Hello everyone :). Yes, yes, I'm updating this with the most painful chapters I ever wrote ever for this story. Because I really hated writing it, because I actually cried while doing so and also cried just now while editing it. So... yeah. I would have updated this on Friday, like I planned originally, but there was something weird going on FF so I didn't. But I am updating this now! Thank you to everyone that reviewed and favourited and alerted this story, it means so much. Enjoy!
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Chapter XIII: The Mask
Theresa flattened down her dress and left her hair down, tying a ribbon to pull some of it back and away from her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding the music of Fiordigili in her hands. Then slowly she opened her eyes and then walked to her door, opening it. The Opera Populaire was quiet, except for the sound of music coming from the theatre with a cane banging occasionally. And when the cane banged, there was an abrupt stop and a sort of loud scowl coming from Madame Giry. Theresa sighed and then walked to the managers' office.
Theresa made her way quickly as a way to not draw attention to unwanted eyes. Then she made a quick turn to a hall that led directly to Monsieur André and Monsieur Firmin's office. They should be in at this time, shouldn't they? It wasn't that early, she recalled. She stopped at the door and raised her hand to knock on it, but instead she heard distinct mumbling from the other side. "What do we do now?" Theresa frowned at the tone of André's voice. She quietly pressed her ear to the door with a sceptic look crossing her face.
"What do we do now? We leave, that's what we do now! The papers said he was dead last time we checked, didn't they?" Firmin responded. "Now, we find someone who would be interested in buying this building off our hands, so they can deal with the problem of that thing themselves."
"But we can't just up and leave!" André said. Theresa could have sworn that she heard him actually walk toward Firmin in a rush. "Everyone knows the story of the Phantom here in Paris, no one would buy it. You and I know this since we tried to before! Did anyone of those people that came to us not laugh and leave and were interested? No, they said that we were insane! Firmin, we're stuck here, there's nothing that we can do about it." Theresa frowned at the panic that was in his voice and raised her hand again to knock.
But hesitated when Firmin spoke up, "Then we shut it down! No more! We're not dealing with this mad man again, André, we are not." Theresa dropped her hand.
"We can't just do that either! There are people who live here that have nowhere to go. What about the money we'll lose when we close it down? We cannot just go back to the scrap metal business! We're already laughing stocks there. No, it's just bad for business." It is bad business either way, she thought to herself.
"It's bad for business either way!" It was almost like Firmin read her thoughts from inside. He loudly huffed, so loud that he could be heard by Theresa. She could picture his head just shaking and his arms crossing over his chest. "You're right though, André we cannot just go back to the junk—."
"Scrap metal! It was scrap metal!" André's voice actually sounded even more panicked and it even cracked.
"Right, scrap metal. Well we cannot go back to it, we've tried that and it hardly worked! But, we cannot stay either, he could sabotage us all over again and this time we would be humiliated... even more! Do you know how many people told us that we are crazy over these past years for even considering coming back?" She heard an exasperated sigh from the other side and a loud thump that sounded like someone was pounding on wood. She was tempted to knock again, but she didn't want them to think that she was eavesdropping (even though she was).
André inquired then, "What are we to do then? Call the police?"
"They were hardly of use last time, André. Do you not remember? The building burned with them inside it. They only accomplished getting down to where his lair was and they didn't find—." Theresa stopped listening when she heard someone whispering her name around her. Theresa looked around herself immediately to see that no one was around her.
The voice.
His voice.
"Eavesdropping?" She raised her brow and she knew that was Erik right away. She looked carefully around a corner, and she took a step back to see that there was a shadow. "Come here, Theresa, you're looking straight at me." Theresa looked around herself before she actually walked toward the shadow cast by a statue in the corner of the hall. She soon broke out in a faster pace when she noticed a hand extended out with a note. It was indeed Erik, but he was so deep in the shadow and his usual black attire made it extremely hard for her to see him.
"Erik," Theresa breathed and she looked around herself to still check if she was alone with him. Then looking back at him, she told him in a whisper, "What's the matter with you? Clearly you are not welcome during the day by anyone and yet you choose to openly come into a—."
He hushed her quickly by placing a finger to her lips. Theresa looked down at it pointedly and he stepped forward so that she could at least get some view of him. He told her softly, removing the finger from her lips, "I have my duties during the day, Theresa. Duties such as this." His eyes and his mask were the brightest out of everything on him, and his green eyes motioned to the hand still extended out.
