HELLO! I know I said that this would be updated Sunday, but I expected this to be a little longer, and I didn't expect to have no weekend available for writing. So, here is a little bit shorter chapter a little bit earlier than expected! I hope you like it!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER ERIK, NOR DO I OWN ANY OF THE SONGS THAT I USE IN THIS ENTIRE STORY
PhantomFan01: I know, Abigail kind of got screwed over in the last few chapters ): But I hope you like this one better! Its a bit happier for Abigail :D
cHCkrdFLatZ: Thank you! I can't believe I made you cry haha! And Erik can feel pain, but he basically regenerates himself (speed based on how serious the injury). God, I keep forgetting what I write, but I'm pretty sure I wrote that when he cut himself it basically just sealed right back up. That's because it would have killed him, so he healed it on the spot.
RedDeathLvr: I know! What a wonderful author to plan such a happy couple... Teehee!
12sapphire13: Only if you keep commenting. Just you. Every chapter. o.o
goodie58: Thank you! I'm glad you started you read, new readers make me happy!
PanicAtTheExpress: OKAY. I guess BEST friends... I've never read the Hunger Games, but I actually have been planning on it. I can't believe that you think my story can be compared to an actual novel though, that's pretty cool! And so many people got emotional over the last chapter I can't believe it! Haha
SammiRichGurl: I'm glad I got a reaction out of you, that is what I want to do and hope to do with my writing! And Abigail has not yet fallen for Erik, but just read this chapter and you will see what happens! I'm sure you'll like it.
Phantoms Lil Waffle: First of all, I love your name. Second, thanks! I really couldn't think of anything else. All other options were to out of the blue haha!
AngelofMusic1: Thank you for reviewing! I love this story too :P
Maxine I love Erik: Two reviews? I feel special :D I LOVE COOKIES. AHHH. And don't faint, you can't read then D:
Night has always pushed up day; You must know life to see decay. But I won't rot, I won't rot. Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot…
And there will come a time, You'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, But dismiss your fears.
Get over the hill and see What you find there, With grace in your heart And flowers in your hair. And now I cling to what I knew. I saw exactly what was true. But oh no more. That's why I hold, That's why I hold with all I have. That's why I hold.
And I will die alone
And be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home, Oh God knows where. Because death is just so full And man so small
Well I'm scared of what's behind And what's before.
And there will come a time, You'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, But dismiss your fears.
Get over the hill and see What you find there,
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair.
After the Storm by Mumford and Sons
Doug woke up with a jolt. His eyes snapped open, revealing the snow white room around him.
"Good morning." Came a soft voice from the side. Doug looked over to see Aimee stretching from the couch. She put her hair in a high pony tail, slowly got off the white sofa, and knelt down next to him, "You want me to see if I can get you some breakfast?"
Doug nodded slowly, unable to speak. Aimee nodded sadly and went off.
The moment she left, Doug sat up. He rubbed his weary eyes, trying to banish the blinding light from his mind. Everything was so… pure. Not a speck of dirt could be found. It bothered him how much it reminded him of Abigail; her spotless, well-kept house was probably the cleanest in all of France. Doug's eyes wandered to the window. It was a clear day. A slight breeze would cause the tree's leaves to ruffle gently. A large oak was planted directly outside of his room. It dominated his view, almost obscuring it.
The old oak stood tall and grand; the tree almost loomed over Doug it seemed. Whenever he looked away from it, the tree seemed to get closer to him. But, whenever he looked back, the oak would be in the same spot. Doug could tell that it had been there for several hundred years. It's worn down bark and fading leaves told him that it was slowly dying. This brought neither joy nor sadness to Doug.
A soft knock came from the doorway.
Doug moved his eyes toward the sound. Aimee stood holding a small tray of food; a small smile played upon her lips.
"I got some cereal. The nurse said they were releasing you this afternoon." She said gliding over to him. Aimee placed the tray on Doug's lap. He nodded in thanks, using his only functional hand to pick up the spoon and force the wheat flakes down his throat.
Doug noticed Aimee watching him out of the corner of his eye. He looked up at her, confused.
Aimee sighed, "Are you alright?"
Doug nodded.
"Will you say something?"
"I don't know what to say." He croaked.
Aimee offered him another tiny smile, "Well, that's a start. You sure had a lot to say last night."
"Yeah."
More cereal was shoved down his throat.
"Well," Aimee said with a shrug, "I guess I'll drive you home when we get out of here. I brought my car over when you were sleeping. I'm sure your grandmother is wondering where you are; she'll take good care of you."
