Chapter 6

It was late and I was lying in bed dozing off as the remnants of the storm passed by. I had taken such a big step, kissing Erik like that. God only knew what kind of turning point it would be. My love was something he yearned for so badly that it seemed I just wanted to make him happy already and I knew just how to do it. The only problem was I didn't want things to go so fast that I found myself dressed in a wedding gown again being rushed into marriage. I still wore his ring which reminded him of his desire to wed me, but now since I chose to stay with him I figured he would be willing to wait until I was truly ready to make the decision on whether I wanted to be his wife or not. There was so much to think about when it came to my future with Erik, so many questions and not enough answers.

I snuggled down and pulled the blanket up to my neck when suddenly I heard the sound of water being splashed around. I perked up and glanced toward Erik's room, wondering if he was still asleep. He hadn't left his room as far as I knew, but with Erik he could surprise me every time. I got up and walked close just enough to see he was still in his bed, sleeping like a child. My heart jumped when I head the sound of water movement coming from the lake in a distance.

Someone was coming toward Erik's lair.

I started to panic and decided I would meet them whoever they were before they got to Erik and cause total madness. I hurried and started rowing the boat toward the noise of someone walking through the lake. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I could feel my cheeks becoming pale. I was hoping I would be able to ward them off, whoever they were, but doubts were filling my head, especially if it was going to be the police.

Finally I was coming closer to the dark figure; I couldn't really see who it was because of the poor lighting. I rowed closer and closer until I found the figure stopped walking and was looking right at me. I stopped rowing to find the figure was none other than little Meg Giry. Meg opened her mouth to scream but I quickly got out of the boat and put my hand up to her mouth.

"Meg it's me! Please don't be scared, it's me Meg, Christine!" I said in a loud panicky whisper.

She opened her eyes wider than what they already were and jumped backward, gasping.

"C-Christine?! So - it's – it's true! You're alive and you've been living down here!" She exaggerated, almost out of breath.

I loudly hushed her and looked back nervously toward the lair.

"HE'S THERE ISN'T HE? THE- THE OPERA GHOST!" she screeched, terrified.

It was hopeless, Erik was up for sure now.

"Meg, listen to me! Go back up to your room, you shouldn't be down here!"

She pointed her finger at me, shaking.

"I knew I heard you, up on the roof! No one believed me but I heard you laughing up on the roof of the opera house! That was you Christine! I came down to look for you and you are here!"

She was breathing like crazy now, and I knew she had caught me.

"Everyone thinks you are dead Christine! But you are alive and you live down here with-"

She put her small hands up to her mouth.

"The-the-the-" she stuttered through her hands.

Suddenly I heard Erik walking though the lake and soon he was right behind me. Meg took one look at him and screamed her head off. Shuddering from her scream, Erik put his arm up to his exposed face and turned away from her. Meg desperately started running the other way, splashing the water like crazy as her ear-shattering scream echoed through the stone walls.

I picked up my dress and started running through the lake.

"Erik, I must go after her!" I called back at him.

It struck me as odd that he didn't say anything, but I was more concerned about Meg telling everyone that we were down here now that she knew. She looked back and ran faster and I tried my best to keep her in my sight.

When we reached the end of the lake, Meg tried running up the long flight of twisted stairs but I finally caught up with her and grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She stopped and faced me, looking angry.

"Meg, stop this! You mustn't tell anyone I am down here!"

"Christine," she huffed.

"Making people believe you are dead when you are not is a horrible sin!"

I didn't think Raoul would go the death route. It felt horrible knowing everyone thought you were dead, and when Meg told me that it upset me a little. Meg looked at me and continued.

"And you live with that…monster!" She shrunk back looking behind me toward the lake.

"And Raoul...oh Christine it broke his heart!"

I covered my face and started to cry.

"Oh Meg, he'd go insane without me! I – I am his only hope for happiness. He would have kept killing - and haunting this opera house and I didn't want that, you must understand!"

She looked at me with pity, and then slowly started up the stairs again.

"You cannot keep defending him Christine, he is a murderer and he deserves punishment."

She stopped and looked down at me, a ways up the stairs now.

"Eventually they will find you, you know they will."

With that she continued up the long stairwell and left me there at the bottom. Worry filled my entire body, and things didn't look so bright now that Meg knew.

My arms were hurting as I rowed back to the lair. Worry filled my head the whole way and I found it hard to think about anything else. I saw Erik sitting down fidgeting nervously with his fingers. I jumped out of the boat and he stood up, walking towards me.

"She knows now Erik," I said, defeated.

Then I repeated the statement, or more likely muttered it to myself hearing the horror of the words. Finally Erik spoke.

"Do you want to leave?"

"I will not leave you here." I said.

"No, I mean leave with me."

I looked up at him, a little stunned.

"With…you?"

"Yes, with me."

I had never before pictured Erik leaving the opera house. It was his home and he knew only of a cruel world outside his lair. He was ready to leave everything behind, his music, his instruments, all in order to live a new life with me. Putting such a man as Erik out into the real world would be a sad thing to watch, simply because no one would understand him. People were so cruel to him, and I hated to watch such cruelty. I wanted nothing to do with the rest of the world if their ignorance was indeed bliss. This man was my angel of music, he was my comfort as a child when I was sick with grief for my father, and he was the one who made my voice take flight and gave me overnight fame.

"I am not worried Erik, we do not have to leave."

Though my words relieved him a little, he still looked unconvinced and his eyes drifted off toward the lake.

"She was my friend Erik, she wouldn't tell such a secret to hurt me."

Erik looked down toward the floor with a look of a cold realization.

"But she would tell such a secret to hurt me."

Erik was smarter than what a lot of people thought, he wasn't just a music genius. Though sometimes he tried to make it seem different, he always knew the cold hard truth. Everyone was always out to hurt him, and such a fact made me feel sorry for him, especially since he seemed numb to it now.

I could tell he wanted my comfort, but my mind was still spinning on not knowing what Meg's intentions were. I still a little scared and I feared for Erik as well as myself. But I had faith in Meg, and I could only hope she could keep such a dark secret to herself.

That night I tried to sleep peacefully but Meg's voice kept ringing in my head. Over and over the short sentence drilled itself into my mind.

Eventually they will find you, you know they will.

I did not know my future down in Erik's lair, but it seemed other forces were screaming it and I still didn't understand what they were saying. It only took one other person to find out about us and a mob would form once again.

Please Meg

I begged in my sleep.

Please keep this to yourself.

But she was a young girl, and trying to keep a young girl from spilling out a secret was something almost impossible.