Theresa got the hint and reluctantly she took it out of his hand, turning it around to see his signature seal. Blood red and in the shape of a skull. "What is this for?"
"You are to give that to your dear managers," Erik couldn't help but scowl when he looked at their door. Theresa frowned even deeper when she took a look again at the note. "In there are instructions. I feel that my letter startled them just a bit yesterday."
"More than a bit clearly." A bit? Theresa suddenly felt something in her that she parted her mouth, insulted actually. It startled them more than just a bit!
"Yes, well, my apologies for that." Erik stated to her, holding his other hand up.
Theresa said to mainly herself, but Erik heard her, "Quite the apology." Erik didn't comment on what she said, but he did narrow his eyes at her. Now she inquired directly to him, "But don't you think that another note would drive them mad?"
"Good, maybe then they'll do what they're told this time." Erik replied to her, crossing his arms over his chest. Theresa looked at him in disbelief and then glanced down at the note. She felt like ripping it now in front of him! Did he not care that they were thinking of leaving because of him? She didn't know if she could bare to see them even more distressed as they already are. They were fine for now without him. Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? Or, not even, another day other than today?
Theresa shook her head and went to hand back the note to him. She wasn't going to give it to them, she would rather die; they were stressed out enough. "No, I'm not going to. Find someone else that knows of your existence to do it for you or drop it in on them yourself. I'm not delivering it myself."
Erik furrowed his visible brow at her and looked her up and down. "Theresa, this is important."
"Not as important as their sanity." Theresa said quickly and then she felt Erik grab her arm tightly in his hold as she was about to walk away from him. He pulled her into the shadow he was in and then pulled her into an opening that was shown by a swift move made by him. Theresa felt a sudden pain there and thrashed her arm out of his hold. She seethed as she looked down at it, to see that it was red from his tight grip. Erik stood tall in front of her with his back turned toward her as he closed the opening. He lit a candelabra that was on the wall and Theresa saw a menacing look in her eyes.
"Do you know what you are doing?" He inquired to her. Theresa's eyes widened in fear and she nodded anyhow to him. She wasn't going to give it to them though no matter the fury that was suddenly flaring up in his eyes. "You do not know the contents of the letter, it has to be delivered to them and you are the one to do it. Understand?"
"No, I don't." Theresa said once again quickly before thinking about it first. "Another letter from you would drive them off the edge, don't you understand? They're pacing their office because of you now!" Theresa shouted in a whisper, she didn't know if the sound of her voice could be heard outside. She rubbed her wrist, which was actually still aching. Erik rubbed the bridge of his nose in response. "I'm not doing it."
"How would you even know what you are giving if you do not know yourself what is in there, you insolent girl?" Erik asked her irritated. Theresa took a step back from him and gulped. His voice was not only irritated, it sounded hostile. This wasn't the Erik that she came to know.
"It's not what is in there that matters, Erik. The fact that it is from you is what matters." Theresa said slowly. "They fear you, it is plain to see. They are thinking of leaving because of—."
"Good, those fools don't belong in the arts anyway. I'm surprised that they stayed this long in it." This was what drove Theresa over the edge. She couldn't control herself. She brought her hand up in a flash and slapped the visible cheek the hardest that she could. So hard that the mask fell off of his face as it went to the side. Theresa saw that his hand flew up at that side, so quick that she couldn't see what was it that he was covering. But the note fell from her hand as she was forced against the wall by his strong hand at the bottom of her throat.
Theresa saw a fury in his eyes that she had only saw once before, a different kind of fury that she had just seen. It was the type of fury that she saw in his lair, only this time he wasn't choking her, no, he was only holding her there on the wall as his lips curled into a scowl. Theresa's eyes widened even more, but she kept her trembling lips pursed into place (though it was very hard to) and her chin held up high. Though, Erik still saw the fear that was in her hazel eyes as she stared into his eyes. They were in silence, staring at each other.
Until Erik told her in practically a growl, "I didn't know a woman like you could have such nerve."
"You'd be surprised, I have plenty of it." She retorted to him. Theresa was pushed into the wall even more and his hand moved fully onto her throat. He didn't grasp it tightly, but it was enough to choke her now. The air in her throat was thinning.
"Do you know what you could have just done before?" He tried not to shout at her. He could be heard if he shouted, but he talked in an almost mild tone. Theresa didn't answer him, she was silent and staring at him. "Do you?" He wanted to shake her so badly, but the risk of removing his hand was taunting him. He instead got real close, she tilted her chin so that she could get as far away from the dancing flames in his eyes, so her eyes wouldn't look into his. "Well?" His voice was getting more and more agitated. She barely could even answer him!
