Phantom's Understudy

Part Fifteen - Plan

** ERIK **

Elizabeth had not been down for dinner for three days. It was unlike her to miss anything. She had always been there in time.

My heart yearned for her, and being away from her had hurt more than words could describe.

This evening, I would go and try to talk to her. I needed to.

I had started composing a song specifically for her and all about my love for her. How much I cherished everything. To be honest, I started to feel that I wanted to leave with Beth before the opera. I loved her so much, that I was willing to leave my life's work.

I chuckled and shook my head. What a dazed idiot I had become. With Christine, I never day dreamt about my future...I feared it. But with Beth....all I could think about was living with her for the rest of my life.

It was about 10pm when I finally found it safe to go out and about because it was mostly dark in the halls of the Opera Populaire. I walked down the lengthy hallway and heard a door open. I quickly hid in the shadows, and saw that it was Beth's door that opened. Except, Beth wasn't the one leaving the room. It was that Baron-fop. He marched down the hall as if he had extreme purpose in what he was doing. I rolled my eyes. Clearly he didn't see Beth's honest distaste for him. I gave it a good bit before I came back out of the shadows, and I walked over to her door.

I took a deep breath and knocked on her door three times, slowly, like I always had. I heard stirring inside, and I patiently waited for her to answer the door, but she never did.

I knocked again, wondering if she had fallen asleep and hadn't heard.

More stirring, and soon I heard a small voice at the door.

"Hi Erik." She said through the cracks of the closed door.

"Beth...whatever is going on?" I asked.

There was silence.

"Beth? Are you alright?"

The silence was broken after a short minute. "No." She croaked.

My heart broke in half. She was crying. Oh how I wanted to hold her.

"Beth, what's wrong?"

She wept relatively loudly but I could tell she was trying to hold it in and control it.

"I...I can't marry you." She wept harder.

Now my heart was in quarters. What in the world was she saying? Just three days ago she was talking about buying a house with me.

"Why?"

"I...I can't tell you. But Erik...I love you. Oh God, I love you." She took a deep sob. "Please understand. I...I can't."

I was silent. How could I understand? This came out of nowhere. Maybe if she had told me she no longer loved me? Or we fought? Or something?

"Erik, I'm leaving after the first showing of the Opera. Please promise me that you will be safe and away from harm."

I couldn't respond. I didn't know what to say.

"I love you." She wept.

"I love you too." I responded.

"Goodbye." She said, and I felt her presence grow further and further away.

I walked away slowly, my heart in nearly a million pieces at this point. Why? Why was she leaving? I needed answers.

I walked over to Meg's room and knocked three times. This was risky, but she was the only one close to Beth that I could talk to.

Meg opened the door and opened her mouth to scream, but I instantly placed a hand over her mouth and walked into her room.