Chapter 5
With a deep sigh, Max knocked on the hard wooden door of Christine's dressing room. The door swung open, leading to an empty room. Max looked around at the room and noticed a desk and papers. She walked in enough so that she could see if there was writing on the papers, and was shocked to see that they were to be sent to M. Vicomte de Chagny. She must've left for Erik's house already…Max thought. She clenched her fists in frustration and turned to leave. I can still follow her if I find her outside. Max reflected, and smiled at the thought.
She rushed down the halls and corridors until she found the entrance, where she saw the shadow of someone leaving. She slowed from a run to a fast walk, making sure that she would be able to catch up and see if it was Christine who was leaving.
"Good evening, Mademoiselle Daae." Someone's voice had just confirmed Max's hopes. Max sighed again, knowing that she might not live for very much longer. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture.
"I AM going to do this." She said to herself, trying to raise her confidence. She followed Christine, or rather Christine's shadow, until it led her to an alley, where Christine was standing. Christine looked as though she was putting something into a crevice in the stone wall, when suddenly a hole appeared in the stone. Christine entered the hole, and disappeared into the dark. Max waited a few moments before deciding that the stone might shut if she waited any longer, and entered the hole. Inside, she could barely make out a stair case leading down under the Opera House. She waited a few more moments, before following down the stairs, and sure enough, the hole in the stone closed.
Christine had a lantern with her, so it made following no problem for Max. They seemed to go down forever, traveling very far, but going nowhere. Soon, the narrow stair case opened up and led only to the shore of what seemed to be the underground lake. On the glassy, still surface of the lake, there was a boat that could fit two. She'd notice if I got in with her. I could always swim behind, if I'm quiet.
Max's thoughts were interrupted by Christine saying, "Erik, it is I who disturb the waters of your lake! Do not send the siren." Her voice echoed off the walls, sending her voice to the other side of the lake. She climbed into the boat, and began to row across the lake.
Keeping to the shadows, Max silently slipped into the water and began to swim behind the boat. She swam for a long time before she saw candles lighting up the lake's edge. I'm surprised Christine hasn't noticed me yet. Max thought. When she could make out the shape of a person on the shore, she decided that it was time to swim under the boat, so she would not be seen. She took a deep breath, while being careful not to be heard, and disappeared under the black surface. She kept one arm out in front of her so she wouldn't accidentally hit her head on the shore. When she felt the rough stone, she stopped swimming forward and began concentrating on staying under the surface. She could hear murmuring of a man's voice, then a woman's. Max counted to twenty before she felt it was safe enough to exit the water. Slowly, she pushed her head out of the water, hoping she wouldn't make a sound, and not succeeding. She looked up to see if Christine, and presumably Erik, had left, and saw a tall black figure in a doorway, standing in front of Christine. The door between them closed, and the figure began to turn slowly toward Max. When the figure was facing Max, she only saw two blazing golden eyes glaring at her from behind a black mask.