Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last six chapters! I am so pleased with all the feedback you all having been giving me and it makes me so happy that my story is good! Please keeping reviewing and let me know if there is anything that you think should happen or any characters that i should bring out more.

I am sorry but in this chapter there are a few cuss words that I feel were necessary to emphasize the attitude and personality of a specific character in a situation. Most of the words are in French but easily translatable on the internet. I would rate this chapter M for such words I used.

I hope you enjoy the story so far and thank you for reading.

Your obedient servant,

PhantomsAngel1870

Chapter 7: The Killer Performance

Christine was finally finished dressing in her Serafimo clothes and hated the way they felt on her body. As she studied herself in the mirror she came to the conclusion that these were very much men's clothes and laughed. So this is what it is like to dress like a man! Well I for one do not like it one bit and I am sure that Erik would have no problem with that at all.

As soon as Christine thought of Erik she brightened up despite the situation that was occurring right now. Nothing mattered at that instant except for him, he alone helps her through her daily struggles and by God Christine vowed to make him proud tonight at the performance, even though she would not be singing. So as she sat down and set to work at her makeup she was surprised to find a blood red rose with a black ribbon tied into a perfect bow attached to a note.

Christine carefully picked up the rose and smelled it momentarily. The dark husky and forest smell reminded her instantly of her Angel and she began to grin as she carefully untied the ribbon from the rose and opened the note and read it as she put her hair black into a low ponytail with her new ribbon.

Christine,

As you have brought to my attention earlier the managers and La Carlotta have blatantly disregarded my strict and very kind instructions on how our opera house should be ran. They have punished themselves by placing you in the role you are playing tonight. Please meet me in the dark corner in the right wing after you are done with the last act of the opera and then we will return to my home to allow you a proper rest away from the prying eyes of the unworthy people that run this theater in the light of day in my stead. Do not worry my love, there will be deaths anymore, I remember the prayer you sent to the Angel of Music that pleaded for the Phantom to stop his killing. I will never kill again until you give me permission.

Yours forever,

E

Christine read and reread the letter over and over again as she slightly smiled. Everything about the letter was beautiful, except for the last sentence. Christine began to feel slightly uncomfortable with the power that Erik had just given and shifted in her seat. How could she ever give the final verdict for a person's life no matter how horrible they are or the sins they committed. She could not think of any situation that she would grant Erik that power except—she thought—when he is in mortal danger. I could never let him just let somebody hurt him but, no, he is the Phantom that everyone is too frightened of to even dare to harm him. Oh god I can't bear to think of this anymore.

As she thought about it more Christine realized that the killings that the Phantom committed must have two sides to the story—the one she knew and his reasons to why he committed such an act. As she sat down on her bed it all became clear to her, the killings were a result of someone frightening him and trying to cause him harm. As Christine drew closer to a final reason she realized how protective and shy Erik really was, and from what she knew of his past it would make complete sense for him to not be able to trust many people in this world due to some unknown cruelties that those evil people from his past did to him. Christine just couldn't comprehend why people would strike at the weak and helpless, however, Christine had a flashback to when she was eight.

Christine was just finishing learning the dance that she would be performing in her first opera at the infamous Opera Populaire. After bowing low and receiving the satisfactory clap from the ballet instructor, Madame Giry allotted Christine a half hour break for reciting the dance correctly without any type of guidance. Christine beamed and thanked Madame Giry profusely before grabbing her things to leave for the bakery.

As soon as Christine had her shawl wrapped around her head and back La Carlotta came in and "accidentally" tripped Christine on her way to leave for a little bit. Carlotta laughed at the way Christine fell causing her to lose all the money that she had earned from the past week and picked it up while saying,

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little ugly rat hmm? I haven't seen you in my opera house before so what are you doing here? Trying to steal some of my money now are we?" Carlotta said as she pinched Christine's cheeks with her thumb and forefinger while Christine fervently shook her head denying the sin that Carlotta was accusing her of.

"Of course I would never steal from you La Carlotta! That is my money I had earned this past week from working a little extra around the opera house, I swear!" Christine whimpered with pain from the Italians strong fingers and nails digging into her flesh.

The Italian woman watched how Christine squirmed and smiled evilly as she broke the skin of the little dancer in front of her. It was hard to hold back the tears but Christine managed to do so—her papa always had told her to not show fear to anyone because they would be able to use that against you—in order for Carlotta to not find any weakness in her.