"Yeah…"
At about one in the afternoon, after the nurse reviewed his charts, examined his hand, and Doug was released.
Doug let Aimee lead him to her car. She drove him home; the ride was done in silence. All that could be heard was the small vroom of her accelerator, and the small bumps from her tires against the road. Doug stared out the window during the trip.
They eventually pulled into his driveway. Doug unbuckled, opened the car, and met Aimee who was already standing at his door. She rang the bell. It took a few moments for his grandmother to open the entrance to the house.
"Hello? Is that you, Douglas?" came her weary voice.
"Yes, Grandmother." He replied, stepping inside. Aimee followed.
"Oh, Doug! What happened to your hand?" she yelled, her wrinkly hands grabbing his bandaged one. Doug hissed in pain. He pulled his limb free from his grandmother's clutch.
"Nothing, Grandma. I fell yesterday."
"Oh, where have you been, Doug! I have been oh so worried…"
She hadn't noticed Aimee yet.
"Doug was helping me with my audition." Aimee said, stepping in quickly, "We were practicing a dance move and he fell and broke some glass."
"Oh, you are so clumsy, Douglas!" she cried, waddling into the kitchen. Doug watched his grandmother, adorned in a bright pink old-lady dress with slight amusement. She came back out with some freshly baked cookies, offering the plate to Aimee with a giant smile, "Cookies, dear?"
Aimee smiled and took one. She did not eat it.
"How did the audition go, dear?" Doug's grandmother asked, placing the tray on the coffee table.
"I… I actually don't know if I got the role or not! I haven't had the chance to check my phone…" Aimee cried, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her cell phone.
Doug watched her as she flipped the phone open, stuck the cookie in her mouth, and began to read over the message. Her eyes widened more and more. Giving up waiting on her to read it out loud, Doug walked behind her and read over her shoulder.
Hey Aimee! So, I just spoke with the judges…. And, guess what? YOU GOT CHRISTINE'S PART! Ahhh! I'm so happy for you! They said you had an excellent voice and could tell you were the only one in the entire audition who could handle her role. Wow!
Rehearsals start on Monday, and they will be every other day from 3-9, no weekends. BE THERE! You can't miss these, girl! And I haven't even told you the best part yet…
The play will be performed at the Opera House on opening night! That's in only a month and a half! Isn't that so great? The Phantom of the Opera will be the first play performed at the Phantom's own house! Hahaha! The show is already sold out, Aimee! Renovations will be completed this week, and we will start to practice on the ACTUAL stage in about two weeks!
DO NOT FORGET! SO PROUD OF YOU.
"Oh my god." Doug breathed.
"Must be good news!" cried the old woman, popping a cookie in her own mouth with a giggle.
Aimee and Doug looked at each other, eyes wide. Would she really be going back to where Abigail was in less than a month? A better question popped into his mind.
"Grandma, what's today?"
"It's a Monday, hun!" she cried, shoving another cookie in her mouth.
Doug glanced at the time on Aimee's phone. It was ten minutes to three.
"Uh, Aimee? Your rehearsal starts in ten minutes." Doug pointed out.
Aimee looked down at the text message, spat the cookie out of her mouth with a gasp, and bolted out the door. Doug shook his head, wanting to laugh, but couldn't summon enough happiness to emit a sound of joy.
He sighed instead, slowly making his way up the stairs to his bedroom.
Abigail winced as the wardrobe made a small creak as she opened it. She froze, listening for any sign of movement. After a moment of silence, Abigail grabbed a white dress and a pair of black flats.
She slowly crept off of the platform the swan bed resided on. Abigail felt as if she was sneaking into a bank, or perhaps plotting to steal from a rich man's house. The thought almost made her giggle, until a large hand grabbed her shoulder.
Abigail screamed, almost falling over.
"Why are you sneaking around the place like a lunatic?" Erik asked, bewildered.
Abigail shook his hand off of her, "Nothing!" she lied. This was exactly what Abigail had been trying to avoid: confrontation, "I'm going to go take a shower now if you don't mind."
"Very well."
Abigail darted off to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her a little bit harder than she intended. She leaned against the door for a moment, eyes shut, letting out a long breath.
Abigail had a lot to think about. She pulled at her hair, trying to make her brain think of some kind of solution to an unknown problem. What was the problem? Was there one? Abigail pushed herself off of the door, walked over to the shower, and turned it on.
There was definitely some wrong with her and Erik's situation. He had such a negative attitude, and it bothered her. He had seen so much hate and loathing when had seen the world, that now, it was all he knew the world to be.
