The Return of the Phantom

by Brealv

Carina has always been a fan of the Phantom of the Opera ever since she was a little girl. Being of Swedish decendent and having love of music she has always felt a deep connection with the character of Christine Daae. But it's not until she goes to the Paris Opera house that she truly discovers why.

The Return of the Phantom 1 : The Arrival and Rehearsal

Carina has always been a fan of the Phantom of the Opera ever since she was a little girl. She loves all versions she has come across from the original book by Gaston Leroux, Phantom by Susan Kay, and the musicals by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Yeston Kopit. Being of Swedish decendent and having love of music she has always felt a deep connection with the character of Christine Daae and wished that the story of the Phantom was really true. Therefore after graduating from The Royal Academy of Music, she decided to apply for an internship at the famous the Palais Garnier were the story of the Phantom first originated.

Five weeks passed since Carina applied for the internship and she finally receives a letter from the Paris Opera House. It states...
Dear Carina,

I am glad to inform you that I have accepted your request for the internship. Your internship will last from May 2007 to June 2008. During your time at the opera house you will be my assistant stage manager and will be expected to attend all the rehearsals and operas. I look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Monsieur Dupuis."

Carina arrived at the Paris Opera House. As soon as she walk through the doors of the Opera House a short and bald man greeted her. "Hello, Madame Carina I presume. I am Monsieur Dupuis the owner and manager of the Opera House. Would you like me to show you around?"

Carina nodded her head with excitement. Monsieur Dupuis leads her to the stage were he introduces her as the new intern for the year. A tall, average size woman with reddish hair comes up and says "Bonjur I am Ellisa the lead soprano of the opera. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the opera house. I expect that you will be at the rehearsal tonight."

"Yes I will" Carina stated with excite. "I look forward to seeing you perform."

"I assure you that you will not be disappointed" Ellisa said with a bow as she left toward her dressing room

Dupuis than leads Carina back stage to a tall, thin, lady with long grayish black hair; he introduces her as Madame Gabriel the ballet mistress. "If you have any questions about the opera this is the person to ask", he states. "She has been working her as our ballet mistress for twenty years now. She knows all the history of the Opera House and will glad to answer any of your question."

"I would love to hear about the history of the Opera, I will be honored to speak to you and learn all you know when you have the opportunity to speak to me Madame" Carina said.

After giving a tour of the opera Dupuis leads Carina to an old dressing room. "This will be were you will stay. It was once used as a dressing room when the opera was new. I hope you find it comfortable. If you need anything I will be in my office. You should attend the rehearsal tonight at 18:00.," Dupuis says leaving Carina to her new room.

Carina looks around the room; all of her things have been brought up. There is a full length mirror on the far wall and a bed covered in white sheets on the wall opposite the mirror. Carina starts to unpack when she notices a single red rose on her bed next to a letter. She picks up the letter and open it; it reads

"Dear Mademoiselle,
Welcome to my opera house. I have heard many things about you and look forward to having you as a guest at my opera house. I remand you obedient friend and angel."

It was written in all red and had no signature on it. Carina knows of the opera ghost and knew that it couldn't be him because he as hidden himself from all the world since Christine Daae had chosen Raoul over him. However, deep down inside she wishes it was from Erik.

It is now 18:00, Carina heads down to the stage for the rehearsal. When she gets there she is greeted by Dupuis. "They are rehearsing the opera Carman. Ellisa is our lead she has been singing here for three years. The Opera opens in two days; so you see we have very few more rehearsals."

The rehearsal starts Ellisa starts singing her staring piece, Habanera. She sounds like a rusty hinge, Carina thinks and cringes I sang that way better when I performed the part for my college opera last year. "I'm sorry but I was wondering who is Ellisa understudy?" She ask Dupuis.

Dupuis looks at her and laughs, "My dear child Ellisa has no understudy. She has never needed one."

"But what if she gets sick" Carina questions. "Surely someone must be able to go on for her?"

"Ellisa is determined to go on even if she is sick." Dupuis assured Carina

As the rehearsal goes on Carina notices a young tall, brown hair, and very handsome guy. She point to the guy and ask "Who is that guy I noticed him earlier today when you were giving me the tour?"

Dupuis looks to were she is pointing and says "That is Derrick he is the assistant manager of the opera."

"Isn't he a bit young," Carina ask.

"Well yes he is only 23 but he does a fine job," Dupuis answers.

The rehearsal is now over Carina is sitting in her room ready to go to bed. Suddenly she hears beautiful music all around her. Wondering where the music is coming from she raises off of her bed and looks around the room. However there is no source of the sound. Carina starts to feel afraid as the music grows louder around her.

The Return of the Phantom 2: The First Encounter

The music starts to put Carina into a trance. She gets up from her bed and start walking toward the sound. She starts walking toward the mirror and realizes that the room seems to be getting bigger. Carina just keeps walking toward the music not sure of where she is or where she is going. As she keeps walking she notices the sound of flowing water. The sound keeps getting louder and louder, as she keeps going into a deeper trance.

As Carina takes her next step she falls. She comes out of her trance just in time to realize that she is head deep in water. She starts to panic, but then she starts to hear the music again. She starts to swim toward the music, but suddenly she is lifted out of the water as she faints.

Moments later she wakes up. Carina slowly opens her eyes and see a tall, very handsome man standing next to her. The man looks down at her with concern in his eyes. "Madame are you alright," he asks.

Carina looks up at him in shock "Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" She demands not know what is going on or where she is.

"Madame, I am Derrick the assistant manager of the opera. I was on my night watch when I heard the sound of a splash. I rushed toward the sound just in time to find you head deep in the underground lake. I saved your life Madame you should be grateful."

"I don't know what you mean. The last thing I remember is that I was in my room getting ready for bed. What do you mean I was head deep in the underground lake? I was in my room, I still in my room. Get out, get away from me!"

"Madame calm down. Look around we are not in your room."

Carina looks around, and notices that she is on a small staircase and next to her is the underground lake. Shocked and embarrassed to be seen like this in front of Derrick, she quickly stands up. "I don't understand", she say in a nervous laugh. "I'm not sure how I got here. I should go back to my room."

"Madame I don't think it is safe for you to walk the opera house alone. Let me walk you back to your room." As Derrick says this, Carina hears something that sounds like a moan coming from the lake. She looks over to the lake and sees a shadow of a black figure of a man in a gondola.

"What is that?" Carina states as she points to the shadow.

Derrick looks over to the spot on the lake where Carina is pointing at. "I don't see anything there, Madame."

"That shadow right there" Carina says pointing at the lake. She looks back to where the shadow was just at a moment ago but there is no longer anything there. "I thought I saw…I don't know what I saw" Carina said shaking her head wondering what was happening to her. Am I going mad? The last thing I remember I was sitting in my room and then there was music… "Where did that music come from" Carina asked Derrick thinking he must have heard it to.

"Madame, there was no music" Derrick said in concern. "Are you sure you are well? Perhaps you hit your head when you fell into the lake. We should get you to a doctor…"

"No" Carina demanded, "I'm perfectly alright. I just need to get some rest."

"Then let me walk you back to your room."

Carina looks up at Derrick and then back to the lake where the figure was a moment ago. "I can my way back thank you. I am very capable of walking myself." She starts to walk up the stairs but ends up falling into Derrick's arms.

"Please, Madame you are not in the condition to be walking alone. I beg of you let me take you back."

Carina realizes that he is right and agree to let him take her back to her room. "Very well if you insist."

Derrick leads Carina back to her room. When they get there Derrick he makes sure Carina is settled back onto her bed. She starts to remember music playing all around her and she realizes that it must have put her in a trance. She watches Derrick about to open the door to leave. Scared of the thought of falling into a trance again she asks, "Derrick, will you please find someone who could stay here with me tonight? Just until I fall asleep, I want to make sure I don't go wondering off again."

Derrick turns around and looks at her, she was soaking wet from head to toe in her silk nightgown. She was shaking all over from being cold and scared. Derrick walks toward the bed and gently smiles at her. "Of course, I can stay here."

"Perhaps someone else. Madame Gabriel or…."

"It's alright Madame" Derrick assured her. "I will sit next to the door over there and leave as soon as you fall asleep."

"Thank you" Carina said uneasily. She slowly drifted to sleep as the music from earlier rang inside her head.

The Return of the Phantom 3: Opening night and Box Five

Tonight is the opening night of Carman staring Ellisa. While Carina gets ready Madame Gabriel arrives at her room with a letter. "Madame I was asked to give this to you." She hands Carina the letter than turns to leave taking a little bow. Carina opens the letter and notice that it is from Monsieur Dupuis. It reads...

"Dear Madame Carina,

It would be my honor tonight to have you as my guest at the opera. We will be in box three, the manager's box. After the performance I will introduce to the workers of the opera house. Until tonight.

Sincerely,
Monsieur Dupuis."

Carinas picks out a long delegate plan black dress. She wears her hair up in a bun with one curl hanging down on the side. It is now 19:30 and the opera starts at 20:00. She meets Monsieur Dupuis at 19:45 and he leads her to Box Three to watch the opera.

The curtains open and Ellisa begins to sing. Her voice makes Carina lose all joy in watching the opera, so she starts watching the audience expressions. After watching the audience she looks to see who occupies the boxes next to her. To her right is Box One which is being occupied by Derrick. Then Carina looks to the box on her left, Box Five, which she knows very well to be the Phantom's box. When she first looks there is no one there which doesn't surprise her, but a while later when she looks again she sees a shadowy figure of a man. "Who has rented box five for tonight", she ask Dupuis.

