The Phantom's Admirer By: K.C.M

Chapter 9: Smoke and Mirrors

My hearing had not come back by the third day of my return, so they called a doctor. When he walked in, I had an uneasy feeling about him. Sandy hair, big round spectacles, and a hunched back. Did they have to choose such a creepy guy? He did various test and determined that I was going to have to stay in bed for a couple more days and since I didn't know sign language they had to pronounce everything very annoyingly slow. He took ten minutes to say, "You have to stay in bed." Luckily I had a gift of reading lips and reading in general.

Christine stayed at my bed side and we talked for a good long while. Well, attempted to talk. I tried to speak (but who knows how that turned out), and Christine wrote on paper. I think it worked out well.

Later, I noticed the small, beautiful ring that hung on a silver chain around her neck. Beckoning her over, I grabbed the ring and looked at her confusingly. She blushed and began to laugh but no sound came out. Christine grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and hurriedly scribbled something down, then handed it to me. The note read:

Raoul and I are secretly engaged! I'm actually surprised you noticed the ring.

It took barely a second to register in my head and my eyes bulged. I just kept looking back and forth between Christine and the note. "Really?" I tried to say. She just nodded and and laughed.

"Does the Phantom know?"

She didn't answer and her facial expression changed instantaneously. "Oh Christine. I'm sorry I brought him up."

Forgetting I was deaf for a moment she spoke to me normally. Lucky me for knowing how to read lips. "No it's fine,but he can't find out Valentina. He'll kill Raoul if he does. Then he would take me away." Then she sat down and cried. I walked over to her and she hugged me tight. Why did the Phantom have to do this to her? Yet, against my better judgement, I began to think of how many times he cried for Christine. He was so much in love with her and has been for so long. Then a boy comes and proceeds to snatch her out of his clutches. Now she is engaged without him knowing, and it will turn into a battle but I don't know who will win.

Yes, I had to see him. Confront him actually. He made me deaf and he will pay.

When all was quiet in the opera house, I slowly got out of bed. Of course I would have to be extra cautious since I couldn't hear. For a while, I just stood in my room, thinking. Then I remembered the mirror in the Phantom's chamber. Why would he keep one mirror covered at all times?

Slowly, I walked over to my own mirror and scrutinized it. "There you are." I thought and tugged at the tiny crack, sliding the mirror out of my way. The corridor was dark but I could see well enough. Walking down, down, down I saw a tiny light. When I came close to it though, it shifted and then went out all together. Someone was down there with me.

I later felt someone grab my throat, so I turned and nailed them in the jaw. The Phantom clutched his jaw and when I realized who it was, I slammed him against the wall. "What is wrong with you?!?" I proceeded to yell in his face. "You kidnap me, beat me, and then make me deaf! You've got a lot of nerve Mr. Phantom!"

He looked rather startled and genuinely surprised. "Valentina," he asked. "Why are you hear? It's not safe."

"Oh you're one to talk about safety."

The Phantom then grabbed my hand; not hard like usual, but soft. "I almost killed you just now." I looked in his eyes, still furious with him, and saw something in them. Guilt. Did the Phantom really feel guilty for something. Perhaps it was making me deaf, so I asked like an idiot. "Are you feeling guilty, or are you acting like it?" His face hardened slightly and he never answered, only freed himself. "How did you get in here?"

"I figured out your trick with smoke and mirrors."

"Clever little song bird."

"Why joke? I'm still fighting the urge to kill you! You made me deaf because you lost your foolish, foul, insane temper!"

"If I remember correctly, you lost your temper, knocked me unconscious, and broke my rib."

"YOU MADE ME DEAF!" There was a moment of silence from him but he eventually spoke up. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, how did I get back?"

"Silly little song bird," he said. "I brought you back."

"Why did you bring me back?"

"I'll explain at a later time, first I must get you back before you are declared missing again."

"Fine." I said rather annoyed. "Lead the way to my room if you know it."

"I know it blind folded by now little song bird."

The Phantom's words troubled me all the way to my room. Also the fact of how he seemed to trust me, and more horrifying that I trusted him. It was a lot to think about. "Good night." I said, and with that the Phantom left. Slowly I drifted to sleep and had dreams where I could hear sweet songs all through the night.

When I awoke, I was surprised to hear myself yawn. Then I was surprised again that I could hear myself gasp in surprise. "Christine," I said since she had just come in. "I can hear!"

"It must be a miracle!" She said as she embraced me in a hug that almost knocked the breath out of me. I couldn't help glancing at the mirror and laughing when I said, "Yes, a miracle." Perhaps on pulled off by a Phantom.

"Come Valentina we must show the others!" Christine said suddenly while jerking me out of bed. I happily obliged, knowing full and well that I would have lost an argument had I brought one up, but I had the feeling that we were being watched the entire time.