change - phantom of the opera

Chapter 15: Auditions

JUST A REMINDER THAT IN THE PAST THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS STRICTLY PLATONIC, AND IN NO WAY ROMANTIC. THEIR FEELINGS DEVELOPED ONCE THEY HAD BOTH GROWN INTO ADULTS.

ERIK

I grabbed Anya and we plummeted into the darkness. Her dress skirt blew up, getting all in my face. It would be hard to be the phantom in a dress. Much too heavy. I landed first, as I was holding her. She seemed to have fainted from the shock of the unexpected fall.

If it were unexpected, I would probably faint as well.

"Boo!" Anya said, scaring me. My legs immediately gave way and I fell onto the hard ground. I looked at Anya and she giggled, she was grinning.

The 11 year old had absolutely no idea that my legs give way when I get scared. It was a thing I had ever since I was a child, and it seemed to stick with me even as an adult.

"You fall when you get scared." Anya stated. I sighed, of course. I just fell in front of you.

"Yes. I do." I said blankly.

I smiled at the memory. Any memory with Anya was a good one. Maybe not the one she got crushed by a giant burning beam, but the others were good. I looked down at the woman in my arms. Oh how beautiful she is. The true epitome of perfection.

Her face was showered with her freckles, giving her a true natural feeling about her. Although she was slumped in my arms, she was still beautiful.

I walked through the halls, candles moving at my movement. I took a quick shortcut to get to my home easier. I placed her in the bed, and noticed she had some makeup on. She has told me countless times she dislikes it when she sleeps with makeup on, she says she wakes up feeling icky.

We couldn't have that happening now could we?

I walked into her bathroom and grabbed some rags and wetted them. I walked back over to her and carefully brushed the towels over her face, not wanting to wake her.

The towels were put away and I sat next to the woman. She was beautiful, makeup or not. I couldn't possibly understand how someone as wonderful as her could be insecure about herself.

She was perfect in every way, her personality, her humor, her eyes, her nose, her hair, her lips. Oh those lips. How often I wanted to bring her into my arms and kiss her, but never wanted to stain her with such imperfection.

It shocked me how much she praised me, when she was the one deserving of the praise. She was a kindhearted soul who would never do any wrong. She wouldn't even hurt a fly, well maybe she would.

The other day she was telling me how glad she was that I killed that stagehand. She said that she never liked him. It was odd, I didn't think she had met him before. Of course, I told her about killing him. I regretted it, true, but he somewhat deserved it. Always harassing every woman he laid eyes on.

I sat looking at the woman, pondering about so many questions. I only found the answer to one of them.

I love her.

Chapter

3rd person

Auditions began quicker than Anya expected them too.

Halfway through Carlotta's audition, a song she chose herself, which isn't in her range or her style, so it sounded much worse than it typically did, a girl burst through the door. Her long curls bounced up and down as she panted.

"I apologize," Christine said. "I had to be doing," She gave Anya what looked to be the biggest side eye the world has ever seen, "I had to be doing certain things."