Chapter 5: Silence… Silence

Meg stared at the letter. How could her mother do this? How could she just plan Meg's life away? Didn't it matter to her what MEG wanted?! And what about Erik? He was still in love with Christine! She must have not been thinking when she wrote this letter. Meg gently set the letter down. To her annoyance, she realized her hand was shaking.

She looked across the room to where Erik was still standing with his back against the wall. He was staring intensely at the wall across the room, though his gaze was cloudy and unfocused. Meg stepped forward hesitantly. "Erik?"

Immediately, his stance and gaze switched to defensive. He looked down at her, and it took everything Meg had to not shrink back from his intense stare. "Are, are you okay?" she stammered. Don't lose control Meg, she thought to herself. It certainly wouldn't help this situation at all.

Erik continued to stare at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then changed his mind as he snapped it closed. Without saying a word, he spun on his heel and walked into a room, probably one that had a secret tunnel in it.

Meg stared at the spot where Erik had just been. She was so confused. How was she supposed to help Erik if all he ever did was disappear?

Erik slapped his hand to his face, being careful not to disturb his mask. The last thing he needed was for Meg to see him without it on. How could she do this?!

His embarrassment had quickly escalated to anger. Who exactly did Madame Giry think she was? He was always the one giving the orders, he was the Phantom of the Opera for goodness' sake! No one told the Phantom of the Opera what to do! As soon as he found a way out of this cave, he would have to have a serious talk with her. It was hard enough to keep himself alive, without Meg here. But Meg was here, and that was escalating into a problem. She had proved herself to be very curious. How long would it be before she tried to rip his mask off like Christine did? How could Madame Giry expect him to marry Meg? He was in love with Christine! Correction: had been in love with Christine.

He had tried to love once before, and look how THAT wonderful idea turned out. The sound of footsteps told him that Meg was coming. He didn't want to face her, but it was pretty hard to stay hidden from her when all his tunnels were blocked. Why did she have to be so curious! Why did she feel that he needed saving?! He was the Phantom of the Opera, he didn't need to be brought out of his misery!

"Erik? Erik, I know you're in there. Please, can I come in?"

Erik stared at where Meg's voice came from right outside the room. There was no door. Why would she ask his permission to enter when there was no door?! It irritated him that he was even thinking about her in the first place. He sighed and threw his hands up in frusturation. "It doesn't matter what I say," he hissed. "You'll come in whether I agree to it or not!"

Meg held back a chuckle as he hissed from inside the room, "You'll come in whether I agree to it or not!" She supposed it was true though. She was only asking to be polite, but had planned on entering even if he demanded that she stay out. She walked into the room, surprised at what she saw. There was the mighty Phantom of the Opera, standing in the middle of a library. She looked around. The room was filled with books, from floor to….. well it wasn't really a ceiling was it? There was a fireplace in one corner of the room, probably to keep the chill away. Plush cushions sat on top of a couch that was shaped kind of like a Phoenix. That was a strange obsession of his. What surprised her even more, though, was the fact that about six mirrors total were in the room. Why would a man that hated his face keep a whole bunch of mirrors in his home? Was he hoping that one day he would wake up and the deformity would be gone?

Her gaze unconsciously slid to Erik. He was staring at her, his silvery-green eyes cold and unflinching. His shoulders were straight, leaning ever so slightly forward. His legs were spread apart in a defensive stance. "You don't have to be the Phantom of the Opera," she said softly, surprising even herself as the words slipped out of her mouth easily. "You can just be Erik."

Erik stood up taller, if that was possible, and stared down at her, sneering. "Oh but Mademoiselle, I AM the Phantom of the Opera. I always have been and I always will be."

She scowled at him and walked up to him, her gaze unflinching as she looked up into his eyes. "That's not true," she said, the words coming out a little more forced than planned. "You were Erik long before you were the Phantom."

Erik waved his hand dismally. "That is just a name. The Phantom of the Opera is a title."

Meg shook her head. "There's no difference. You are the same man, whether someone calls you Erik or Phantom. You are still a man, because you are certainly not a ghost."

A ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of Erik's mouth. "And how are you to prove that, Miss Giry? Through science? Because I am pretty sure that I can disappear into thin air with a snap of my fingers."

Meg started to get frustrated with him. "Because of this," she snapped, and; before Erik could stop her, her hand whipped up and ripped the mask off his face.

AN: Oh no… Meg is in trouble now! I am so sorry it took so long to update but I have been at a kind of writers block with this story. I appreciate all your reviews. If you want to thank someone for this chapter, thank Splendors of a Landslide. She gave me the idea for this chapter, and I don't think it would have been up if not for her. Review!