Let Your Fantasies Unwind

Chapter 13

I start to doodle, at first just getting used to holding a pencil again (it's been about a week), and then I start doodling shapes.

About half an hour goes by, and a knock sounds on the door. I go over and open it, and the Phantom is leaning on the wall outside the door.

"Ready?" he asks.

"For?"

"More practice."

"It's not that late yet though."

"It'll be fine. Get your cloak." He turns and leaves.

I find my cloak, put it on, and then go out to the living room to find him. He appears from his room, hooking on his own cloak, and then his gaze fixes on me. A little spark of something grows in his warm brown eye.*

"Come on." He says warmly.

He takes me by the hand, and we go up the super long stair way. His cold hand slowly grows warmer, thanks to my hands, which might be the reason why he's leading me by the hand.

'Oh, what am I kidding? I think he likes me. I done did it. The timeline is going to be screwed up. But, if it already happened, then why isn't in the books? Or is time being rewritten as we walk? ...I hate time travel.'

"Hello?" his voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "I asked if you are okay." He looks concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was in the thinking trance, you know? And to answer your question, I am indeed okay." I give a small smile.

He shrugs it off, and as we continue walking, I look at him. I think I see the shadow of a smile on his face, but it's hard due to the lack of light.

I hadn't noticed we got to the catwalk, due to the staring. My mind tells my legs to keep walking, but the Phantom grabs and holds me around my stomach.

He pins my back to his chest. "What's wrong with you?" he whispers.

I get out of my trance and look at my surroundings. The lights are still on, and people can be heard scuttling around. I also notice how close he is to me.

"Megan?"

"I'm fine. I was distracted, again."

"By what?"

I blush a little. "I thought I saw you smiling a tiny bit."

"So you were staring at my face?"

"Yes. No matter how I try to say what I'm actually doing and thinking, it'll come off as rude."

"What do you mean?"

"I usually stare to understand. And I know it's rude to stare, but I cannot help it."

"Just like everyone else." He mutters even softer. "Here, hide up there." He points to an area. "Stay there, until I return to your side. Watch this."

He heads down, as I head up to the spot he told me to hide in. It's a small landing, and it's surrounded by ropes, so the only way you'd be able to get up to it is if you climb the ropes. I see him dart in and out of the shadows, getting closer to the stage.

"I'm here." He says, which sounds like it was right behind me!

Everyone on the stage scrambles again, and I just hide further back on the landing, against where the wall and the landing meet. The Ballet rats scuttle off to their rooms, chattering all the way, Madame Giry slams her cane to get the attention back at hand, and the scene-shifters mumble amongst themselves.

'Have I really been slowly picking up on my sense of sound? Is it getting sharper, or are people just really obnoxious?'

The Phantom joins me on the landing, being dramatic as he fans out his cloak. "What did you think?"