AN: Here's another chapter! Thanks to everybody who either reviewed or message me… It means a lot to me So obviously the last chapter followed the musical really closely, and a few elements of this one does too… In order to progress the plot in the direction I wanted it to, I needed to use a few things from the musical. After this chapter however, things are going to pretty much stray completely from the original plotline.
So enjoy! And please review
My angel placed me gently on the floor in the living room of his house. I was completely in shock of everything that had just happened; the lake underneath the opera house, meeting my angel in person, the pitch my voice had hit… It was all so spectacular! Without thinking, I rubbed my throat.
"Your throat must be sore." Eik spoke half to himself, breaking me out of my revelry. "I'll fetch you something to soothe it."
Without another word he went through a large, oak door, leaving me alone in the sitting room.
The décor in the room was simple, a single chair sat in the middle of the room, with a small table next to it, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. There was nothing else in the room in terms of furniture, except several musical instruments crammed into a corner. The only thing that made the room look different from a library was the crumpled balls of sheet music that littered the floor. Without thinking, I picked one up and began to unfold it.
A title was scrawled in elegant cursive across the top:
The Point of No Return
I squinted at the messily written musical notes, trying to read through the dark black scribbles that covered the music staff.
It was a tune more strange and complex than any I had ever seen before.
"I apologise for the state of my home," Erik's voice apologised, and I instantly dropped the piece of music. I blushed fiercely. "I never have company, so I'm afraid my home isn't very clean."
Was he… blushing?
"It's fine," I said with a wave of my hand, "You should see my apartment… Between Meg and I it's always a mess."
"Here's some lemon tea," He held a dainty cup and saucer out to me. "It's good for your throat."
"Thank you," I said, sipping the hot tea. It was lovely.
"So is this where you live then?" I questioned, placing the cup on the small table. "Underneath the opera house?"
"Yes," He answered simply. "I find myself quite at home here."
"How did you find this place?" I asked, my curiosity starting to burn in me.
"That is a story better left for another time." He answered cryptically.
"Well I would like to hear it now…" I coaxed.
"Christine," He sighed, "It is a very long story…."
"I don't have to go anywhere."
"That I would rather not get into." He finished, irritation clearly showing in his voice.
"But…"
"Christine," He cut me off sharply. "If I show you the rest of the house, will you drop the subject?"
"For now." I muttered.
"Follow me," He stated, leading me through the door he had just come through.
My angel's house was built unlike any I had ever seen. All the rooms were behind large, oak doors, not one open room in the entire house. He showed me each room, holding the door open for me like a gentleman for each one.
"The dining room, kitchen, washroom," He opened all the doors for me, allowing me to see the contents of each one.
We reached the end of a corridor, and he skipped a door, leading me to the last door at the end of the hall.
"This is my…" He began.
"What's through there?" I questioned.
"My bedroom," He answered shortly. "It is the one room in this house you may not go into."
"Okay," I sighed, the look on his face stopping me from pushing the subject further. It looked a little bit… Dangerous, and I wasn't about to try and bring out Erik's temper.
"As I was saying," He looked at me pointedly, some of the earlier irritation showing in his voice. "This is my music room."
He dramatically swept the door open, letting me enter in front of him.
I stopped, unable to move forward with astonishment.
A beautiful grand piano was the main feature of the room, placed in the middle of the crowded space. Around the walls, almost every musical instrument I had heard of sat on stands. Everything from brass trumpets, to flutes, to drums, to a small violin, to a humongous cello, all stood beautifully in the room. Sheet music was everywhere, not crumpled as it was in the sitting room, but lying on the floor next to the different instruments.
The far wall was one giant chalk board, different melodies and rhythms scribbled across it.
"It's beautiful," I whispered, walking over and tracing the wonderful notes written on the wall. Chalk dust turned my fingertips white, but I didn't care… They were so magnificent.
I turned around after a moment, to see Erik sitting at the piano bench, his fingers poised over the keys .
Wordlessly, I sat beside him on the bench.
He began to play a wonderful introduction on the piano, and then he began to sing.
"Nightime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination
Silently the senses, abandon their defenses…." His voice trailed away, giving way to the piano.
After a moment, he glanced at me as I looked at him in astonishment, his fingers dancing effortlessly across the keys.
"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor… Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender" He closed his eyes as he played and sang, while I stared openly at him, enraptured by his truly angelic voice. He was stunning.
"Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light…"
I leaned closer to him, and he stared deeply into my eyes without missing a note. "And listen to the music of the night"
It was the most glorious song I had ever heard, and with every note he sang I became more entranced. I felt everything I had been trying to lock away. My soul soared. It was as if all the exquisite darkness I had been suppressing was entering my mind.
"Let your soul take you where you long to be!" He proclaimed, and I closed my eyes, letting myself fill with this majestic darkness that surrounded him.
It was overwhelming.
Soon, my head came to rest on his shoulder, exhaustion beginning to overtake my overcome mind.
