Stories of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 11: Scars

I make my way to the stage. As I warm up, Madame comes up to me and asks in a whisper, "What happened when he came after you?"

I blush, "Everything is fine now."

I would rather not include other details pertaining to what happened last night. She nods and walks off, satisfied with that answer.

I continue to warm up as I listen to the girls around me whisper,

"They say she is a spy for the Phantom."

"She sold her soul to him to be a better dancer."

"They say she wasn't here for a year because she went with that man to the asylum."

"That was the phantom who went there! Did you hear about his escape?"

"I bet it was her who helped him."

"Look at her neck!"

I freeze as I hear the last one and slowly lift up my hand, quickly realizing that I had never put on a necklace to cover my scar.

I run back to my room and grab the beautiful black one that Erik had given me long ago, when he only visited me at night, and never let me light a candle.

I quickly put it on as I race down the stairs. Suddenly I run into someone and knock them to the floor. I land with a loud huff on top of the person.

"Get off me!" A female voice cries and shoves me off.

I stand up and quickly realized that I had run into Christine. I pale, this won't be good.

"You stupid little ballet rat!" She exclaims as she brushes the dirt from her dress.

She looks up at me and a smirk crawls across her face. "Well if it isn't Erik's girl."

She walks around me, "At least you're decently pretty." She grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at her. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

"Stay away from me and Erik." I slap her hand away.

"Oh my dear, you will not have him for much longer. I am his Angle of Music and he will not deny me!" She hisses.

"And I'm his fiancé!" I flash my left hand in her face so she can see the ring that Erik had placed back on my finger last night.

I turn around and walk back to the stage as Madame Giry slams her stick on the floor several times.

"I have two announcements!" She says rather loudly. "First we will have to recast the lead in Giselle. The Opera ghost requests that Giselle is played by Kane."

"Why does she get the lead?" One girl exclaims.

"If we do not do as he requests bad things happen. She is a very good dancer and is more than capable of dancing this part." Madame snaps at the girl.

I blush, knowing that my first lead part is thanks to Erik. I need to remember to thank him later today.

"The next announcement is that there is to be a masquerade ball in one weeks time, after the first performance of Giselle. Everyone in the company is required to come in costume." Madame finishes.

"We only have a week to prepare for the show?" I ask, my heart beating faster, how am I to learn an entire ballet in one week.

"The corps has already learned their parts, our lead had to back out due to sickness." Madame explains as she walks to me. "We will start rehearsing tomorrow after you have been fitted for your costume."

I nod as she dismisses me and turns back to the corps and immediately starts to have them rehearse. I walk back to my room and open the secret door, slowly making my way down to Erik.

I get down to the room beside the lake, "Erik?" I call softly. I hear no music, I thought he was to be composing. "Erik?" I call again.

Suddenly I hear a strangled sob come from the shore of the lake. I make my way down the stairs and find Erik sitting on the shore, water lapping at his boots. His hands cover his face as his back shakes.

"Oh! Erik, what happened? What's wrong?" I kneel down next to him, taking him in my arms.

"She came down her." He whispers. "I didn't have a mask on because you prefer me without a mask."

I nod for him to continue as he slowly wraps his arms around me.

"I turned around and she screamed. She yelled horrid curses at me, she called me a monster and to never take off my mask again. She said that you could never love me because of what I am. I am a monster, Kane. How can you love me?" He asks in a whisper.

"I love you because I don't see a monster." I whisper back.

He jolts away, tearing off his mask, "How can you not see this? This ugly retched face littered with scars! I am a murderer, a monster!" He covers the scared side of his face with his hand.

"Erik," I sigh, as I reach up and pull his hand away from his face. "Every time you call your scars ugly is like calling my scars ugly."

He shakes his head, "No, Kane I didn't mean it that way. I-"

I cut him off, "Ah but you did. It hurts me to see you think that this is ugly and monstrous. This," I stroke his maimed cheek, "This is who you are. And if no one can look passed it, they are not good enough for you. Besides what you look like or what you did in the past that you regret do not define what you are. I look inside and I see a wonderful, kind and loving man. Who will do anything to protect the people he loves." I pause for a moment, searching his eyes for agreement. "If she cannot look upon you with no mask, she does not love you."

He pulls me close, kissing the top of my head. "Kane, I love you. I will protect you until my last breath."

"I know you will Erik." I sigh against his chest.

We sit there in comfortable silence for a few moments until I remember what I came down here for.

"Oh! Erik, I want to thank you for giving me the lead in Giselle, you knew it's one of my favorite ballets." I grin up at him.

He smiles, "Anything for you my dear."

"Also, would you come to the masquerade with me? We must dress in costumes, no one will recognize you." I ask.

He nods, "Why I would love to attend it with you. In fact, I have the perfect idea for costumes."

"Really, what is it?"

"Shh, I can't tell you yet. When you come down after rehearsal tomorrow they will be ready. You will love them, I promise." He says as he stands, then pulls me to my feet.

"I trust you." I grin.

"Now, I have a question for you. When shall we start planning our wedding?" He twirls me around, smiling widely.

"Oh my! I almost forgot about that!" I laugh as he sets me down. "Soon, very soon. We shall have a beautiful wedding!"

"And you will have a beautiful dress!" Suddenly he frowns. "However I have made it so you cannot wear white, for you are no longer innocent."

I flush, "That is alright. A black dress is much easier to come by and it also won't stand out to the other dancers as a wedding dress."

"Are you sure you are not upset? Not having a white dress is a very big thing." He asks.

I nod, "Yes, it will be fine. I can go looking for a dress after the masquerade. However I may not be able to afford an extravagant gown."

Erik shakes his head, "No, I can pay for it. After all, I have made a large fortune running this opera house."

He leads me over to the organ and begins to play. I listen to his music for what may have been hours, but who knows when you are immersed in beautiful music.

Soon I begin to drift off to sleep, he stops playing and picks me up, carrying me to the swan bed where I then slip off into a peaceful sleep.