Chapter Seven

My eyes weren't the slightest bit heavy that night. I spent an hour waiting on the roof for Erik and he never came. Did he not want to see me again? Did I hurt him when I left? These were questions that would never be answered.

I coughed and wrapped the shawl around my shoulders even tighter. I waited in my mother's dressing room. I waited for a sign; a sound that he was still there. I sat on my mother's bed. I coughed again, I was still a bit ill, but not very- though I had a cold. I sniffed and looked around again. "Erik… Speak to me…" I whispered to the darkening nothingness. I sighed and got to my feet. I started towards the door and I opened it.

He doesn't want to see me… I thought, half-heartedly. I walked to my room and opened that door.

I shivered and soon grabbed my black cloak, dropping the shawl around my shoulders. Instead I wrapped it around my shoulders and rushed out of my bedroom.

There was no light in the opera house, other than a few dimly lit candles every few places. My eyes strained to see ahead of me in the light.

Once again, I returned to the roof in the cold air.

I coughed and looked out at the city of Paris. The moon was hidden behind clouds, so there was even less light out here.

"Emily…" A soft voice, barely a whisper, called my name.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Emily…" it said again.

"Erik?" I called. I began to move towards the sound, the wind blowing my hair a bit. My cheeks were pink from the cold and my fingers just about white and numb. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked towards the voice. "Hello?"

"Emily, you wait for me…" the voice whispered. It sang so beautifully, yet it was a man's voice. It must be Erik!

I looked around the roof, but he wasn't there. Then, I turned and I saw the man staring down at me with gentle eyes. He was almost barely visible in the dark. His white half-mask framed part of his face, showing me where he was.

"Emily," he repeated once more.

"Erik…"

He smiled and closed his eyes for a brief second. He opened them and looked at me again. "Why did you wait?" His voice seemed firm and demanding. He was curious, I suppose, as to why I longed to see him when I had said I'd never return.

"I can't answer that," I whispered.

"Why not?" His hand touched my cheek gently.

"I don't know," I confessed, taking his hand from my face. "I'm confused…troubled, Erik."

"What is it?" His bright, yet pale, green eyes became suddenly darker.

"You killed my parents," I began. "And I want you gone…from the world, forever. But it seems as if…" I trailed off, a bit embarrassed by my next words.

"'As if…'" he echoed.

"As if I…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. "Leave Erik… I don't want to hurt you. Not again."

"I don't follow orders made by some ignorant child," Erik muttered, firmly.

I sighed. My hand touched his cheek briefly and then I began to walk away, back into the opera house. But before I did, I turned to see his hurt face- a part of me still wanted to see him in pain- but he wasn't there. I turned and walked into the opera house. I never wanted to see the man again… Never…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When I had awoken, I had regretted a few things: going to see Erik and telling him to leave. Right now, I just needed time to make decisions.

People rushed around, for the debut of the new opera was today. Dancers quickly went through their routine, with other crew and cast members messing them up and bumping into them.

When I had found Jude and Aurora, they had been talking over plans for their wedding.

"Oh, but what if we- Emily!" Aurora turned when she heard my footsteps and smiled.

"Good morning, Aurora; Jude," I said, kindly.

"Judas and I were just discussing plans for the wedding. Would you mind helping?"

Before I could answer, Aurora had dragged me into the conversation.

"Emily. Judas and I were thinking of being wed, here, in the Opera Populaire."

"Well, Aurora, there's a beautiful chapel just down the road. After the ceremony, we could all come here and an opera could be performed for you both," I suggested.

"Emily, that's a wonderful idea! But which opera?" Aurora said.

"Well… You could always hire someone to write an opera."

"Would you write the opera?" she asked, anxiously. "Please, Emily."

"Well, I don't think I could. I don't have experience…" I muttered.

"Emily, I'm sure you could do it. A determined young woman like you," Jude said, smiling.

I smiled, awkwardly. "I can…try… I suppose," I mumbled.

"Thank you!" Aurora tossed her arms around me in a hug. I was taken off guard and almost tumbled over.

"Not a problem," I said, quietly as Aurora broke away from the hug and stood by Jude.

Jude studied me for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Emily… You seem…quieter than usual. Are you sure there's nothing bothering you?"

Nothing you'd believe, I thought. "I just haven't been getting much sleep lately. I guess my sickness kept me from resting," I lied. I had been getting quite enough sleep, surprisingly.

"Oh…" Jude said. "Well, alright."
Just before they turned to walk away, Aurora said, "Do get working on that opera, please."

I sighed and waved goodbye to them. When they were gone I sat on the steps of the staircase in the foyer. I didn't know how to write an opera! I did know someone who could… Though he wouldn't speak to me- not after the previous night, anyway.

"What am I going to do?" I whispered to myself. I quickly walked into my room and began pacing. "Oh… I can't do this…" I placed a hand on my forehead and sat down on my bed.

I stared at the floor. "Erik…" the words escaped my lips before I could stop them. "Help me. Please…"

I covered my mouth. What am I doing? I thought. I laid my head down on the pillow on the bed and I stared at the wall. I sighed and a melody started playing in my head, or at least I believed it was in my head. It seemed to be coming out of the wall.

