The Opera ghost's whisper
I do not own anything
Chap 9
" Julian? Where are you?" Russell called me.
" I am at home, I am on my way to the Opera house."
" no … don't come…"
" what? Why …?"
" It is like a madhouse in here, everyone is screaming and running…. I don't know what happened…. But… ARRRRRR!"
" Russell? RUSSELL ?" the phone was cut off. I had to get there as fast as I could!
oOo
I tried to get into the opera house, but as Russell told me, it was like a madhouse, everyone was running and screaming, I didn't know what they were screaming, something about ghosts and flying chairs….
The Opera ghost was here, and it wanted revenge.
On Russell.
On everyone in this opera house, for taking what belonged to it.
" Russell? Russell? Where are you?" I tried to run through the wave of people trying to get out of the opera house. suddenly I saw one of the dancers.
" wait!"
" Please, monsieur, we have to get out of here, this place is haunted, it is not safe!" the girl said.
" calm down, Marri, tell me, did you see monsieur David?" I tried to help her, the poor girl couldn't even stand straight.
" no…. no, I don't… there were too many people…. And noise…. Someone said something about…. I don't know… Monsieur…. Please let me go…."
" Just tell me when was the last time you saw Monsieur Davis!"
" I… I… he went to look for Madame Butler… and … Megan….where is Megan? Oh no… Madame said she wanted to find Megan…" Mari took a deep breath and said. "Megan…. I don't know…"
" relax… calm down…. Tell me… slowly… which way did Monsieur Davis go?"
" I… that... I think…" Marri breathed out slowly. " I think it is that way. He said he would need to check the old dressing room to find those old dresses, there were a lot of old dresses, but no one used them for a long time, and he wanted to see if there was something we could use. He said he didn't really satisfied with the Phantom's customer." Marri was about to cry again. " and I told him that…. Maybe there were some old costumes… since the eighteenth century…. Nothing was moved from its place…. So… maybe we could use some of them…"
" the old dressing room? Which way?"
" that way…." She said. " I think he went to the one that was on the end of this hallway."
" thank you."
oOo
I ran into the old dressing, the room was really old, the wall was yellow, the floor was really weak, one wrong step and you would fail down below.
No Russell inside, but the mirror was opened, which means someone used the hidden tunnel behind the mirror.
Russell. Did he go inside the Phantom's lair?
There was only one way to be sure. I carefully walked into the dark hall, leading to the world of darkness.
oOo
As I was walking down the dark tunnel, I heard 'the voice'.
Where are you?
My love, my Angel…
" no, no… where are you? Come out, you freak! Why did you do this to us, I didn't do anything…. Julian didn't do anything…. Come and haunt another opera house!"
That was Russell's voice. I came to the right place. I tried to run faster.
" We are going to die! I am too young… I want to be a famous dancer…. I want to get marry and have kids…." That was Megan's voice, she was crying in fear. Why did the ghost take her?
" Mademoiselle, please stop crying, you will make whoever took us here mad… well… more than he or she already is anyway."
Madame Butler? She was here, too?
Shut up…. You all deserve this….
You all deserve to die…
You are not allowed to live…
You took him away from me….
The voice got louder, which means the ghost was angrier than she already was.
" STOP!" I ran right in time when the white shadow was about to let Russell fall in the lake. " CHRISTINE DAAE! STOP!"
The white shadow stopped, so Russell didn't fail down on the lake, he got a hold on the
" Christine Daae?" Russell looked surprised.
" Christine, come here…." I tried to take the ghost's attention from her hostages.
Erik….. Erik…. Erik…
You came…
Erik…
My Erik…
You are back…
Erik… you are here…
My love … my Angel…
The white shadow turned to a brown hair girl, her eyes were blue like the ocean, he skin was white, too white it looked like it was shining.
" Christine Daae…" I said again. " I know the loss of him made you sad and hurt… but I am not him… I am not Erik, I am not the phantom."
I took a deep breath before I continue " I am Julian… Julian Walker. I am an Architect, I am not even French, I am from America, I came to France to work and study…"
Erik… what are you saying, my love?
You are here, right?
You remember me... right?
I missed you a lot….
Why did you leave me?
I want you…
I only want you…
My love… my only love…
Christine put her hands on my face.
Cold. I felt cold… really cold.
You haven't change anything at all… my love…
" no, Christine…" I looked at her eyes. " look at my face… do you see what is missing?"
What… missing?
The ghost looked at my face. She tittle her head, looking like she was thinking.
Erik … where is your… mask?
" that is right, Christine… I don't have a mask. I don't wear one, never did…." I said. " I am sorry, but I am not him, I am not your Erik."
Erik… Erik… where are you?
Erik…
Christine looked everywhere, she looked like she was in panic, and scare.
Like a lost child.
Then suddenly her eyes were red, she flew toward Russell and the others.
You!
Where did you hide him?
Where did you take my Erik?
Where is he?
Then she turned to madame Butler.
Where did you hide him?
Give him back!
Madame Giry!
Give him back!
Madame Giry? Christine Daae's godmother? She thought Madame Butler was her godmother?
You!
She turned to Megan, who was still crying and sunk.
You always try to steal what is mine…
Clothes… flowers… Jewels…
I can give you all of that…
But you can't take my Erik away…
No one can…
He is mine… mine…
I will not give him to anyone.
