The Phantom's Guardian (the Phantom of the Opera fan fiction)

Part 22- Costumes, Masks and Deceptions

Desiree's steps were hesitant and uncertain as she walked in the underground passages. She was almost sure that the Phantom had heard their conversation about Christine's return.

'(It is all beginning again; you are losing time, Dee Dee. Make up your mind.)', Sharon's voice seemed to whisper in her head.

"What am I supposed to decide, Sharon??? This is all confusing for me", Desiree huffed.

"Great, now I am talking to myself like a crazy person." Desiree wondered why Sharon's voice seemed to appear whenever she was stressed. Maybe it was a way of survival by her brain to handle all those secrets and stress, she concluded.

She remembered bitterly that the tale of the Phantom of the Opera went further downhill from that masquerade dance. Christine had been secretly engaged to Raoul when she returned and when the Phantom found out, he went blindly mad with rage and jealousy. Desiree did not want to see a hurting and hostile Erik like the day on the roof of the Opera. She wished above all else that she could hold onto the gentle, obliging version of Erik but it seemed that the temporary paradise was crumbling around her. She would have to lie to him once more, adding to the mountain of deception which dragged at her heart like a heavy anchor in the ocean.

*****

Desiree could feel the pent up energy of the Opera Ghost even before she stepped inside the main hall of the lair. It seemed he had been impatiently pacing the floor while waiting for her to return. Her footsteps alerted him of her arrival and Erik whirled around, smiling fully and eyes shining with renewed hope.

"Umm...." Before Desiree could say anything, he rushed out a torrent of nervous speech, twitching and pacing once more.

"She is returning to the Theatre!! She must have been tired with the pesky Viscount's intentions. I knew it all along."

"Well, Erik. I wouldn't get my hopes up very soon. After all, she spent all these time at his home..."

"Not possible, I understand Christine too well. She loved music and singing above all else. Moreover, she could have decided not to return but she did. That must mean she forgave me. This is it. That must be why she had decided to return."

Desiree felt a tight knot forming in her throat and swallowed to ease it. How could she continue to listen to this without saying anything? She was a horrible, horrible person. She felt as if she was stabbing Erik in the back.

Erik continued, oblivious of her inner struggle.

"This is a perfect opportunity. I will attend the masquerade ball, and I will present my best work for her to perform. I am giving her "Don Juan Triumphant" as my welcome present.", he declared.

"Hurry, boy. There's a lot of work to do. I need to finish Don Juan. And I need you to make a costume for me. Any suggestions??"

Still in a trance, Desiree looked up at him blankly. Then, she found herself speaking, as if the words weren't her own ...

"How about a red death costume?"

Erik's eyes gleamed. "That is a brilliant idea, boy. I can just imagine it. The costume would be daring .It would demand attention and showcase elegance yet not lose my aura of danger. How soon can you show me a sketch?" he enthused.

******

Desiree never dreamed that she would be in the Phantom's world, much less making the red death costume for him. The crimson and obsidian silk flowed in her hand like a living shadow, swirling around her like a dramatic curtain. Gilded gold buttons and intricate fringes adorned the collar and cuffs and she had dyed the big ostrich feathers painstakingly for the hat. She had been sneaking supplies from the costume room but since everyone was fussing about their own garments for the ball, she doubted anyone would notice.