Chapter 10: Phantom Flashes

Carlotta had an awkward expression as Claire helped her with her costume headdress which she examined distastefully,

"I look... Rediculous" she grumbled and Claire couldn't help but giggle,

"Correction. Your character looks rediculous... Are you nervous?" Claire asked as she continued to help her friend and student to get ready for the first dress rehearsal of Hannibal,

"... What... What if the phantom tries to sabotage the rehearsal?" Carlotta murmured after a long moment, confirming her anxiety to Claire whom offered an encouraging smile,

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine" Claire assured her before encouraging her to head to the stage were the rest of the cast were warming up for the dress rehearsal.

The managers requested to hear Carlotta sing an aria from Act 3 of Hannibal before the dress rehearsal began; Carlotta looked at Claire nervously but gave a shy smile when Claire gave her a nod of encouragement... She was only half way through the second verse when a sand bag came crashing down from the flies above the stage causing Carlotta to dive out of the way just in time,

"It's the phantom!" cried Meg Giry whom pointed as a shadow fled out of sight and Claire's face grew firm before rushing to Carlotta's aid, helping her to stand,

"Are you alright?" she asked in concern as the managers came rushing over; Carlotta held an angry and frustrated expression,

"No I am NOT alright!" she yelled in response,

"You said that everything would be fine! You... You always tell me that nothing will happen! But they continue to happen! These... Things happen all the time! For the past three years even before you came here! These things happen!... Well until they stop happening. I refuse to sing!" Carlotta yelled before storming off; Madame Giry, the house's resident ballet mistress came to Claire's side and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder as she called after her friend,

"Best to give her some time to calm down... For now perhaps it best to carry on with rehearsal as best we can" The ballet mistress encouraged causing Claire to sigh but nodded, heading to one of the wings with the woman she knew as Antoinette as they began to watch her students perform Hannibal's first dance number.

Erik stood within the privacy of box five with a smug smirk upon his face. With Carlotta gone, Christine as her understudy would take her roll; Erik watched the dancers, evaluating their performance but his attention was drawn to Claire... It was the expression on her face... Something was wrong and it only took him a moment to realize... The dancers... They were performing a number known as the slave dance as a male dancer made his way around them with a prop in hand... A prop that was a whip.

Claire was trembling in fear as she watched the male dancer as he dramatically brought his prop whip down upon the stage floor with a Crack that caused Claire to wince as she heard her cries from the past echo within her mind as she remembered how the shah's guards were ordered to hold her down whilst Erik was forced to count 20 times with every lash he was forced to make upon her back; Antoinette noticed the painful expression upon Claire's face and became concerned,

"Claire?... Are you alright?" she Inquired, going to place a hand on her shoulder but Claire now had a tear rolling down her cheek as she turned away and fled from the backstage entirely... Erik had seen her flee and quickly made his way through a secret passage intending to find her.

Claire had taken the first winding staircase she came too and found herself on the roof of the opera house; She used the wall for balance as she struggled to stay standing due to the sudden panic attack that was occuring... She was throwing up when Erik found her,

"Claire..." he murmured making his presence known as he came to her side, removing his cloak and placing it around her shoulders and held her gently as she weakly fell to her knees and began sobbing; Erik pulled her close allowing her to sob into his chest as she clung to the labels of his suit jacket; Erik took a handkerchief and wiped away the liquid debris from her lips that she had brought up only a moment before,

"I... It hurts Erik... I can still feel the salt they rubbed into the wounds after..." Claire sobbed in struggle as Erik brushed a soothing hand through her urban curls,

"Shhhhh... It's alright. I'm here... I'm here" he told her as she leaned up and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder and Erik wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug and found himself remembering the words Claire had said to him only a few days earlier in box five...,

"... The Shah made me his mistress because he wanted to make me fall in love with him just like he had done to the other girls within his harem... I swore that I would never fall in love with him... But I guess I was foolish because I had already fallen in love with another man whom is obviously just like him"...

Claire's words echoed within Erik's mind over and over again as he continued to hold her in his arms... She had told him... She had told him that she... Surely it could not be possible?... But then Erik remembered his and Claire's time together in Persia. Every time she brought him food and drink whilst he was composing and he would tell her that she didn't have too... Erik remembered how Claire would always respond with the same thing... A smile on her face whilst she said: "You're my husband, Erik... I Care about you"

Erik allowed a tear to fall down his cheek as he finally realized... Claire was in love with him.

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Kind Regards,

TheAuthor1996