All I Ask Of You

Chapter 7

I slammed onto my back, the wind knocked out of me, and my head pounded as I sat up, trying to get my bearings.

At first, I couldn't see anything, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I slowly saw a man towering over me.

I shakily looked up at him, my eyes widening as I saw the white of his mask, through the light of the torch he held, the realization of who he was made my heart pound.

"Y-you're the Opera Ghost?" I spoke, the fear entering my voice as I did.

A grin came across his face as he chuckled.

"Oui, I supposed I am what you people above call me, a ghost, though I do prefer to be called Erik."

There had been rumors spreading about him for as long as I have been here, everyone thinking there was a ghost or phantom that haunted the Opera Populaire with a face the color of yellow parchment, cheeks, and eyes sunken, with only a blackhole where his nose used to be.

As I looked at him standing before me I saw he was nothing like the rumors I had heard from those who had supposedly seen him. His skin was pale, his eyes green with specks of brown in them, his hair a light chocolate shade of brown, he had a skinny, tall figure, and the only thing the rumors were right about was his clothing, wearing a dark suit, with a cape to match.

 It seemed that he was no phantom at all, only a man.

I rose, shakily to my feet, the nerves still prominent as I did.

"Now, Celeste is your name, correct?" He inquired as he watched me dust off my dress.

"Oui...how do you know my name?" I asked nervously.

"The Opera Ghost makes it his business to know all of who may be in his opera house," Erik said as he smiled slyly, beginning to walk away.

I stood there for a moment glued to the spot my nerves making it nearly impossible to move.

"You going to follow me or rot in darkness for the rest of your life, child?" The Opera Ghost called to me, his voice echoing as he did.

I quickly shook off the nerves and followed, my shoes pounding loudly as I did.

He looked over his shoulders at me as I came up behind, fiddling with my fingers as I did.

"I'm not going to kill you, you can stop being so frightened."

I stopped fiddling with my fingers, trying to relax but still uneasy.

This was Christine's angel, the man I'd been hearing, and seeing from the shadows talking to her. The infamous phantom that had been haunting the opera house for as long as anyone could remember and I was following him through a dark tunnel.

"Are you Christine's teacher?" I asked, surprised that I had enough courage to speak.

He didn't respond and I couldn't help but take his silence as confirmation of my suspicions.

I saw torches lighting the path ahead seeing a black door in the wall with a silver handle.

The Phantom approached the door a key appearing in his hands as he unlocked it, opening the door and motioning me to go in.

"Ladies first."

I stepped inside the room was lit up with candles. In the front, there was a red couch pressed up against the wall and a painting above it of a black horse, before it was a small table with a vase full of red roses in the center, beside it was a small golden horse, across from it a large velvet red curtain that blocked my eyes from seeing beyond it, and next to me as I entered the room was a large bed, with a bedframe that was in the shape of a swan.

I didn't understand why I was here, what did he want with me?

I took a deep breath, gathering all the courage I could to speak.

"Why am I here?" 

"You are here because there's a certain rat, who calls herself Carlotta that needs exterminating," He told me as he walked across the room.

I quickly followed and couldn't help but laugh, I was taken aback by the unexpected comment being made about the Spanish diva, especially one coming from a supposed ghost.

As soon as I stopped though I realized what he was saying.

"Are you going to kill her?" I asked fearfully.

The Phantom turned to me, cocking his head slightly to the side as he did.

"You think I shouldn't, wouldn't I be doing everyone a favor?"

I despised Carlotta, especially after what she had done to Christine. I had wished that she would be fired from the opera house more times than I could count, as have countless others, but never for her to be dead.

I could never hate someone to the extent of wishing death upon them.

I can't let that happen.

"Yes, but wouldn't you prefer it if she got sabotaged just as badly as Christine did, maybe even worse?" I suggested, hoping that would throw him off the idea of murdering her, but also still get revenge for what happened to Christine.

Erik sat down on the couch and he leaned back, a spark of interest glistening in his eyes.

"I supposed so, perhaps to the extent of permanently removing her from the opera house?"

I nodded my head enthusiastically as I sat beside him, I could see his brain working out an idea, his eyes moving from side to side in thought.

"That way you don't draw unwanted attention."

A mischievous smile appeared on Erik's face as he looked over to me.

"Very well, but to do this properly I would need some assistance."

I knew what he was hinting at and I could feel the nervousness rise in my chest.

"You want me to help you?"

"Oui, and in exchange, I can teach you to sing, though you did quite well in the performance earlier this evening it is obviously untaught, with my help I can teach your voice to soar." He told me as he leaned over slightly towards me.

I thought of Christine and how before she hadn't much of a voice at all, but now it was angelic, mesmerizing, even from the slight moment that she sang on stage I could feel myself just staring in amazement. 

Could he teach my voice to do that?

"All right, I'll help you."

He stood up extending a gloved hand to me as he smiled.

"Good, now since we have a deal, shall we begin?"

I nodded as I took his hand as he pulled me to my feet and guided me away.