Stop it…
Don't take him away…
I just…
I just want to be with him…
I just want to be alone…
Why can't you all leave us alone…
" Christine, please stop… she is not Meg, your friend…" I screamed, trying to get her attention again. " she is Megan, not Meg…. And she is not Madame Giry, she is Madame Butler…" pointing at Russell. " AND HE IS NOT RAOUL DE CHAGNY!"
I sighed, " this is not the eighteenth century anymore It is a new year now, she is not Madame Giry, she is Anne Butler… she is a dance teacher, a very nice lady. that is Megan Ginger, she is a dancer, a good girl with a bright future ahead, and he is not Raoul De Chagny, your fiancé, he is Russell Davis, he is a good guy, a good husband, a good man, not some pervert you tried to get in your dress, those who separated you and your beloved Phantom were dead years ago." Why didn't I see it before? Russell looked a lot like Raoul in the Diary. " and I… I am not Erik the Phantom. I am Julian Walker, the Architect, yes, I may look like your Phantom, I have black hair, green-yellow eyes, but I don't have to wear a mask, I live in an apartment, not some dark and mystery lair. Yes, I like to read and write music in my free time, but I am an Architect, not a Musician."
No… you are lying…
Erik will not leave me alone…
Erik will come for me…
Erik… Erik… where are you…
Then, she appeared right in front of me.
That is right…
That is right…
If you are like me… you will remember me…
That is right…
If you are like me….
We will be together forever…
I could feel her cold hand around my neck, but I couldn't move.
" JULIAN!" I could hear Russell's panic voice calling my name.
STOP!
A very powerful voice came through the wall.
Christine stopped.
From right in the middle of my chest, a small white ball flew out and stop right in front of her face.
Christine … stop… please…
The small ball turned into a white shadow and then turned into a man. Looking exactly like me! But he had black hair, green-yellow eyes, white skin, and a white haft-face mask. he must be Erik, the Phantom.
Erik… Erik…
Christine cried while hugging the masked man. I could see tears in his eyes, too.
Christine, stop, he is right, this is not eighteen century anymore…
All the people that kept us apart were long dead…
They are not them…
The man said silently, he looked at Christine's eyes with love and sadness.
I am sorry, Christine because I was a coward…
That we couldn't be together…
I… I love you… too much… I couldn't… I don't want you to live like me…
Christine, you can't live hiding like that…
You were a Diva, your place is on stage, not down below the earth…
Not a housewive….
Erik hugged Christine closer to him.
You mean the world to me…
I could not be selfish and take away all of your freedom…
Christine looked at Erik's face.
I want you to be selfish…
Erik… all I ever want….
Not to be a Diva…
Not marry a rich and handsome Vicomte…
But to raise a family…
With the man I love…
Erik, we are here now, together….
We can be together forever
Erik looked into Christine's eyes and shook his head.
No, Christine, this is not right, this is not where you are supposed to be. If we are going to be together, I want both of us to be human, not spirit, I want you and I to have a family that we couldn't have in our previous life, include children…
Christine looked uncertain.
Christine, don't you want to have kids, little Christine and little Erik?
She looked up to his eyes.
But … what if I don't remember you…
What if I fall in love with another man?
Don't worry
Erik turned to me
he will find you
I could see relief in her eyes, as she slowly disappeared into the white light.
Remember to find me… Erik…
" if you want, everyone and I can be your witness. You two can get married." I said after Christine was gone. I couldn't let everything end like this. " you don't have to let her go like that. You two can be together forever."
But Erik turned to look at me, it was weird, seeing my own face looking back at me.
It is fine…
Julian, thank you.
Thank you, I get to see Christine one last time…
She has been waiting for me…
For a very long time.
This time…
It is my turn…
He looked at me and smiled. Erik looked so peaceful and happy.
Besides, we are one, if I go, you will die.
" you know, Erik." I said. " you are completely different from the Phantom in Gaston's story."
What did he say about me?
" that you are a real monster, you tried to force Christine Daae, the Diva to marry you."
He looked a bit hurt and surprise.
I don't think I know this man Gaston, but there was one thing that he was right.
I was a real monster.
I killed and abused people…
I am not worthy of her love …
I can't be with Christine…
" But you are not like that …"
You know… I have gone to a lot of countries… I have seen a lot of places… and I have studied a lot of useful things. but I was still a fool when it comes to love.
Erik closed his eyes.
After years living as you, I got to have family, friends, I got to go to school like I used to want, got to live like a real human, got to see the sun… the me in the past… I wanted to take her… wanted to bury her in the dark with me, so that no one could find her… so that she would belong to me and no one else… I did think about that… I was a selfish man… after we moved to live in the countryside. I didn't feel satisfied with what I had… so I chose to leave. But when I saw her, she came after me, I thought that maybe, she did have some feeling for me... the feeling kept growing… until one day I saw her, kissing that fop… I knew I was selfish and arrogant, I thought Christine never did love me…. Turn out… everything was just a misunderstanding…
" but she… Erik… what if I can't find her?"
To be honest… Julian… I don't think you could find her, either.
" what? Then why…"
Because like I did, she needs to let everything that tied her to this world go, or she wouldn't be able to go to her afterlife.
Erik said while he looked back to the place that was once his home.
My life had ended, it is your life now, and she will have a new life, too.
I looked at him for a moment.
" you know, Phantom." I said. " you are really nothing like Gaston had written."
He looked surprised but saying nothing. Then Erik slowly turned back into a small shining ball and flowed inside me again. Even when he disappeared, I could still hear his voice in my head.
Thank you, Julian, please live your life to the furthest. For me… and for her… too
(TBC)
Note: one more chapter * hurray*