Dupuis looks at her in puzzlement and replies, "No one, why do you ask?"

"I thought I saw... never mind."

A while later the curtains close for intermission. Monsieur Dupuis leaves to go talk with Derrick. After sitting in the box alone for a few seconds Carina sees the shadowy figure in Box Five again and decides to go investigate it. She walks over to Box Five and notice that the door to the box is ajar. She walks into Box Five and can clearly see that there is no one there. She decides to take a seat just in case the figure comes back. She watches the rest of the opera from Box Five. As the curtain closes she stands up and gets ready to leave, but she notices that on the ledge of the balcony right in front of her is a little red rose tied with a black ribbon and a note. Carina looks around frightened wondering how they could have got there. She takes the rose and the note and run off to her room not making contact with anyone.

When she gets to her room she throws the rose on to her bed and opens the note with shaking hands. She finally get the note open and read it out loud,

"Madame, I thank you for your company at tonight's opera. I have not had visitors in my box for many years. You were a wonderful guest. I hope I did not frighten you. You are welcome to come to my box as you wish, as long as you come alone. I hope to share you company again soon. Your obedient servant and angel

OG

The Return of the Phantom 4: More Notes

The next morning Carina wakes up remembering all the events of the night before. She remembers the letter and rose. She looks on the floor and see the letter and rose lying there from the night before. But then she notices that on her desk there is yet another note and single red rose with a black ribbon tied around it. She stares blankly at them for minutes, then she slowly gets up and walks over to her desk. She picks of the letter with both hands and slowly open it. The first thing she notices is the same red ink that the other letter was written in.

"Dear Mademoiselle,
I have enjoyed your company so much last night that I would like to invite you to be my guest in box five every night of the opera. You are my only reason to go see the opera. I cannot bare to listen to Mademoiselle Ellisa, her voice, if it is possible to believe is worse than Carlotta's. I will be waiting for you every night in box five. I remand your obedient friend and angel.
Og"

Carina drops the note out of pure shock, and as fast as she could, she runs down to the stage for the rehearsal of tonight's show. While running down the grand stair case she happens to run into Derrick. "Why, Madame it is a pleasure seeing you here I was just looking for you."

"Why were you looking for me?"

He gives her a small smile and replies, "I have been wondering how you have since our first encounter when I found you by the lake. If it would please you I would like to have you as my guest for the opera tonight and we can catch up on how you are adapting to your internship here."

"I would love to", she says with a light smile. "But if you don't mind right now I have somewhere to go."

"Very well, I will be at your room at 16:30."

Carina finally arrive at the rehearsal just when Ellisa was sing the part of Carmen. Suddenly she remember the rose and note. "Oh, no the note I told Derrick I would be his guest but I can't refuse the invite in the note." After the rehearsal she walks back to the room. She sees the rose and the note and start to cry. "What can I do? I told Derrick I would be his guest, but I can't ignore the note."

It is now 15:30, Carina finally decided that she would go with Derrick to the opera for the first half, then at intermission she would go to box five. At 16:30 she hears knocks at her bedroom door. It is Derrick he is wearing an all-white tailed tux. He looks even handsomer than ever. "Are you ready Mademoiselle Carina?" She shakes her head yes. Derrick takes her hand and kisses it as he says, "You do look lovely tonight", and leads her to the box.

He leads her to Box Seven. As they enter Carina notices the box next to hers is Box Five. "Derrick is there no other box we can sit in?"

"Why? This is the best box of the house other than Box Five, and they haven't rented that out since the Opera Ghost", he says laughing.

"Why is that so funny? Box five does belong to the Opera Ghost!"

"Carina, surely you don't believe that is real." Derrick said with a laugh.

"Of course it is, haven't you read the book by Gaston Leroux?"

"That is just a story. Please don't tell me that was the reason you were at the lake your first night here" Derrick laughed, "Surely you weren't seeking out the Opera Ghost."

"How could you work here and not believe" Carina states as she storms out of the box. She cannot believe that Derrick thinks that the Phantom is just a story. She heads over to Box Five. She sits there all alone noticing Derrick in the box next to her just staring at her. Finally the show is over. Carina gets up to leave, but she notices that on the seat next to hers is a note and a rose. She smiles at seeing the note and open it as fast as she can.

"My dear Mademoiselle,
Thank you for being my guest tonight. When I saw you in box seven with that fool of a boy, I was afraid you weren't going to come. However, you did. You are wiser than you used to be. The charm of a boy cannot turn you away from your angel of music any more.
Your obedient friend,
Og"

"Yes, now I have proof, once I show this to Derrick he will have to believe me."

The Return of the Phantom 5: The Replacement

After the opera Carina rushes to find Derrick so that she can show him the note. "He will believe me once he sees this. He has to believe." She runs all around the opera house, but cannot find him anywhere. She finally goes to back to her room. She opens the door and finds Derrick waiting for her. "I been looking all over for you", she say.

"You, have? I thought you were mad at me."

"I have something to show you." Carina says handing the note to Derrick for him to read.

"My dear Mademoiselle,
Thank you for being my guest tonight. When I saw you in box seven with that fool of a boy, I was afraid you werent going to come. However, you did. You are wiser than you used to be. The charm of a boy cannot turn you away from your angel of music any more.
Your angel,
Og"

After reading it a couple of times Derrick hands it back to her with a frown on his face. "I was wrong about you. You are more of a child then I thought."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Carina, surely you do not believe this note is not from the Opera Ghost. Someone is just playing a trick on you."

"Then how did this note get into box five, when no one entered or exited that box other than myself?"

"It was most likely there the whole time but you didn't notice it." Derrick said trying to reason with her.

"Get out of here; I do not want to talk to you. You are the one being a fool not me. Get out!"

A week passed from that night and Carina has not once spoken to Derrick. She went to box five every night of the opera but never once got a note or rose from OG. She was now on her way to the rehearsal of Carmen before the last performance. When she steps on to the stage, Monsieur Dupuis runs up to her as fast as he can possible go. We have to cancel the show. It's a full house and we have to cancel", he says with an unsteady voice.

"What are you talking about? Why do we have to cancel?"

"It's Ellisa she fell sick and now we have no lead for the show."

"Surely someone can do it?"

"No one knows the part."

Derrick who overheard the conversation assuring says he, "Ellisa just has a cold and lost her voice, but she will be alright."

"Alright? She will be alright? What about the show? We have no lead."

Derrick then looks over at Carina and smiles. "Yes we do. Carina knows the part."

"What me?" Carina says in shock.

"I heard her singing it in her room. She can do it."

"You were listening to me." Carina states in disgust. "How dare you…"

"Carina, is it true" Dupuis asks, "Do you know the part?"

"Yes I did the part for my college opera last year but…"

"Alright everyone back to rehearsal. The show will go on" Dupuis shouts in delight as he runs off to start the rehearsal.

"Derrick I cannot do this. Yes, I know the part. But this is a different cast, the blocking will be different and not to mention I have no costumes. Everyone is expecting to see Ellisa tonight not some unknown intern. Its closing night there is a full house. I cannot do this."

Derrick takes her hands in his and says, "I know you can do it. I know because you have an angel of music watching over you."

"You believe me than?" Carina ask in shock.

"No, I can't believe that it is the opera ghost, but I do know that someone is watching over you. Someone is leaving you those note, now I cannot say who or why, but someone wants you to think you are being visited by the opera ghost."

"So you don't believe it?" Carina says in disappointment

"Cannot believe in it but I do believe in you. You must get ready. I know you can do it." He then kisses her hand and leaves her to get ready.

Carina was sitting in the dressing room ready to go on stage. Monsieur Dupuis knocks on the door. "Five minutes to places." Suddenly, Ellisa runs into the room. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I was...you were sick. They had to find a replacement."

"No one replaces me!" She then takes the costume away from Carina and throws it on. "I will be singing tonight not you."

Carina starts to cry and run out of the dressing room. She keeps running until she comes to the underground lake. This is where Derrick saved me from drowning. Why am I thinking about him at a time like this? He got me into this! He told Monsieur Leroux that I could do the part! He probably knew Ellisa was ok and could still sing!

"Poor Erik, so this is where he died. Drowning himself in the underground lake. The last three words of Gaston Lerouxs book, Erik is dead." Carina thinks as she looks at the lake. She then remembers her first night she came to the Opera House. "Who was that shape in the shadows?"

Carina puts one foot in the lake, and then the other. But, suddenly she hears Derrick cry out her name, "Carina, what are you doing, why are you not on stage?"

"Why am I not on stage? Like you don't know. Ellisa is on stage, she is the lead. No one can replace her", she yells while turning around to face him.

"I didn't know. I swear this morning she could not sing. If I would have known I would have never said that you could have done the part. I'm sorry. Now come on Carina let's get out of here. You need rest. For goodness sake, you are standing in an underground lake. What are you thinking? Here take my hand I will help you out."

She takes his hand and he helps her out of the lake. They both walk slowly back to her room. When they get to the room Carina turns to Derrick and start to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just that...that lake, it's where we first met." Carina really wants to say that the lake is where Erik died, but she didn't. She knew that saying it would just start an argument with Derrick. She didn't want that considering that they have not spoken to each other for a week.

"Yes, I remember. It was as if you were under a trance and was trying to drown yourself in the lake. I was scared to death I didn't know what to think or do."

