My soul Began to Soar

Chapter 2

I want to tell Madame Giry, I really do, but I don't know how she will react. I don't want her to hurt my Angel.
"I really did have a lesson, but I practiced for a while after that."
Madame Giry just sighs and accepts that i'm not going to tell her the truth. I then notice that everyone else has gone back into conversation so I get my supper. After that, I lie in my bed and think about the wonderful day i've had.
*Next day*
I wake to see that Meg is gone, so I go to the dining hall for breakfast. As soon as I walk in, Raoul comes up to me and begins questioning me.
"Christine, I came the dressing room last night to pick you up for our dinner plans and the door was locked. I heard a man's voice, who was it? Are you alright? What happened???"
"I'm fine, it was just the manager talking to me about rehearsal, it's nothing," I lie...
"But it sounded like-"
"Raoul, I don't care what you thought you heard, I said i'm fine, now drop it!" I snap. He looks a bit taken aback, but replies with an "okay" and leaves abruptly. I feel a little bad about snapping at him, but I don't feel like being around people right now, so I get some crepes and go back up to my room.
When I arrive at my room, I find Meg there, deep in thought. I knock lightly on the door and she jumps.
"Hello Meg, are you alright? You seem a bit jumpy."
"Yes, fine, just thinking..." she replies evasively.
"Would you like a crepe?" I ask.
"I'd love one, thank you!" She says, back to her cheerful self. I sit on her bed next to her and we each take a delicious crepe, made with a coco hazelnut spread and strawberries. We sit for hours and talk about anything that pops into our heads. We haven't talked like this in a long time, I miss it. We are always so busy, it feels good to let everything out, well, almost everything...
After our long conversation, we decide to go to the market and look for new clothes. We have such a fun day! We get matching dresses, just like when we were children.
In the evening, I have another lesson with my angel. So I go to our secret room and wait. He shows up, right on time.
"Christine, how are you?"
This is the first time he's asked about me in a long time...
"I am fine, how are you angel?"
"Fine"
There is an awkward silence for a minute or so until finally, I speak...
"Last night was very..." I can't think of a word to describe it.
"...fun," Immediately, he sings to me...

Christine, I love you

He then strides out from behind the mirror and embraces me. He holds me tighter than anyone has ever held me and shares with me the most intoxicating of kisses. It was slow yet passionate, sweet yet rough. We break away and I stare into his warm, deep, brown eyes.
"We should practice," he states with a soft smile.
I nod and we spend the next hour and a half pouring our hearts out in brilliantly written duets, most likely written by my angel, himself. It is then that I remember I still don't know my angel's name.
"What is your name?"
He stares at me for a moment, a puzzled look on his face. I repeat myself, more clearly this time.
"Your name, monsieur?"
His face softens and he turns away from me.
"Why do you desire to know, mon ange?"
My heart flutters at his nickname for me.
"I want to know the name of my angel, the only man I love."
He sighs as I wait, anxiously, for an answer.
"E-Erik...It's Erik Destler..."
"I love it!"
"You do...?"
"Yes! It suits you perfectly, it means powerful, and you have a certain power over me, with your music, with your soul, with your presence. You have a certain...je ne sais quoi. I just can't quite describe it."
He looks very pleased with my answer and continues with our session. 
    We finish practicing at about 10:00 pm. I tried to tell him I could keep going, I could sing with him all night, but he insisted I need rest. So, I head back to the dormitories and see Raoul talking with the manager. I walk up to them both.
"Sorry to interrupt, monsieur, but I need to speak with Raoul for a moment, it's urgent," I tell the manager.
"No problem whatsoever, mademoiselle," he says kindly. He probably appreciates  a smile, since he's had to work with Carlotta for 5 seasons.
"Christine, is everything okay?" Raoul asks with a worried look on his face. He is always concerned for me, even when I am not kind to him.
"No, I shouldn't have raised my voice at you this morning, it was very rude of me and I sincerely apologize. I know you were only concerned for my safety, and I appreciate that." I tell him.
"Oh, Little Lotte, that's alright, I completely forgive you. You were probably under a lot of stress, especially after talking with the manager..." he says, a bit skeptically, might I add.
"Yes, after talking with the manager, I was stressed."
"Well, you should rest your head...I bid you goodnight, Little Lotte."
He kisses my forehead and walks away. I wonder if he knows something, he was just talking to the manager. Oh no, this is not good at all! What if he asked the manager if he talked to me last night. Erik could be discovered. Okay, cal, down Christine. Everything will be fine. Erik will know what to do. I shall tell him in the morning.
    The next day I wake up and go straight to the dressing room. I crack open the door and see Carlotta yelling at the Manager and Raoul. I then hear the word "phantom" so I stay and listen.
"YOU CANNOT JUST LET THIS HAPPEN! I WILL NOT STAY IF HE HAUNTS THIS OPERA HOUSE!!!! I WILL NOT BE SINGING!"
"Please, Carlotta, lower your voice, someone will hear."
"I DO NOT CARE IF SOMEONE HEARS, THEY SHOULD KNOW IF THEY ARE AT RISK OF BEING KILLED BY THE OPERA GHOST! I HAVE SEEN HIM, I KNOW HE IS REAL! HE WEARS A WHITE MASK ON HALF OF HIS FACE AND A BLACK SUIT!"
I can't bare to listen anymore. I now know that Erik, my angel, is the dreaded Phantom of the Opera. I know I love him. and I know he would never hurt me, yet I still fear him. I know he has hurt others in the past. I need to get away. I run outside and call the nearest carriage. The sun hasn't risen yet, so it's still dark. I had the driver a bag of francs.
"To my father's grave please" I tell him. As soon as I get into the carriage, the driver whips the horse and we are off into the darkness. He drops me off and I thank him. I have this pain in my chest. It feels like my heart is literally cracking in half like glass. I don't know what to do about it, so I do the only thing that numbs me from every other pain: sing.
 
You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered

Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed
Somehow you would be here

Wishing I could hear your voice again
Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
All that you dreamed I could

Passing bells and sculpted angels
Cold and monumental
Seem for you the wrong companions
You were warm and gentle

Too many years fighting back tears
Why can't the past just die?

Wishing you were somehow here again
Knowing we must say goodbye
Try to forgive, teach me to live
Give me the strength to try

No more memories, no more silent tears
No more gazing across the wasted years
Help me say goodbye
Help me say goodbye...

I reach my father's grave. It looks so grand, so materialistic. He liked simple things, he was a simple man, yet they still made his grave so gaudy. I place a single white rose on the steps and let a tear slip down my face. No matter how much I tell myself not to shed anymore tears, that I have suffered long enough, I just can't stop. I then hear a voice from above, my father's grave starts to glow...

Wandering child, so lost, so helpless
Yearning for my guidance...

I sing back, yet I get a strange feeling about this...

Angel or father,
friend or phantom
who is it there, staring?

Have you forgotten your angel?
Angel, oh, speak
what endless longings,
echo in this whisper

Too long you've wandered in winter,
far from my fatherly gaze

Wildly my mind beats against you
You resist
Yet the/my soul obeys

Angel of music
You/I denied you,
turning from true beauty
Angel of music
Do not shun me/My protecter
Come to your/me strange angel

I am your angel of music,
come to me angel of music
I am your angel of music,
come to me angel of music..

Suddenly, Erik emerges from behind my father's grave onto the steps of it. I back away in fear, and stumble backwords down the stairs. I hear Erik yell  "My god! Christine!" I feel a sharp pain on the back of my skull and feel sleepy. I feel Erik start to pick me up and then close my eyes.