Eric had debated going to bed but he knew he had to get his work done the show had to be perfect. Eric plopped himself down on his chair, and tried to work but it seemed impossible to do so when he had left Christine on such a bad note.
"Dammit Eric," he mumbled to himself, "I should have just stayed with her." Eric sighed slumping in the chair. Eric held the pen in his hand as he started working on the costs of the opera house that month and signing the employees pay checks.
Eric hummed to himself tapping his fingers on the desk as he wrote. He was itching to compose, it seemed like it had been an eternity since he had played his own works. Eric jumped up deciding he would just play for five minutes before going back to work.
Eric trotted down the stairs into the theodore down in the pit was a beautiful black grand piano. Gently as if he would break the keys at his touch he lay his fingers down on the smooth glossy pine keys. Closing his eyes the music surged through him as his fingers danced along to keys creating a beautiful mysterious work of art.
Eric was disrupted from his music when a white envelope lined with black came fluttering down. His eyes shot up and scanned the building's support beams, seeing no one he tore open the envelope.
My dear manager,
I am delighted to resign here at the Manhattan Opera House, I request that you leave box 5 empty for my use. If you do not acknowledge my wishes you will pay dearly.
O.G
Eric stared in disbelief at the letter. Somebody knew who he was! "Eric?" William called to him causing him to jump. "It's 6 in the morning, you are still here?" Eric looked up scanning the beams ignoring the owner. "Are you ok?" He asked sounding concerned.
Eric stuffed the letter in his jacket pocket he thought he would do some investigating before he talked to the manager. "Yes sir, I'm fine." Eric mumbled nervously.
Eric snooped around the theodor for a while trying to find any evidence of an intruder there was nothing. "Give up Destler," a voice boomed bouncing off the walls "you will never find me."
Eric now knew how the Paris managers felt, "but I still hold the ace." He thought to himself smiling, no copycat phantom of the opera can outsmart the real one.
Eric tapped on the door of Christine's apartment. She cracked open the door still in her night gown. "What?" She sighed still sounding angry, "it's still early."
Eric cursed himself wondering why he was here so early. "Christine, may I come in?"
Christine rolled her eyes, "are you going to act like I complete idiot?" She asked coldly.
Eric bit his malformed lip, "I hope not."
Christine sighed, letting him in. "I received this letter." He mumbled pulling out the envelope and handing it to her.
She opened the card and scanned the delicately written note. "What is this?" She asked alarmed.
"I don't know but it didn't sound any good." Eric replied nervously, I don't know what he wants yet. "Only you, Nadir, and the Smiths know who I was."
Christine sat down on the divan "I think the opera ghost should get back in business." She started handing the letter "but this time, he is haunting the other coast."
The last thing Eric wanted to do was to play a ghost again but he couldn't help but know Christine was right. "Should we go?" Eric asked standing up and offering her his gloved hand. "I think I should explore the opera house some more." he sighed worried.
Christine grabbed the baby and followed Eric, "What do you think he wants?" Christine finally asked when they were halfway to the opera house. Eric stopped suddenly, causing Christine to bump into him.
He turned his head and looked at her, "I don't know." Christine noticed fear in his eyes, he rarely showed that emotion so evidently.
"Did you love your wife?" Christine asked suddenly. Eric looked at her "I don't know." He whispered, "it was a forced marriage the shah threatened to kill her if I didnt."
Christine tried to grasp the situation, he looked down at his feet. "She was kind a beautiful, she was not afraid of me." Eric paused, "I was so messed up then, I was always drugged or drunk yet she stayed with me." Christine wasn't sure why she asked him that, maybe she wanted to know what was keeping him so distant.
"I think you did love her, the way you look at Rosa shows a deep love." Christine comforted giving him Rosa who had fallen asleep.
"Christine." A voice squealed, Christine gasped knowing that voice all too well. She turned around "Meg! You came!" She exclaimed running through the snow to her dear friend.
Eric adjusted Rosa's position and walked over to where the two were bouncing around in the snow giggling. Eric didn't get the two girls over exuberant actions. "We got married." Eric overheard Meg squeal, "I am Madam de Chagny."
Eric tensed up at the name, he gripped Rosa tighter, he wanted to kill that fop.
"Christine!" A mans delighted voice called. And here came Raoul, out of a bakery just as annoying as ever.
Eric swore under his breath as he turned and walked away to the opera house Feeling quite foul.
"Oh Eric thank God you are here." William called panicked from up stairs, could you come to my office. Eric swore to himself as he walked up the stairway.
"I received this letter," the grey haired man mumbled pushing a white envelope lined in black to him.
Eric sighed, "I know I got one to."
The man sat down abruptly, "do you think it's a copycat?" He questioned outing his head in his hands massaging his temples.
Eric was getting impatient, "no sir I think it's the real thing." He replied sarcastically but still stirn.
William cursed to himself looking up at Eric's tall thin form. "What does he want?" He breathed.
"I don't know for sure, but my guess is to get at me for some reason." Eric sighed sitting on the desk, "I think we should ignore his wishes and see what he is about."
William nodded but Eric knew he was reluctant, he didn't like putting all the cast and crew in potential danger. "He will have to emerge during the performance I will be up above waiting." Eric explained.
Dun Dun Dun!
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