-1Note: Thanks for all the reviews.

I do not own Phantom of the Opera, but the plot to this story and the characters are mine.

This chapter contains both Erik's view and Darcy's. To make it longer.

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Erik

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The commotion in the hall had attracted my attention.
I was heading back to my lair, to write a few notes, but that could wait.
There had gathered quite a few people, stagehands, dancers and maids.

I focused one girl in particular, a young dancer named Claudette, with a very snobbish attitude.
She was complaining about something of hers that has been stolen.
The others around her were assuring her that something would be done about that.
While I do not like this girl, I dislike thievery even more, so I am on her side. Something should be done. Who ever has stolen deserves whatever fate befalls them.

They start to move off, obviously in search of the person.
I decide to stay around and see whom this thief is.
They enter into one of the rooms.
I slip out from one of the hidden panels and quickly cross the hall in order to enter another hidden entrance, so I can better see what is happening.
The passageway leads to a small bookcase. I push the bookcase slowly, so as not to attract attention.

What I see stops my heart cold in my chest.
Claudette was accusing Darcy of having stolen the locket she wears.
The locket I gave her!

When Madame Bourg walks up and slaps Darcy, anger suddenly well up inside of me, anger as deep and fiery as hell.
How dare they insult and humiliate the woman I had…come to care for!
I reach into my vest, my hands instinctively tightening on the lasso. My fingers feeling its strength, its capacity to kill.

Darcy's cries of pain are more than I can handle. I cover my hears with my hands and turn away. I cannot bear it, I cannot.

It takes all my effort and strength not to step out from the shadows and slip my lasso around that little liar's neck, strangling the life out of her, watching those cold grey eyes bulge from their sockets.
I would do it and not feel any remorse.

Only fear of Darcy seeing me and knowing who I am, what I am, stops me.

She must never know that I am the Phantom, a cold heartless monster, a murderer.

However, I shall find a way to stop her from leaving.

Finally, I have forced myself to admit that I cared for the girl more than I wished. Her leaving would destroy me, would leave me destitute and lonely.

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Little Claudette, quite unaware that I am watching her from the catwalks above, makes her way into a small dark corridor.
Now I shall make my move.
I lower the rope quickly and manage to slip it around her neck as she walks past.
It tightens around her neck as I pull the rope taut, raising her to the tips of her toes.
She claws savagely at the noose; her screams come out sounding like gurgles.
The candle she was holding falls to the ground and goes out.

Only a few candles in the corridor are lit, giving everything a haunted, ghostly appearance.

"Mademoiselle, I am not sure if you are aware, but you have done something to displease the Phantom." I say menacingly, "Do you know what you have done?"

She shakes her head in response to my question.

"No? Then let me enlighten you. You have stolen and lied Mademoiselle, which is something the Phantom does not tolerate.
You have caused an innocent girl to be beaten and fired, without cause."

The girl raises her hands to her face and attempts to scream again. I pull the ropes, causing her to claw uselessly at it once more.

"If you try to scream again, I will pull this rope and end your miserable life."

I tie the lasso to one of the beams and make my way down.

I stand in front of her, knowing exactly how the hooded cape I wear and the shadows cast upon me, from the candlelights, make me look.
Like the Phantom with Death's head.

I stare straight into her large, frighten eyes.

"Now Mademoiselle, I will spare your life under one condition. You will confess to everyone that you lied and that Mademoiselle LeClerc is innocent.
I shall have my friend bring a carriage around and you will get into it and wait for LeClerc, then you will tell her everything. Do you understand?"

Claudette nods her head.

"Should you tell anyone about this or fail to comply with my orders, I will kill you. Even if you run away, I shall find you and destroy your life, make it living hell." I growled into her ears, enjoying the way it made her tremble with fear and sent tears cascading down her pale little face.

"And, another thing, you must never return here. If I do… well I shall leave that to your imagination.
You must tell no one of your little tête-à-tête."

I cut the ropes, telling her in the process, that if my friend failed to come back, his death would be on her hands.

In actuality, I would be the driver, the one listening to every word she said.
But, I had to let her believe that I would still be in the Opera House, waiting.

As soon as the ropes are cut, the girl takes off running as if the devil himself was chasing her.

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Darcy

I had packed my luggage and sat it beside the door. I then turn my attention to the items strewn across my bed. They were the gifts that he had given me.
I stare at them with mixed feelings. They had come from the man who I had come to care for deeply, even without seeing his face.
However, he had stolen something that belonged to another, and then had given it to me!
Moreover, because of him, I am in this situation.
My heart felt has if it had been ripped in two.

