To the few, wonderful people reading this story,I'm sorry its been so long since an update! I've been rather busy with school and sports and the likes...as well as starting a new story( I know I shouldn't have:)..Check it out thought, please. Its called, Dreaming the World Away. And now for Chapter Three!
Christine woke to the gentle tinkling of a music box. She glanced around in surprise, then suddenly, everything came flooding back to her. The Angle of Music had come to her through her dressing room mirror, then led her to below the opera house. Except that he wasn't really the Angel, he was the Phantom of the opera! They had sang a powerful, mysterious song while he guided her through a tunnel lite by ornate gold candelabras, then the angel helped her mount a huge and majestic black horse. "He helped me into a gondola, then as I leaned against his legs, he commanded me to sing and I sang like I never have before, my voice rising to new heights, I sang with my soul, and it was just for him!" Christine thought. "The lake was covered in swirling mist...as the gondola got father, huge chandeliers rose from the water and lite, as if by magic. He gently pulled me from the boat as we reached a mysterious dwelling. He sang to me the most beautiful song about the music of the night while we basked in the golden light of his home. The way he held me and sang made my heart race. When the song was drawing near its end, he smiled at me and pulled me around an unexplored corner. I smiled hugely in return, then it was as if I was looking in a mirror. A figure of me in a wedding dress...I remember nothing after that. I must have fainted! How embarrassing! He must have carried me to this bed. Who is he....this man, the Angel of Music, or a Phantom?" she pieced together everything from the previous night quickly, then pulled the chord for the bed's canopy.
She pulled herself out of the soft bed and looked around in awe. The bed was shaped like a swan, and a mirror was across from it, its frame decorated like roses were crawling up the sides. There was a wardrobe the same color as the swan bed, and some richly colored pillows on the floor by it. The little room was divided by silk blankets, and Christine pushed them aside and was met with the lair's splendor. She gasped, and took in the statues, candles, and sheets upon sheets of music with an awed face. She looked around slowly and realized that she remembered everything from last night, but when he had been there, she had been to distracted to take in the lair's complete beauty. The singer continued to look around and walk until she heard the faint sounds of an organ playing a sweet,familiar tune.
She continued to walk toward it with wide eyes. Would the man who had sung to her so beautifully last night be there? She felt nervous as he came into view. The Phantom's back was toward her, and he was bent over an organ covered with music sheets and candle stubs. Christine silently approached him, and before she thought, reached up to his face and caressed it with her hand. He jumped slightly, then leaned his head against her small palm and continued to play the song, sighing softly. She had the strong urge to rip the mask off his handsome face, then decided against it, for whatever reason he had it on, it was obvious that he didn't want it removed. She brought her other hand up to tough the smooth white of the mask, then let her hands fall as the song came to an end. She had recognized it from the previous night, but it had been played more gently and tenderly then when he had sang it to her. The Angel then rose swiftly and faced her with a look Christine couldn't comprehend. She looked down, then back up at him again. Now his dark blue-green eyes were smoldering with emotion as he stared at her, and she returned his gaze, thoroughly seduced by just his look. He abruptly turned away, and she felt foolish and awkward in the silence. He seemed to be staring at a sheet of music, and Christine glanced around the lair, and settled on him again. He was wearing a beautiful black housecoat that had ornate designs at the hems.
Without thinking, she murmured. "I like your housecoat...." She immediately felt like an imbecile , and then,to her surprise, he laughed and looked at her once again. She blushed at his chuckle and noted how even that sound was lovely to her ears. "...and I like your dressing gown." He answered while looking at the lacy white thing that barely covered her pale body. She flushed again, then joined in his laughter as she realized they were both in inappropriate clothing. "Are you hungry?"he said after their laughter had quieted. Christine noted she was and nodded. "I'll prepare something. You'll find everything you need here." the Angel said, then turned and then vanished into the faint darkness. She peered out for him, saw that he was really gone, then sighed. Feeling nosy, Christine glanced at the music strewn across the organ's top, and quickly sightread. They were all very challenging pieces. She walked back to her curtained room slowly and took in the lair. There was a fireplace, a huge throne-like chair and countless small tables and pillows scattered about. It was cluttered, but somehow that just made it all the more mysterious and lovely, like him...she thought.
