It didn�t take her long to come to the entrance hidden by a tapestry. She could smell candles burning and hear the sound of a pen scratching against parchment. She began to pull the tapestry back, but froze when she heard Christine�s voice.
I remember there was mist,
swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake.
Sara dropped the tapestry, wondering for a brief moment whether or not Christine had seen her.
There were candles all around,
and on the lake there was a boat,
and in the boat there was a man.
Sara was afraid that Christine had seen her, but when she pulled the tapestry back, she realized that she was safe, and hadn�t been seen.
Who was that shape in the shadows?
Whose is the face in the mask?
Sara held her breath, tears of jealousy burning in her eyes. She silently hoped that Christine would remove Erik�s mask, if she did that then he might hate her enough to never see her again.
Damn you!
You little prying Pandora!
You little demon
is this what you wanted to see?
A grin crept across Sara�s face. Once again Christine�s morbid curiosity had gotten the better of her. And this time, she was in a lot of trouble.
Curse you!
You little lying Delilah!
You little viper
Now you cannot ever be free!
Erik pushed a candelabrum over, almost making Sara cry out as the loud bang startled her. She was disappointed, he didn�t hate Christine, and he was using his face as an excuse to keep her prisoner. Sara could hear Erik�s tone quickly turning from anger to self pity.
Damn you ...
Curse you ...
Stranger than you dreamt it
Can you even dare to look
or bear to think of me:
this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in bell,
but secretly yearns for heaven,
secretly ...
secretly ...
Christine ...
Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster:
this repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty,
secretly ...
secretly ...
Oh, Christine ...
The silence was beginning to drive Sara insane. For the first time since she was a child she wished that she could see what was going on.
�Come we must return. Those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you.� Erik told Christine.
Sara stayed in her hiding place until she could no longer hear the sounds of Erik pushing the boat through the water. She slowly made her way down the stone steps, silently counting as she always did. She leaned down until she could feel the softness of the satin sheets and sat down to await Erik�s return.
It wasn�t long before she heard Erik returning and turned to face him. She could hear his footsteps on dry land, but they were walking away from her, meaning that he hadn�t noticed her presence.
She soon heard the scratch of his pen once more and sighed quietly. She stood and began walking towards the passage beside the bed that would lead her out.
�Don�t go.� Erik said, making her pause. �Come here.�
Sara turned and walked towards the area where his writing desk was located. She hadn�t brought her cane so she tripped on the fallen candelabra. Erik stood up and walked over to her, helping her off the floor and over to a chair.
�I�m surprised you let her go.� Sara told him quietly.
Erik said nothing, but returned to his desk. They sat quietly for a long time, Erik writing, and Sara listening to the sound of his pen scratching on the paper. �I want you to deliver these notes for me.�
Sara�s head cocked to one side in curiosity, �Who are they for?�
�The owners, the patron, Mme. Giry, and Carlotta.� He told her.
�Will you read them to me?�
Erik glanced over at her in confusion before, pulling out the notes and reading them to her. Each one carried instructions to ensure the success of Christine and the downfall of Carlotta. The final one was addressed to everyone, and she was to deliver it to Mme. Giry. Erik would take care of the rest.