"Drowning myself in the lake? Oh my goodness, that's how Erik died." Carina said in a panic remembering her first night at the Opera.

"What who's Erik?"

"You know Erik, the Angel of music, the Opera Ghost, the Phantom of the Opera."

"Carina please don't start that again." He then starts to leave the room.

Carina grabs his arm and turn him around to look at her eye to eye. "Derrick, you must believe me".

As soon as she finishes the words Monsieur Dupuis comes in. "I was looking all over for you. I had a wonderful idea. After rehearsal today I thought of how it was just like the Phantom of the Opera when Carlotta left and Christine was going to take her place in Hannibal. Of course you didn't get to replace Ellisa tonight but it gave the brilliant idea. We are going to put on the musical The Phantom of the Opera right here in this opera house. Rehearsal will start tomorrow." He then turns around and leaves.

"Put on Phantom of the Opera here, is he mad?" Carina stated in shock. "What would Erik think?"

"Well, Carina, you got your wish, you will have an angel of music here after all", says Derrick.

The Return of the Phantom 6: The Rehearsals

Carina is sitting in her room all alone after hearing the news of putting on Phantom of the Opera at the opera house. "What is he trying to do make the opera ghost mad? Am I the only one here that cares? Oh, poor Erik." She starts to head over to her desk when she notices a note and a single red rose with a black ribbon on her bed. She picks up the rose and smell its lovely fragrance. Then she pick up the note and began to read.

My dear Mademoiselle,
You were not at the opera tonight; why is this. I was waiting for you in box five all night, and you never showed up. Ellisa was worse than she ever was. And to make things worse, Monsieur Dupuis is planning to put on an opera about me. To make things worse he is having Ellisa play your part. Ellisa does not have the voice or the beauty that you possess. I will not have her play that part if it is the last thing I do. If he does not obey my orders a disaster beyond his imagination will occur. I remain your obedient friend and angel.
OG

"Poor Erik, he still Christine. After she betrayed him and ran off with Raoul he still loves her." Carina thinks she hears someone whisper Poor Erik. It seems to becoming from the mirror. She cries out to the mirror, "Who's there." However, there is no answer, so she finally decide to go to sleep.

She wakes up early the next morning for the first rehearsal of Phantom of the Opera. She heads down to the stage. While walking to the stage she passes Monsieur Dupuis's office. She stops when she hears yelling coming from the office.

"Is this some kind of joke? I am the leading soprano! What is this about that little brat Carina taking my place? She is only an intern can she even sing?" Carina recognizes the voice to be Ellisa. .She decides to listen to the conversation out the door after hearing Ellisa say her name.

"Madame, it is not real. I do not know who is sending these notes. Look I got one too."

"I know who's sending them it's that twit Carina! She plans to take my place!"

"Please Madame, calm down no one is going to replace you."

Suddenly Carina hears running coming from up the hall. She starts to run toward the sound. The running was coming from Derrick whom Carina runs into at the stage "Carina, I thought it was just a little game you were playing but this time has gone too far!"

"What are you talking about? What has gone too far?"

"This", he says throwing a note at her, "this has gone too far."

Carina picks up the note and began to read it out loud.

"Monsieur Derrick,
You are no longer to see my angel of music. She needs no distraction while she will be training with her angel of music. I advise you not to get in my way of her and my work. Your obedient friend
Og"

"What is this? Where did you get this?"

"Don't act so innocent. If you didn't want to see me you could have just told me. But no, you have to play your little game and at like it's from the opera ghost."

"Derrick I did not write that." In the midst of saying this a note falls form the catacombs above and lands in between Derrick and Carina. He picks it up and starts to read it.

"Dear Derrick,
I instructed you to leave the mademoiselle alone. I will give you one more chance. Take this as a warning. I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
OG"

He throws the note the ground and kicks it away. "What is this? Do you have any idea?"

"I told you Derrick, but you did not believe me. I'm going to the rehearsal I have a job to do"

Carina walks on stage. Monsieur Dupuis, and all the actors and dancers are already there. Dupuis was announcing the cast. Ellisa will have the part of Christine.

Great Carina think, now Eriks going to be real mad.

Ellisa starts to sing Think of Me, when suddenly a can of paint falls from the catacombs and covers her in blood red paint. She begans screaming at everything, and runs off to her room. Carina looks up at the catacombs where the paint fell from. At first she sees nothing but once she looks harder she sees a man wearing a long cape looking down at her. "Look up on the rafters", she tells Derrick.

"What are you raving about Carina? There is nothing there."

"The man in the cape, can't you see him?"

"There is no man up there."

Carina looks back up to the rafters to point out the man to Derrick but indeed there was no one there. "I have to go I don't feel so well" she says as she heads back to her room.

Derrick follows her the whole way but Carina was to shocked by all these events that she does not notice. Once Carina get to her room; she finally notices him. "What do you want? Did you followed me here?"

"I...I just wanted to make sure you are alright."

"I'm fine", she says but not really meaning it. "I've never been better."

"Carina, please," Derrick demanded. "Ever since you got here you have been acting strange. Monsieur Dupuis should have listened to me when I told him not to accept your internship. But he was so excited to have someone working her that was a fan of the history of the Opera Populaire and the Opera Ghost. But you have taken this too far Carina, leaving notes and playing these childish games!"

"It's not a game" Carina started to cry. "How dare you accuse me of this? Yes I wanted to do my internship here because I love the story of the Opera Ghost but I would never stoop this low. I have my whole career depending on this internship and I would not just throw it away like that! If you won't believe that it is indeed the Opera Ghost leaving these notes then at least believe that it is someone other than me! Now get out of me room, I don't wish to speak to anymore!"

"Carina, please…"

"I said get out!" Carina said throwing herself onto her bed in frustration.

The Return of the Phantom 7: A new sensation

Carina heads down to what will be the last rehearsal before opening of Phantom of the Opera. The whole time all she can think about is the notes from OG. "It can't be the real OG. He's dead; his been dead for many years. But who else could it be?"

As Carina was walking down the halls of the opera house; she can't help but feel like someone is watching. She starts to walk faster. Suddenly she hears singing surround her. "I am you angel of music, come to your angel of music." Carina knows that it's not coming from the rehearsal since rehearsal hasn't started and the stage is on the lower level. She keeps hearing the beautiful voice singing; "I am you angel of music, come to your angel of music." She starts to walk toward the music. She feels so relaxed, and then suddenly everything goes black.

"Carina? Carina wake up! Oh my God Carina!" She slowly opens her eyes leaning over her is Derrick. She gasps for air, and then spit out water.

"What happen? Where am I?"

"I was heading to rehearsal and I heard a splash; so I ran here to the underground lake.

You were at the bottom of the lake not moving. I jumped in to rescue you." She looks at him as if he is making no sense. Then she looks around. He was making perfect sense. There she was lying by the underground lake. It seemed all too familiar.

"The music...where was the music coming from?"

"There is no music. Carina, I think it best that you go back to your room. I will tell Monsieur Dupuis and we will have a doctor..."

"I do not need a doctor! I am not sick!" Carina slowly began to calm down, "You should be at rehearsal. I'll come with you."

He helps her up and they both walk to rehearsal soaking wet. They arrive at the door to the backstage. They are about to enter when Derrick stops, "Carian, I know you are mad at me but I was hoping. ...I was hoping that you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow after the opening. Please let me make it up to you."

Carina turned to Derrick and smiled, "I should probably say no because all of these notes and things happening."

"Well I just thought I would ask."

He starts to open the door, but she grabs him and turn him around to face her. "I will have dinner with you. After all you did save my life. But you have to believe me when I say I am not the one sending these notes."

"I do believe you" Derrick said, "I will find out who is sending them for the sake of the Opera House and for you."

Carina smiles at him trying not to laugh, "We are sure going to look silly walking into rehearsal soaking wet."

Suddenly they hear a loud bang coming from the stage; they both run in to see Ellisa lying on the ground. Monsieur Dupuis rushes over to her. "Ellisa, are you alright?"

"Am I ALRIGHT! The fly rail just fell on my arm, and you ask me if I am alright! NO I AM NOT ALRIGHT!"

Carina rushes over to help her. "Ellisa, listen to me; can you more your arm?"

.
"NO, I CANNOT MOVE MY ARM!"

Derrick runs in with the doctors .One of the doctors walks over to Ellisa and exams her arm. "She has to go to the hospital." He then gently helps her up and walks her out of the room.

The other doctor explains, "She will be alright. We believe she has some broken bones in her arm. We're taking her to the hospital for more tests."

"But the opening is tomorrow!" Dupuis states with concern.

"Well I suggest you have the understudy go on for her", the doctor says, "She will not be better by tomorrow." He then picks up his tools and follows the other doctor out.

"Understudy! We don't have an understudy!" Dupuis cries out to the doctor as he leaves. "What do we do? The opening is tomorrow and we have no Christine!"

Derrick goes over to Dupuis trying to comfort him, "We will just have to find someone else."

"There is no one else! No one else knows the part!"

"I know the part", Carina states, "I know I am just an intern her but if you just let me try I assure you the show can go on."

"Oh, God bless you child. God bless you!" Leroux turns to everyone, "We have a new Christine! Carina if you would please."

She takes in a deep breath and begins to sing.

"Think of me, think of me fondly
When we say goodbye.

Remember me once in a while please promise me you'll try."

While Carina was singing the whole room got silent; everyone was just staring at her. She finally finish the song, "So, Monsieur Dupuis, what do you think?"