Oh God, I had been such a fool. Had I really thought someone would take notice of me, and perhaps love me?
No one would ever look at a girl like me, this plain, simple, poor girl. Unless it was someone like Joseph, whose intentions were less than honorable.

I take one last glance around the room through teary eyes, and then head out to whatever future awaited me, no matter how dreary or bleak.

On my way downstairs, I start to feel fear creeping up my spine. My life had taken a very tragic turn. How would I get a job? Madame Bourg would never give a good report for my reference. And not many would hire without one.
There were many girls in my position, who had no place to go, no money, they soon turned to…

I closed my eyes, not wanting to face the oblivious.

By the time I made it down to the entrance, my heart felt like a heavy stone.

I had hoped that Anna would be here to say good-bye, but to my disappointment, she was not anywhere to be found. I swallowed the painful lump that formed in my throat.

To make everything worse, it was storming outside. I laughed aloud, bitterly, because it seems to represent the turn of events in my life. I take one last look around the Opera House, the large halls and beautiful, magnificent chandeliers, the heavy, golden, velvet draperies that cover the windows.

It is all too much for me to handle,I break down and cry loudly into my hands.
All my life, ever since my parents abandoned me in the woods, my life has been nothing but pain and misery. And, at last, when I had thought I found happiness with Anna and him, when it hung so tantalizingly in front of my eyes, it all had to be suddenly snatched away.

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I step outside into the rain, not feeling its coldness seep into my thin dress, and not caring.

A carriage pulls up; the driver takes the luggage from hand and opens the doors.
I get in, not aware of my surroundings.
A little sigh from inside the darkness, causes me to jump. It is then, that I realize, I am not alone.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.
I notice a little figure pressed into the corner of the carriage.
I felt myself stiffen as Claudette's face came into view. She looked pale and frightened, as if she had seen a ghost.

She reaches out to me with one trembling hand, then drops it onto her lap.

"Mademoiselle, I want to apologize." She whispers in a weak voice.

"For what, ruining my life?" I cannot help but be sarcastic, today has not been very good.

"Why No…I mean yes. Claudette takes a deep breath, "The truth is, I lied about the locket."

"I don't understand"

"The locket is not mine, never was."

I stare at her for a moment, trying to process what I heard.

"Why, then, did you say it was yours?" I finally mange to ask.

She sat there for a few minutes, glaring at me with those cold grey eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Simply because I didn't want you to have it. I really could not stand you.
The very sight of you made me sick", she spat, "You would prance around as if you were the queen of Sheba, rather than a pitiful little maid. You would ignore and spurn the others as if you were too good for them. But your not and I saw the locket as the perfect opportunity to be rid of you."

She laughed then, a high-pitched sound.

I stared at her in surprise, not knowing what to say.

She opened the door and got out.

"You had better come in before I change my mind about this."

I followed her through the rain into the Opera Populaire.
She then led me to Madame Bourg.
Claudette walked up to her and whispered something in her ears.

Madame Bourg stared in my direction, somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, it seems there has been a little misunderstanding".

"A little misunderstand?" I ask incredulously, "I was accused of being a liar and humiliated in front of -

"Silence!" Madame Bourg shouts, "If you wish to remain under my employment then you will do well to hold your tongue. You may go up to your room now."

I bow and turn away angrily.
I will stay only long enough until I secure other employments.

My luggage was waiting for me in the Hall.
I picked it up, then head upstairs.

As soon as I entered my room, relief washed over me, everthing that happened today seemed surreal.
However, I still could not understand what made her confess. What had frightened her, so that she was willing to get into a carriage, during a storm, to apologize?
My mind was puzzled, for I could not come up with any logical explantion. And judging by her behaviour in the carriage, she had not come of her own free will.

I walked over to my bed and look lovely at all my gifts and pick each one up gently. The robe and slippers, the little hair clips, the gloves. I kiss each item as I put each one back in there places.

Something, then, catches my attention. I walk up to my dresser.
It was a red rose, with a black ribbon, and a little box.
My heart was beating faster and faster. I knew whom this was from.
I open the box slowly. The locket! It lay there, shining against its velvet cushion.

I picked it up and placed it around my neck, gazing at the engraved roses.

The happiness I experienced is indescribable. I cannot remember feeling like this since I was a little girl.

Just then, Anna comes running into the room.

"Oh Darcy, your back!" she cries as she flings herself towards me.

I catch the little girl in my arms and squeeze her tightly. "Yes Anna, I am back."

God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.

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