Once returning to her space, she went to the wardrobe and hesitantly pulled it open. It was filled with beautiful gowns that were made of the finest materials. Still feeling awkward, she selected a smooth dark red gown and changed. There was a silver-backed brush in one of the drawers, but she didn't feel like tackling her huge curls, so she left her hair completely down. He has seen me in a dressing gown, so why should I bother with the fixing my hair?" she thought and smiled. She was about to close the drawer when a small,but bright white box caught her eyes. Christine plucked it out from the dark drawer and opened it eagerly. She gasped with surprise and delight when she saw the box's contents. It was a ring, and the most gorgeous one that Christine had ever seen. A red rose bloom was at the top, and the curving gold-rimmed stem made up the band. A ruby was in the center of the bloom, and its blood red color caught the candle's light and shone on the walls. A tiny black ribbon was etched around the stem, and its curling ends reached the tips of the band. She put it on her ring finger, instinctively, and it fit perfectly. She realized it was were an engagement ring would go, then switched it to her right hand quickly. She smiled down at the ring, then pushed aside the rooms curtains and ventured to the outer lair.
"Christine." the voice that spoke her name was velvety,and she jumped in surprise as the Phantom emerged form the darkness. "Angel..."she answered and walked to meet him. "You like the dresses?" he inquired and glanced at the red silk she wore. "Yes! Thank you, they are very beautiful..."she peeked down at the ring and wondered how she would thank him for it, but he saved her by saying, "You found the ring. I made it for you...do you like?" She stared at the ring, then grabbed his hands and looked at them with awe. "You made this?! Angel, you never fail to amaze me!"she gushed. He looked at her small hands wrapped around his one hand, then said in a subdued voice, "Well, thats good, I suppose. Come, lets get you breakfast." Christine followed as he led through dark passages that had been unseen to her only minutes before. She was confused at his ever-changing emotions, about why he would go from being pleased to forlorn, or distant to passionate in a matter of seconds.
Soon enough, he turned and said quietly, "The dining room." Christine entered and looked at the small,detailed table. There was a silver tray with a plate of pancakes and two cups set on the side. There was a another table that was set low to the ground that was surrounded by pillows tucked into the corner. She walked toward it with an inquiring look in her eyes. "Just another souvenir from my travels." the Phantom said in a dismissive way. Christine thought the little table was actually quite fetching, so she asked in a timid voice, "Can we eat there?If its not too much trouble, of course-" He looked at her in a bemused way and quickly lifted the tray off and over to the low table. She smiled and gracefully sank into a cushion. The Angel handed her the plate and cup, and took the remaining mug for himself.
"You are not going to eat?" She asked, feeling self conscious while he watched her cut the pancakes. "I do not eat much, but you should enjoy your meal." he encouraged. She ate in silence for a few moments, then suddenly asked, "Do you have a name, besides Angel or Phantom?" He looked shocked, then said, "I was once called Erik." Christine smiled and said, "It suits you! I've finished, would you like me to-" He then interrupted her saying, "No, I will take care of the plates. Can you find your way back to the main room? I am still your singing instructor, lessons will continue. There is a song I want you to learn." She nodded, and again he disappeared before her eyes. She made her way through the halls and back into the golden main room. Taking a seat on the organ bench, she noticed a sheet of music called, "The Point of No Return." The title caught her interest and she saw that it was a duet for vocals. "I see you've found it." Erik said, and Christine jumped. He always approached so silently! "Lets warm you up, then you can learn the music." She nodded and stood while he went and sat were she had previously.
