"Listen, I gave my managers, Carlotta, Mme Giry, and the viscount some notes," Erik said. "They haven't listened to me so far, so I'm giving them one chance more. I doubt they'll listen anway."
"You're right, they won't," I said sadly.
Erik sighed. "How am I going to prevent that absoulute toad from taking Christine's role?" he asked me.
"Toad..." I said, suddenly remembering. "That's it! You know how Carlotta has that throat spray? Well, you'll switch it with another spray you made, and she loses her voice!"
"Really?" Erik asked, suprise. "How would you know that?"
"I keep telling you!" I said, annoyed. "I'm from 2006!" I stopped for a minute. "Uh... what time is it?" I asked, switching topics.
"It's ten o' clock in the morning!" Erik said. "I let you sleep in because nothing's really going on today excpet for the opera tonight."
"Are there dress rehersals going?"
"Yes."
"Well, let's go watch it."
-
Erik and I watched without being noticed from box five. Carlotta seemed unusually cheerful. Probably because she got the lead role. I sighed. She's a spoiled three year old trapped in a twenty year old, I thought.
I tried my best to pay attention to the rehersal but I just couldn't! I fidgeted a little bit and at one point I was twirling my hair for no reason. Erik had to tell me to act my age not my shoe size many times.
I looked at my watch. Four thirty. This was a pretty long opera! I was bored out of my skull. But I sat quietly. It was kind of embarassing getting told off by Erik once or twice, I didn't need it another time.
When the rehersal was finally over. Erik and I got up and went to his house on the lake.
"We have some time before the opera, since it at eight tonight," Erik said. "I'll be playing music, you..." he thought for a minute. "You do whatever just don't bother me, and don't touch anything!"
"Okay," I said. "But when should we get ready for the opera?"
"I'll tell you when," Erik said. I could feel a vibe from him. A vibe that said shut up and let me compose my music, so I went by the lake, rolled up my pant legs of my pjama pants and waded in the water. I had always loved the water. It was warm and wet, and I splased aroud a little bit.
After a while, it was time to get ready for the opera. Erik took me back to the free dormitory.
"Wait for me here. I'll come and get you in approximately five minutes," he said. He left through another trap door, leaving my alone.
I slipped into Carlotta's old dress and tied my hair back. I sat on the bed and waited. I was very bored. The minutes seemed to drag on like hours. I decided to sing, seeing as though I was alone.
"I once heard of an angel. I still to dream he'd appear.
Know as I sing, I can sense him.
And I hope he's not here!-" I didn't really want Erik hearing me sing. I didn't have the best voice in the world, even though my friends back in 2006 said I was good. I would just embarass myself infront a great music teacher again.
"-Here in this room, he'll call me softly, somewhere inside, hiding.
Some how I know he's always with me. He the unseen genius!"
"You really think I'm a genius?" Erik said, suddenly standing in the middle of the room, startling me.
"Whoa! You were listening?" I asked, in disbelief. "But you just left!"
"How do you supose I've earned the title 'Phantom?'" he asked. "But why did you say you hoped I wasn't here?"
"Well, I don't have the best voice in the world," I said. "Not like Christine, and I try to hit notes I can't, so..."
"I thought you had an average voice," Erik said, dryly. I smirked. He wasn't trying to make it sound like a compliment, but it was. Suddenly, I remembered something.
"Oh no!" I cried. "I didn't get your box five! Raoul's got it! I'm so sorry Erik!"
"You could have reminded me, but you were too busy splashing around in that lake!" Erik glowered at me.
"I'm sorry! But even if I remembered, I wouldn't be able to pull of the crying scheme again! They wouldn't fall for it!"
"Fine..." Erik muttered. "We'll just watch from above the stage."
-
The opera started off as it did in the movie. Carlotta was the countess, Christine was the page boy, Piangi was the count, blah, blah, blah. Erik ran off at the beginning, switching Carlotta's throat spray with his own special mixture, which he had made while I was in the water. When he returned I asked: "What exactly DID you put in there anyway?" I asked. Erik smiled and said: "One of my many secrets. Now listen to my work."
I listened. I didn't hear anything during the first act. But during the second act, I heard, as soon as it was Carlotta's turn to sing, she uttered a loud croak like a toad. Erik and I were killing ourselves laughing. Erik then rang out in a great voice: "BEHOLD! SHE'S SINING TO BRING DOWN THE CHANDELIER!" I turned my head, and he was shaking the rope that held the chandelier.
"Don't let it fall, Erik!" I said. "Please?"
"I wasn't going to make it fall," he said. "It was merely just to prove how awful Carlotta's singing is." Erik was about to say something else, but he stopped and looked up. I looked too.