"So you are accusing me of lying you little bitch?! Why you are nothing but a little whore that escaped from the brothel!" Carlotta spat with venom as she brought Christine's face up to hers. Christine saw the way Carlotta's eyes looked. She remembered how her father had always said that the eyes were the gateway to a person's soul, and if her father was correct then Carlotta was evil personified.

The way that Carlotta's sparked with fire frightened Christine and she knew that Carlotta was going to do far worse to her than a few little words if she kept doing nothing but allow it to happen. Therefore, without thinking, Christine spit in Carlotta's face and stomped on the diva's foot before Carlotta was able to get a hold of Christine. As Christine ran away to the chapel, the only safe place she knew in the opera house, she heard Carlotta calling after her.

"Merde! Get back here and face me you little putain!" Carlotta screamed after Christine. But never did Christine stop running for the sanctuary of the holy chapel.

Once she was there she locked the door to the room and laid down and cried while she check for any blood, when she found some on her face she began to cry for herself and for the others in the world that faced the same abuse, or worse, that she did.

Suddenly she felt that warm and safe presence that her Angel had and looked around for him, "Oh Angel please be here. I need your help, I can't do this anymore. She hates me so much, what am I to do?" Christine pleaded as she looked everywhere for a sign of her Angel. For a while she heard nothing and began to give up until she finally heard the musical voice of her guardian.

"My child, the first thing I would do is to bandage your face. The evil woman made you bleed and I left you some bandages and whiskey to clean your cuts with behind the statue of Mary in front of you, second I shall tell you something very important for you to always remember as you minister your wounds." Christine quickly fetched the medical gauze and whiskey while thanking her Angel under her breath and soon began disinfecting her cuts as her Angel spoke once again.

"Christine the world is cruel and wicked, they pry on those that are weak and defenseless and hurt us because we are not able to harm them as much as they can to us. But, to remedy this, we need to learn how to defend ourselves properly and sometimes we have to do bad things to them in return so that they know how it feels. Do you understand? Sometimes we have to stand up to them and let them know that we will not allow them to hurt us anymore," her Angel spoke to her softly with so much emotion it made Christine cry a little.

"But what if they continue hurting me Angel? What do you do if someone tries to really hurt you?" Christine persisted on.

"Well Christine, in that case, if someone to really try to hurt me I would have all rights to keep myself safe including murder," Christine gasped at the rash solution her Angel had given her. Don't Angels and God believe that murder is a sin, how could they allow such an act to be done? Almost as if he read Christine's mind her Angel continued on.

"If the act of killing another human being is done in self-defense, such as a war, then the murder is annulled. Christine, God forgives those who hurt others to keep one's self safe. Trust me Christine, I will not allow Carlotta to hurt you ever again." Her Angel swore to her.

Christine smiled and looked up to the ceiling, "I love you Angel," she said as she finished bandaging her wound and found a small secret amount of money stashed at the bottom of the basket with a note attached saying "For Christine".

"I love you too Christine," Erik had replied behind the wall as he watched the door close after Christine had left. He sighed and went back down to his home happier now that she understand, in some way, why he did what he had to do when someone tried to harm him.

For the remainder of her time before she was called to the performance Christine kneeled against her bed and prayed to her father for guidance tonight during the opera. What am I to do papa? How can I just allow these people to take advantage of me day after day? I hate hurting people's feelings but I cannot stand having them talk to me as if I was the trash that they throw away in the trash cans. I know you taught me to never let anyone make me believe I am not good enough but without you here that strength vanished. Please papa, give me a sign as to what I am to do.

Suddenly, a slight breeze ran through the room towards the note on her vanity. Christine saw how it fluttered the letter that Erik had written to her today. Christine smiled as she realized what the message that her father had sent her had meant—Erik was the answer to all her prayers.

Erik was walking through his secret passageways in the opera house as the auditorium was beginning to be filled with more and more people who were attending the opera tonight. As he pressed his ear against the wall all he was able to hear was gossip about La Carlotta and appraisals to La Carlotta. Ignorant fools these slaves of fashion, basking in this toad's unworthy glory, he thought to himself. He was never able to comprehend what made these people so important to the Parisian society but soon remembered once again—titles, money, and beauty—that those unimportant things that people are overly obsessive about are what cause fame.

