Let Your Fantasies Unwind

Chapter 32

I wake up and change into some of my old clothes. I put on my old shoes and then head out within the house.

'Today's the day everything goes wrong.'

I make sure my phone is at an okay percentage, and then go to the bathroom to clean myself up. I go to the kitchen to make breakfast, which I've learned to not like. I eat some toast and some other little miscellaneous snacks.

About an hour passes and Erik exits from his room, dressed up for the day already, already in his costume.

"They better." He says like I'm supposed to understand his conversation.

"What?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Did you eat already?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let's go."

We go up to the Opera house. We hear a whistle and doors closing, followed by men shouting, "Secure!"

"I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera." Erik takes the chance to freak the managers and Raoul out. He quickly runs to different places. "I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here!"

A gun is fired at Box five, where Erik resided at the end of his trickery.

Raoul mumbles something, and Erik picks up on it. "No 'buts!' For once, Monsieur le Vicomte is right. Seal my fate tonight- I hate to have to cut the fun short but the joke's wearing thin. Let the audience in. Let my opera begin!"

The managers scramble and I journey over to Box five. People start to fill in the seats, and mutter quietly amongst themselves. I see some people trembling, like they expect something bad is going to happen.

I don't blame them, and they're not wrong.

"Are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

"You've been starting for five minutes, at nothing in particular."

"Yes, just, still a little tired, I guess."

He shrugs it off. "Stay here."

I stay in the box as he says and watch him walk off, to go take Piangi's spot at the right moment. One of the stage shifters lights the candles at the edge of the stage, and then gets off quickly as the music starts.

Everyone sets themselves up as the props get shifted onto the scene, which is a simple picnic table with the benches, and is decorated with many fruits. The chorus starts to sing, but I can't make out what they're saying. I've never looked up the lyrics or libretto for this part.

"Passarino, faithful friend, once again recite the plan!"

"Your young guest believes I'm you. I, the master, you, the man."

They continue to talk, and then Piangi laughs and exits the "room". Christine enters the stage.

"The thoughts within her head were thoughts of joy." I can't figure out what's the rest of her line.

"Master?" 'Passarino' says.

"Passarino, go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey." Erik enters the stage in his stiff manner. "You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent, silent." He walks up to Christine who is sitting at the table. "I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge-" it sounds sweet like Michael Crawford's version, and not growl-like with Gerard Butler's version, "in your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me- now you are here with me: no second thoughts, you've decided, decided."