CHAPTER 3

After a while of waiting for Mousier André or Mousier Firmin to walk in the door telling me that I would be playing the page boy and that Carlotta would be playing the lead I began to worry. I was excited to see how it would turn out with her 'lovely' voice being 'mildly adjusted' for the time being and then a darker thought wormed its way into my mind, Joseph Bouquet would die in the ballet which would lead to panic leading to me and Raoul on the roof and poor Erik watching. At this thought she made up her mind she would follow her part through to the roof top where she would say "Raoul I'm sorry I love another and while I truly enjoyed our time together I can't return you feeling" and then I would walk through the doors and down stairs and let whatever must happen take its course tonight. As if on cue an extremely annoyed Monsieur Firmin marched in said that I would to play the silent part in Il Muto then swiftly left. There was a faint annoyed grunt coming from the mirror signalling that her angel had heard the convocation with one of the managers, as tempted as she was to stop him from leaving therefore stopping Joseph Bouquet's death she knew that to stop the deaths of many one may have to die.

Later that night at the performance of Il Muto there was a booming voice coming from the beautifully decorated celling "Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?" And seated in box five was none other than Raoul himself looking quite smug that he had managed to upset the phantom and the phantom himself was looking equally smug for switching Carlotta's 'magic singing tonic' for something which would make her sound infinitely better, something to make her loose her voice.

"He's here the phantom of the opera" said my best friend Meg.

"It's him" Christine whispered to herself.

"Your part is silent little toad!" The horrid Carlotta shouted at Christine.

"A toad Madame, perhaps it is you who is the toad" Countered my beloved angel.

Erik silently made his way to where poor Joseph was waiting. And Carlotta was making a lovely sound on stage which was much more bearable than her normal level of squawking. In an attempt to divert the laughter the two mangers made a short speech saying how Miss Daaé would be playing the countess after the short brake which was to be filled by the ballet from act three. Miss Daaé suddenly had a hard time breathing with the knowledge of what would happen within the first two minutes of the ballet and that she would have to face Raoul on the roof and be careful what she say as her angel will be with her during the mini speech. The music started as did the dancing and all she could do was wait for the gruesome moment to come which it finally did. Screams could be heard from the stage and it was obvious that Bouquet was dead to Christine as she faked shock and ran to the roof where she bumped into Raoul dragging him up with her.

"Why have you brought me here?" sang Raoul
"We can't go back there!" I repeated the words I had heard in the film

"We must return!"

"He'll kill you! His eyes will find us there!"

"Those eyes that burn!"

"Don't even think it"

"And if he has to kill a thousand men"

"Forget this waking nightmare"

"The Phantom of the Opera will kill"

"This phantom is a fable, believe me"

"...and kill again"

"There is no Phantom of the Opera"

"Raoul I've seen him, if been to his world of unending night, where the day light disappears into darkness." Christine spoke the words with a longing to have the phantom right next to her to guide her and to love her but Raoul was making it hard not to forget her one true love the phantom with his perfect features unlike Erik with his music, the one thing Raoul couldn't give to her that she wanted most. Erik's music.

"No more talk of darkness

Forget these wide-eyed fears

I'm here nothing can harm

You my words will warm and calm you

Let me be your freedom

Let daylight dry your tears

I'm here with you beside you

To guard you and to guide you"

Raoul sang gently but Christine knew unless she wanted Erik to never truly let her in to his heart "Raoul I'm sorry I love another and while I truly enjoyed our time together I can't return you feeling and I want us to be friends but I just can't love you" As Christine looked back up at Raoul's sad face she felt guilt pang at her heart strings but deep down she knew that she had done the right thing. When her words reached Erik's ears behind the furthest gargoyle from where she was standing he felt his heart soar and felt like he was, for once in his life, at peace. He was having to use an enormous amount of self-control not to leap out from the shadows and pull her into a tight embrace full of love and longing. Christine sighed once Raoul had left the roof looking extremely like a deer caught in headlights and finally said in a melodious whisper "You can come out now Erik I know your there" once she had finished talking Erik came gliding out of the shadows and pulled her into a deep embrace never wanting to let go. Unfortunately for the phantom, Christine pulled slightly out of the embrace so she was still being held by him but could now look up into his face. Reaching up slowly so she was touching his mask she gently slipped the mask of his face and threw it to the floor finally being able to look upon his face and before Erik had time to pull away and scream at her she pulled his head down towards hers where her lips met his shyly, hoping that he would understand her emotions towards him were full of nothing but pure, uncontrollable love. The phantom, as he was not used to anyone coming near him, let alone close enough to kiss him straightened completely confused as how to react to this display of emotions towards him. Eventually he leaned into the kiss and responded equally as shyly. When the pair broke for air they walked down the stairs and eventually found a passage to his lair while Erik was singing softly to her,

"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the music of the night

Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before"