Abigail stripped off her clothes and jumped into the warm water.
She had to find a way to show Erik that people have changed. When he was young, she contemplated, it had been what, the 18th century? It was no wonder that Erik believed people to be brutes; everyone had been allowed to do horrid things, actions that you would be killed for today. A free for all world had transformed into one of rule and order. Abigail had felt quite safe when she lived outside of the protective Opera House. People were kind and gentle to her, for the most part.
Abigail felt shampoo running down her face and into her eyes. She ignored it; Abigail felt no pain. Continuing on with her shower, Abigail shampooed and conditioned her hair, scrubbed her body down with a fruity body wash (she did not know the name), and stood there. With nothing else to do, she simply stood there as she let the water rush around her, slam onto her head, run down the back of her neck, slip across her back, down her leg, and disappear from her senses. Abigail shivered in delight. It felt wonderful having warmth surround her in the darkness.
She stood there until the water went cold.
And then she stood in the chilly darkness.
A knock came at the door, "Abigail?" Erik called over the water.
"Yeah?" she yelled.
"Are you alright? You have been in there for quite awhile."
"I'll be out in a minute." Abigail replied, already shutting off the water. And with that, Erik's voice drew her back into reality, away from the cold night.
She wanted to do the same to him. Abigail knew that with her words and her music, she could draw Erik back into reality. She would bring him up to speed with things; he had missed quite a lot. If he did not go out as much as he told her, Abigail had quite a lot of work ahead of her.
Abigail quickly dried herself, slipped on the dress and shoes, did her hair, and went back into the Phantom's lair. She heard him moving around near the table. Walking over to it, her shoes snapped against the ground, sending a soft echo throughout the area.
She reached out, and her hand connected with the back of a chair. Abigail scooted around it, and sat down on what she believed to have been the chair.
"Ahh!" she yelled, jumping up from Erik's lap. She felt her face burn with embarrassment as Erik chuckled with amusement at her mistake.
"I know that I am quite comfortable, Abigail, but really, do give a warning next time."
"Well," she said quickly, "Uh, sorry, I didn't see you."
"Yes, that would be the case with most things." Erik responded jokingly. Abigail folded her arms over her chest and gave a huff.
"Oh, come now," Erik said, "Don't give me that face."
Abigail rolled her eyes at the night, "Whatever." She then found another chair, scooted it closer to the table, and found herself something to eat. An orange managed to make its presence known.
A couple minutes passed in content silence.
"So… How are you?..." Erik asked hesitantly.
Abigail shrugged, peeling her orange, "I suppose I'm alright. Just the silence after the storm, you know?"
"Yes, yes I do." He replied.
Some more silence. Abigail munched on a few slices.
"So, I've been wondering when you wish to begin your organ, singing, and dancing lessons." Erik said suddenly.
"What?" Abigail asked, hand paused at her mouth. She slowly lowed the piece of fruit, "Lessons?"
"Of course." She heard Erik say, almost surprised, "You didn't think that I was going to let you stay ignorant of the fine arts?"
"But I know the arts; I play piano."
"Yes, yes. That is one medium, Abigail. You must learn more."
"Why?"
"Because you will go mad if you do not do something while we are down here."
Abigail frowned. Why did they need to stay down here? It felt so gloomy.
An idea sparked in her mind.
"If you will be teaching me," Abigail declared, "then you must agree to me teaching you."
Erik laughed, the first real Abigail had heard from him, "And what will you be teaching me, little pianist?"
"Of what you have missed for the past hundred years or so."
A moment of silence.
"Very well. I did not intend to learn more about the evils of the human race, but if you insist."
"I do."
"As you wish."
Abigail triumphantly ripped off a piece of orange and popped it in her mouth.
"You should learn to sing first." She heard Erik say as he got up, moving towards the organ, "It is probably the area that needs most attention."
Abigail glared into the dark. How blunt of him.
"Well, come here, Abigail. Your lesson is about to begin." Came Erik's mysterious voice. Abigail found herself walking over to him obediently. She plopped down next to him, still munching on the orange.
Erik grabbed the orange and threw it over his shoulder.
"No eating at the organ."
"Ugh!"
Abigail and him sat there for hours, singing back and forth to each other. She was surprised at how knowledgeable Erik was; he knew the vocal cords and music inside and out, backwards and forwards, above and below. If she had a question, he had a detailed answer, and then some. By the end of the day, Abigail found that her singing had made a significant improvement already.
"Do not get overly excited." Erik said as she heard the soft thud of the music book closing, "Everyone gets a great leap forward their first few times. It will get more difficult to improve as we continue on."
