Amelia awoke and sleepily reached over hoping to find the comfort of a warm body beside her. Instead she brushed by a rumpled pillow and a dent in the sheets where Erik had been. She clutched the thin sheet to her body as she sat up alert looking for her bedmate. After a few heart thumping moments of anxiety she decided he had left to get a change of clothes, easing back down onto the bed daydreaming about last night.
Erik had been anything but tentative, eager, passionate, and explorative. Amelia did not have much experience in this area, real men just never seemed to live up to the fantasy, but she was pleased to discover that this reality did. Months of tension melted away almost combusting in an intense cacophony of sensations. All inhibitions down, their vulnerability together made the experience more united than any she had ever experience. No discomfort or awkwardness; she never realized two people could share such instinctive passion.
After a moment of indulgence she found her robe and set off to find her beloved. Her feet took a minute to get used to the cool stone but eventually found their way to the music room where she assumed she could find Erik. He was not there. She was hesitant to check him quarters, but she leaned in around the corner, seeing an untouched bed, and again, no Erik.
Puzzled, she made her way back to the music room and sat on the organ bench unsure of what this meant. Was he ashamed? Did he regret their making love? As these thoughts and more flooded through her mind, she felt compelled to hold her robe a little closer, as these thoughts began to disquiet her. How he just leave after last night? She was not going to tolerate this.
She stood up and ran back to her room searching for a simple linen shirt and anything that would resemble man's trousers. When she did not find what she was looking for she poked around Erik's domain until she found what looked like an old opera costume, breeches, linen shirt, and vest. She already had boots for walking around the watery crypts of the opera house. After finding a warm pair of stockings she decided she was ready to explore and Erik out.
She remembered a lot of the way by heart from following Erik, but he had never showed her how to get to the surface or to the upper levels of the opera house. Following Erik's guidance she found her way to a series of tunnels, picking one she had never used with him. She had forgotten a lantern which made it hard to find her footing. She slipped several times, ignoring the frigid water, using her hands to guide through the rocky walls.
After several paces she saw a light moving towards her quickly, and before she could react, a warm form knocked her over in to a cold puddle. She cried out and was hoisted up and pinned to the wall, a gloved hand covering her mouth. She struggled but her captor was stronger.
After a minute, she heard Erik's voice from beneath the shadow, "Amelia? What are you doing here?" He backed up and in the lantern light she could see his form more clearly; of course it was Erik.
She gasped, "I'm sorry, I woke up and you were gone and I…"
"You thought that was a good time to make your escape," he spat out bitterly.
"Erik! No! How could you think that?" she shivered, "You left me! What was I to think?"
"I had some errands to run," he said quietly in such a way that she felt he was hiding something.
"Errands?" she said incredulously, "What could you possibly have to do today?"
He did not answer and in the light she saw a leather folder nearly hidden beneath his capes. She tried to grab at it but he anticipated her move and tightened his grip on it.
"What is that Erik?" she knew it was where he kept some of his music and feared the worst. When he didn't answer she tried to grab it again, this time he allowed her to snatch it. She carefully opened it and saw music, a selection of soprano arias.
The air seemed to escape her body as she thrust the portfolio into his hand, "You left me to go see her?" Christine Daaé, she knew, she knew that he had visited her, it had already begun. She felt it and could not believe she had given herself to him last night.
She felt a tantrum coming and instead exhaled to calm herself and found that in place of anger would be tears, "Erik?" she whispered hoping that she could make him feel as defeated, "Could you really be that cold to me?"
He chose his words carefully, "Amelia, it was just a music lesson, nothing more. This girl is nothing but… it's nothing but…" he lost his way and Amelia felt his guards drop as the affection he clearly felt for this chorus girl washed over him.
"Do not lie to me, I am not stupid, the first time you mentioned her it was like you were a blind man who had just seen, and I truly believed that last night might have meant that you loved me. But I guess I was right all along, I am just flesh to you. That's all you wanted." His silence torn her apart, she couldn't take it, "Will you say nothing? Or do you not care that you are breaking my heart?"
For the first time since they met, he responded only with a cold silence. This infuriated her further. All of this time, effort, and emotional energy, all so that she could stand by and watch this horrible story unfold and do nothing to change it. Was this her destiny? Was she the catalyst for this disaster? She couldn't face that idea.
It was her turn to be cold, "You always ask how I know the things I do, well, now is one time you will wish that I told you what I know about this chorus girl," she waiting sensing any reaction from him at all, "Now, you are on your own. Let all unfold as it would anyway." She realized how mad she sounded and not able to risk any more dangerous statements like that, she stormed off to her chamber.
She stripped down once again, pulling on the most comfortable dress she could find. Pulling her hair up on top of her head, she fastened it hastily with pins. Grabbing a small valise, she put another dress, a brush, stockings, and some shoes inside until it could not hold anything else. Now was the time to step back. She would not back down from her mission, but this was all too much. Fastening a clock around her neck, she grabbed the handle of the valise and whirled around, only to be startled near to death by Erik who was blocking her way.
Her initial shock disappeared and instead of being afraid she faced him squarely, and stared him down. He didn't move but his shear presence made every instinct inside Amelia want to break down and fall in to his arms. But she held strong and didn't move.
"Please let me go, Erik," she whispered, hoping it sounded more resilient than she felt, "This is bigger than me, and I won't wait around for you to fall in love with someone else, if it hasn't happened already." He still did not move.
Finally after a moment, he spoke, "Where would you go?" He barely betrayed any emotion in this phrase, but Amelia heard it. He did care about her.
"I don't know," she said truthfully, "I will try and get work at the opera, perhaps they need a cleaning woman."
"That doesn't suit you," he said simply.
"Well, not all of us get the privilege to study opera with the great master," she spat, "so, our mediocre voices must be put to better use."
Erik seemed to grow, but he did not contradict her. She took this moment to try and slide around him, but he grabbed her, not forcefully, but enough that she was stuck. She felt her weakness return and dropped the valise, clawing at her face. The mask was gone and their lips found each other, half in anger, half in passion. She had never experienced anything like this in her life.
The first time they had been together it was passionate, yes, but tender, slightly hesitant and most first times are in their own ways. This time there were no hesitations, no boundaries, and no surprises. Everything was enhanced, expanded, and wonderful. Amelia couldn't contain anything and Erik did not hold anything back.
When they had exhausted themselves, Amelia lay back, sweat beaded on her forehead, and looked over at Erik, almost afraid now that they were back to reality. Almost. He kept his eyes on the ceiling for a moment and slowly turned his naked face to hers. She gazed into his eyes wishing that time would stop in this moment forever. Nothing more could be said; still Erik reached over to her stroking her cheek, so gently.
They lay in bed for a few hours until Erik fell asleep, quietly, Amelia swung her legs around the side of the bed, slipping on her stockings. Once again, preparing to leave the lair forever, she quickly assembled her outfit, picked up her valise, and turned around to glance at the man she was about to leave.
In a book, it would be appropriate to leave some kind of token or a last letter. Amelia had nothing she could say to explain her move. She knew in her heart that she had to let this story unfold. She couldn't change things, the story went the way it went, but she wasn't ready to admit defeat and run home just yet. Through the beautiful chamber where she had lived for almost a year, past the organ, the light, and into the darkness, winding her way back up to the surface to begin anew.