I gently placed my hand on the wall, listening to the sound. Then a voice, in the darkness: "I have heard your call, lonesome Angel…Listen to my voice in your heart…"

"Erik…" I said, barely audible. Tears fell, I didn't want to see him again, yet he still called to me. He would never stop.

"Man of masquerades, I listen… Where do you hide? I long to see your face…" I sang, quietly, back.

The voice became louder. "Follow me, dear Angel… To my kingdom of song…"

I rose from my bed, entranced by the enchanting voice. I followed it, unaware that I had left my room. I was, suddenly, in the room with the piano that I had been in just days earlier. My eyes were wide, and the voice filled my heart…my mind…my soul…with love.

Then hands were on my arms, and I stared into the face of Erik, but still enchanted by his gentle, loving voice. "Emily… Stay with me…" he whispered, melodically.

I smiled vaguely and looked into his soft, pale green-grey eyes. "Yes…" I whispered. I hadn't even known I'd said it! But his angelic voice rang in my ears, lulling me to sleep, until I finally fell into his arms.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A music box… A sweet melody… Then silence…

My eyes flittered open. I was in my room, but my head hurt. I groaned and sat up. "My head…" I muttered.

"You're awake…" I voice startled me a bit, but it was too gentle to frighten.

I looked up and Erik was there, standing in my room. I swallowed. "What are you doing here?" I didn't remember anything that had happened before. I noticed it was now evening, for I had "fallen asleep" earlier in that afternoon.

"You don't remember?" he asked, slightly amused.

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. "Remember? Remember what?"

"You vowed to stay with me…forever," he answered.

I looked down. What? No! I couldn't have! Could I? "What?"

But when I looked up he was gone. "No."

I rubbed my eyes. I must be imagining things.

After I had changed and walked out of my room, I heard many people saying my name and running around frantically.

I found Meg and tapped her on the shoulder. "Meg? What's wrong?"

Meg turned around and gasped, hugging me. "Emily! Where have you been?" She broke away from the hug and stared at me, her eyes a bit scared. "Mother went to check on you and you weren't in your room!"

"What do you mean? I never left my room," I said, chuckling a bit.

"Emily, don't laugh about this. Listen to me: You weren't in your room," she said, articulating the words.

I didn't say anything. It was Erik… He had done this! He had confused me, enchanted me with his music. He had made me say things I'd regret! He caused all this trouble…

"What happened earlier? Why were you gone?"

"I…don't know…" I said, searching my brain for answers. I remembered something, though: a song, a voice and a face- his face. What had happened earlier?

"Emily, please tell me," Meg begged.

"I already told you. I don't remember what happened!" I said.

"Maybe Mother will know," Meg said, quickly. She rushed off and fetched Madame Giry.

Madame Giry made an announcement that I had been found and she walked to me. "Emily!" she scolded. "Don't disappear like that again!" She took my wrist and began to take me back to the room with the piano.

When we had arrived, she shut the door and looked at me. "Emily. Meg tells me you don't remember anything?"

I nodded and told her it was true.

"Was it the Phantom-"

"Erik," I cut her off.

She sighed. "Was it Erik who did this?"

"I don't know… I believe so, though."

"I will send someone to look after you," Madame Giry said, without another word.

"What? Who?"

Before she left, she turned and said, "Judas DeLouis. A family friend, no? I think he will be perfect."

"Jude?" I whispered. He would be very protective of me, that's just the way he was, ever since his parents died and my mother took him in.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Can you just tell me what happened?" Jude asked. Madame Giry had chosen him and he was watching over me.

I sat on the roof. "Jude, I've told you already. I don't remember what happened! I just remember a voice and a face."

"A face? Whose face?" he interrogated. "You never mentioned this before."

"I don't know!" I lied, becoming annoyed with his constant questions. "I'm alright, Jude. I don't need you watching me. Aren't you supposed to be with Aurora?" My voice was rash and emotionless. For once I didn't want to talk to Jude.

Jude nodded. "Alright…" I heard his footsteps grow quiet and he was gone.

I sighed, relieved. "Thank you…" I whispered to the wind. I finally had some time to think.

I remembered the melody that Erik had sung to me. I words were plastered faintly in my mind. I began to recite them, "I have heard your call, lonesome Angel…" What did it mean? Then I remembered that just before I heard the voice I had called out his name. What were the words after that? "Listen to my voice in your heart," I muttered, poetically. The meaning of that was easy.

I didn't remember how I responded, but his next words, I remembered were, "Follow me, dear Angel…" I stopped. "Oh I can't remember!" I bit my lip, thoughtfully. "Um… Oh! To my kingdom of song." Obviously he had meant his cave underneath the opera house- or did he? He was so hard to understand. I remember he said my name, but after that everything just goes blank. But the real question was: What did I say to him?

"'You vowed to stay with me forever,'" I quoted. Had he asked me to marry him? Had I said yes? I sighed. There were too many questions. "What did I say?"

"You said 'yes…'" a lonely voice whispered.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Author's Note: This isn't one of my best chapters… :(

So, what do YOU think Erik meant by "Stay with me forever"?