The Angel Of Music

Chapter 12

The night of Don Juan Triumphant's play arrived much more quickly than I wanted it to. Everyone was a bundle of nerves chaotically getting ready, whispering about the number of policemen in the crowds and above in the box seats and even some in the Fly Tower, looking down at us.

I fiddled with my fingers, trying to calm myself down, repeating in my mind that I could do this, that I had to do this.

"Christine, are you all right?" Meg asked as she gently held my hand into hers.

"I am nervous, but I know I can do this," I told her truthfully.

She smiled softly at me.

"I know you can, just think about how much freedom you'll have when this is all over."

I smiled, feeling a sense of hope for that to be a possibility, to finally not have the sickening sense of fear and anxiety filling me every day, to finally be able to do all the things I long and dream about.

"Thank you, Meg, you have truly been my light in the darkness."

She embraced me tightly and I took a deep breath, clinging onto that sense of hope I had, feeling determination fill my chest.

I will do this, I will be free.

As the performance began I kept on taking deep breaths in and out, waiting anxiously for my cue to go on stage, which will be soon as I saw Piangi getting ready to go on.

I watched as he stepped through the curtains onto the stage the other actor following, listening intently as he sang.

"Passarino, a faithful friend once again recite the plan."

"Your young guest believes I'm you, I the master, you the man," Passarino replied.

 "When you met, you wore my cloak, she could not have seen your face she believes she dines with me in her master's borrowed place! Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff stealing what, in truth, is mine when it's late and modesty starts to mellow, with the wine," His voice sang.

"You come home I use your voice, slam the door like crack of doom!"

"I shall say come hide with me, where oh where of course, my room!"

"Poor thing hasn't got a chance!"

"Here's my hat, my cloak, and sword, conquest is assured if I do not forget myself and laugh!" 

I heard them laugh as they exited the stage, my cue that I was supposed to enter.

I took one last deep breath getting into the mindset of my character, then stepped out onto the stage.

"No thoughts within her head, no dreams within her heart but dreams of love!" I sang, smiling an expression on my face as if I were madly in love with someone.

I sat on the floor, my legs tucked underneath me as I could hear who I thought was Piangi enter onto the stage. As he started to sing a shiver went up my spine, knowing that the Phantom was here with me on stage.

"Passarino, go away for the trap is set for its prey...."

I remained in character seductively crossing my legs as he approached, trying desperately to keep my composure and not let the fear show.

"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish which from now has been silent, silent. I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge, in your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me, now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you've decided, decided,"

I turned my face to him, a flirtatious expression playing across my face as I stood, taking everything in me to hide the true emotions I was feeling.

"Past the point of no return, no backward glances, our games of make-believe are at an end, past all thought of if or when no use resisting," He grabbed my hands pulling me close to him and my heart began to pound but I smiled as if I were mesmerized by him.

"Abandon thought and let the dream descend, what raging fire shall flood the soul, what rich desire unlocks its door, what sweet seduction lies before us..." 

I could feel Erik's hands trace my waist, his fingers gently wrapping around it.

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold, what warm unspoken secrets will we learn, beyond the point of no return?"

I looked up into his eyes, I could see beyond the dark mask he wore, lightly removing his hands from my waist, though I wanted to run off the stage I only backed away.

I turned my back to him looking up at Raoul, who was in box 5 as I sang.

"You have brought me, to that moment when words run dry, to that moment when speech disappears into silence, silence..."

Raoul turned to the policeman behind him and I knew he had gotten my hint as the police disappeared.

"I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why, in my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent, now I am here with you, no second thoughts I've decided, decided,"

I turned back to The Phantom who was staring at me as if he were now the one being mesmerized.

I took that to my advantage as I began to walk towards the steps of one of the props, seeing him following across to the other set of stairs as I looked over my shoulders at him, making sure it looked as if I truly wanted him.

"Past the point of no return, no going back now, our passion play has now at last begun, past all thought of right or wrong, one final question how long are we to wait before we're one, when will the blood begin to race, the sleeping bud bursts into bloom, when will the flames at last consume us...."

We arrived at the top of the prop, approaching each other as I began to feel more determined than ever to have this end as we sang.

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold...."

We met in the center of the bridge, he grabbed my arms and I grabbed him, leaning our foreheads against each other.

"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn, beyond the point of no return..."

I traced my fingertips against his face as he held it in his hands, then he began to sing, something that wasn't in the script.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime, lead me, save me, from my solitude. Say you want me with you here beside you, anywhere you go let me go too, Christine that's all I ask of-"

My hand reached his mask and I ignored all thoughts, and fear, I had to end this now or never.

I tore off his mask.

The crowd gasped and I backed away, as Erik stared at me, there was no anger in his eyes for a moment just complete sadness and defeat. Then there was rage in his eyes that I had never seen in anyone before, he pulled me roughly close to his chest, lifting his sword and cutting the rope that connected to the chandelier above.

I could hear people scream in fright, seeing the chandelier fall as the trap door beneath me gave way and I was falling with the Phantom.