" Past ...the point of no return! No going back now! Our passion-play has now at last begun!" The soprano sung the fiery words and blushed. "Christine, you are singing the same way you would for Think of Me! This song is full of passion and fire and love! You sing with a different voice for songs like these!"Erik rumbled. She looked down and thought, Well,I have never sung a song like this! He got up from the organ and said, " I suppose thats enough for today. I do not want to stress your voice. What would you like to do now?" She looked down, then murmured, "I wish to talk with you." He smirked then said, "About what, my angel?" Christine looked up at him boldly. She was always in a state of slight awe around him. "About anything and everything! I want to know all about you." He looked at her sadly then guided her to a comfortable looking chair,and sat next to her. "I am afraid there will be many things I won't tell you, but ask away, my songbird." She nodded and opened her mouth to voice her first question.
The rest of the day passed in a blur for Christine. She and Erik had sat at the couch and talked for hours. He had somehow always switched the topic back to her, but she still had learned many new things about her maestro. He was an orphan like her, but his parents had abandoned him by choice, not death. He had traveled the world, was an architect as well as a musician, had never been married, played eight instruments, liked to ride and swim,and his favorite colors were gold,black, and amber. Many of the things he would allow himself to tell her were trivial, but she was glad he would told her all the same.
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"Christine, it is nearly three in the morning! I must get you to bed!" Erik said in surprise as he glanced at his gold pocket watch. She yawned and leaned on to his shoulder. He nearly felt his heart stop at the simple movement. "Can I just slee-eeppp(yawn) on the this?" she gestured to the silken couch on which they were perched. "No, you may not! You'll hurt your back!" he growled and took a deep breath. He was about to take a test to see how repulsed she was of him. Erik gently lifted her up and carried her to her swan bed, like he had the previous night. He was surprised when she sighed and muttered a good night as he set her down. He pulled the canopy cord and went to his bedroom. Why has she not demanded to be taken back up to her world of light yet? What is the meaning of her wanting to know about me? Surely perfect Christine does not care for me! I am much too hideous and repulsive to deserve her pure affections... But as he lay awake and thought, he allowed himself to hope.
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Christine wiped a tear away from her amber-colored eyes. She had awoken and dressed silently and crept from her room to hear the most beautiful music being played. Erik was leaning over a grand piano and seemed enchanted with the sound of his own playing. She watched him and felt sad, and didn't know why. The girl thought about the tune he was playing. For whatever reason, it made her miss her deceased father terribly. She hummed along with the tune, then the words seemed to pour out of her. She walked forward and sang,
"Wishing you were somehow here again...wishing you were somehow near.....sometimes it seems,if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here! Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would. Dreaming of you ,it won't help me to do all that you dreamed I could!"
Christine broke off, and gasped, she had thought she was over her father's death by now. Looking up, she saw that Erik stopped playing and was staring at her in awe, a look she only received when singing. "I'm sorry, that was...I'm sorry, I know you like to be by your self in the morni-" He interrupted her and said in amazement, "Christine, that was beautiful. And I prefer your company to being by myself." She was staring at her hands, still ashamed of being so insecure and weak when in the presence of a man who seemed more like a god. "You still miss him very much." He said quietly, taking her blush and teary eyes in account.
"Yes, but I should be over his death by now! It has been six years. I probably would be much worse, though, if you hadn't first sang to me on that cold January night which now seems so long ago..." she whispered,then mockingly laughed at herself and continued, "I always have wanted to write and sing a song in my father's honor, but it seems I cannot do so without first stealing your tune." She looked at his shocked face, then back at the ground. He got up and lifted her face to meet his, saying, "Don't say that, Christine. What you sang, it was beautiful, full of sweet innocence that I could have never dreamed up...You surprise me sometimes.." She offered a weak smile, and he answered it with a brisk nod and proceeded to take her thin arm and lead her to the dining room for breakfast. I am falling for his darkness.She thought, but it did'nt bother her, and she followed with thoughts only of her Phantom.