So here is chapter 3, I just wanted to clear some things up about my writing. Italics are always thoughts and flashbacks. The point of view switches between Erik and Nicole throughout the entire questions, comments lemme know!this is my first long phic, and the first I am posting thats this length. I would apreciate feeback!so enojoy!
Chapter Three
Erik walked around the ruined opera house every day. He argued with himself that it gave him something to do.
But in the back of his mind he always hoped he would see Nicole walk into the opera house again. Something about Nicole interested him very much. He knew it was partly because he was a lonely man, attracted to a pretty girl. But it was more than that, it gave him a something to look forward to everyday, and with a life like his he didn't have much to look forward to.
What will I do if she returns? Would I show myself to her? She would probably scream and run for the police. Then why do I care if she is here or not?
He didn't know the answer to that question. He supposed he wouldn't unless she appeared again. Then one week after her first appearance, Nicole was back. Belle was following slowly behind her.
Erik had been just about to return to his lair when he heard someone approaching his patience was rewarded with Nicole and Belle.
It was evening when they arrived and the stage was becoming darker with ever step they took.
"Nicole what is your obsession with this place?" asked Belle.
Nicole shrugged, "I am not sure, something inside me tells me I should be here."
"But why at night?"
Nicole stopped.
She whispered, and Erik was barely able to hear her, "Darkness comforts me."
Erik leaned forward eager for her to continue.
Someone else that finds comfort in darkness. This girl unique.
But she didn't continue.
Belle shivered and said, "Well it is late and my mother will kill me if I stay out much longer."
Nicole turned to her friend and said, "Come on stay a few more minutes, please?"
Belle sighed, but nodded. "Why do you always want to go on stage? I bet there are better things backstage!"
Nicole sighed. "She could sing, and if I stand in the same place she did, maybe some bit of her voice will come to me."
"Nicole, singing is nice, but you can dance! Dancing is much more fun than singing!"
Nicole smiled at Belle.
"Thank you, but if I don't learn to sing, Mamma will never love me."
Belle was silent at this statement, not sure what to say to her friend. They stayed for a while longer, until it was pitch black outside.
"I really need to leave, Nicole. It's much too dark in here for me. Are you coming?"
Nicole shook her head.
"Nicole! I can't leave you hear by yourself!"
"I will be fine I promise, I have been out this late before."
Belle wasn't satisfied, "Look, how about I go find us a coach to take us both home? I will only be gone a few minutes."
"Sounds good."
Belle hugged Nicole, and then ran out of the theater intent on hiring the first coach she saw.
"It's perfect in here for me." Nicole said to herself.
Belle was gone for a long while after that, and Erik watched as Nicole walked around stage. He noticed her grace as she walked, her balance. She was indeed a dancer, and by his guess a very good one.
Erik had the sudden urge to write music, something dark and beautiful for this young girl. He knew he shouldn't but he felt he must. He started to retreat to his lair, and as he did, he lured Nicole to him.
Nicole walked on stage and sat listening to the darkness. Not a noise broke the silence. Belle had been gone for longer than she expected. She assumed it was a busy evening, and not many coachmen would stop for a teenage girl, when there is better money to be made.
She ventured backstage, for she thought she had heard something. A noise, a whisper almost, she thought she heard her name called. She shook her head, and she fancied herself tired and was imagining things. But then she heard it again, a little bit louder than before the voice more strong and soothing. It seemed familiar. She wound her way around the debris and clutter of the past and came upon a door. The moon shone brightly through a broken window onto the door knob. Her hand ventured over the door knob, and paused.
What am I doing? Belle will return any moment. I mustn't go looking for trouble!
She turned to leave when the hypnotic voice called her name again. It was so beautiful. She opened the door and came face to face with nothing.
The room was empty aside from some furniture. It looked to be an old dressing room, for there was a large mirror on the opposite side of the room. She walked up to it and placed her hand on the glass.
She looked at her reflection absently and let her hand slide to the edge of the mirror. Her fingers fell into a grove between the mirror and its frame. She looked at it and put her eye to the crack and peered through.
She thought she saw movement on the other side and quickly pulled away.
Her heart was pounding with excitement. She tried opening the mirror and found it slide away into the wall without much effort. A long hallway lay before her, further ahead there was a turn in the hall, and she thought she saw a shadow move. The hall was black and the moonlight only revealed so much. She looked over her shoulder, unsure.
The voice called to her again and almost without thinking she was walking into the darkness.
Erik watched as Nicole slowly succumbed to his voice. She followed him all the way to the mirror. It was almost too easy.
Why am I doing this?
That's all he could ask himself.
Was it because he was bored? No, not that. It wasn't even because he was lonely.
He knew why.
He loved having power over someone. He missed the way people would do as he wished without them even resisting. It had been a long time since he had used his skills such as this, but he found little effort in luring the young maiden to his lair. He led her on with small glimpses of movement, and urgent whispers. She came to him easily. His adrenaline pumped in his veins, and he knew he was alive. How he missed this. He as the hunter, this girl as his prey.
He came to the underground lake, and left his boat docked so that she might use it. He took a longer way to his lair, and waited for her to come to him. He had no doubt that she would come. He had even rigged the mirror to close shut behind her so that her little plump friend would not follow.
It was only a matter of time.
He arrived in his lair, sat at his organ and began to play a tune to entice her further.
All he had to do was wait.
Nicole didn't even notice the mirror close behind her. She was too entranced with the moment to care. She walked down the hall, and eventually came to a vast underground lake. She sighed, disappointed.
Just as my adventure began it has ended at this lake.
As she was turning to leave she noticed a boat a few feet away. She hadn't noticed it because there was little light down under ground. What light there was came from a few torches hanging from the walls here and there.
Who had lit those torches? Surely no one lived down here!
Even as she finished the thought, she knew someone did. And she had a very good idea of who.
She walked up to the boat and tapped it with her foot. It buoyed were it was, and she figured it was safe to use. There was a long pole leaning against the wall, and she grabbed it. She carefully got into the boat having no trouble balancing herself.
She used the large pole to push the shore and was underway.
Nicole's mind was running a mile a minute. She knew where she was. She had heard the rumors. The Phantom of the Opera lived beneath the Opera Populaire in a home by a lake.
Until now she hadn't really believed it. It all seemed to fantastical. Now as she was on a boat underground she was ready to believe.
Music permeated the air. It came from somewhere close.
It was a melancholy tune, and it brought tears to her eyes. Whoever was playing it was filled with sorrow.
She quickly pushed her way closer to the music, ignoring the voice inside her head to go back before it was too late.
Slowly a large opening in the wall became clear to here. The music was coming from there.
Nicole had no doubt what she would find in that cavern.
She slowed the boat down at the opening and plunged the pole deep into the lake floor. It sunk into the mud, and she clung to it as her anchor.
Nicole looked into the cavern that lay before her.
There was so much to look at she wasn't sure were to start. As soon as she swept her eyes to the large pipe organ she stopped. There was the source of the music.
There was the Phantom of the Opera.