The Underground Music (Phantom of the Opera Fanfic)

Chapter 14: The White Phantomess

I sat at the long table, with my hunger finally satiated. Of course, I wasn't ravenous- that would have been unladylike of me. Especially in the presence of a composer.

That last thought stopped my pending thoughts dead in their tracks. What did I just think? That couldn't have been truly me thinking that thought...I must be so tired that I'm delirious. Yet, I don't feel tired...it must have something to do with all the black-outs my mind has been withstanding. Or...perhaps I have two conscious?

Not wanting to ruminate on the thought any further, I brought my attention back in front of me. Across from me, at the far end of the table, Erik was staring at me, with smirking eyes...almost as if he knew what I had just thought. But no, that's impossible. He may be a genius, but he's not a mind-reader.

It didn't take long for my thought to set in with my other conscious, the one that wouldn't call Erik a genius, my true self. And it wasn't happy with it had heard.

Erik? A genius? Please!

I was abruptly pulled out from the conflict within my mind. "Jennifer, what is the matter with you? You seem appalled. Was my cooking not satisfactory?"

I tried to recover myself and hide my inner conflict as best as I could. "No, sir, it was quite satisfactory. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now that you have finished, shall we get along to your first lesson?"

The words made the one side of me feel faint, and yet pleased the other. Consequently, I found myself saying, "Of course."

He quietly pushed his chair back before standing up. Now standing tall and proud, he made his way along the edge of the table and over to me, coat flowing charmingly- charmingly!?- as he went. He stopped behind me, and I felt him looming over me. He pulled out my chair as I stood up simultaneously, then, after pushing the chair back in, turned to me and offered me his gloved hand. I took it.

Without a word, he led me out of the Louis-Philippe room and past the torture chamber- the Little Sultana had started to scream and yell as soon as she had heard our footsteps- and then he pushed through a heavy, dark-red velvet curtain, which passed us through an archway and into a lofty room that was silently dark, save for a thin dazzling light coming from the ceiling. I stared wondrously at the small particles of dust dancing around within the beam of silver-blue, then allowed my eyes to follow the beam down to where it cast its light down upon.

My eyes fell upon a magnificent sight which immediately took my breath away.

Golden pipes, so many and so different in size and diameter, lined the wall and gleamed with the light's color, sparkling as if covered in glitter. It looked to be frozen in time, splendorous and triumphant as it loomed above all.

I stepped forward in front of Erik, as if in a trance.

At the base of the beautiful battalion of pipes stood what looked to be a piano, small and humble in comparison to the pipes behind it. It was gently illuminated in one spot by the silver-blue beam as if by a dim spotlight. Dust particles fell softly down upon and swirled around it as it kept to itself in such a passively dignified manner...and it reminded me of Erik.

My feet took me slowly into the beam and over to the piano. I stopped just in front of the instrument, then tilted my head up to look straight into the source of the light.

Far above, through a deep, almost endless opening in the cave ceiling with a diameter the size of little more than twice my own waist's, was the full moon in a clear, starless sky.

When Erik spoke up, I was torn from my trance, making me jump. "Quite a coincidence that tonight is a full moon, isn't it? On most nights, my organ stands beneath a moonless sky."

"Y-yes", I stuttered.

My back was turned to him, yet I heard his footsteps nearing me. A hand rested upon my shoulder.

"Are you ready for the Music of the Night?" he asked in a gentle, yet chilling voice.

"Yes, master."

He placed his other hand upon my shoulder. My mind went blank, and my body completely succumbed to his power as he coaxed me to move forward. He moved me to a far, dark corner of the room.

He removed his hands, and I heard a click, similar to the sound of the pull of a lamp being tugged.

A yellow-tinted light shone down upon me, revealing my own reflection to me. I stared at myself in the dusty mirror, with Erik standing behind me.

As I was absorbed in the mirror, I watched as Erik's reflection took the glasses off from the face of mine. Then my vision went black as the familiar tight, stretched leather of Erik's glove covered my eyes.

My lips involuntarily parted as my mind was lulled and swayed by a beautiful voice...

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

Something took hold of me and seized me.

My fighting conscious slowly passed away as my bewitched conscious took over.

~~~

Erik removed his hand from Jennifer's eyes. She had totally, completely given herself to him...she was now a creature of music- no, of his music. The side of her which has been wanting to give in to him had taken over, and it had won. She was no longer Jenny- she was Jennifer.

She was a different person. She was her true self.

She turned from her reflection to face him. After a moment of silence, of staring into Erik's eyes, she demanded,

"Make me sing."

"Of course, Jennifer."

She gracefully glided to the center of the silver-blue beam of light, and reveled in its illumination. Erik followed her, as if she was no longer his subjugate- for, in fact, she was now his equal. Erik was no longer dominant over her- they were equals in music. They were now both angels of music.

Erik sat down at the organ. He looked to Jennifer, and she nodded back at him.

At that cue, he began to play, fingers flying across the keys, hands lifting and falling intensely, and feet darting from pedal to pedal precisely. The larger pipes spouted out grand, powerful tones that shook the very foundation of the cave, while the smaller ones gave out lighter, connected tones that strung together and danced around the air, creating a melody which wound around and darted up and down the music staff like a river stream does through a rocky land. It all made Jennifer's soul soar.

Jennifer opened her mouth and joined her voice with Erik's music. Her soprano voice, clear, assertive and vibrant, and yet sweet, resonated around the cave, filling every crevice in the walls. She sang in French, a language which Jenny did not know.

The song was perfect. The Music of the Night had begun once again.

~~~

My muddled mind came to, and quickly became clearer and sharper than it ever has been before. I found myself standing amidst the silver-blue beam of light, and immediately remembered all that had happened.

Erik was still sitting at the piano. I walked over to him, my light footsteps echoing and bouncing off the walls of the cave.

"Erik."

He turned his head to look over his shoulder, at me.

"You were incredible, Jennifer. A true Angel of Music. A creature of the Music of the Night."

"What does my name mean?"

He got up, stepped around the piano seat and stood over me, locking eyes with me and looking intense, almost overbearing.

"You are the White Phantomess."