Joseph Bouquet was standing above us watching the play. Erik suddenly got that hateful look in his eyes. "I'll be right back," He informed me. As he was leaving, it finally clicked about what he was going to do.
"No!" I hissed, running after him. "Erik, you are not going to kill Joseph Bouquet!"
"He's told stories about me that aren't even true! You don't know what it's like to be made fun of all your life!" Erik snarled back at me. "You are but a girl, you can't tell me what to do! I'm a grown man!" With that he ran from at Bouquet, who was stading on the rafters above the stage now, from behind.
"Erik, please!" I cried tearfully. Bouquet turned to see who had pleaded this Erik person to not do something, and was met by an unpleasent suprise.
I watched in horror, tears streaming down my cheeks as Erik strangled the scene shifter. Once Bouquet had lost all his air, Erik threw him down onto the stage. I heard the terrified shriek of people and the ballet girls.
"Erik, what have you done!?" I cried hysterically.
"Look," Erik began, but I cut him off.
"I don't know why I agreed to help you in the first place!" I yelled. "You're a murderer!" Tears were know streaming like waterfalls from my eyes know, and Erik looked like a blur of white and black.
"The roof top!" I said, suddenly. "Christine's going to run to the roof top with the Vicomte! You meet her there, I'll stall Raoul again," I didn't know why I told him this when I was hating him right know. "... Not that you deserve her now!" I added. Erik seemed really hurt. With a swish of his cloak, he was gone. I ran off to Box five. Raoul was just getting up from his seat.
"Madameoiselle Devoir!" He cried, suprised, "what are you doing here?"
"I can't find my papa!" I cried. "We were waiting outside the opera house to see Joseph outside, but know he's dead, and I went into to see what was happening, and know I can't find my papa!"
Raoul sighed. "Come with me, we'll look," he said. I ran off with Raol we looked on the stage, behind the stage, in the boxes.
"Where is he!?" I cried, already tearfully. "Maybe the opera ghost got him too!" I started to cry all voer again. Raoul tried to calm me. I looked up. "Dear God! Where is he?" As I looked up, I saw Chrisitne. She was almost at the top of the roof. I was done.
"Look!" I cried pointing. "There's a pigeon!" Raoul turned to look, and my long fast legs carried me away. I ran up the stairs, following Chrsitne. When we reached the roof top, Christine ran to the edge, breathing heavily. Erik was hiding behind Apollo's Lyre. I ran to him. When he saw me, he frowned and emerged from is hiding place.
"Christine," he said. Christine turned to look at him.
"You murdered an innocent man!" She yelled. "I thought you were my Angel of Music! But know I see that you are just a man that's too bitter to except that some people are not the nicest, and that there are other ways to solve a conflict, than killing people!"
Erik looked at her. Tears welled up in his eyes. He tried to take her hand, Christine pulled away. "I don't know if I would like to know you any more," she said.
"Please, Christine," Erik said, his voice shaking with emotion. "You are right. I am just a man... But I'm a very hurt man... If you had lived my life, you would understand. Nobody ever showed me anything but bitter hate and disgust. Nobody ever cared to teach me right from wrong... Just because I don't have a handsome face everyone thinks I would do wrong. It's not like that Christine..."
At this point I was lying at the top of the statue listening. Erik's tears were falling freely, so were Chrisitne's and mine. Erik went on.
"You're the only woman whose ever cared for me, ever let me teach her, ever let me even touch her. This has not been a happy life, Christine. You're the only person whom I've ever... loved."
Erik's voice craked on the last word. There was a soft splating sound as my tears fell onto the statue. Erik leaned on the side of the roof and sobbed a little bit. Christine was trying to stop herself from crying, but I knew she was failing.
"Erik," she asked, timidly. "Is this true? You've never felt love from anyone or loved anyone else but me?"
Erik nodded. "I'm a poor dog ready to die for you," he said.
Christine seemed really touched by his words. Suddenly, she made him face her, and she sang.
"Pitiful creature of darkness,
What kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you,
you are not alone!"
After those last notes, she kissed him, long and full on the lips. Erik seemed taken aback. I was too. I'm sure he wasn't expecting this. I watched with delight as the couple kissed. Christine didn't seem to mind she was kissing a very disfigured man. Infact, I saw pure love from both of them in that kiss.
Once they finally broke apart, both of their eys were shining with tears of happiness, joy, and love.
"Erik," Christine whispered. "I love you."
They kissed again, but not as long. Erik smiled. He sang too.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Lead me safely from my solitude.
Say you'll want me with you, here, beside-"
Erik didn't have time to finish, for Raoul de Changey burst onto the roof, and stopped, stunned to see Christien Daae in the arms of another man.