Love Isn't Always Beautiful || A Phantom Of The Opera Fanfiction

Chapter 3

It's been nearly six weeks and police cars are not only surrounding the opera house but the entire city. I have been asking people around what happened but they're all unsure too. For the amount of attention this situation got from the police, it is kind of insane for the rest of us to not know what is going on. My mind is overflowing with questions and thoughts. It's making me lose sleep at night.

I grab a list of grocery items from the kitchen table as I swing my purse on my shoulder. I've been sitting in this penthouse since I went to that bakery and I think it's about time I go out again.

Raoul is talking about the wedding and making plans for his bachelor's party with his brother in the living room. It surprises me how he can still be cheerful and relaxed with all the police buzzing around. All of a sudden, it hit me in the head as clear as day. Someone who is living at the theater must be missing because all of this reminds me of a search party. Is it a dancer? Is it Meg? Could it be Madame Giry? .... Could it be the man I left behind? Oh no. I hope to God that's not what is going on. Ok, I can't think about that or else I'll actually start freaking out.

As I walk to the door, I bump into Raoul's brother.

"Oh hey. I'm sorry," I tell him.

"It's okay. So you're Christine? My brother's bride?" He asks me with a friendly look in his eyes.

"Yes, indeed, I am. You're Phillipe, his brother right?" I reply.

"That's me. It's great to finally meet you. Raoul has told me a lot about you."

"It's great to meet you too."

"So where are you off to?"

"To the grocery store. I've been locking myself in this place for the past month and a half. I can not stop worrying about what is going on at the Opera Populaire."

"Yeah, it's crazy. I think a search party is going on right now."

"That's exactly what I was thinking a minute ago actually."

"Well I better let you go because you seem like you need the fresh air. Good day to you, Christine."

"Thank you. You too."

I speed walk out of the apartment building excited to take a nice breath of fresh, outdoor air. One I finally step out, I smell food samples down the street and the candle store right next to me. Once I reach the grocery store, I see two cops talking to each other. I decide to eavesdrop in the conversation to get any clues from what has been going on.

"I can't believe I lost him that night. I messed everything up," One of them panicked.

"We'll find him eventually. He can't hide forever," The other says to ease his coworker down as he places his hand on his shoulder. I keep my eyes on the ground so they don't see I'm listening, but this is when I really focus onto every word they say.

"What I did was equivalent to freeing a vicious lion in a zoo out of his cage. A monster is out loose and he could be anywhere," He whisper shouted.

"Even if he is a monster, he's still just a man. There's hundreds of us while there is only one of him," The guy tries to reassure the other one.

It seems to me that there is a search party for the man I left in the Opera Populaire. Maybe if I stayed with him when I had the chance, none of this madness would have ever happened. Why did he even leave? Last time we talked he was convinced he would never leave the opera house because he was too insecure about his deformity. I remember the morning I took off his mask. That was the first time he broke down in front of me. In the beginning, I was terrified from the anger in his voice. That was until he calmed down into a depressed state. I pitied him as I saw the fear in his eyes. The fear of being unloved. The night before, he welcomed me to the basement of the theater which is where he wrote his music and slept in. He was so gentle and kind. I think I might've fallen for him. Before my father died he said he would send the angel of music to me when he was in heaven since we both loved to sing. I truly believed this man was the angel of music. The day I took off his mask was the day I realized, even angels have their demons clawing inside their souls.

I walk into the store second guessing if it was a smart choice to leave the apartment today. Maybe if I put all my attention on the food, I can forget all of this.