Erik sighed and missed the days when it was actual talent that brought one's name to life, where people did not care who you were or how you looked or how much money one has. Gustave Daae, Christine's father, was a prime example. He was a poor violinist that played in the very same opera house that Christine performs in, yet, he is still remembered today for the passion and love in which he played his cherished violin. To put this in true perspective Erik had heard that his lost violin (but really was in the safe care of Christine in her dressing room) was acclaimed of at least five hundred million pounds.

Erik shook his head and continued on throughout the bottom audience and slowly made his way to the private boxes with the larger names who had larger amounts of money. As Erik was about to return to his Box Five, he heard his stage name being said in Box Three. Quietly, he sneaked into a secret room that was between his box and the strangers and listened intently.

He heard a young pompous sounding man talking quickly as if to get all the information he possessed out of him before he ran out of air. The things he knew began to disturb Erik instantly and soon his whole body was alert.

"Father you don't understand, this girl who works here, she is actually dancing down there, was telling me all about the Phantom and how he is dangerous and is trying to get Christine to go away with him and—" The young man was saying very quickly. Erik was angered by the way he young man was talking about his Christine. This young man had no claim on the young girl. The young boy was soon cut off by what sounded like an older man's, presumably the father of this boy, voice and the man began talking to his son.

"Well son, if what this girl is telling you is true then you need to tell the managers. Do not get yourself involved in something where you do not know all the facts yet. As the Navy not taught you anything?" The older man chastised his son. Erik chuckled silently to the father's attitude to his son, it almost sounded like disapproval to the rash decisions his son was making.

"Yes father, I will tell the managers as soon as I can," The boy told his father which in returned received an approving grunt from the older man. Erik waited a while longer and when nothing else was said except for trivial manners such as appointments to have dinner with a duke or a meeting with the Prince of France he left to return to his box to watch the remainder of the opera.

As he sat back down in his chair he saw that he made it back in time to watch Christine's character begin acting.

Christine was preparing her character's role by beginning to dust the miscellaneous prop furniture placed out accordingly as a bedroom on stage, she was very curious to see how this opera was going to play out this evening. She heard several actors yell,

"Oh, go go" to those that were supposed to start the opening to go out on stage, and the opera began. The two men and lady all stood huddled in front of the audience as they gossiped about the plot of the performance,

"They say that this youth has set my Lady's heart aflame!

His Lordship, sure, would die of shock

His Lordship is a laughing-stock!

Should he suspect her, God protect her!

Shame! Shame! Shame!

This faithless lady's

Bound for Hades!

Shame! Shame! Shame!"

The actors rushed off to the side as Carlotta and Christine took center stage and began discussing their plan,

"Serafimo—your disguise is perfect!

Who can this be?"

Carlotta's character called out to this person who was now entering her bedroom. Piangi, Carlotta's husband, came strutting in clad in the same, but masculine version, attire as Carlotta.

"Gentle wife, admit your loving husband,

My love—I am called to England on affairs of State

And must leave you with your new maid,

Though I'd happily take the maid with me!"

Piangi spoke the last part of his speech to the audience and was rewarded with a lot of laughter erupting from the crowd of attenders. Monsieurs Firmin and Andre laughed along with everyone else and was pleased with the reactions they were getting so far, neither of them were worried about the Phantom's empty threats. Firmin leaned over to Andre as he pointed to the actors on stage and said,

"That is exactly something the public loves! There's the Countess de Cherbourg," Firmin pointed to Box Four to Andre, "She's invited us to her salon, you know. Nothing like that would endorse our junk business." Andre looked over at his friend and corrected him, "Scrap metal!" While Carlotta continued speaking to the audience herself.

"The old fool is leaving!" The diva produced twice as much laughter as her husband and smiled proudly to herself. As soon as Piangi left after spanking Meg's butt as another maid and tossing her a coin purse, Carlotta spoke to Christine.

"Serafimo—away with this pretense!

You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence!"

The two woman hid their faces behind Carlotta's fan while Christine caressed Carlotta's hip implying that they were kissing. However it was entirely different behind the fan, Carlotta and Christine glared at each other the entire time. The tension was so thick between the two women that it could be sliced with a knife. While the women acted accordingly to their roles Carlotta began singing the aria that she had prepared for a while now,

"Poor fool, he makes me laugh!