"Don't worry; my expectations are not very high."
"You doubt my teaching methods?"
"Oh, no!" Abigail said quickly, "I doubt myself."
"You will have the most beautiful voice by the time that I am finished with you." Erik said soothingly, "Now what is it you will be teaching me?"
Abigail smiled as she got up from the seat. Her legs were sore from sitting for so long. She couldn't wait to start her lessons. But where to begin?
"What time is it?" she asked quickly.
"I'm assuming somewhere around eight at night." Erik answered.
"Excellent." Abigail said quickly, "Do you have a television down here?"
"What is a television?"
Abigail's eyes widened.
Maybe this job was a little above her.
Erik finally collapsed next to Abigail on the couch, "OKAY." He said, annoyed, "Which one am I using?"
"Whichever one you want!" Abigail giggled.
Erik loved it when she laughed.
He snatched the first thin box thing that he saw and opened it. What he saw confused him.
"Abigail." He said, "There is some odd looking object in this case."
"That's the disc!" she said, laughing, "It's what plays the movie."
"What do I do with it?" he asked, bewildered.
Abigail rolled her eyes. She felt around for the disc, and took it out carefully, "Where is the TV?"
"TV?"
"The television!"
"It's in front of you." He said, looking over to the brand new television he had bought. They were up in the actual Opera House. Erik had found out that the only way that this television would work would be if it was plugged into something called an outlet; something that the renovators had apparently corrupted the Opera House with. Erik shrugged it off however. These little outlets, now found all over the large dressing room, allowed Abigail and him to watch the twenty movies that she made him buy as well.
Erik watched Abigail as she felt around the TV.
"You see," she said, "the television actually plays things like movies and shows and musicals for you. Anything you want to see, you can probably find it on this baby." She said patting the thin screen, "But if you have a movie…" she located a large box just below the screen, "you need to use the DVD player."
Abigail slid the thin disc into a small slit in the box. The television's black screen came to life. Erik jumped in the air, yelling as a loud noise erupted from the box. He stared wide eyed, ignoring Abigail laughs, watching as pictures moved across the screen. He had not seen anything quite like it before. The most updated that he was with new technology was what he saw on his extremely rare shopping trips, and never before did he walk into an electronic store until today.
"I can't believe you never heard of a TV! Didn't they have them when you were alive?"
"If they did," he responded, taking off his black cloak and resting it on the ground next to the couch, "I wouldn't have known anyway. I was trapped in a circus, and then locked down here for my entire life."
"Oh, right. Well, what movie did you pick?" she said as he sat down next to her. The sofa was brown and beat up. Erik assumed that this dressing room would most likely not be used. While it was large, the room was far away from the stage and in an inconvenient area.
Erik picked up the case and read off the title, "Beauty and the Beast."
"Oh I love this movie!" Abigail squealed, "It's so wonderful!"
"But you can't see it."
"I can hear it! And it sounds beautiful." She sighed as the opening music came on. Erik watched her curiously as her fingers tapped with the beat, her head moving back and forth along with the tune. She even sang along with some parts.
"Are you watching it?" she asked. Erik quickly turned his attention to the screen.
He glanced at Abigail every so often, however. Erik couldn't help it. She seemed so peaceful when she was listening to things. It made him smile to see her smile as this girl, Belle, smiled.
Erik paid attention to the movie. The moving pictures intrigued him. However, the thing he enjoyed most about it was probably the story. Or perhaps it was the fact that Belle reminded him of Abigail almost. They were both determined, stubborn, and beautiful.
Erik grew interested as the Beast was introduced. He watched intently as the Beast captured Belle, freeing her father. A small sense of déjà vu flew over him, but he brushed it off.
He laughed as the curse was discovered. Of course there had to be some reason that he wanted Belle there. Love, the only cure? But how could Belle love him? The Beast was a horrible monster and Belle was a kind, pretty little girl.
Erik grew more surprised as the movie went on to tell how Belle and the Beast actually became friends, and even started to like each other.
"Oh! My favorite song is coming up!" Abigail cheered.
There's something sweet
And almost kind
But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined
But now he's dear, and so unsure
I wonder why I didn't see it there before
Abigail grabbed his hand, faced him and sang along with the beast on the next part.
She glanced this way
I thought I saw
And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw
Abigail grabbed onto his shirt at the word touched, grinning as she sang. Erik watched her as a smile grew on his face. He wanted to hold her hand back, but was afraid to.
