electricity, state-of-the-art at the time. One associate was testing the mist system as it gave off mists on and off.
An associate dressed as a clown sang impromptu while he was attending the boat control system,
"THE BOY SHALL RIDE WITH HIS MOM,
AND THERE YOU SEE VICOMTESE HERSELF."
Another associate challenged him, "WHAT IF VICOMTE RIDES WITH THE BOY?"
The clown responded with singing,
"VICOMTESE WILL MEET ANGEL,
AND VICOMTE WILL MEET LASSO".
And he mimicked a strangling motion around his own neck. Everyone burst into laughter except Phantom.
Empty boats kept circling in. And then, among the mist a boat moved in with a person in it.
"Hey. There is a tourist breaking in." One associate noticed.
As the clown walked up to the boat, the mist got less tense. He could tell the tourist was a lady in white dress. He spoke loudly,
"No, no, no, Madame. The ride is not open yet. It's still under construction…"
"Christine!" Phantom burst out while the clown was talking.
The tourist was Christine!
Everyone at the scene was startled.
Christine saw Phantom too. They stared at each other.
As the boat approaching the dock, Phantom came out of surprise, and walked up to help Christine out of the boat.
Christine was shaky, but she managed to stand up, and extend her hands to Phantom.
Just at that moment, they both paused and felt the same déjà vu: Ten years ago, he helped her out of the boat in his original labyrinth.
Phantom helped Christine out.
Once on the ground, Christine managed to get her mind back. She let go his hands, "HOW DARE YOU INVADE MY LIFE! HOW DARE YOU SET ALL THESE UP!
Christine kept shivering, "Do you have plans on my child?"
"No, Christine!" Phantom denied. The associates shunned away. Phantom continued,
"Don't you forget the night you left? The moment I let you go, I have determined to do anything for your happiness. How could I do anything to harm you? No way!"
Phantom continued emotionally, "Since that night, I did miss you everyday. I have been torn between the pain that you have left, and the joy that you had a life you want."
Christine's eyes turned red. Before coming, she had thought of all possibilities. But now, all the words she had prepared vanished.
Phantom continued, "My missing for you only grows by the day. I hope I could see you, even secretly. And dreaming that one day you will come to me, smile at me, and even sing for me, again!"
"I asked Madame Giry to invite you," Phantom explained, "on the promise that I won't interfere with your life… I only observe you from the dark."
Christine bit her lip. She tried to avoid Phantom's eyes. She looked around. The set up was quite like Phantom's original labyrinth. There was also an organ.
It looked really. She went up to the organ and played a few keys.
"A real organ here?" She asked.
"It can play rolls. Besides, while I work here, I can play it whenever I have an idea." Phantom answered.
Christine looked at Phantom with admiration. She then lowered her head and saw music sheets lying on top of the organ.
She picked up one sheet and read the title, "Beneath a moonless sky".
"Your new song?" Christine raised her head and asked.
Phantom nodded. He appeared a little nervous. Christine went back on reading.
It's a duet. Christine nodded while she was reading.
"THAT night." When Christine sighed and raised her head, she saw Phantom was beholding her. At that moment, they read each other's mind.
Phantom started singing. Christine followed.
"ONCE THERE WAS A NIGHT, BENETH A MOONLESS SKY…"
They hadn't seen each other for ten years, but once they started singing, they sang with rapport.
"I GAVE MY BEST GUIDE", Phantom sang.
"I GAVE MY BEST VOICE", Christine followed…
"TWO SOULS COMBINED AS ONE, BENEATH A MOONLESS SKY…" They ended the song together.
After singing, Christine panted slightly. She looked at Phantom with affection, "How have you been these years? Have you … found someone you love?"
It seemed as if the question had electrified Phantom for a second, and then he responded, "I FOUND LOVE OF MY LIFE, WHEN I FIRST HEAR YOU SING!"
Christine could not hold back herself any more. She broke into tears and threw herself into Phantom,
"ANGEL OF MUSIC, I DENIED YOU!"
Phantom was teary too, but as he saw Christine broken down, he suppressed his own emotion and comforted her, "Don't cry, Christine. Don't cry."