"I think that this is going to be the best opening ever! Everyone back to rehearsal we open tomorrow night!"

The whole room clears out; Carina was the only one left. Suddenly a note falls to her feet. She picks it up nervously and with shaking hands. She decides not to open it there so she runs to her room. When she reaches the room she opens the note.

"Dear Mademoiselle,
I'm sorry that Ellisa got hurt. I was only trying to scare her a little. I didn't think she would get hurt. Well, I told you that Ellisa would not your part. However, they did not cancel the show. I wonder who they found to play the part. I will be watching the show from my original seat in box five. I hope you will join me there. I will be waiting for you. Your angel,
Og"

Carina puts the note on her bed and walk over to the mirror. Who is sending this? He doesn't know that I am the one replacing her. My goodness, he did this. He made the fly rail fall. What was he thinking? He could have killed someone.

It is now 18:00 of the opening night. Carina heads down to the dressing room. She is excited that her dream of playing Christine Daae is finally coming true, but she is scared all that the same time. She arrives at the dressing room, and open the door. She sees Derrick standing there in the middle of the room. He turns around and Carina sees that he is holding a dozen white roses. "This are for you"

"Thank you, but I can't take them. Derrick I can't do this." She tells him about the note she found after the accident with Ellisa.

"Carina, that means nothing. Someone is just trying to scare you. I will find out who is behind this."

"But why, why are they doing this?"

"I don't know. But, I do know that you will be great tonight." He then walks over handing her the flowers.

She takes them and smile, "I'm looking forward to the dinner with you tonight."

"So am I." Carina takes a deep breath and find her Hannibal costume. She sits in her dressing room waiting for the show to start. The time goes by so slowly. It seems like hours, but just then she hears Monsieur Dupuis say "Places everyone. Places."

Carina goes backstage where she meet with Jeni. Jeni is 22 years old, she has long dark hair, and she is playing the part of Meg Giry. For once it's like the original book; Christine has long curly blonde hair, and Meg has long almost black hair. She sees Carina coming and runs up and gives her a great big hug. They have become friends since they first met. She has always believed Carina about the Opera Ghost. Carina is so glad to see her right now. Carina met her with a hug. "Oh, am I glad to see you Jeni." Carina tells her about the latest note.

"You got another note? Carina, he said he made the fly rail fall?"

"Yes, he said he couldn't have someone with an awful voice play the part of Christine. What if he doesn't like my voice?"

"He will. Come on we are going."

The curtain rises. The auction is going on. It goes by so fast, suddenly all Carina hears is "Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago, with a little illumination, gentlemen?" The music it starts to play; it seems to go by so fast. The next thing Carina knows is that she is about to sing. She takes a deep breath and began to sing.

"Think of me, think of me fondly
When we say goodbye. Remember me,
Once in a while, please promise me youll try.
When you find that, once again, you long
And be free if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me"

She sings up to Raoul's solo. The audience loves her; she is a great success. Then suddenly she hears that voice the voice she heard the day before. She listens to it singing.

"Can it be, no it can't be ,is it really her?
My Christine has returned to me after all this time.
And now I can finish my Music of the Night."

Carina finishes singing think of me
"We never said our love was evergreen,
Or as changing as the sea but please promise me,
That sometimes you will think of me!"

Carina looks up into box five and see the same man that she saw at the first opera. She notices it looking straight at her. The play goes by so fast. It is now the scene of All I ask of You. Chelle and Marico the leading tenor are the only people on stage. Carina finally forgets about everything. Marico starts singing to her. "Christine that's all I ask of you." Then it was the kiss. They wrap their arms around each other and he leans in to kiss her. They finish the Act, as the curtain closes Carina sees the man in box five, smile down at her, and glare down at Carina and then run out of the box.

During intermission Carina goes to Jeni to tell her all that happen. "Who reserved box five, for tonight's opera?"

"Box Five? You known very well that box five have always been left open for the Opera Ghost."

"But there was a man in box five tonight." Jeni starts to laugh, "What's so funny" Carina

asks.

"You are just like Christine. Your head is always in the clouds. Not to mention how beautiful you sing and act the part. It's as if you were the real Christine."

Carina looks at Jeni in disbelief and fear, "What did you just say?"

"I said that when I was watching you it seemed like you were the real Christine." Carina looks at Jeni with great fear in her eyes. "Carina what's wrong?"

"During the song Think of Me I heard a man singing." He sang:

"Can it be, no it can't be ,is it really her?
My Christine has returned to me after all this time.
And now I can finish my Music of the Night."

"I thought nothing of it until you said that it was as if I were the real Christine."

"Carina, there's nothing to be afraid of; it was probably just one of Ellisa's friends trying to make you nervous and mess up. Now who in their right mind will be friends with her is something to be afraid of." They both laugh and headed backstage to get ready for Act II.

Suddenly Monsieur Dupuis followed by Derrick rushed backstage. "We must stop the show!"

"What" Carina asked disbelief "Why?"

"It's Marico!" Dupuis stated, "there was an accident a seat piece fell on him during the intermission they are rushing him to the hospital. We have no Raoul. We have to stop the show!"

"I can do it Monsieur" Derrick stated calmly, "I know the part."

"Are you sure that's a good idea" Carina asked in concern thinking about the man she saw in box five and wondering if he caused the accident. "Perhaps we should just cancel."

"I know the part" Derrick assured her. "The show must go on. Places everyone!"

Everything in Act II is going fine. Carina is now backstage ready to enter for The Don Juan rehearsal and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again this has always been your favorite song of Christine's. Every time Carina sings it she think of her grandfather. He died when she was in six grade. She was very excited because she was going to see Phantom for her first time ever; then her parents got a call that her grandpa had passed away. The funeral was the same day she was supposed to her Phantom but of course she went to the funeral and decide not to go see Phantom. Now every time she sings Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again she remembers him. She always told him that he would see her on the stage someday, but she never thought that he would be watching her from heaven. Carina walks on stage and soon starts singing. She sings with all of her heart; by the end of the song she has tears in her eyes. The song ends and she looks out in the audience; everyone was in awe they seemed as if they just saw and angel.

It is now the end of Act II; the whole cast is on stage for the curtain call. Everyone bows; then Monsieur Dupuis comes on stage with a bouquet of flowers. He walks over to Carina and hands her the flowers. He then addresses everyone in the house, "We have got ourselves a new Christine."

The Return of the Phantom 8: The Dinner Date

The curtain call is over and everyone rushes off stage. Carina and Derrick are the last people off. He walks her to her dressing room, "I'll meet you back here after we change out of our costumes. By the way you were great tonight."

He leaves Carina to go change out of her costume. She puts on a long black sleeveless dress, and she pulls her hair up in a loose bun. She is very excited about going out with Derrick and yet at the same time very nervous because of all the events that been happening. She wants to have a good time out, but she just can't stop thinking about the man in box five. After fifteen minutes she hears a knock on the dressing room door. She opens the door and see Derrick standing there; he is wearing a black tail tuxedo. "Are you ready Mademoiselle?"

"Yes, Monsieur." Carina takes his arm and he leads her to the main door of the opera house. He opens the door for her and they step outside. There is a horse drawn carriage waiting there for them. Carina smiles at the site; it is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. Derrick leads her up to the carriage and helps her inside.

Derrick turns to the driver and says, "To the park Monsieur." He looks over at you and smiles, "I hope you like it".

"Yes, it is wonderful. So were going to the park?"

"You'll have to wait dear Mademoiselle. By the why you look ravishing."

"Thank you"' Carina says smiling and trying not to blush. "It is wonderful out tonight."

"Yes, and I could think of no other way to spend it other than with you."

They arrive at the park; Derrick takes Carina's hand and helps her out of the carriage. Derrick leads her to the center of the park. There in the middle of the park is a candle light table set up for two. Derrick walks over to the table and pulls the chair out for her, "Your seat, Mademoiselle."

"This is for us", Carina never had anyone do something like this for her it was as if it were out of a dream. They sit down at the table. He raises his hand and a waiter comes over to them and hands them a menu. They look at the menu as the waiter walks away and then Carina looks up at Derrick, "I didn't know there were waiters working at the park", she says jokingly. "I hired them from one of the finest restaurants of Paris. "It's the least I could do after how I accused you of writing those notes. I want to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you for the note. I knew it wasn't you, but I had no other explanation for it." Derrick says

"Derrick, you don't have to apologies. I probably would have thought the same thing if I were you."

"Well, are you ready to order?" Derrick ask trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I believe so." Derrick motions to the waiter. Carina orders Fettuccini Alfredo and Derrick orders Lasagna and a glass of white wine. Several minutes pass and the waiter comes out with their food and the wine. They both eat their meal; it is the best meal they ever tasted. Once they are done with their meal Derrick takes Carina's hand and leads her to another part of the park.

"I heard that if this show is a success that Monsieur Dupuis is going to throw a masquerade at the Opera House. It will be first masquerade they had in centuries", Derrick says.

"A masquerade would be quite lovely, I bet the last time they had one was when Erik and Christine were still alive."

"Yes, well I was hoping that perhaps you would like to go with me that is if they have one".

"I would have to think about that Monsieur Derrick. But, right now let's focus on tonight. What else does it have in store?"

They continue walking through the park when they start to hear the sound of water and music playing ahead. At the end of the park they see a lake; on the lake is a gondola. Derrick takes Carina's hand and helps her on to the gondola. Derrick then sits down next to her the rower of the gondola starts off; the whole time he is singing French Arias. It all reminds Carina of an old romance movie. The night couldn't get any better. There are stars shining down from the dark night sky; and the singing in the background. They ride the gondola all around the lake and then it drops them off where they first started.

They walk back to the carriage and then ride back to the opera house. At the opera house Derrick leads Carina up to the roof top. "This is the spot the real Christine and Raoul came to the night of the masquerade."

"Yes, I know. It's wonderful. I never imagined that this could ever happen to me. I mean first to get to play the part of Christine, but to make it better I get to play the part here at the very Opera house that all of it took place in."

Derrick looks over at Carina and notices that she is shivering. "Are you cold we can go back in if you like?"

"No, I want to stay. It's just a little chilly up here. But, I want to stay it's so beautiful."

"Here put this on", he takes off the jacket of his tux, and puts it around her shoulders. They then just stand there in each other's arms for several minutes. It's as if there is nothing else in the world at that time other than them.

Several minutes pass; they both decide that it's time to go back in. Derrick and Carina walk down all the stair cases that lead to her room. When they arrive at her room Derrick opens the door for her. "I hope you had a wonderful time tonight, Carina."

"I did very much. Everything was lovely." Carina stated with a smile, "by the way Derrick, I do forgive you."

"You are lovely Madamoiselle", Carina tries to say something but Derrick puts his finger up to her lips to stop her. He then slides his hand over to her cheek and leans in to kiss her. Carina closes her eyes and just stand there letting him kiss her. After he kisses her he turns to leave, "Goodnight my dear Carina."

Carina calls after him, "Derrick, I would love to go to the masquerade with you; that is if there is one." She then throw her arms around him and kiss him again.

Derrick finally leaves; the night was prefect nothing could make it go wrong. Carina turns into her room and walks over to the bed. There on the bed she sees a single red rose with a black ribbon tied around it and a note. Carina picks up the note with very shaky hands; she is afraid to open it. She finally get the nerve and open it.

"Dear Mademoiselle,
You were a sensation tonight. Tonight you gave your soul. Your soul is very beautiful, my child, and I thank you. No emperor every received such a gift! The angels wept tonight. (Gaston Lerouxs Phantom pg. 24) If you have not heard already Monsieur Dupuis is going to be holding a masquerade after the show on closing night. I would be waiting for you by the grand stair case. I will be wearing a full black mask that covers the top of my face and a dark blue suit with a matching cape. Meet me there at 22:00. I will be waiting for you my dear. Your angel, OG."

The Return of the Phantom 9: Masquerade

A week has passed since opening night. It is now the last night of the performance. There is to be a Masquerade follow the opera. Carina has decided that she would go to the masquerade and look for the man that has sent her the note and if no one shows then she will meet up with Derrick. Since her date with Derrick she has tried to avoid him because she was afraid that if she is around him that she might fall in love.

Carina is now in her dressing room after the performance. Jeni is there also so that they can get ready together. Jeni wears a lavender long A-line ball gown and has her hair tied back in a French twist bun. Carina decides to wear a two piece navy blue strapless dress which ties up in the back. She pulls her hair up in loose curls on the top of her head. "So Carina, are you going to the masquerade with Derrick?"

"I'm not sure; I was going to try to see if the mysterious guy leaving all the notes shows up. He sent me a note about a week ago saying that he will be waiting for me by the grand stair case."

"So you don't believe that Erik is the one sending you the notes anymore?"

"Of course I believe it. I just want to make sure" but Carina really didn't know what to believe. There is no reasonable explanation on how the notes could have appeared out of nowhere, but at the same time she knew that the Opera Ghost has been dead and inactive for many years.

Carina and Jeni finish getting ready for the masquerade. It is now 20:45 and the masquerade starts at 21:00. They head down to the grand stair case at the entrance of the opera house. The place is decorated in gold, silver, and white ribbons and streamers everywhere. There are people everywhere waiting for the masquerade to start. Carina and Jeni stand to the right of the stair case. Carina looks around everywhere but does not see a man in a dark blues suit and cape and a full black mask.

It is now 21:15 Monsieur Dupuis is making his way down the stair case, "Welcome everyone. I thank you all for coming it is going to a fabulous night. I will not make you wait any longer. Let the masquerade began." Right as he is saying this, the song Masquerade from Phantom is starting to play. Everyone starts to dance.

Jeni sees the other ballet girls and runs over and introduces Carina to all of them. They are all very nice and bubbling with life. They decide to all go find people to dance with. Carina is about to go with them, after all; she did come here to dance.

She starts to follow the girls, but then she hears a familiar singing voice. "I am you angel of music, come to your angel of music." She looks over in the direction of the voice. It is coming from the grand stairs case. There on the middle of the grand stairs case is a man wearing a dark blue suit, a full black mask and a long flowing cape. Carina walks toward the man and he sees her, but he then turns around and starts up the grand stair case. Carina decides to follow him, he leads her up the grand stair case and down a long dark hall Carina never seen before. Every so often he turns to her as if he was making sure she was still following him. The whole time he is singing "I am you angel of music, come to your angel of music." It is the most beautiful voice she've ever heard; it's as if it is the voice of an angel.

They have come to the end of the hall; there at the end of the hall is a single door. The man opens the door and walks in. Carina starts to get a little scared and wonders if she should head back to the masquerade, but she hears his voice and she is drawn to it. She walks into the room; when she enters there is no one there but her. She looks around and see a table in the center of the room. There are four items on this table: a wedding vial, a wedding dress, a note, and what looks like an old book. Carina goes over to the table to get a closer look at the items. The vial and wedding dress look like they are from the late 1800s. The front of the note say My dear Christine in blood red ink; she notices that it is the same hand writing of all the notes she has received since she came to the Opera house. Carina looks at the last item; it is an opera. It seems to an original copy. She opens the first page with great care; there on the first page is the words Don Juan Triumphant it is written in blood red ink and the same hand writing.

How can this be? What does this all mean? That opera is centuries old and yet it is written in the same hand writing as the notes I been getting since I came to this place. Carina thinks as see looks at all the items

Carina is now scared and doesn't know what to think. She decides to get out of this room and back to the masquerade. She turns around to go out the door, but standing there in the door way is the man with a full black mask and a long cape. He is very tall and has short brown almost black hair; he was very handsome from what Carina could see. Without a word he walks over to the table and picks up the vial. He then walks up behind Carina and places the vial on her head, "I knew you would return to your angel."

"Who are you", she asks in fear and wanting answers, "and what do you want with me?"

"Have you forgotten your angel?" He then wraps his arm around her waist and whispers in her ear, "I gave you my music. Help me make the music of the night."

Carina is now very scared and not sure what to do or think. She can only say one word, "Erik".

He turns her around to face him, and he can see the fear in her eye, "So you remember."

"Who are you and why are doing this? Is this some sort of joke?" Carina starts to cry out of fear and confusion.

He wipes away her tear, "Don't cry my child; I do not want to hurt you. I've waited so long for you to return to me. You must love me." He then wraps his arms around her and pulls her in close to him. He leans in to kiss her, and they hear the door open. They turn toward the door and see Derrick standing there.

Derrick eyes widen "What is this?"

The Return of the Phantom 10: Is it really the Opera Ghost

Derrick screams out in frustration "What is this?" He looks at Carina and then at the table, "What is all of this, and why are you here and all alone?"

"Alone? But, I'm not alone", Carina looks around the room and see that Derrick is right; she is the only person in the room. "Where did he go?"

"Who? Carina what are you talking about?"

"He was just here", Carina looks all around the room, and then she notices something that wasn't there before. Sitting on the table is a single red rose with a black ribbon tied around it, and another note.

She walks over to the table and take the rose, the notes, and the opera, and then she runs out the door. She runs all the way to her room. When she gets to her room she throws all the stuff on her bed. She then takes the first note addressed 'My Dear Christine' and open it. She starts to read it very slowly..

"My Dear Christine,
I knew you would return to me. You could not escape the music of the night. You will be mine once again. Your angel
Og"

Carina throws the note across the room in disbelief. She then opens up the other note with great nervousness. She doesn't know what to expect; she just was hoping for something to explain what is happening.

"My child,
Why were you so frightened? Have you forgotten your angel? And, who was that boy? I had you back and he had to interfere. I will not let you get away again. You must love me. Your angel of music.
Og"

"What does this mean? Could this really be from the Opera Ghost, and does he believe I'm really Christine?"

Carina grabs the two notes and runs out of the room to go find Jeni. She finds Jeni in the corps de ballet dorm rooms. She runs up to Jeni throwing her arms around her and sobbing. "Carina, what's wrong?"

"It's him", she says trying to hold back tears, "it's really him."

"What are you talking about? Who's him?"

Carina explains everything that happen; seeing the man by the grand stair case, following him to the strange room, the items on the table, and Derrick walking in as the man disappears. Carina then give her the two notes and she reads them in disbelief. "It can't actually be the ghost of the opera ghost, Carina, can it?"

"What else could it be? There is no reasonable explanation for any of it."

"Carina, we are going to find out what is causing all of this. I will help you find out if it is the last thing I do."