No it can't be, I'll just ignore
But then she's never looked at me that way before
Erik reached up and took her chin, keeping her face staring at his. He tilted his head, listening to the next lines. Abigail stopped singing, frozen as Erik caressed her cheek.
New and a bit alarming
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?
True that he's no Prince Charming
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see.
"Didn't see…" Abigail sang weakly under her breath.
Well, who'd have thought?
Well, bless my soul
Well, who'd have known?
Well, who indeed?
And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?
It's so peculiar.
Wait and see
We'll wait and see
A few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before
Perhaps there's something there
That wasn't there before
The song ended, but Erik did not release her. He simply stared into her dead eyes; the misty orbs stared back at him. Erik wanted to just lean in, and…
Abigail let go of his hand and shirt and turned her head away from him.
He dropped his hand, hurt and angry that he had missed his chance. He faced the screen and watched as the Beast won over the heart of his love, while he did not even share an embrace with his.
Suddenly, he hated the Beast. It had everything that he wanted; namely, their love. Belle saw the Beast as he was; a hideous and disgusting creature. And yet, she saw past it all and accepted him. Abigail on the other hand could not see Erik's horrible face. She didn't know that she now sat next to a horrible… thing. Shame and guilt washed over him.
Abigail scooted a bit closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling even closer. Erik began to panic. What was he supposed to do? Should he even allow this? Abigail didn't know what she was cuddling up against.
Erik settled on doing nothing.
It turned out alright. They stayed in that position for the rest of the movie. It disgusted him when the Beast transformed into a handsome man; Erik knew that would never happen to him and grew jealous.
"Oh, what a wonderful movie!" Abigail cheered, "We will watch a movie a night as a part of your lessons!"
"I do not understand what I am learning about." Erik said as Abigail got up, popping the disc out of the DVD player thingy.
"You are learning about culture! This is a Disney movie!" and she went on to explain how prominent this Disney thing was in America.
"What does America have anything to do with us?"
"Oh, America has to do with everything." Abigail said, rolling her eyes, and proceeded to explain what exactly America was.
"I don't understand why you say they are all fat and lazy." Erik asked, confused.
Abigail laughed, clutching her sides, "Oh, I didn't mean that!"
"Very well. Is your lesson for today at an end?"
"Yes, it is complete." Abigail replied. She grinned at Erik, who smiled to himself.
Her smile was heartwarming.
"How did you like the movie?" Abigail asked as they made their way to the dressing room with the passage down to their small home.
"It was… nice." Erik lied. It had been enlightening and depressing at the same time.
Erik helped Abigail into the boat, taking her arm and leading her into a seat. He grabbed the long pole and pushed them off of the land and into the water.
"Do you want to watch a different Disney movie tomorrow, or something else?"
"Whatever you want." Erik said honestly. He had no idea what else to watch. Everything was confusing to him outside of his small bubble down in the depths of the ground. However, for some reason he knew that it was Abigail's new mission to bring him into the 21st century. He feared what else had changed since he had been a part of the world.
"Well," Abigail said with a yawn, "I'll have to create the lesson plan tomorrow! I'm so tired now."
Abigail stretched out on the boat and shut her eyes. Erik chuckled as he moved the boat through the water and let her rest. As they approached the small island, Erik called to Abigail.
"Abigail, we're here."
No response.
"Abigail?" he asked, docking the boat. He leaned down to her and noticed she was asleep. He shook his head. How did one fall asleep on a hard wooden surface? This girl confused him.
Erik picked her up slowly, afraid of waking her. He hummed into her ear, hoping she was dreaming of sweet things.
Could the blind dream? Did they dream of thoughts and sounds? Erik wondered what she was dreaming of now as he placed her on the swan bed. He tucked a piece of her soft, curly hair behind her ear as he knelt down next to her. Erik desperately wanted to be closer to her, but he restrained himself. She was peaceful now, he would not try to ruin that for her.
He stroked her cheek as she slept. Erik lost track of time. Simply watching her captivated him. He counted her breaths, watched her eyes flutter each time his thumb connected with her face. It soothed him knowing she was at peace.
Erik hesitated for a moment before kissing her cheek. He smiled, brushed the kiss away, got up and left her to dream.
Who knows, maybe she was dreaming of him.
The thought gave him hope.
Dawwwww Erik 3 So confused... And in the dark himself! Thank you all for your reviews! They were so wonderful for the last chapter, I can't believe I made you guys cry. That is really the goal for my writing; I love to get emotional responses from people. It means you like the story! Haha :D
Review with ideas and thoughts! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE!