She awoke and the first sense that rushed to her mind was how dank and cold it had become. Sleepily lifting her head, Amelia wondered how long she had been out cold. In her heart, she prayed that she had succeeded. There would be no way to tell for sure down here.
Awkwardly she stood her toes numb in their delicate slippers. Her arms budded with goose bumps and she attempted to rid herself of them rubbing her hands on her blue arms. Her dress, which had cost her a great deal of money, bore the stains of old sewer water and lost its brightness.
Uncaring, she walked in her discomfort to discover the result of her meditation which had rendered her unconscious. The halls glowed the same blue in the dim light but her heart leapt in her bodice as she saw a faint orange light in her midst. Someone else was here! Now she was out of her depth; if it was him, if this was not some cruel hallucination… what could she say that would not send her straight to a nuthouse?
Oh God, she thought bitterly, what if he does not understand and thinks me a mere trespasser? What if he threatens me if I do not leave… then it will all have been for nothing… Her mind could not see the solution. Still she supposed she might fain an injury or naivety of a lost chorus girl or maid. The scenarios seemed endless and yet somehow out of a piece of poorly written romantic fan fiction. This was real and now.
The orange light drew near and still her plan remained unimagined. Still something must conspire. As the light engulfed the tunnel even more, she glanced around seeking some sign of him. Him, the thought made her warm in her cold state. Still she felt crazily compelled by some other force other than her own will. Did she really think she could waltz into Erik's lair, a stupid romantic fool, and he would realize how empty and meaningless his life was without her? The idea now seemed absurd.
Feeling very small, Amelia maintained her goal now that she had succeeded in traveling back. Regardless of the ridiculousness of her quest, she had more difficult boundaries to overcome. She felt a bit like Don Quixote, and wondered if his quests were as seemingly ridiculous as her own despite their best intentions complete with a full heart.
It was at that moment that she saw what until seconds before she could only imagine in her mind—the house on the lake. The house stood illuminated by candles and torches which even still could not shut out the blue glimmer cast upon it by the water. It seemed an enchanted castle filled with the unknown yet somehow desirable. She nearly slipped on the wet ground in her attempt to get closer until she really did fall, only in the blue moat around said castle.
Although a strong swimmer she struggled to keep her head above water as her long gown pulled her down from the weight. Gulping and swallowing the foul tasting water she prayed Erik would not hear the noise and come out seeing her this way, a wet rat. Her prayers were answered for the time being as she finally found the shore and flopped herself out of the water, dress and all, like a fish. She inhaled slowly allowing her lungs to adjust before she attempted any quick movements.
Her hair now hung in tangled clumps, free from their pins. Sighing she gathered her wet skirts around her legs and using her arms lifted herself slowly off the ground. The corset around her made breathing very difficult and she found herself dizzy and slightly disoriented. She had always believed it ridiculous that a woman should faint from surprise in any scenario from the movies, but after this trial and the restraint of her corset, later she would not reprimand herself for fainting after standing up and finding herself face to face with the object of her quest staring at her with suspicion in his famous yellow eyes.