Theresa gulped with much difficulty and hoarsely she answered, "No." Erik didn't hear her.
"What was that?"
"I-I," she stammered, her mouth getting dry. "I said..." she now said louder, "no, I don't know." Her eyes furrowed over to the hand covering his face. Why was he covering that side? Theresa tried to look past it, but with the lack of light the candelabra illuminated it was hard. But she did see skin that was twisted at the side of his nose. But that was it. Erik felt her gaze on him and he got even more close. His breath hitting her face harshly. "Erik, y-you are hurting me." She choked out, her eyes squinting as they began to water. He ignored her.
"Do you want to know, mademoiselle? Do you really want to know what lies underneath?" He hissed at her, the scowl upon his lips grew even larger. Underneath? What would be so different...? Theresa's mouth tried to form words to answer him when he suddenly removed his hand from his face. Theresa suddenly had the urge to scream.
Before Theresa could do anything his grip loosened on her and she was thrown onto the floor. With a hard fall, Theresa supported herself. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she just stared at the floor, wanting to get that image out of her head. His... his face. She didn't know whether it was the trick of the light or if he actually looked like that. But... it was deformed. So deformed that Theresa could've sworn that she saw a part of his skin that looked like part of his bone would show.
The skin looked like it was thawing... off. It looked like it would fall off if someone was to touch it. Theresa closed her eyes, but the image just popped up in front of them and frightened her even more.
Theresa picked herself up off of the ground slowly and saw the note laying on the floor. She gulped, grabbing it in her hand. Then reluctantly she looked over to see Erik on the floor sitting there in a corner, holding his mask in his hand. His lips were moving but there was nothing coming out. There wasn't even mutterings from him, or small sobs. He didn't even notice her looking at him.
Her shoulders fell and she looked down at the note again. Theresa tried to put her fear aside for a moment, but she felt herself actually shaking. Theresa pursed her lips and touched her forehead. Erik didn't know that she was actually still up when he had kissed her there. He held a sweetness inside of him, she knew. She felt a tear lace her cheek as she closed her eyes. There was a silence that enveloped between them. Theresa then did something that she would never do for anyone else, she knew Erik was different. She stood up on her feet and walked toward him.
He didn't even look up at her as she approached him. Theresa blamed herself for that. If she hadn't reacted the way she did, then maybe he wouldn't look so vulnerable right now. She never even imagined the Phantom of the Opera crying like he was right now. She crouched down to his level and then put a hand over his. The touch startled Erik as he looked into her eyes. There wasn't a sort of fear that was there before. Erik didn't recognize what was in her eyes actually. It wasn't pity either. He knew that look most definitely.
Theresa's eyes burned as she dared to not blink, and she took the mask slowly out of his hands. Erik's eyebrow raised as she slowly touched where the part of his skull looked to be raised on his face.
Her touch sent shocks as she did this. Theresa touched each of the creases, each fold of his skin on the distorted side. The horror of it went away just as quickly as it came. But her lip trembled as she touched it. His other eye actually looked bloodshot as it drooped down and she touched the nose that was practically flat on the distorted side. They were still in silence. Erik was now gazing at her, both in confusion and admiringly. The nerve of her... she just did something that most... dared not to do.
"Your face..." she started breathlessly. Theresa still touched the creases that his skin dipped down to. Erik sat there unmoving, staring at her. Her eyes welled up with tears as she continued, her bottom lip trembled. "I can't imagine the life that you've known."
Her tone wasn't of pity either. Erik didn't know what to call it. But what she said, what she didn't mean by it at all, Erik thought that it meant something along the lines of pity. Theresa wiped a tear that had fallen from his eye. Then she went to kiss below his eye when Erik turned his face away from her. Theresa removed her hand in disbelief and then Erik turned his face toward her with his eyes narrowing at her. Theresa didn't shy away from him or flinch, though the glare he narrowed his eyes into seemed almost deadly.
Theresa's breathing became hoarse as he leaned toward her. The wicks from the candelabra that contained flames, made his face even more terrifying than what it have been when he was sitting there before. Theresa only just noticed that his smooth cheek was wet. She moved back however when he came closer to her. "Why, Theresa?" He asked her, his voice in a harsh whisper. Theresa frowned, knowing that the whisper was forced out.
