Beauty Of Music

Chapter 18

After changing into the white dress, Catherine decided to explore outside the room. She walked along the bank of the lagoon and came across a row of mannequins that had an array of different coloured costumes and mask, for men and women. Suddenly she heard a sound, like a baby whimpering, she turned in the direction the sound was coming from and saw a white crib sitting in front of a fireplace and what astounded her was that the crib was rocking back and forth all on its own. Catherine walked towards the crib, she came up beside it then pulled back the thin blankets to reveal a baby doll in a white dress and a white cap that covered it's face, she picked it up gently but when she did the cap fell off to reveal the doll didn't have a head at all. Catherine was shocked and confused as to why the doll was like this but didn't dwell on it long when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It appeared to be an alter with candles and above there was a portrait of the same woman as the one in the room Catherine had woke up in, only this one showed her head and shoulders and to Catherine's horror the baby doll's head was hanging upside down beside the portrait and the face looked as though it had been cut up with a knife and was melting a little because of the candles burning underneath it. Catherine looked at the dolls body with a look of disgust before dropping it back in the crib and fled the room.

Carriere made his way through the threshold to Erik's home and was making his way down the steps, until he heard a faint sound of footsteps coming toward him and stopped dead in his tracks. He saw Catherine appear behind the corner and watched as she made her way up the stairs towards the room Erik had left her in until she disappeared through the threshold. He continued on his way down and was making his way towards where Catherine was, until he heard footsteps coming from above and when he looked up, he saw Erik returning from the surface, now wearing his usual white mask.

Erik didn't notice Carriere at first until the older gentleman spoke.

"Erik! You must send her back" said Carriere, abruptly.

Erik looked at him with a stone expression and said nothing as he walked down the stairs.

"If you don't, they'll come down and take her back. And when they do, they'll kill you" said Carriere, trying to make Erik see reason.

Erik was now at the bottom of the stairs and walked towards Carriere.

"That may not as easily accomplish as you think" said Erik as he stopped about a few steps away from Carriere.

"An assault from above is not entirely unexpected, you know. I have more than enough time to get ready. My whole life, you might say. I shall simply show off my defenses and prepare a counterattack" said Erik, confidently.

He went to walk away but Carriere put his arm out to stop him.

"If you let me take her back. I know I can persuade her not to say where she's been" said Carriere.

"Go away!" exclaimed Erik before walking away.

Carriere turned and watched him walk away.

"They will not let you get away with this, Erik" said Carriere, calling after Erik.

Erik stopped, turned around and faced Carriere.

"Well, they may have no choice. Go away! I have things to do" exclaimed Erik then disappeared behind a corner.

Carriere followed him. When he came around the corner, he saw Erik walking towards some wooden barrels, both big and small and were all labelled with skull and crossbones with the word 'Gunpowder' written underneath.

"Send her back" said Carriere in a demanding tone.

"No!" said Erik as he picked up one of the big barrels, carried it towards Carriere and put it down behind the older man.

"How can you suggest such a thing? The world up there is not fit for one such as her. Up there is where Hell is, and I will not send an Angel to Hell" said Erik as he walked back to pick up another barrel.

"She was betrayed tonight. I'd sooner die then let her be betrayed again" Erik continued speaking as he carried the barrel over to where he moved the first one.

"Betrayed?" asked Carriere.

"Yes, do you think she sang like that from nerves? That Carlotta woman poisoned her" said Erik as he placed the barrel down and walked back to the others.

XXX

Up on the surface, the rats had been removed from Carlotta and Cholet's private suite but unfortunately the trauma from the incident had left Carlotta unhinged.

"Ah! The rats! The rats!" screamed Carlotta as she looked all around the floor.

She was now dressed in a white night gown; her thick brown hair was a mess even though she was wearing a white hair band.

"No, No! There are no rats! No rats" said Cholet as he held his wife's arm, trying to comfort and reassure her.

Carlotta calmed down a little but then started speaking in gibberish, laughed hysterically and even pulled her husband to dance around with her. Suddenly she stopped and cried a little.

"Carlotta, please. Come lie down" said Cholet as he led his wife toward the ottoman bench in the room.

Carlotta kept babbling away to herself as Cholet sat her down, the suddenly she had another hysterical fit.

"Ah! The rats! The rats!" she cried as she curled herself up on the seat, not wanting to touch the floor.

"Look, look, look, look! No rats! No rats!" said Cholet as he pointed all around the floor to show his wife there was nothing for her to fear.

Carlotta calmed down again and laughed hysterically. Cholet joined her.

XXX

"This company was in your trust. And you just handed it over to people who care nothing for beauty" exclaimed Erik in an angry tone as he picked up two small barrels and carried them over to where he had moved the first two.

"You know I had nothing to do with that" said Carriere, defensively.

"Could have burned the place down. Better in ashes and memory than this. Send her back?" said Erik, speaking with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes!" exclaimed Carriere.

"Never! I may be hideous, but I am not hideous enough to do that" exclaimed Erik as he picked up two more small barrels.

"I don't care how many defenses you have, Erik. I can't help you anymore. I can't protect you" said Carriere, giving Erik a warning.

"It's they who need protecting here, not I" stated Erik as he walked pass Carriere.

"What do you mean?" asked Carriere, fearing what Erik insinuated.

Erik turned back around and stood beside Carriere, holding the two small barrels in front of him.

"I mean, a small amount of what's contained in these barrels and the Opera season is gone forever" Erik explained in a threatening manner.

He then puts the barrels down with the others.

"Erik, you're mad" said Carriere in disbelief.

Erik turned around abruptly and stood in front of Carriere.

"Now listen to me. For as long as I can remember, ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of her. People are born for many things Gerard. I was born to live, if one can call this living, down here. But until now I have never known quite why. I was born so that she could save me. That's what she's done. She is the reason I was born. I love her, Gerard. And I believe in time and with any luck she will learn to love me. It will be a cruel God indeed to have sent her otherwise" said Erik, pouring his heart out with each word that passed through his lips.

Carriere was left speechless but his expressions showed worry towards Erik's state of mind.

Erik walked around behind Carriere and grabbed a touch off the wall. He turned around to look at the older gentleman again.

"I don't want you to come back here, ever again. From now on, she is all I need" he said and with that he walked away from Carriere.