Carina decides to show Jeni the room that the mysterious man led her to. They walk down the long hallway and arrive at the door to the room. They slowly open the door and walk in. There was the table in the middle of the room. The vial and wedding dress were still sitting there. Carina dares not go near it, so Jeni decides to walk up to the table. "Carina is this picture of you?" she holds up an old black and white photo of a lady in a wedding dress and vial. Carina takes the picture from Jeni and look at it; in the picture there is a girl that has long curly blond hair and looks a lot like Carina. The girl is wearing the same wedding dress and vial that is on the table.

"What is this? Who is this girl? She looks just like me!" Carina turns the picture over to look at the back and drop it suddenly out of fear.

"Carina what's wrong? What is it", Jeni bends down to pick up the picture. She then turns it over to read the back of it. There in red letters it says My Christine. "OMG, she looks just like you. You could be twins."

Carina takes the picture and runs out of the room crying. She rushes back to her room as fast as possible. When she gets there she throws herself onto her bed crying. "How can this be possible? It doesn't make any sense." Carina takes the notes, picture, and the original copy of Don Juan Triumphant and throws it at the mirror as hard as she can.

The mirror then seems to start to turn a little. Carina walks over to it and pushes on it. The mirror then turns on a pivot. "OMG, this is the mirror from the story. This is Christine's old dressing room!" Carina grabs her long black velvet cloak and throw it on. She takes a deep breath and then walk through the opening behind the mirror.

The mirror quickly closes behind her. It is pitch black and she can see nothing. She tries to feel for the wall but suddenly she doesn't have to because candles light up all along the wall. Then she hears a familiar voice sing, "I am your angel of music, come to your angel of music." A man wearing all black and a full black mask covering the top half of his face comes walking toward Carina. He reaches out for her and she faints with him catching her in his arms.

The Return of the Phantom 11: The Underground Lair

Carina awakes to find herself laying on a chaise lounge in a simple little bedroom with an ordinary mahogany bed. It was lighted by a lamp standing on the marble top of an old Louis-Philippe chest of drawers. She recognized the room as the Louis-Philippe room in Gaston Leroux's book. On the chest she sees a note written in familiar red ink.

"My dear Christine,
There is no need for you to worry about your fate. You have no better or more respectful friend in the world than I. Your angel of music will take you under his wings. We shall make the music of the night once again.
Your angel,
OG"

Carina hears music coming from the other room. She opens the door and walk into the drawing room. There was the man playing beautiful music on an old pipe organ. He hears her open the door and quickly turns around to face her, "Christine, welcome you must remember my underground home. Come let us sing; let us make sweet music of the night."

"I know who you are; I know everything about you. You are Erik the poor and tortured soul. You are the Opera Ghost; you are a famous legend that has been told and retold for many years."

"So you remember poor Erik; do you Christine?"

Carina is so scared, confused, and angry by now that she does not know what she is about to say, "I am not Christine", the words came out of her mouth before she could even do anything.
She sees the sorrow build up in Erik's eyes, "I do not understand."

"My name is Carina Nillson. I am 21 years old and I am an intern here at the opera house. I am not Christine."

"But you are just like her; your looks, your voice, your personality; everything about you is just like her." He turns back to the organ and starts to play the most depressing song. Carina has heard this song before it came to in a dream before. She began to sing..

"I never felt this way before everyday I feel it more and more
It's hard to explain how I feel perhaps I don't really know
Anyway it doesn't really matter
Why do I even bother,
When you don't feel the way I do
My heart will cry for you, I'll die for you But still you don't understand how I feel I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world
And still that won't matter So why do I even bother
When you don't feel the way I do

My heart bleeds inside it's getting harder and harder to hide
Why can't you see the pain I have are you blinded by this world
Oh well, it doesn't really matter
So why do I even bother
When you don't feel the way I do

My heart will cry for you, I'll die for you
But still you don't understand how I feel
I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world
And still that won't matter
So why do I even bother
When you don't feel the way I do

Why can't you see the way I feel? Is it so hard to understand?
How can you be so blind? This world is corrupting your mind
Who cares it doesn't really matter
Why do I even bother
When you don't feel the way I do

My heart will cry for you, I'll die for you
But still you don't understand how I feel
I will cry for you, cry a river or two
A river that can flood this world,
and still that won't matter
So why do I even bother
When you don't feel the way
Oh, that wouldn't matter so why do I bother
When you don't feel the way I do
Why don't you feel the way I do?"

Erik stops playing and looks at Carina in bewilderment, "Where did you hear this?"

"I wrote it. It came to me in a dream before and I just made up the lyrics." Carina looks at Erik and can tell that hearing this brought pain to his heart. "How do you know this song?"

"I wrote that song the day after", he said the next few words with extreme pain, "Christine left me for that insolent boy Raoul." He began to cry and turned to hide his tears from Carina.

She walks up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Erik, you are not alone anymore. I'm here. Be my angel of music", Carina starts to cry. She tries to hold back the tears but she can't. She has always dreamed of meeting Erik but she never believed that it would actually happen; in fact she never even thought it to be possible.

Erik then turns to her and wipes away her tears." Don't cry my child. I will teach you everything I know. You just have to promise me one thing."

"What is it I have to promise?"

"You have to devote yourself entirely to me and your work. You will be great. Everyone will worship you; you will be greater than Christine. You must promise me this."

"I promise", he touches her cheek with his hand. It is very cold just like she expected a ghost's touch to be.

"We will start your lessons tomorrow; I will meet you in your room. Now you must go back. That fool who runs my theatre will be missing you." He walks Carina back through the passage way that leads to the mirror. "Here we are Miss. Carina"

He turns to leave, "Erik, wait?", he turns to face her again; Carina stands on her tip toes and lean in to kiss him on the cheek right below his full black mask that covers the upper part of his face. "Thank you Erik, My Angel of Music."

Erik walks back to his underground house and begins to play the most lovely and music ever. "She agreed to let me give her lessons. She even thanked me for it." He then touches his cheek and smiles for the first time since Christine left him. "She kissed me; without fear she kissed me. She even knew the sad song I wrote the day Christine left. How could she know that song, and why is she so much like my Christine?"

The Return of the Phantom 12: The Lessons Begin

Every night at 21:00, Carina has secret lessons in her room with Erik. She has devoted everything to these lessons; nothing else seemed to matter. A week has pasted since her first meeting with Erik; everyone was starting to get worried about the secret life she was now living.

Carina is now sitting alone in her room waiting for her angel of music. It is now 20:55 and there is no sign of Erik. She was about to walk to the passage behind the mirror when she suddenly hear a knock at your door. "Carina, are you in there? Come on open up the door. You have closed yourself to everyone this week. Carina?" She recognize the voice of her old dear friend Jeni and she open the door.

"Jeni, I can't talk now. I...I have to get to my lessons."

"Lessons, what lessons? Carina what are you talking about. You have closed yourself off from everyone this past week. What is becoming of you?"

"I have been taking lessons from a great teacher. I promised that I would devote myself only to my work."

"Carina, you are talking in riddles and it's not like you", Jeni takes her hand and is now pledging with her, "Please, tell me what's going on. I'm worried for you."

"I can't; at least not now. You must leave I have to get to my lessons."

Jeni looks at in disgust and disbelief; then she turns to leave. Carina locks the door behind her to make sure no one can come in. She then goes to the mirror and open it to take the passage down to Erik's underground house.

She walks down the dark halls and stairs to the fifth cellar. As she gets to the lake she can see that Erik is there waiting for her. "You are late my child." He helps her into the gondola and takes her to his house. Erik opens the front door and leads her into the drawing room. He then walks over and takes a seat at the organ. "Monsieur Dupuis is planning to put on Faust here at the Opera."

"Yes, I have heard it. I was planning to try for the part of Marguerite."

"No, you are not ready", he then starts to play the organ, "you need more time."

"And how long do I need? How long must I isolate myself from the world? I have come a secret person this last week; I don't even recognize myself."

"You promised to devote yourself entirely to me and your work."

Carina begins to cry and she goes over to the organ and throws the music to the floor, "I miss my life, and I miss my friends. I had to lie to Jeni tonight. She came looking for me right before lessons. She is worried for me. I cannot go on lying to everyone like this. I even have to lie to myself; I keep telling myself that this is real, but it is not. For goodness sake you're not real; you're a ghost."

"A ghost; I'm a ghost", He gets up and walks over to Carina and looks at her right in the eye; "Yes I am a ghost. Let's just see how much of a ghost I can be!" He then vanishes in a cloud of smoke right before her eyes. She can hear his laughter echoing all around her.

"Stop it, Erik; please stop it."

"What's wrong my child; are you scared? Yes, everyone is scared of Poor Erik. Christine was afraid of my hideous face and you are afraid of my ghost. When will you learn?" He then reappears in front of Carina. "Why can't you understand? Why must everyone hate Erik?" He falls to the floor and starts sobbing.

"I never hated you", Carina kneels down in front of him and look into his eyes, "I care for you. I have loved you since I first heard your story. I always said that I couldn't understand why Christine left you." She looks at his black mask that is covering the upper half of his face. "Show me your face without fear."

"You will run from me just like Christine. I will only frighten you."

"Erik, show me your face without fear!" Carina slowly reaches for the mask and remove it from his face. She wants to look away, but she can't. She just stare into this face; this face that looks like death staring back at her.

She just sit there in silence staring into Erik's face. Then she hears a voice inside her head, "He might be ugly and evil at times but I love him. I don't know why but I do I love him." Carina remembers telling that to all her friends when they would ask her why she loved The Phantom of the Opera so much. And now she was here with him looking into his hideous face and she can't help to smile.

"Why are you smiling? Must you mock me?"

