The Underground Music (Phantom of the Opera Fanfic)

Chapter 26: Underground Again

I rapped on the carriage roof and shouted "If you will, sir, can you pull up as close to the water as possible?"

The driver, back to me: "Of course, miss." A few moments later: "Is here to your liking?"

Looking out the window and seeing water about ten meters away from the road's shoulder, I smiled to Nadir- who had no clue as to what I was up to- and replied, "Yes, this is perfect."

Before the driver could get down from his seat and open the carriage door for me and Nadir, I shoved out of that carriage myself and took off, leaving Nadir to follow. He knew that we were going to run off without paying, but he didn't know how I was going to escape pursuance.

I made a beeline for the water. I saw that the right edge of the sidewalk abruptly dropped off into the harbour- so I made ready to jump.

The driver immediately began to chase after us, shouting, "Come back here! Someone, stop them!"

One step away from the water- I sprang up and dove into the water with a splash. A second splash followed.

Without coming back up for air, I opened my eyes underwater and swam, swam until I needed air. When I broke the surface of the water, I saw that I had surprisingly made it eight full meters away from the sidewalk. Nadir came up beside me. After spitting out some water, he managed to say, "You never cease to amaze me, mademoiselle Jennifer."

Watching the crowd that we had attracted back on land- which included the taxi driver- I replied with a cheeky grin, "Yes, so you've told me before."

"I believe the driver will give up the chase if we continue swimming for the other end of the harbour. Are you okay with that, mademoiselle?"

"Do we have time for that? Erik could be in mortal combat by the Little Sultana by now!"

"I'm afraid we do not have any choice if we do not want to be arrested, or held up for that matter. Besides, it might not be long before someone brings a boat out to pursue us."

...So maybe this wasn't the best idea, after all...

"Um-okay, then you lead the way!"

With that, back under the water we went.

By my intelligent reasoning, I knew that I shouldn't come up for air unless I deathly needed to, for I didn't want to let any authorities know where to meet us at the other side of the harbour. So, consequently, I had to deprive myself of oxygen-

So much so that my swimming speed was reduced to the speed of a snail, and Nadir had to grab my arms and tow me along with him.

I was nearly unconscious by the time we washed ashore. I was on my back, bubbling water from my mouth, and Nadir was pressing on my chest to help pump all the water out of my lungs.

Another small crowd gathered. Utterances like "Is she alright?" and "Did she drown?" came from all around, and all Nadir said was, "Yes, but she'll be okay. Please, there is no need to be worried. Please, don't let me distract you from your day's activities."

Since I didn't, in fact, drown, and was more or less coherent, I attempted to answer the utterances myself-

But instead more water bubbled out of my mouth.

Nadir laughed and patted my head. "She's fine."

I was up and on my feet after not too long, and presently Nadir and I were walking along the shore together, sopping wet of course. Well, Nadir was briskly strolling, while I was storming along in a panic.

"How are we going to find where they are?! We have no more clues!" I exclaimed for the third time.

At that moment, a woman and her husband passed by, and I promptly stopped them. "Sir, ma'am! Did you happen to see a man with a mask with a little robed girl about this tall?" I asked as I held my hand low to the ground, probably seeming more than the slightest bit crazy.

"No, miss, we're sorry," the man muttered as he pushed his wife forward, wanting to get away from the soaked, suspicious pair that was me and Nadir.

As soon as the couple was out of earshot, Nadir spoke up:

"Jennifer, can you please stop drawing attention to us? We've just escaped the authorities, so please, what you're doing might just land us in their path a second time!"

I was irked. "When did you get so outspoken?!"

Nadir stopped and made me face him. "Jennifer, calm down. You're anxious and worried. You will never be able to find Erik like this."

I huffed. "So what is it that you propose we do?"

"I believe we're looking in the wrong place. We must go underground again."

I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of that before. I suppose, in my mind, when I pictured my showdown with the Little Sultana, I pictured me, her, Nadir, and Erik, in broad daylight, attracting a large crowd as if we were heroes.

But being a hero isn't so glamorous, now, is it? And I'm not here to be a hero...I'm not even here to be Erik's hero-

I'm here to be his friend. I'm not going to swoop in and save him like a brave protagonist from the books I've read; I'm going to stand beside him and fight this little beast of a girl with him, not for him... I don't even think I'm strong enough to fight for him, but that's beside the point. I'm going to be his friend, not his perfect Christine. I'm going to be his friend.

"...Jennifer?"

I pulled myself out of my dramatic train of thought. "Right, right! I agree completely! Let's go- this sun has gotten too bright for me, anyway."

Nadir, under his breath: "But the sun is setting, and it is not so bright," then aloud: "Alright, underground it is."

I took off. "Then we have no time to lose!"

With Nadir following me yet again, I ran up the shore, and into the nearest alley-way. My feet pitter-pattered upon the cobblestone, and I kept my eyes on the ground, looking for something very specific, something that I didn't think I'd ever seek out again.

Sure enough, I finally came upon what I hoped to find- a manhole. I bent down to remove the lid, and tossed it aside, creating quite the echoing ruckus. I stuck one foot down into the hole, securing it onto the first prong of the ladder, then the second. Having both feet on the ladder, down I went.

It occurred to me that the last time I had done this, I was a whole different person. The thought made me smile.