A/N � This is my first scenario Phantom of the Opera fiction, and if anyone in interested in me writing one for them� for Phantom, Labyrinth, Hannibal, Silence of the Lambs, Legend, or any other major film such as that, send me your scenario at [email protected] I got this idea from Fauna, who wrote �Dreams come true for Lecterphiles�. I�ve commissioned her, you might say, to write a scenario fiction for me, but I thought I�d give it a try myself too Grins
It was nearly one o�clock in the morning, but Clara wasn�t asleep yet. She couldn�t even think about sleep. Sitting in a small blue bedroom, on a blush gray carpet, she leaned back against her bed, with a dictionary sitting on the pillow in her lap, a five-subject notebook open, and a brand new Bic pen in her left hand. The surround-sound stereo was on to volume point 85 � 100 being the softest � which played The Phantom of the Opera On Ice.
It was on Track four, which was The Lovers� Theme. A song that usually inspired her when she tried to write romantic scenes for all her Phantom of the Opera fan fictions� But tonight she was stuck. For the life of her, she could not grasp the personality of the character of Erik, or even the character of Arabella � which was her very own creation from online role play forums. How would Erik react to seeing this woman � who in the story he was supposed to be falling in love with � having her throat slit right in front of him by a jealous admirer, who then fled from Erik�s fury � knowing he�d sooner stay behind to save her than run after him? She wished she knew.
With a heavy sigh, she dropped her pen, pushed the pillow dictionary and notebook from her lap, and leaned her head back against the bed. Closing her eyes, she simply shook her head vaguely. Nothing had been going right lately. She felt as though she was in a nutshell, with a one day a week job that paid nothing for her to work four hours, and with no one to talk to anymore. Although she was around people all the time � mostly family � she felt utterly and totally alone. There was only one escape from her loneliness, and that was in her mind, when she could be with anyone she chose. From the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, to Vincent in Beauty and the Beast: Once Upon a Time in New York.
�Clara� I�m here.�
She opened her brown eyes abruptly, and lifted her head from the side of her high mattress. Standing above her, was a dark shadow that was nearly shapeless because of a long cloak and low-lying fedora that the man before her wore. The light had been turned off, and the small multi-colored disco ball on her dresser had been turned on. Green, orange, red, and blue, spun from right to left behind the shadow, and as the lights flew in a circle about the room. The CD was still on, and it was still on Track four. Glancing towards her stereo, she saw that it had been put on REPEAT.
�Are you surprised?� The man crouched down, forced to perch over her outstretched feet because the width of the room wouldn�t allow him to stand back further without sitting on her incredibly cluttered dresser. He was smiling behind a white, full mask. That was extremely unusual. She always pictured him with Andrew-Lloyd Webber�s half-mask in her fantasies. That could only really mean one thing� this was not a fantasy! He watched her with his dark amber-hued eyes, which danced with tender amusement.
�Why have you come to me?� Clara whispered, sitting up straight, and pulling her legs into an Indian-style position so that he had more room. �Of all people?�
�Well? You wanted me to come, didn�t you?� He asked gently. �I could go right now, if you want me to.�
�No!� She reached out, seizing his skinny, long-fingered hand when he made as if to stand up. �Please, don�t leave. I�m sorry� I�m just � �
�Startled.� He finished for her, smiling tenderly under the mask. Yet she could only tell he was smiling by the sound of his voice. And by the flash of teeth she saw under the mask. He moved to his right, and sat down so that they were in reasonably the same position, facing each other at a slight angle. �That isn�t so surprising. Well� I�m here now, just as you wanted me to be.�
�So � what do we do now?�
�Why� whatever you wish!� He laughed then, and Clara was very glad that her grandmother slept soundly in the next room. Were she a light sleeper, his laughter might�ve woken her up. And her parents were out of the house for the weekend, so they wouldn�t hear him either. �I suppose the first thing you want to do is ask me to sing.�
�I would love to hear you sing.� Clara confessed. �But� forgive me� I�d actually prefer to sing with you. If the sound of my voice doesn�t offend your senses.�
�You�re voice never offended my ears.� He assured her. �I�ve heard you before.� He moved a bit closer, and began to lightly hum. When Clara realized he was singing Point of No Return, she immediately took up the part of Christine, and then smiled as they reached the last line, holding it out together. Her voice had been so soft, that it had cracked several times� but she hadn�t wanted to wake up her grandmother. Erik seemed to understand as he smiled at her.
�Erik� might I ask� I don�t mean to make you uncomfortable��
�My mask?� His eyes hardened cautiously.
�Nothing beneath that mask could ever disturb me enough to make me scream, faint or run away. Even if I did have to look away.� Clara smirked. �At least I�m being honest.�
�I suppose I can give you that much.� He admitted, but made no move to take off the mask. �Why are you looking at me like that?�
�I�m just wondering how I�m going to kiss you if you�re wearing that damnable piece of cloth.� She climbed up to her feet, and perched on the edge of her three-foot high mattress. She wore tattered white-owl slippers on her feet, which were filthy and ripped from walking multiple times out onto the loose stone driveway. Erik took a long curious look at her footwear, smirking beneath his mask. When what she�d said dawned on him, he looked up sharply.
�You � can�t be serious!� He exclaimed. He stood, towering over her as he came at her. He stood inches away from her knees, and he bent over until their foreheads almost touched. �You don�t want to kiss this� this��
�Au contraire.� She replied, reached up to touch the mask. His hand caught her wrist, and she gasped from how cold his hand was, and how tight the grip. �It�s all I�ve wanted� for years.�
Erik stared at her a long time before backing up, carefully releasing her wrist with a look of remorse to his eyes. He straightened, turned his back to her, and reached for the multi-colored spinning disco ball behind him. A moment later, the room was covered in darkness.
�Don�t leave, Erik!� Clara exclaimed worriedly. �Please!�
A moment later, hands were on her shoulders, and she reached up instinctively. When a mouth touched her lips, she reached up with her hands to feel bare flesh under her fingertips. Erik had removed his mask! He was kissing her as though it had been his idea! When he pulled away, they were both breathing tremulously. Yet Erik�s breaths came faster, deeper.
�I�m not going anywhere.� He whispered weakly.
He�d sat himself up on the edge of her bed, just beside her, and pulled her into his arms, cradling her against him. She was amazed at the strength she felt beneath his cloak, which wrapped about them. Both. Erik again began to sing, and this song she recognized from the Charles Dance version of his story. It was the lullaby he�d sung to Christine in the story, after Carlotta had sabotaged her debut in the Opera House. Yet he didn�t stop where Gerard Garino had. (Gerard had dubbed Erik�s singing voice over Charles� Dance�s lip-sync. Gerard had the most beautiful voice she�d ever heard � beside the voice of the true Erik.) He repeated the song multiple times, until she felt her eyes growing heavy. One hand reached up to clutch at the fabric over his shoulder, not wanting to fall asleep. Not wanting this to end� But his voice was so insistent� her eyes closed� and refused to open�
When Clara opened her eyes, the morning sun was dripping golden sunlight through the closed blinds of her two front windows. It fell down onto the gray carpet, and when she grew more aware of where she was, she heard her sleep inducement CD on in the Stereo. She looked up towards it, and saw that the familiar REPEAT button had been activated.
�Erik�� She whimpered softly.