Theresa sat there, closed mouth and then she looked down at the ground. She picked up the white mask off the ground. "I-I," she stammered on her words as she closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, a tear escaped and slid down her cheek. "Erik..." she held out his mask for him. Her heart dread as he looked down at it. The deadly look that crossed his eyes before seemed to disappear as he slowly touched the mask. His green eyes looked into her own eyes, Theresa saw something there... was it hurt?
Theresa tried to move her mouth to say something else, but he snatched the mask out of her hand and stood up quickly. Theresa looked up at him and picked up the note before standing up with him. Erik's back was to her as he put on the mask. He smoothed his black hair and suddenly it was almost like he regained his composure. Theresa saw that he was still visibly stiff and when he turned his head to face her, Theresa noticed that there was a deep sadness in his eyes. They dropped down to the ground and Theresa laid a comfortable hand on his shoulder so that he would look up at her.
Instead he moved his shoulder out of her hold and moved back. Theresa looked down at the floor, "I'll give this to the... to the managers then."
He answered shortly, "Good." He took steps backward without taking his eyes off of her and then opened the passageway to let her go through. Theresa furrowed her eyes at the note then at the opened door. "I bid you farewell then." He held his chin up high with much difficulty and didn't look in Theresa's eyes. Theresa gulped before actually walking out of the room to leave him. But she stopped at the doorway before she truly left.
Theresa looked over at him and smiled sadly. But, Erik didn't pay mind to her. Theresa looked down at the ground and then left the room, the door closed quietly behind her. Theresa looked down to see that her sheet music was dropped before. She breathed in sharply and quickly bent down to gather it together.
But as she went down on the ground, she collapsed. Theresa felt water come into her eyes as she touched the pieces of music individually. Her eyes distant as stared at no particular spot on the ground.
Theresa didn't know what to think about what happened. She tried registering it, but it was hard to do just that. She covered her mouth with her hand, she wasn't upset about what he looked like. It startled her... and it was horrifying, but that wasn't what she was upset about. He was human just like her and she could get passed a face like his. But...
She looked down at her wrist that was still red from his grip and then put a hand to her throat where she was choked by him. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to hold back what was in dire need to come out.
Then a black cane came to where her eyes were staring pointedly at. Theresa gulped, and slowly she looked up with her body now trembling to see that it was Madame Giry looking down at her with her mouth parted. Madame Giry looked down at the girl who quickly gathered the music in her hands and stood up, flustered. Madame Giry didn't know what to say to her as Theresa looked into her eyes with sadness. Sadness, that Madame Giry had never seen before from her.
"I'm... I'm sorry, madame." Theresa put a hand through her hair before she actually held the note tightly in her hands. "I was just..." Theresa wiped her face with her sleeve, awkwardly holding the music in her hand still. She gulped again, as she stuttered nervously, "I-I just was about to go see the managers."
Madame Giry noticed a familiar note in her hand. A worried look crossed her eyes as she glanced at it and then Madame Giry looked into the eyes, this time the hazel eyes of a frightened girl. Madame Giry extended her hand with her palm facing up, "Come, signora," Theresa almost shocked herself when she heard the ballet mistress' voice for once gentle. She was used to hearing Giry scowl at the dancers and her emotionless tone when she talked. "You look frightened. I have something that can take care of that."
Theresa breathed in and out hoarsely and looked down at the note. She hadn't seen it, had she? Her grip on it got tighter and she held everything close to her. She shook her head quickly, "No, no, I have to go see the managers, madame."
"You have no need to worry, Signora Baccelli. He would not harm you if you do not go." Theresa's eyes widened when she said, 'he.' "In fact," Madame Giry brought her hand to the music and slowly brought it down. Theresa had let her. Madame Giry eyed the note knowingly that was there. "I will deliver it for you, if you choose not to."
"But... I—." Madame Giry quickly shushed her, grabbing her hand within hers.
"Just come with me, Theresa, there are things that I must explain to you while the dancers are on break."
You like where I ended it? Cliffhanger! Muahaha, I'm evil. I didn't expect to write the unmasking so soon, but this called for it. However, update will be quicker. It is actually the last completed chapter I have left, so yeah... but the next chapter after that one will be finished (it's going through changes because originally this story had 17 chapters posted, I took away one of them and the 17th, which would have been 16th, is going to be completely changed... halfway through.) Sooo yeah! Like I said, I won't keep you waiting too long. Thank you for reading!
~Tiana