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

Chapter 13: A Drunk Ghost

He rowed me to the island that I had become acquainted to. It looked almost exactly the same as before and it was no more cheerful. "Here you are song bird. This is your new cage. You are not to leave it or I'll kill anyone who tries to hide you. Even if that means killing your precious little Alexandre."

"He's not my pre-"

"But you are precious to him. Why do you not return the affections? Are you scared to? Or is there someone else?"

"You have no right to ask me such things!"

"I do, since you are my prisoner."

"Oh, so I'm your prisoner now? I thought I was being protected." He glared at me and continued. "Valentina, you are in a dangerous place with a very dangerous man, I suggest you do as he says."

"I'm not answering such mindless questions and you can't make me." I stomped my foot on the ground and folded my arms across my chest. I was very stubborn and they always told me my mother was too. "Stop being a child and answer the questions."

"Fine. I just don't love him. I've never loved anyone and I still don't. There is your answer." I turned and left him while I went to the other side of the island. I once again saw the strange music box and I sat down and wound it up. As the soft music played I realized that it was playing "Masquerade."

"Do you like my toy?" Asked the Phantom as he walked up behind me. "How long have you been here? At the opera house I mean."

"Long enough."

"You were able to make a music box out of a song that's only played once a year. That means you would have had to been able to memorize the song. Not to mention all of the delicate detail work. You've been down here for most of your life."

He sighed and looked down at me. "Yes, yes I have. I forgot that you are a clever little song bird."

"Why do you call me that?"

"And also a curious one. I call you song bird, Christine calls me angel of music, most people called me the devil's child when I was younger. Now they call me the Phantom or Opera Ghost. They are all the same, names. Names have no real meaning and neither does yours."

"Your past is dark, isn't it? Probably beaten and I'm guessing from the way you said 'devil's child' that you were in a circus. I saw an act like that once when I lived on the street. The poor soul had a deformed arm and people threw things at him."

"You've been studying me, song bird?"

"I do it naturally to everyone I know." He studied me for a moment and I felt a sudden wave of tiredness wash over me. Since it was still dark both times I had woken up, I must have slept only a couple of hours and many things had happened in too short a period of time. I tried to stifle a yawn, but I was unsuccessful and all he did was laugh at me. "Tired are we?" He laughed. "Do you wish to sleep?"

"I guess sleep would be nice since you have woken me two times!" I tried not to sound irritated but I really was upset with him about that. "Well, you were moaning, tossing and turning, and quietly exclaiming... Never mind."

"That gave you no right to wake me!"

"Still, I did and you can't do anything about it. Now, get some rest. My bed is over there if you want it. Don't worry I won't be sleeping in it anyway. I barely ever sleep."

He pointed me in the direction and I slowly walked over to it. I looked over my shoulder and found the Phantom walking in the opposite direction. Breathing a sigh of relief, I let my hair down and laid down in the bed. It was warm and inviting, like anyone's own bed after a long day. The bed smelled like him, the Phantom. A rich earthy smell that can make anyone long to feel the warm breeze of spring. I fell asleep almost instantly.

"Wake up." The Phantom said in a cold voice. "It can't be morning yet, I just fell asleep!"

"Actually it is the next day. We are under the cover of night song bird."

Had I really slept into the next night? There was something off about him though. His words seemed almost to slur and he looked like he was stumbling as he walked to the side of the bed. Must be intoxicated. "Where have you been? How did you get drunk?"

"You and your silly questions!" He barked and I winced, fearing he would strike me as he rose his hand high into the air. The Phantom brought it down to his side with a thud and sat down next to me. "You really are quite drunk aren't you?"

"I guess you could say that." He laughed, then pulled a bottle out from under his cloak. Lifting high in the air, he took a large swig of the disgusting stuff. Alcohol was something I never had a liking for and the smell of it alone made me gag. "Please put that away, Erik." I pleaded. He only laughed again and waved the bottle in front of me. "Do you want to take it from me little song bird, the only thing that can ease me of my pain right now?"

"Drowning your sorrow in alcohol is not the answer." I said calmly. The last thing I needed was for him to explode.

"You know nothing! You are a heartless wretch who can't even love the man that has loved you for seven years, let alone a miserable drunk that has known you for only a few weeks!" I was shocked. This couldn't be a love confession, could it? I tried to calm him down, for he was getting rather worked up. "Shush. You don't know what you're even saying anymore, Erik." He looked straight in my eyes when I said his name. His face was filled with sadness and longing. Slowly he lifted his mask from his face. I remembered well the deformed mess that was his face, and I didn't blink twice at it. I was genuinely not afraid of if. "You are the only one who can get past this face and see a cursed man, not the child of the devil. Even Christine can not look at it with such a straight face as you can." When he started to lean towards me I held out my hands to stop him saying, "Stop this madness. You are drunk man who has no common sense and can't think rationally. Please stop."

At this, I unintentionally lit a spark in him. One of fury, passion, rage, sadness, longing, and so many other things. The Phantom lunged at me and I was pinned to the bed. He grabbed my wrist and was on top of me before I could make a single move of defense. The rope was still partly tied to the bed from when I was here last and, to my horror, he tied my wrists to it. I could do nothing for he was much larger and stronger than me, not only that, but he was drunk. He shook me violently and screamed. "Why can I not have you? Are you too good for me? Does that stupid man occupy your heart and mind? Christine does not love me even though I am madly in love with her, and now I have confessed that I am beginning to love you and you turn me away so quickly that I can not even say why! I will make you love me if I have to!" He leaned down and began kissing my face and neck feverishly. He was disgusting me and I could do nothing, for no one in the world could hear me scream. I thrashed about and pleaded with him to stop, but he refused to listen to me. Finally he leaned up and watched me with a mad interest. "Come now, Valentina." He said, smiling in a most dangerous expression. The Phantom brushed his hand through my hair and lifted it up to his face. "I love this hair. So vibrant and full of expression. Much like yourself actually. But what I love the most about you is your eyes. They are so very beautiful, making you an even more beautiful woman."

"Please stop it! You are drunk and surely you don't really love me! " I screamed at him. His face darkened once more and I began to tremble. "Do you even know why I am drunk? There is the pain of having one person you love the most in the world reject you and be engaged to another, and there is the pain of you being here! I was selfish when I saw you with Alexandre and I knew I had to take you. I didn't know why I had the need to have you here, but I went with it. You looked so peaceful sleeping here that I began to realize a deadly love for you, so I tried to drown it away. I couldn't, for I only began to love you more! I am supposed to only love one but you stepped in and ruined it. Now you yell at me that I don't love you when I do! I really do."

He began to cry and felt almost sorry for him. Almost.

The Phantom had lost so much and gained so little. Not to mention his new found love for me was tearing him apart on the inside.

"I'm sorry, Valentina. I'm so, so sorry. I hope you do not remember this night." The Phantom leaned down and kissed me on the lips, then he got off of me and the bed all together. He pulled something I could not see out of his cloak. However, I quickly recognized the smell and began to thrash in the bed once more. He put the soaked cloth up to my nose, and before I inhaled to much, he said, "Good night little song bird." Then, all went dark once more.