Haha, haha

Time I tried to get a better better half!

Poor fool, he doesn't know!

Hoho, hoho

If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!"

Erik watched the opera with increasing irritation and anger towards the diva croaking what was meant to be a beautiful sounding yet humorous aria. Carlotta, was instead making it sound like a strained piece of shit. As he climbed the stairs to the top of the auditorium he stood against the ledge and used the ventriloquist skills he had read upon and perfected to address those who had disobeyed him.

"Did I not instruct that Carlotta was to be kept quiet?" His voice boomed over everyone and was happy to see them searching to find the mysterious person everywhere but to no prevail.

Christine glanced upward and heard Meg say, "He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" Christine searched and saw a familiar black cloak concealed every well behind the large chandelier in the dark shadows.

"It's him," Christine said loud enough for the entire stage, and Erik, to hear her.

Carlotta looked over at the insolent little ugly girl beside her and snapped her fan close and pointed it at her as she spat, "Your part is silent, little toad!"

"A toad, madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad…" Erik said ominously as he left to return to his box and watched Carlotta laugh off the matter and called her maid to spray her throat with her familiar red wine. As she hummed a few warm up notes she nodded approvingly and returned back to the stage.

Erik smiled to himself as he saw his plan was working, he was very proud of how smoothly it was going. Earlier, he had replaced her real wine with a concoction that he had created to mimic the drinker's voice to sound one of a toad when drank. He sat back and smiled to himself as he patted the diva's wine in his coat's breast pocket and readied himself for a good laugh.

As Carlotta returned to the stage with a huge smile plastered on her face as she asked the maestro to start the aria all over again for her to return back into her character. As the orchestra began the aria once more Carlotta looked back at Christine and commanded,

"Serafimo, away with this pretense!

You cannot speak but kiss me in my… CROAK

Poor fool he makes me laugh—CROAK

Haha haha CROAK"

Carlotta started crying and croaking all at the same time, all in all it was the most horrid sound that ever graced Erik's ears but yet he was happy all the same as the two buffoon managers walked up on the stage and called everyone to their attention,

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize, the performance will continue in ten minutes time when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae. Until then, we will crave your indulgence for a few moments time. Meanwhile, we'd like to give you the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera."

The conductor was confused for a little bit until he understood—there was no ballet in act three, it was in act four—what the managers were trying to tell him. Soon the orchestra and the corps de ballet were prepared to give the audience the ballet that followed the unmasking of Serafimo in the Countess' bedroom.

Erik watched the small chaos unfold at his little prank on the spoiled diva and relaxed once again in his chair as he took mental notes on the ballerina's performance. He was in such a good mood right now that he decided to tell Madame Giry to give the girls a break after he plans on asking her to question all her girls to see if one of them was gossiping about the Opera Ghost with anybody recently.

As the ballet came to its climax a body suddenly dropped from the ceiling and hung midair with the man's neck hung in a rope. It was obvious that he died instantly after his neck was broken the way he fell onto the stage in the most painful way possible. Erik immediately stood up in his seat and ran to the dark corner that he told Christine to meet at after the performance and thanked God when he saw her trembling form.

The ballerinas screamed and cried as they ran off stage while a few of Buquet's lovers stayed behind to cry upon his dead body. The entire crowd was shaking restlessly in their seats, they had only heard that the Phantom was conceived to be able to do such crimes but never before had they been forced to watch one of his sins first hand unravel on a staged performance!

Erik ran as fast as his legs would take him. As he thought back to the body he remembered the way the rope was tied around the neck of Joseph Buquet. It was all tangled, therefore, it's only logical to presume that the man accidentally fell into a group of ropes that were unfortunately there as he fell off a catwalk perhaps. No, it wasn't him because it was not tied in a Punjab lasso, that was how Erik had always done it and he knew that there was no possible way he was guilty because he was in his sit at the time of the disaster. He shook his head and knew that he just needed to find Christine and very soon.

As he ran to her he heard the accusations of the Phantom being behind the death of the stage hand but right then he didn't care. In all the pandemonium he only wanted to make sure that his Christine was safe. He knew he couldn't take her to his home right now, no, someone was bound to see them take one of his secret entrances. Erik decided on a different course of action as he held out his hand to Christine as soon as he reached her.

"Come Christine, we need to get out of here now."