Hopeful Soul: A Phantom Story

Chapter Fourteen.

NADIR:

I worried for the young soprano and became even more so when I heard that she had disappeared yesterday. Erik was taking this love that he had for her much too seriously and I could only imagine that he had something to do with her disappearance so I had to find out.

I was on my way to his house on the lake when I reached the forth cellar. My shoe had caught something and when I touched it to remove it, I fell into an environment covered in sand. I saw a lasso in the corner and the mirrors that surrounded me. This was his torture chamber! Then, I heard a gentle humming sound and terrible heat - oh dear Lord, he turned it on!

As loud as I could, which I knew would only sound like a whisper from inside the house, I shouted his name. Hopefully Erik was somewhere nearby because the last thing I wanted to do was die in his torture chamber. The heat stopped and I heard the door unlock before I left chamber. When I entered the house, he looked down at with his lasso in hand, speaking softly, "Daroga, with how many times you've traveled down here, I would imagine you would be more knowledgeable about the torture chamber."

"Why are you-" he hushed me, waving me into the red room, "Erik, what is going on here?"

He hushed me yet again, filling the samovar with water and herbs. When I finally sat in the loveseat, and Erik sank into his armchair, he began to tell me, "An angel is in the house."

"An angel is..." I trailed off, knowing only the worst could be true as I stroked my beard, "Oh, no. Erik, please tell me-"

Erik halted everything and I saw a shadow move in the corner of my eye until Christine herself stood in the doorway of the red room. Her white dressing gown was very form fitting and I gently blushed in realization. Erik smiled at her and stood up to offer her the red armchair, "Do you want anything, my dear? Tea? Are you very hungry?"

"Perhaps a little bit of bread?"

Erik nodded and motioned me over, "I am sorry for my rudeness. This is Nadir Khan. Feel free to speak to him," he whispered aggressively into my ear, "No funny business."

The girl stood from the armchair and walked curiously around the red room. She turned to face me and then sank into the right of the loveseat, I on the left. She seemed like a very sweet girl and though I knew Erik might have been listening, I had to warn her, "You are probably not sure of your surroundings, but I must warn you," she faced me, "You are in grave danger."

She seemed to doubt me and I wished she could just see what I see. Erik said he wouldn't harm her and I believed that he would never physically harm her, but I couldn't help the thought that he would emotionally scar her. At some point she would get curious about what was behind the mask and I wasn't sure his Erik would react to that, "He seems sweet," she said, "I do not think he would harm me."

"You do not understand-"

"Understand what, daroga?"

It was Erik, and I hoped to high heaven that he wouldn't murder me for talking about him like that. He seemed at piece when he gave Christine the plate of hot bread, but I wasn't sure about how he was internally. He poured tea from the samovar and set the glass on the end table beside Christine. I stood from the loveseat and headed for the front door, but heard Erik's footsteps from behind me, "Daroga," he eyed me, seriousness in his glowing and golden eyes, "It would be in your best interest to stay away from the de Chagny boy."

"Of course, Erik. My apologies."

He nodded me off and went back into the red room. Leaving the house was easy, but it was getting back to the opera that was the most difficult part. I found the tunnel and followed it, but ended up in a very odd area with a giant lever. The same double-sided glass used in Erik's torture chamber was used for this area and I pulled on the lever to discover that it opened up to a dressing room.

After entering the room, I quickly realized that this was Christine's dressing room through a note addressed to her and through the pink bouquet Monsieur de Chagny gave her. I pulled in the mirror and left the dressing room going for Madame Giry's office. She stepped out as soon as I reached the door, glancing over me for a moment, "Have you discovered something?"

"Erik has her."

She seemed somewhat saddened by this news and I held nothing against her for that. In fact, I myself was wary of Erik's possession over her, "Oh, the poor girl. She is not frightened?"

"Not when I spoke to her. I have no idea about when she is alone with Erik."

"There won't be a way to find out, I'm afraid. We shall wait until Erik comes to his senses."