"No, it's just that, I dreamed of this so much, but I never believed that it could ever happen." Carina picks up his masks and hand it back to him. He takes it from her and quickly puts it back on his face. He then stands up and helps her to her feet.

He walks her back to her room. "It is late my child you should get some rest", He puts her into her bed and pulls the covers over her; "I will see what I can do about you having the part of Marguerite. You don't have to be a secret child anymore; the world will love you." He bends over and kisses her forehead and then disappears threw the mirror.

"Erik wait", he appears back in front of her "I was wondering if it would be alright to tell Jeni about my lessons with you?"

"You may tell Jeni, but nobody else."

"I love you my angel of music." He smiles at her and then disappears through the mirror.

The next day Carina wakes up early to tell Jeni about her lessons with Erik. She gets ready and heads down to the corps de ballet dorms. Everyone is getting ready for the audition for Faust. Carina finds Jeni in the back room pulling her hair in a tight ballet bun. Carina grabs Jeni by the arm and lead her to a room where they can talk about Erik without being over heard. "Jeni, I'm going to tell you about my new teacher, but you must promise not to tell anyone about it."

"Carina, why must it be a secret?"

"Because no one must know about him. They won't believe in it any way."

"You are talking in riddles again. Just tell me what is going on."

"I've been taking lessons from the angel of music."

"What do you mean by the angel of music?"

"You know the angel of music, the opera ghost, the phantom of the opera, Erik; he's been giving me lessons. Every night he comes to my room and gives me lessons."

"Carina, Erik is dead. You must be dreaming"

"He is real. Jeni, I've seen him. I've been to his underground house in the fifth cellar. I saw his face! It was the most hideous face; it was the face of death itself. I saw it and I wasn't scared. I just sat there looking into his eyes. I couldn't help but to feel sorry for him."

"Carina, Erik is dead. You couldn't have possibly seen him."

"I did see him. I thought you out of all people would believe me."

"Come on Carina we have to get to the auditions."

The auditions lasted for about two hours. Right after the auditions Derrick comes up to Carina looking concerned. "Jeni told me about your so called lessons with the angel of music."

"It's none of your business. She had no right to tell you", she says in disgust and anger.

"Carina, there is no angel of music. Erik's been dead for centuries."

"He is dead, I know, but his ghost has been giving me lessons."

"His ghost? Carina, I thought we were done with this game, listen to yourself; you are making no since. You're not thinking clearly. You need to get away from the opera house for a little while. Let me take you out tonight."

"No Derrick the angel is very strict. I promised to only devote myself to him and my work. I must go now and cannot leave my angel waiting."

Carina goes back to her room and follow the passage behind the mirror down to Erik's underground house. She stays there for weeks devoting yourself only to his music. Meanwhile, back at the opera house everyone is getting ready for the opera of Faust which Ellisa will be playing the part of Marguerite. No one is concerned for Carina considering that she left a note with Monsieur Dupuis saying that she was taking a vacation. It is now the night before the opening of Faust; Erik starts to play the aria that Marguerite sings and tells Carina to sing the part. After she finishes singing it, Erik gets up and writes two letters in red ink; one addressed to Monsieur Dupuis and the other to Ellisa. He then turns to Carina and says, "You are going to play the part of Marguerite or Faust will be performed in a house with a curse on it."

The Return of the Phantom 13: Faust

Carina wakes up early the next morning. She gets ready and open her door to leave. Madame Gabriel is there waiting for her. "Carina, Monsieur Dupuis wants to talk to you."

"Is everything alright? I haven't done something wrong have I?"

"No dear, you haven't done anything wrong", she leads Carina to Monsieur Dupuis's office. As they walk up to the door, Carina can hear that there is somebody already in his office yelling about something. She opens the door and see Ellisa there waving a note around in the air in a very angry state of being. Carina walks up to Monsieur Dupuis avoiding Ellisa as much as possible, "You wanted to see me Monsieur?"

"Yes Carina, I have received a note stating that this house will be cursed tonight if you do not sing the part of Marguerite. It is signed OG", he hands her the note and immediately she can tell that it is indeed from Erik.

"She is the one who is behind this. This little brat wants to take over my career!" Ellisa grabs Carina's arm and throws her aside. "I'm warning all of you, no curse can stop me. I will sing tonight curse or no curse!" She grabs her purse and storms out the door.

"Carina, this better not be one of your doings."

"Monsieur Dupuis, you don't believe I have anything to do with this do you?"

He looks at Carina and laughs, "No, I dont. And even if I did I don,t blame you for wanting Ellisa out. She sings like a toad."

"A house with a curse on it. What is Erik going to do? I must talk to him." Carina heads to her room and opens the door. Derrick is there waiting for her. "Carina, I was looking for you. I was hoping that you would like to be my guest at the opera tonight."

"You know very well that is not possible Derrick."

"Carina, when are you going to come back to reality?"

"I will be attending the opera with my Angel of Music in box five. You know that I have devoted myself only to him and my work."

"Erik is dead! He is a ghost a monster. You said yourself that he has the head of death."

"This is why I can't leave him. I've seen his face; it is the most horrifying face. How can I escape from that face? That face could kill; who knows what he will do to me if I ever leave. So I must stay with him; he needs me. That poor tutored and misunderstood man. If only you knew Derrick, if only you knew."

"Can't you see what he is doing to you? You are his prisoner, and yet you act as if you love this Erik."

"I do love him! I do love him."

"Fine then; be happy as the Phantom's Bride. Go marry that ghost! Is that what you want? Don't you get it you can't be with him; he is dead. He cannot make you happy. He's a ghost for heaven sake," he looks at her; he sees that she are trying to hold back tears, "I pray God open up your eyes before you land in Hell with that Erik."

Carina tries so hard to fight back tears, but she can't. She knows that what Derrick says is true; Erik is dead, he is a ghost; she cannot be with a ghost. Deep down inside she knows that being with Erik can only end in heart break.

Carina opens the secrete passage way behind the mirror. She throws on her long black cloak head down Erik's underground house. She can hear very sad and haunting music as she gets closer to the house. She opens the door and enter into the drawing room. Low and behold, Erik is there playing the organ. He will stop every once in a while to write notes on an old book Carina recognizes as the copy of Don Juan Triumphant. She walks up behind Erik and start to sing along with the music. Erik suddenly stops playing and turns to her. "You should not sing of this music; it is not finished yet. When I have finished, I shall take it away with me in that coffin and never wake up again."

"You must work on it as seldom as you can. I do not want you to go away and never wake up."

"I been lurking around the Paris Opera House for centuries, my dear child. I only wish to someday be able to rest in peace. Go now, you must get ready for the opera."

Carina goes back to her room. "Rest in peace, what does he mean by that? Will you actually go away and never come back?" Carina cannot bare the sound of that. She does not know what she will do without her angel of music. He gave her everything; he made her song take wing, and now he is talking about going to bed and never waking up; about resting in peace. Caroma tries to push all this from her head. She decides to take a shower and go get ready for the opera.

It is now a half-hour before the curtain opens for Faust. Carina is now getting nervous because Ellisa is performing the part of Marguerite, and she knows that Erik said that is she did that part then, they will be performing Faust in a house with a curse on it. Carina finishes getting ready and head down to Box Five.

The curtain rises; the first act passed without incident, which is not a surprise for Carina considering that Ellisa does not sing in this act. The second act starts Ellisa makes her entrance for the King of Thule. She flung herself into her part without restraint or modesty. Everyone loved her and her debut with Faust seemed about to bring her a new success, when suddenly a terrible thing happened.
Faust had knelt on one knee:
`Let me gaze on the form below me,
While from yonder ether blue
Look how the star of eve, bright and tender,
lingers o'er me,
To love thy beauty too!'

And Margarita replied:

Oh, how strange!
Like a spell does the evening bind me!
And a deep languid charm
I feel without alarm
With its melody enwind me
And all my heart subdue.'

At that moment history repeated itself; Ellisa had croaked like a toad just like Carlotta had done. There was an uproar in the audience. Everyone was in shock; everyone but Carina. She knew what was happening; it was Erik. He warned them that if Ellisa sang there would be a curse on the house, so she just sat there and watched. Ellisa kept singing in disbelief.

I feel without alarm...
I feel without alarm - co-ack!With its melody enwind me - co-ack!
And all my heart sub - co-ack!'

Now the whole house broke in a loud uproar. Carina just sat there in her seat praying to God that Erik would not go far enough to bring down the chandelier. But then she heard it; she heard his voice trumpeting over the whole house

"She is singing to-night to bring the chandelier down!"

Carina raised her head up toward the chandelier and uttered a terrible cry. The massive, glorious chandelier was slipping down, at the call of Erik's voice. Released from its hook, it plunged from the ceiling and came smashing down into the middle of the stalls, among thousands of shouts of terror. There was one shout that covered them all those. It was the shout that came from Carina. "Erik, no", it echoed through the house.

The Return of the Phantom 14: Realizing the Truth

Carina runs out of box five not knowing what to do. There was confusion everywhere; people where running around asking for answers. There were so many different stories being told on how the chandelier fell. But, only one person knew the truth; that person was Carina. No matter what people said she knew that it was Erik who made it happen. Erik warned them that there would be a curse on the house if Ellisa sang tonight, but no one believed it. No one believed that the opera ghost has returned but this time he was a real ghost.