"Let the dream begin! Let your darker side give in, to the power of the music that I write! The power of the music of the night…" As the final glorious note escaped his lips, I felt darkness closing in around me.
All of these strange feelings and emotions were becoming too much and I collapsed in exhaustion, Erik easily scooping me up into his arms. Through my state of semi-consciousness, I faintly remembered being carried and paced on something soft.
I heard a voice singing over me, quiet through the daze of my mind.
"You alone can make my song take flight… Help me make the music of the night…"
My mind brushed it aside as a dream, and I quickly lost consciousness.
~*~
Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, and my senses began to take in the room around me. I lay upon soft, silk sheets, a heavy duvet on top of me. The room smelled faintly like roses, and my head rested on the softest pillow I had ever slept on.
As my eyes opened, I looked around me at the room I was in. The bed was humongous, and had four posts, with curtains draped across them. I was still in my jeans and shirt that I had changed into after the performance, but I was still incredibly comfortable.
After a few moments, I heaved myself out of bed and pushed open the curtains.
The room had absolutely no furnishings. The bed I had been sleeping in was in the centre of the room, which had a wooden floor, and black walls. Nothing hung on the walls, and there were no decorations around the bed, not even a nightstand or a lamp.
I slowly crept out of the room, carefully pushing open the door in case it began to squeak. I emerged into the hall I had been in before. I had come out of the door right after the music room.
His music! How did anyone create music so outstanding? Even an angel?
My eyes travelled down the hall, and landed on the door at the end of the hall… My angel's bedroom. I could smell something delightful coming from the kitchen, and heard Erik's voice softly humming. I started to make my way toward the food.
However, my curiosity began to get the better of me. If Erik was in his kitchen and thought I was still sleeping, then that meant that his bedroom was unoccupied and he wouldn't come looking for me. Why had he so forcefully forbidden me from his room? The look on his face when I asked to see it said more than simply wanting some privacy… What could an angel have to hide?
Stealing one last glance at the kitchen I turned and tiptoed toward Erik's bedroom door.
Slowly, I pushed open the door to Erik's bedroom, anxiety clenching my stomach.
The first thing that shocked me was a complete lack of light in the room. Obviously, there was no light in the cavern around the house, but even so black drapery hung on the windows. The floors were slick black tiles, with the walls all painted black.
There was no bed in the room, just two desks, an organ, a side table, a sofa with a side table, and a TV. The largest desk was in the middle of the room, with the organ shoved into one corner, and the TV and sofa shoved into the opposite one. Another desk was right next to the door I had come in.
My gaze immediately stopped on the cluttered desks. There were papers of all sorts coating both desks; sketches, building schematics, writing, lists…
Tentatively, I picked up a file folder and flipped it open.
"I told you not to come in here." Erik's menacing voice came from behind me, causing me to drop the folder before I could even see its contents.
"I-I," I stuttered, whipping around to face him. When I saw the look in his eyes, my face paled and I froze.
It was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen.
It was as if everything I had ever feared was hidden in his eyes… It was the same look that he had given Buquet, or that had been intended for Phillip, except this time it was directed at me.
He gripped my arm tightly, pulling me away from the desk.
"What did you see?" He growled into my face.
"N-nothing…" I stuttered, rendered speechless by fear.
"WHAT DID YOU SEE?!" He yelled, shaking my arm roughly.
"J-just some drawings, I swear!" I cried, tears streaming down my face.
"They're none of your business," He spat, pulling me up by my shoulder so my feet were barely touching the floor.
"That's interesting isn't it," He jeered, dragging me out of his room and into the sitting room. "You go snooping around my room, in my house, and then get upset when I get angry about it."
He stopped and leaned into my face, holding me so I couldn't squirm away. "You just can't listen can you Christine?"
He threw me to the floor, and I scrambled to push myself away from him.
"I'm sorry!" I sobbed as he walked toward me. As I frantically tried to push myself away from this madman, I smacked my head on his chair.
"Get out." He whispered, turning so he was facing away from me.
"Erik, I…" I blubbered, tears pouring down my face.
"GET OUT!" He bellowed.
I didn't need to be told again. I clambered to my feet, and sprinted as fast as I could out the door. My ribs were on fire, my arm and shoulder throbbed where he had grabbed me, and hitting my head was making me dizzy, but the terror I felt over shadowed any physical pain.
I quickly approached the shore of the lake, only to see that the boat was nowhere in sight. I prepared to swim, fear clouding my judgement. I couldn't spend another moment with that madman.
I pulled off my top and jeans, leaving myself in only my thin camisole and underwear. Without another second of hesitation I put one foot in the water.
"Wait!" I heard Erik's panicked voice behind me, "Christine!"
I glanced back to see him running frantically down the sloped shore, and I panicked. Without thinking, I took a deep breath and threw myself into the water.
