Not knowing why, Erik decided to go to Eleana's inn and make sure she was still their and safe. He had been longing for the next day to come ever sense Eleana had left his lair. He sat in his Opera House trying to occupy himself, but all he could ever think about was her.
He decided that if he saw that she was alright he wouldn't be worrying about her or thinking about her as much. He waited until dark approached to start making his way to the inn.
Erik did not like the inn she was staying at. I frightened him that she would stay there when their were drunk men and women that often lived their and could easily take advantage of her. But Eleana was a brave soul. She had came all this way to meet him, The Phantom of the Opera for God's sake.
Just as Erik began to approach the inn, he heard loud galloping coming from his west side.
Erik ran away hiding in the shadows. He did not want to be seen, by anyone, not even if it was Eleana.
A man, probably in hid early thirties came galloping in on his horse that was all white and pulled up to the inn. He got off his horse in a hurry and tied up the mule to a nearby tree trunk.
The man ran up to the inn door and barged in looking furious. Erik did not like this. While hiding behind the shadows of the night, he made his way behind the inn, where the window to Eleana's room was.
He heard unmistakable rapid knocks on her door.
Not wanting to miss anything Eleana and the man said, he climbed up a nearby vines and made his way towards her balcony. He made sure he was not visible and began to listen on in their conversation.
Erik only heard shouts and yells coming from the man before he could make out anything that they were saying. He wanted to go in their and threaten the man for raising his voice to her.
"Eleana...come home...please." the man begged.
He wanted her home.
Erik was glad to see he had calmed down and approached her in a nice manor. But he didn't want him to take her away. If she left would he just revert to his old ways, drinking himself blind, longing for death?
"I can't." a sweet voice said.
Finally he had heard Eleana speak. He was glad that she was going to stay. He felt the urge to smile but didn't. Even though she was not going to leave, he could here the sadness in her voice. She did want to go home. Was he making her miserable?
The man began to approach Eleana and turned her around. She was crying. Erik could not help but feel guilty for this. He should of never accepted her wish to have singing lessons so she could go back to her family.
The man then pulled her in for a hug and she sobbed on his shoulder. Erik felt his temper raising. He felt jealousy over come her. They obviously loved each other.
"I need to learn how to sing for the man I love."
Was this the man? It was clear she loved him.
The situation that Erik was in felt like deja vu. The Past was repeating itself.
Growing furious and ill tempered, Erik jumped down from the balcony silently not wanting to hear anymore of what she had to say. Why did he even raise his hopes that this girl was different. They were all the same! All they saw in men were rich and beauty. Not compassion or their souls. But a question raised inside him.
Do I even have a soul?
Surly someone like him, a monster, a murderer could not have a soul at all.
Erik ran into the night, making his way through the Opera Populaire, reaching his destination.
He did not have patience to row his boat, so he swam all the way to his lair.
He grabbed the closest candle stick and began to break anything that was in his way.
Erik began to shatter all of his mirrors until he came to the last remaining one.
He dropped his candle stick and starred at the mask that hid what he truly was. Erik placed his hand on his mask and dropped down to his knees silently weeping. No one could ever love him. He was destined to be a lone forever, with no one but his thoughts. He began to take deep rapid breaths and before he knew it a loud yell filled his Opera. Erik had screamed not caring who heard, because even if they did no one would come.
Eleana woke up late the next day with a huge smile on her face.
I'm going to get my first singing lesson today!
She kept herself busy all day by taking a long hot bath and getting ready for her lesson way early then she should of. She cleaned her room from top to bottom which took a couple hours because who ever had last occupy this room had a lack of tidiness. Eleana could not help but hum throughout the day while she performed her tasks.
Eleana wrote letters to all of her family and wrote a sincere apology to Charles and making sure their was nothing for him to worry about.
Before Eleana knew it, the sun was setting and darkness was beginning to approach.
She began to make her way to the Opera Populaire, it wasn't exactly the shortest walk. By the time she reached the destroyed piece of beauty, it was dark.
Eleana made her way through the Opera House, imagining that it was fully restored. She twirled around still humming, not caring if Erik was watching.
"Are you going to come out or should I come to your lair?" Eleana asked to the silent Opera feeling stupid.
