The Shadow's Melody || The Phantom of the Opera || Book One

5. Ghosts

Chapter Five || Ghosts

Erik

Lately I've been having troubles keeping away from the new Opéra Populaire. Ever since it reopened I have kept as far away as I possibly could. It looked just like the old one. The one I burned to the ground. I made sure they used the old blueprints so all the passageways would be exactly the same. And even though the floors were not the same floors she had walked on I saw her in everything. Her angelic voice still echoes through the halls and catacombs, driving me further into insanity.

My Christine.

People have pretty much forgotten about Erik. It was easy making everyone think I was dead. Erik still lives, still breaths. No matter how hard Erik tries not to, he still lives.

"Will you disappear again?"

I had seen her before in the Prima Donna's dressing room. She looked at me. That Mélodie. I had placed my hand on the glass where her hand was on the other side and she looked up right into my eyes. As if she could sense me there behind the mirror.

The memory of the night I brought my angel, my Christine, through the mirror to my lair came back to me. I felt too tired to acknowledge that forever present pain when I thought of her.

"Will you disappear again?"

I had closed the mirror without saying a word. Before I turned to leave I stole another look at her. Bruises were already beginning to form on her neck where I held her, damaging her flawless porcelain skin.

The warm light in the room had cast perfect shadows on her as she stood there tugging on her long brown curls, her honey colored eyes searching the mirror.

Mélodie de l'Obscurité. Melody of the Darkness.

I saw her full red lips form a small smile. That smile remained in my mind as I made my way back to my lair alone.

Mélodie

"My goodness, Mélodie! What happened to your neck?!" Violette pushed my hair back looking at my neck as I tied on my apron. "Answer me, Mélodie!"

"Huh?" I pulled on my shoes.

"Your neck! There are bruises! Does it hurt?! Who did this to you?" she held my hair to the side as she looked at my neck again.

I looked at myself in the small mirror we had and touched my throat. It really happened. It wasn't a dream. He was really there.

"Mélodie!"

"Oh, um, I must have fallen out of bed last night. I'm alright, Vi, really," I gave her an assuring smile and kissed her cheek.

I ran out of the room making sure my hair covered my neck as much as possible.

Violette called after me, "Where are you going?!"

I turned toward her and started walking backwards, "The, um, Prima Donna's room. I won't be long."

Before she could answer I turned back around and nearly ran to the other side of the opera house. Once I got to the dressing room I knocked to make sure Eva wasn't there yet and then went inside.

I quietly closed the door behind me, hoping no one saw me come in here.

Silence.

I turned on the lantern and turned to the now illuminated golden mirror.

I felt shy. Was he there now? If not, how far was his home from here?

"Erik?" I went up close to the mirror looking for a way to open it. There wasn't even a breeze this time. I hope he didn't close off the passage. "Erik? Are you there?"