It was so much colder than it had felt with my foot, and my whole body froze up in shock. Before I knew what was happening, strong hands clasped my waist and pulled me out of the water.
"Let me go!" I screamed as Erik threw me over his shoulder and carried me out of the water. I pounded his back and kicked my legs as hard as I could, but he didn't even appear to notice.
When we reached a safe distance from the water, he put me down on the ground. I scrambled backwards, jumping to my feet as fast as my freezing body would allow. My limbs were so frozen that I clumsily fell to the ground again, shivering uncontrollably. He took one step toward me, his arm outstretched, but I slid backwards.
"S-stay b-back." My teeth chattered, and I became painfully aware that I was on the ground in front of Erik, dripping wet, in a see-through, white camisole and bright pink underwear.
"Christine," He pleaded, "Please come back inside."
"D-do y-you think…" I wrapped my arms around myself to try to control my chattering. "I w-will go b-back in there? After w-what you did?"
"I'm the same man that has taught you this whole time." He begged. "I lost my temper… I am so sorry…" He sounded on the verge of tears, and my heart caught a bit.
However, it still didn't change what he had done.
"W-what are you h-hiding?" I asked, cradling my arm as the pain began to set in of where he grabbed me.
I was freezing, but it was the torrent of tears pouring down my face that really made me stutter.
"Who are you?" I cried up at him, tears blurring the image of his face. It felt like my heart was being ripped into a million pieces. Twice now, my angel had turned into this crazed madman, and hurt me.
"I am Erik," He whispered softly.
I began to sob burying my face in my hands. My angel, my worn protector, had hurt me and absolutely terrified me, simply because I went into his room. What in Hell was he hiding in there?!
"And here I was," I cried, "A stupid, naïve little girl who thought that my father had actually sent me an angel… I'm so stupid!"
I sobbed into my knees, my messy hair falling around my face.
"Your father is gone Christine," I wept to myself. "He's never coming back… You're all alone…"
That reality hit me like a stone to my already throbbing skull.
I was truly all alone in this world. There was no angel coming from Heaven to protect me, no angel of music… Just me, by myself, alone on this cruel, malicious Earth.
"Christine," Erik breathed, and I looked up to see him kneeling in front of my shivering frame. "Please… Is there anything I can do?"
"You've done enough," I meant to make it sound mean, but it came out simply sounding empty.
He left for a moment as I cried, starting to try and pull on my jeans and shirt over my wet underclothes. He returned in a few minutes, gently putting a blanket over my shoulders.
"Please let me do something to help you." He begged, his golden eyes pleading with me as my frozen fingers struggled to do up my jeans.
"Just take me home ang- Erik." I whispered, stopping myself from calling him my angel. Pain momentarily shot through his eyes, but was quickly replaced by an emotionless mask.
He stood, and walked slowly toward a boat shed that had escaped my notice in my panicked state.
By the time my frozen fingers had gotten my clothes pulled on, he was waiting by the dock with the boat. He held out a hand to help me in, but I ignored it and wordlessly climbed into the boat myself.
The ride was completely silent, a shocking contrast to the music that had filled both of us only yesterday. The thought of that song sent a shiver down my spine, but I quickly brushed it off.
We reached the tunnel that led up to my dressing room, and I climbed out of the shaky boat, nearly stumbling as my feet touched land.
"Christine," His voice carried. "If you would allow me to properly apologise, I would be eternally grateful."
I silently nodded.
"I am so sorry." He stopped as if waiting for a response, but I had none. "I, I mean, I… Sometimes I just, and I don't mean to, and… I truly am sorry." He sighed, shaking his head as my normally coherent angel...Teacher, anguished over his words.
I simply nodded. I knew he was sorry, anybody with half a brain could see the remorse in the golden pools in his eyes, I just didn't know if I could accept the apology.
` "Will you be back?" He questioned softly, his face returning to its emotionless state/
"I don't know," I whispered, climbing out of the boat.
"Christine," His voice was called, his face coldly indifferent. "Allow me to leave you with one last piece of information. If you have any self-respect, leave that fop Raoul that you seem to be so fond of… He's not good for you Christine."
Without even a nod I turned away from my… Erik, and walked down the passage and out into the chilly night. I stopped right outside the door, leaning against it and sinking down onto the cool ground. I pulled out my phone, hesitating for a moment as I remembered Erik's final words. However, I needed someone right now, and I wasn't going to let him dictate my life.
He answered on the first ring.
"Hello?" His cheery voice started, surprise evident in his tone.
"Raoul," I cried, "I need you."
I had only ever cried as much as I did that day once; and that was the day I found out my father was dead. Any ounce of hope I had was shattered, leaving a cold, empty feeling inside me.
Raoul was by my side in less than fifteen minutes, his car speeding up to the curb and barely stopping before he leaped out and ran to my side.
"What happened?" He asked, helping me up and pulling me up into his arms.
"Take me to the apartment," I whispered into his shoulder, "And I'll tell you everything."