The Fifth Cellar (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 16 - Shooting Star

Evangeline's POV:

We walked up through the tunnels and into the halls of the Opera House. It wasn't long before we were mingling with the other people. I tried not to laugh at the thought that they didn't know they were rubbing shoulders with the famous Opera Ghost. We had agreed that we couldn't be seen together so we separated. I did make myself a promise though. I would dance with him though. I wanted to feel his arms around me again. I wanted that more than I could explain. When he held me there for a moment I had thought that I could have been his. I might have been his. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about Christine. She had taken my life from me. Erik was my life. I looked around and saw a white domino and a black domino standing together. I looked them both over and saw something very suspicious about them. I watched the white and black talking and then the white hurried away with the black following her. I watched Erik striding through the group and in hot pursuit. I leaned against the wall and kept to myself. I couldn't keep up with Erik in this dress and I wasn't going to try. If I had to I would find them. Erik knew that the white domino was Christine and the only other person that the black domino could be was Raoul. It had to be Raoul. If Erik ever found them together he would kill them both. I didn't like Raoul and Christine but I wouldn't ever wish harm on them. Then Erik reappeared and he didn't look happy. I walked over and laid a hand on his arm.

“Erik, what happened?”

“Christine and the fop got away.” I rolled my eyes. I wasn't surprised.

“Well, Red Death, you brought me so would you dance with me?” I saw shock in Erik's eyes. He stiffened and said,

“You want to dance with Erik?” I nodded. He looked to the dancers and guided me on to the dance floor. He seemed to be trying to stay as far away from me as possible so I pressed myself against him. I wasn't letting him get away. We danced a couple of dances then we started to get weird looks. I raised my eyebrows at Erik and whispered,

“Shall we go to the roof? Some peace and quiet would be nice.” He looked at me and nodded. A moment later we had left the part and was starting up the many stairs. Thirty minutes later we were at the top. There were benches and Erik brushed off the snow from one of them and held my hand as I sat down. He seated himself beside me but made sure not the touch me. I gave him “the look” and leaned up against him. He shifted uncomfortably and I pulled away.

“Am I making you unhappy? If you want I can stop.” I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice. I wanted to be close to him. Even if he loved Christine she wasn't going to touch him. I knew that. I could try to help but I was beginning to believe that it was hopeless. It was easier to believe that than to feel my heart breaking. I looked up at him and he whispered,

“No, no one has ever wanted to be close to Erik. Erik's a monster, inside and out. No one has ever wanted to touch him.” He looked down at his hands. “Erik does like to be near people though. He wants to be close to someone.” I could see the tears starting to form. I reached up and wiped them away. Then I slid my arm around his waist and tucked myself under his arm. He gingerly put his around my shoulders and I snuggled into his chest. He was so warm. I had once heard Christine call him cold. But he wasn't. She thought he was one of the living dead. No, he was warm and alive. True, the smell of the death hung about him but that was the closest he got to death. He was a man. I looked up and saw a star shooting across the sky.

“Erik, look! A shooting star!” I pointed at it and he said,

“It is so beautiful.” I looked up at him and said,

“Do you know that when you see a shooting star you are supposed to make a wish?” He shook his head. “Well, supposedly if you do it will come true.” Erik chuckled.

“You are something else. Who believes that?” I shrugged my shoulders.

“I do. And what does it hurt?” He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at me.

“What did you wish for?” I looked up at him and knew what my wish was. I wished for his love. His love, that was all I wanted. I would die happy if I knew he loved me even for a moment. But I couldn't tell him that.

“I wished that your wish would come true.” He gave me the weirdest look. I laughed. “What did you wish for?” He sighed.

“I have had this dream ever since I was a child. The dream that one day I might have a normal wife, a normal house, a normal life. That is all I have ever wanted. A wife that I could take on drives on Sunday.” Tears hung in his eyes. I carefully wiped them away. I sure had been doing that a lot. The moment I heard his wish I wanted to be that wife. I wanted to show him a normal life. I hugged him tighter and said,

“Erik, you will get it one day. One day you will have a normal life.” Erik looked down at me and I smiled up at him. In my mind I added, and it will be Christine. It won't be me, though I love you more than life itself.