Mirrors

Slipped

A/N: Hey guys! Story time: So i was writing this chapter and Microsoft Word just decided to freeze and i unfortunately didn't have autosave turned on, so when I had to force quit it, nothing saved! So, i quickly just re-wrote this chapter, knowing I would forget everything I wrote tomorrow. I'm really sorry if this chapter isn't what you thought it was going to be! I swear, the first version was better;) But, because that one's lost, this one lost a lot of detail and a few other passages. Anyways, this chapter is mainly dialogue. I hope that's okay with you guys! Warning: i'm not really that good with writing dialogue as in I have difficulties writing it as detailed as my other chapters. So this chapter is kinda eugh. please tell me what you guys think of this chapter! Thank you guys so much!

( I do not own the Phantom of the Opera)

While I had continuous faith in the phantom of the opera, others did not. I guess people didn't tend to be as forgiving when they hear there's a ghost running around. I guess you can understand my frustration when I hear people talking poorly of him all the time.

I'm not completely sure where the confidence came form that day. Perhaps it was from the fact that I had spoken to Erik. Perhaps it was because Erik had responded. Perhaps it was because Erik told me his name was Erik. I'm not sure how, but somehow, that four-lettered name filled me with such happiness and joy. It also gave me the confidence to think I could speak up to my coworkers and get away with it.

There was a total of five of us maids working on cleaning the grand foyer of the opera house. I was cleaning the stairs along with Marie, another maid who often acted as a mother figure for me. Her round and sturdy frame was hunched over on the stair landing above me, scrubbing harshly at the marble. I remained on the steps, my elbow supporting me as I gently removed the dirt on the stairs with a wet rag.

"I don't know what those foolish managers were thinking! That damned ghost will kill us all!" Marie complained, still scrubbing away at the floor.

There were sounds that echoed throughout the foyer, signaling that the other maids had agreed with this statement. I remained silent.

"Maybe if the managers let Mlle. Daee sing the lead just this once, the ghost will leave us all alone for good." Josephine, one of the eldest maids, chirped in from the corner she was sweeping.

"Why does he do this to us? Why must he terrorize us all? Who gave him the right? He should just go back to hell were he belongs." Marie grumbled to herself.

I don't know why, but this sparked something within me. It sparked a flame- a flame that slowly and steadily boiled my blood. I bit my lip, not sure what to do. I knew I should have stayed quiet at that moment, but my mind kept screaming at me to say something. Anything. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before speaking up. "Why?" I asked, simply. I felt all eyes on me, especially Marie's piercing blue glare. I wanted to back out of this conversation, but Erik wasn't there to defend himself. I needed to take that position.

"Excuse me?" She asked slowly.

"Why would he go to hell?" I asked, almost as if I wasn't sure of the question myself. I wasn't too proud of my responses at that moment, but I knew I had dug myself into too deep of a hole already.

"Because he's a monster that's why. Monster's go to hell." She explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

That was my breaking point. Out of fury, I replied, "He has a name you know!" I then felt as if the entire opera house was staring at me. I thought back to what I had said, repeating it in my mind. I slipped. I was done for.

"Oh is that so? Do share his name, Isabelle." Marie said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I-I don't know." I replied quickly.

Marie remained silent for a moment. I could feel her gaze on me as I pretended to be intrigued with a microscopic stain on the marble. I thought that at that moment she knew. She knew of my interactions with Erik, and she was going to do something about it. But, luckily, she just huffed out a laugh.

"He is a monster, Isabelle. Nothing will ever change that." She said.

"But Mlle. Daee-" I started hopelessly, but was cut off.

"If Mlle. Daee want's to be involved with this phantom, then that is her problem. If I ever find out that you're involved with him..." She trailed off, knowing that I knew what she'd said was a warning.

I needed to be more careful. Erik has always wanted to stay hidden and always will. If I ever gave up his privacy because of my stupidity, I don't think I'd have ever been able to forgive myself.

A/N: Just giving you guys a head's up, I may not be uploading as often as I usually do because school starts for me on Monday!:( I might keep uploading it normally, but it really depends on the homework load.

Also, this may be important, but I'm following the plot line order of the 2004 movie. I was going to do the normal stage version, but with the chandelier crash at the end, it works better, trust me;)

Anyways, please tell me what you guys thought of this chapter! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! Thanks guys!