Stories of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 4: The Man Behind The Mask

Kane's P.O.V.

He takes my hand and leads me down the dark passage, the only light coming from Erik's lantern.

"Watch your step." He says as start down a set of stairs.

"Where are we going?" I ask in a whisper but yet it echoes in the dark passage.

"My home." Erik replies.

"Why do you live all the way down here? You must be so lonely." I gasp.

"No one above the surface would accept me for what I am and so I live in hiding, appearing only to make sure this place is run correctly." He explains.

Seconds later we are walking through a maze of tunnels, twists and turns, I soon lose track of how many.

We emerge from the tunnel and I stop in my tracks, speechless at the beauty. A murky glassy lake laps softly at a shore. Steps go up to a platform, an organ sits in the center with candelabras placed around it. Sheets of music are scattered everywhere.

I slowly take everything in as I walk deeper in, with Erik at my side. My breath hitches in my throat as my eyes land on a long table, a miniature stage sits upon it. In the middle of the stage stands a figurine of a girl. Sketches of her litter the table.

I carefully pick one up and study it closer. Whoever she is, she is beautiful. A pang of jealous hits my heart at the thought of someone else being comforted by Erik's music.

"Who is this?" I ask softly. I hear Erik come up behind me.

"Someone I once loved but she betrayed me. There is nothing there anymore. She is gone." He replies in a whisper.

I turn to look at him and I can still see the pain in his eyes that she had caused him. "She didn't love you back did she?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "I was a monster to her."

"You, Erik, are no monster. You have made mistakes, everyone does." I can see in his eyes that what he told me was a lie, he still loves whoever that girl is. I study his face, my heart breaking in my chest from his broken look to the thought that he would never love me the way he loved her.

I reach up and stroke his unmasked cheek, "I will never leave you Erik. You have been there for me when others have not." How is it that he can't see my love for him? "You must see the love that is in front of you, forget her. I am here beside you, to hold you and to guide you. To lead you away from this solitude. Anywhere you go let me go too."

He jerks away from me at this, "How do you know those words?" He asks coldly.

There is a look in his eyes I have never seen before. I take a step back, unsure of myself. I bump into the table and stacks of paper hit the floor. "You sang them to me once, after a nightmare." I answer softly as I grip the table, trying to keep myself steady.

He face softens slightly, "I-I'm sorry my dear." He turns away.

I let go of the breath I had been holding. Those words obviously had something to do with her, putting aside my feelings I grab his hand and turn him back around. I wrap my arms around him and bring myself as close as possibly. This is what he needs, he needs affection that is returned.

He stands there for a moment before he wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face in my shoulder. I hold him tightly as his back shutters with his silent cries.

My heart shatters in my chest, my Erik, my poor Erik, so broken and bruised. We slowly lower ourselves to the floor, still wrapped in each others embrace. I lean against the leg of the table as he head slides down to rest just above my breasts. The cool porcelain of his mask makes a shiver run down my back.

"My dearest Erik, you have no reason to hide from me, there is no reason to wear a mask, no matter what it may hide." I say softly as I trace the outline of the mask.

"It hides terrible scars." He replies.

"You have seen mine, let me see yours." I point to the long thin scar that wraps around my neck. He does not answer, only sits in the same position, resting against me.

After a moment he says, "The last person who saw them left me because of them."

"Then I promise that I will never leave you." I say honestly.

I bring my hands up and stroke the mask and his bare cheek. His eyes flutter closed at my touch. I slowly lift the mask off and set it beside me. Erik's eyes open and stare at me, as if waiting for me to run.

The scars are bad, yes, but I have seen much worse.

"When I was younger, they weren't as bad. Over the years I got scars from cigarette burns and people would slash at me with knives." He whispers.

I lean down and press a light kiss to the scared side of his face and he sits up. "I don't know how anyone could be afraid of you, what is on the outside does not matter, it does not define who you are. What matters is in here." I press my hand against his heart.

His sets his hand on top of mine and a gasp escapes his lips. "My dear Kane, you deserve to have a friend much better then I. Your heart is pure, I would hate to ruin it with my darkness and fear."

"You know that I do not fear you or darkness, this is where I belong, I can feel it." I whisper as I take his hand that was on top of mine.

"If you wish to stay then we must come up with a plan to be rid ourselves of those officers." He says as he stands, then pulls me to my feet. "Let us begin."