"I can't be happier that you came!" Phantom continued, "I have been trying to kept my promise not to meet you, but I don't know how long I can keep it. And here you came, Christine!"
Christine gradually stopped weeping. She raised her head from Phantom's chest.
"How did you find here?" Phantom asked her.
"This whole place bears your design." Christine looked around at the indoor lake and the fancy decorations,
"I REMEMBER THE SAME MIST, SWIRLING UPON THE GLASSY LAKE."
Hearing that, Phantom seemed to remember something. He said,
"Christine, I know you don't like darkness, so I prepared some light, dreaming that one day you do come, and you shall like it."
As saying, Phantom walked up what appears to be a control box. He pushed some switches. A glamorous light array in the ceiling was turned on.
Christine looked up and marveled, "Wow! Electric light?"
Phantom nodded. He then turned a couple of knobs in that control box, now the lights turned into breathing mode, brightening and dimming back and forth.
Christine was Fascinated. As she looked up, she was a little unsteady. Phantom stepped up and gently supported her.
Christine noticed the support. She didn't move away. She sighed faintly and remained in Phantom's arm.
"Remember the night of music, the music of night?" She murmured incoherently. "Now the night of light, the music of light."
Once again, they were enjoying music, the night, and the lights together.
Phantom was in disbelief. He found this moment surreal. She was in his arm again, as if it had been ten years ago, the first night she came to his underground world.
The light pattern kept changing. Suddenly, Christine widened her eyes and looked up, "Is that a chandelier?"
"No." Phantom assured her. "It's just a pattern made by light bulbs and mirrors. You like it?"
"Yes." Christine felt relieved and fell back into trance.
"Did you really dream of it?" She asked while looking up.
"Dreamed of what?" Phantom asked back.
"You said you dreamed that I would come one day." Christine said.
"How could I not dream of it everyday?" Phantom answered. His voice was a little trembling, "And today, it comes true!"
"I have dreams too!" Christine turned her head back at Phantom in excitement, "These years, many times in my dreams, I sang for you. Sometimes it's a nightmare, but more often it's a fantasy!"
Phantom looked back at her with joy, "Your dreams also come true!"
Christine's eyes were glistening. "And from now on, there will be no nightmares anymore!"
Phantom smiled. They both indulged in happiness.
"And I wish you can sing for me." Phantom lamented.
"And I wish you can teach me," Christine replied, "but that will be difficult. Raoul and Gustave went to Edison's lab today. I found an excuse to stay."
"No need to go. All his inventions are here, just in a fantastic way." Phantom's smiled.
"There should be a way." Christine turned back and looked forward thoughtfully.
"CHRISTINE!" Suddenly the tranquility was broken by a shout.
Raoul broke in. He dragged Madame Giry and held a handgun in another hand.
"ONCE AGAIN SHE IS HIS…" Raoul grumbled.
"Raoul!" Christine broke out of fantasy. She rushed to Raoul. She embraced him and pushed hard to lower his handgun.
Raoul tried to push her aside, but stopped short when he felt she was blocking him with her full strength. As he saw Phantom was not moving, he lowered the handgun away from the reach of Christine, concerning her safety.
"Your love … for music … never dies." Raoul stared at her red eyes angrily.
"It's not what you think, Raoul…" Christine pleaded to him, while still embracing and blocking him. "I am here for Gustave," Christine continued pleading, "For our family."
"And for your angel", Raoul scorned, but he calmed down.
Christine felt offended, but only begged weakly, "WHY CAN'T THE PAST JUST DIE?"
"We should let the past go." Madame Giry followed.
"You have been helping him!" Raoul shouted back at her.
"I had also helped Christine." Madame Giry replied calmly. "Otherwise you may not have met her at all."
Raoul couldn't refute that. He thought for a moment and spoke to Madame Giry, "Good. If you still want to help Christine, keep him here." He pointed at Phantom.
And then he turned to Christine, "We go back to Europe."
Both Phantom and Christine was startled. They looked at each other.
Raoul then grabbed Christine's wrist, "Now. Gustave is worrying about you."
Christine gave Phantom a glimpse before she yielded to Raoul and hurried out with him.