She did not get a response from Erik.
"Fine, if you are not going to show yourself, I will just have to find you." she whispered.
She felt so juvenile almost as if she was a child again, playing hide and seek with Charles.
Eleana walked in the the dressing room and walked up to the mirror. She placed her small fragile hands upon the glass and it slid open. The dark tunnel that seemed never ending lied before her once again. Feeling more confident than she did the last time she walked down the corridor, Eleana made her way through without glancing back or second guessing herself.
She approached the boat and placed herself in it. She pushed off and began to row through the dark and misty lake.
Their was barley any light in Erik's lair. Only a few candles were lit and their seemed to be more rum, scotch, and wine bottles broken or half empty around his lair.
their was no sign that Erik was in the room. Eleana was never the one to have patience, so she cleared her throat acknowledging her appearance.
"Monsieur Erik, will you please show yourself and help me out of this boat."
Eleana once again did not get an answer. She began to grow antsy and hopped out of the boat. She really didn't need help getting out, she only asked thinking it was lady like.
She looked around his lair, all of his mirrors were shattered but one. They were not like that last week. Were they?
"I must ask you to leave and never come back." a deep mysterious familiar voice echoed.
Eleana got chills down her back from hearing his voice once again.
"Monsieur please show yourself." Eleana said calmly.
"Leave now! And never come back!"
Eleana was at loss of words. He wanted her to leave! Had she done something wrong?
"Please Monsieur can we speak about this in person?" She tried not to sound worried.
She had not come all this way to be bailed on. She needed Erik, more than she ever needed anyone before. He was her last hope. Her hope to find the man she loved."
Erik came out not looking at Eleana. He looked more intimidating than he did the last time they met, if that was even possible.
"Go. Forget about me. Leave. You will do it anyways." he said in a deep voice.
She did not like to see him like this.
"Monsieur please, think of what you are saying."
"Think about what I am saying!", Erik mocked her. " I do not need to even think about what I am doing for one second! You don't think I know what happens when people get close to me! They all leave Eleana! They leave! They don't know how to love a man that is a monster! All they see is a murderer, a freak! They scream in fear when they see me, when they see behind this mask!"
Erik was very close to Eleana pointing at his mask, trying to prove his point.
"I am sorry Monsieur." she said quietly not knowing what else to say.
Erik paced around his lair. having his back towards her.
"Leave."
Eleana could not leave! She was so close. She needed to stall him, to find out why.
"I will leave once you give me an answer of why you are refusing to teach me."
"Eleana do you not know who you are dealing with! I"m the Phantom of the Opera! I kill! I do not live to please others! Others live to please me!"
An evil laugh filled the room. Eleana tried not to let it get to her but the laugh had forced her to get goosebumps.
"I don't care." she said trying to sound brave. She took a step forward trying to show she wasn't scared even though she was.
"I have better things to do than teach you."
Erik did not want to fight with her any longer. He had told her that he was a murderer and a monster and still she stayed standing at his lair fighting her way back each time he tried to scare her away. He had almost forgotten why he was mad at her in the first place. He decided to try an make up an excuse.
"I have better things to do than teach you."
"You can not stand their and lie to my face saying you honestly have better things to do than teach me! What could possibly be more important, cleaning cobwebs everyday?"
Erik was now asking himself the same thing. But then she said something that caught him off guard.
"I am not like Christine, Erik. I am your student and I need you."
Erik flinched at the sound of Christine's name. What she said had stung him but also began to make him think straight.
What am I doing? She loves another man. I am her teacher. She needs me.
Erik slowly turned around to face her, finding that she was weeping silently.
"Mademoiselle, please forgive me." he said quietly trying to calm down.
Erik walked up to her and wiped away a stray tear that she had missed. He placed his finger below her chin, forcing her to look up at him. He put a apologetic look on his face without even trying. He was truly sorry.
Why must I always bring women to tears?
Eleana stopped crying and finally met eyes with Erik. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of emerald he had ever seen. He could not help but smile at her, hoping he would give her one in return.
The huge smile that Erik had been longing to see emerged across her face.
"I forgive you, Monsieur Erik."