Carina tried to get away from the madness, from the screams of terror, but it was everywhere. It came from every direction, surrounding her; she couldn't escape. She started to run down the hallways of the opera house but the screaming echoed in her head. Then suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "Carina", she turned around to find Derrick.

Carina throws herself into his arms crying, "It's him, I know it; it is him!"

"Carina, you must come with me to Monsieur Dupuis office. Everyone has been told to go there so we can figure out the significant of these happenings."

"I've told you the significant! It's Erik; he made Ellisa croak just like he made Carlotta croak. He made the chandelier tonight fall just like he did the night Carlotta croak."

"Carina, there is no Erik; no Phantom of the Opera." As Derrick is saying these words they hear the sound of laughing. It wasn't any ordinary laughing; it was the laughing of a mad man. "What is that; who's there?" Derrick asks turning around to see if there is anyone else there.

"It's Erik. He's here the Phantom of the Opera!"

"There is no..." suddenly Erik appears behind Derrick with the Punjab Lasso in his hands.

"Erik, NO!" Derrick turns around just in time to stop the Punjab Lasso from getting thrown around his neck.

"We meet at last", Erik says bowing at Derrick, "So you are the one trying to steal Carina away from her angel of music."

Derrick stares at Erik with anger in his eyes, "Who do you think you are", he asks.

"I am Erik, the Angel of Music, the Opera Ghost, The Phantom of the Opera; surely you have heard of me."

"There is no Phantom...", but before he could finish the sentence, Erik had put the Punjab Lasso around his neck; ready to pull the rope tighter.

"Erik stop it! Leave me alone; leave us alone!" Carina grabs the Punjab and quickly helps to get off Derricks neck. "I'm not Christine. I never will be."

"But my dear you may not be Christine, but you are her relative."

"No, that...that's impossible."

"Is it Carina? You look just like her; you have her voice. You are just like her. You are her great-great-etc.-granddaughter."

Carina stands there in shock and silence; then she finally pushes her way pass Erik and Derrick. She runs as fast as she can to her room. When she gets there she throws herself on to the bed sobbing her eyes out. "This can't be happening. I always dreamed about being Christine in The Phantom of the Opera..."

"But you never imagined that it could really happen", she turn around to see who has finished her sentence. There standing in her door way was the one person she did not want to see; there was Erik.

"What do you want with me?" She cannot hide her feelings anymore; she is sad, mad, and confused all at the same time, and everything she does shows it.

"Carina you must love me."

"I did love you; I always have", she says with all so much pain in her voice, "but how can I love you now; after all that you done? You made Ellisa croak, you made the chandelier crash, and you tried to Punjab Derrick. How am I supposed to love that? How do you expect me to love a monster", these last few words slipped out of her mouth before she realized what she just said.

"A monster; is that what you think of me. I'll show you a monster", Erik throws off his mask and grabs Carina's face and pulls it up to his so they are looking eye to eye, "Feast your eyes, sate your soul with my cursed ugliness! You must know that I'm made entirely of death, from head to foot, and that it's a corpse that loves you, adores you, and will never leave you never!"

"I've seen your face before; it is not your face that scares me." Carina began to sing, "This haunted face holds no horror for me now, it's in your soul that the true distortion lies."

At these words Erik vanishes leaving Carina alone in her thoughts. All she can feel now is terror and sadness. Terror of what just happened and sadness that she may have made Erik leave her for good. Even though she didn't want to admit to it, she loved Erik. She always has and she always will. She has finally realized the truth. She was his prisoner; a prisoner of love.

The Return of the Phantom 16: The End of the Phantoms Opera

It is now the night of Don Juan Triumphant Carina decide to present Erik's opera in hopes of making him forgive her; Carina is back stage in her Aminta dress ready to enter for the song The Point of no Return. She watches as the chorus sings. "Serve the meal and serve the maid! Serve the master so that, when tables, plans and maids are laid, Don Juan triumphs once again!"

Michel as Don Juan emerges from behind the arch as Jeni, as a gypsy dancer, pirouettes coquettishly for him. He throws her a purse and she catches it and leaves. Michel then begins to sing..

Don Juan (Michel): "Passarino, faithful friend, once again recite the plan."
Passarino: "Your young guest believes I'm you-I, the master; you the man."
Don Juan (Michel): "When you met you wore my cloak, with my scarf you hid your face. She believes she dines with me, in her masters borrowed place! Furtively, well scoff and quaff, stealing what, in truth, is mine. When it's late and modesty starts to mellow, with the wine"
Passarino: "You come home! I use your voice slam the door like crack of doom!"
Don Juan: "I shall say: come hide with me! Where, oh, where? Of course my room!"
Passarino: "Poor thing hasn't got a chance!"
Don Juan: "Here's my hat, my cloak and sword. Conquest is assured, if I do not forget myself and laugh."

Michel exits behind the curtained alcove where the bed awaits. Carina enters as Aminta singing happily. "No thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her heart, but dreams of love!"

She takes off her cloak and sits down, looking around. There is no one there so she start on an apple. Meanwhile we hear Passarino and Don Juan singing from off stage.

Passarino: "Master?"
Don Juan: "Passarino go away! For the trap is set and waits for its prey"
Don Juan pretending to be Passarino emerges. He now wears Passarino's robe, the cowl of which hides his face. He begins to sing

"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent, silent."

Carina recognizes that voice; it is not the voice of Michel. No, it is the voice of the one she loves; the voice of her angel of music; the voice of Erik. He continues to sing; every word draws her further into a trance.

"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge in your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me now you are here with me: no second thoughts, you've decided, decided.
Past the point of no return no backward glances: the games we've played till now are at an end..

Past all thoughts of if or when no use resisting: abandon thought, and let the dream descend
What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door? What sweet seduction lies before us?
Past the point of no return, the final threshold what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn? Beyond the point of no return"

Carina as Aminta begin to sing. Her voice is more beautiful and radiant than ever before
"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry, to that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence. I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining defenseless and silent and now I am here with you: no second thoughts, I've decided, decided..

Past the point of no return no going back now: our passion-play has now, at last, begun Past all thoughts of right or wrong one final question: how long should we two wait, before were one?
When will the blood begin to race, the sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last, consume us?"

Erik joins in and they finish singing the song together
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn We've passed the point of no return"

The curtain falls leaving the two of them standing in the middle of the stage; facing each other and looking each other in eye to eye. The audience is clapping and cheering loudly as the rest of the cast joins Erik and Carina for the curtain call. The curtains rise to revile the entire cast on stage. Erik and Carina as Don Juan and Aminta step forward to take their final bow. Erik then turns Carina toward him saying, "I will always love you" and he takes her in his arms and kisses her. But as soon as he kisses her, he vanishes. Everyone is in shock. Monsieur Dupuis goes to the curtain where Don Juan exited right before Point of no Return and opens it reviling Michel.

"He's been drug."

Ellisa runs over to him, "Oh my god, my god, is he dead?"

Monsieur Dupuis checks his pulse, "No he is still breathing."

"It was the Opera Ghost it must have been", Ellisa screams.

For once she was right and Carina knew it. Now she was frightened for Erik; she knows that she must find him. Carina snicked out of the theatre and makes her way to her room. Halfway there she gets stop, "Carina, you were wonderful", it was Derrick. He sees the terror and sadness in her face, "Carina, what's wrong?"

"Erik, he vanished after the curtain call!"

"Yes, everyone saw that."

"I must find him; he could be in danger."

"I'll help you find him."

Carina leads Derrick to her room. She enters and closes and locks the door behind them. They goes over to the mirror and opens the secrete passageway to the underground lake. She leads Derrick though the dark passageway. She has come through here many times before; hearing the sound of distance music, but this time was different. This time there was no music. She gets the lake were the gondola is waiting for her, but there is no sigh of Erik. Derrick helps her in the gondola and then gets in himself and rows off.

It seems like forever but they finally reach Erik's underground house. Carina opens the door and enters the drawing room. There is still no sign of Erik. She looks around everywhere when she finally sees a red rose with a single black ribbon tied to it; on the ribbon is a gold wedding ring. There is a note sitting next to the rose. Carina picks it up and begins to read it. Tears start to feel her eyes as she reads the words,

"My dearest Carina,
I have taught you everything I know; I have made your song take wing. But yet, you have given me an even greater gift; the gift of love. After Christine had left me I thought that I would never love again; so I threw myself into the underground lake. My soul, however, could never be free; I still haunted this opera house; I could not leave. Then you came along; at first I thought you were Christine and you had finally returned to me. However, later I learned that you were not Christine; you were her relative Carina. I told myself not to get involved but I did; I was drawn to you. I thought that like everyone else you would be afraid of me, but you weren't, on the contrary you loved me. You gave me a reason to start my work again. I want to let you know that I love you and I always will. Whenever you need me just call out my name and your angel of music will be there. Now my work is finish and I can rest in peace at last.
Your Angel,
Erik."

Carina puts down the note and takes the ring off from the ribbon and places it on her hand. She suddenly hears Derrick from Erik's room, "Carina, come here!"

Carina enters Erik's room. She walks up to the coffin that Erik said he used as a bed, and looks in it. There in that coffin was Erik holding the original copy of Don Juan Triumphant, and Carina remember something Erik once told her, "When I have finished, I shall take it away with me in that coffin and never wake up again."

Tears fall to Carina's face as she looks down at Erik. "I love you and I always will", she bends over and kisses Erik lightly on the forehead, "Rest in peace my Angel of Music." That is the end of the Phantom's Opera.